Trump Signs Order Allowing Ranchers to Process Their Own Meat, Sell It Across State Lines
by Nick Gilbertson
President Donald Trump signed two executive orders on Friday to empower American ranchers, one of which allows them to process their own meat and sell it to consumers across state lines.
Trump signed the order, and another authorizing ranchers to protect against Mexican gray wolves, while flanked by ranchers and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.
.@POTUS signs an Executive Order to support farmers' ability to butcher, process, package, and sell their meat across state lines:
"We're going to give farmers and ranchers the right to process their own food… so they don't have to go through the Big Four processors." pic.twitter.com/GDsxGFRone
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 4, 2026
“Today, I’m thrilled to announce that my administration is taking historic action to help our nation’s great cattle ranchers and deliver American meat processed to the highest standard … there will be no standard higher in the world, and sold at the lowest prices directly to the consumer,” the president said.
“So for the first time ever, we’re going to give farmers and ranchers the right to process their own food. That’s a big announcement,” he went on to add.
Trump said he will establish a program through which ranchers can bypass the four major companies that hold what he called “a monopoly” on processing the food. Trump assured that “very strong safety inspections” will be conducted on the meat.
According to the White House, under the order, Rollins is directed to take a number of actions within the Department of Agriculture: