“What did Langworthy do to preserve and prevent the failure of local dairy and beef farms?”
An Opinion by Jim King, Oswego NY, former Republican Congressional Candidate
In his first term Nick Langworthy sat on the Agriculture Committee. This term he sits on both the Rules Committee and the Oversight Committee. Three of the most powerful congressional committees and the three committees that have the most influence over farm policy.
What did Langworthy do to preserve and prevent the failure of local dairy and beef farms?
Nothing!
Instead, he blithely voted to encourage industrial dairy and beef agribusinesses in the west. He takes no notice of the effects on our local economy and consequent rising grocery store prices for dairy and beef.
Most NY-23 dairy farms fail because the Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) is set too low. FMMOs are federal laws that specify the minimum price producers must be paid by handlers for their milk. During Langworthy’s watch, the Agriculture Committee failed to fairly adjust the FMMO for the Northeast. The result for many dairy farms in NY-23 was production costs exceeded income. Farmers sold out or converted. (Many converted to beef cattle.) Instead of a local farm commodity, milk production has become an industry with more and more consolidation and all the negatives of “big business” with few positives. One current cost negative is transportation over large distances.
The story for beef is Langworthy’s failure on the Oversight Committee to stop a foreign owned company’s local monopoly of meat processing. A monopoly which is currently putting local farms out of business and driving up consumer beef prices.
JBS is part of a Brazilian multinational holding company run by billionaire brothers Joesley and Wesley Batista. Joesley has a significant relationship with Donald Trump including a $5M contribution to Trump’s inauguration and other financial ties. JBS has made the news for illegal activities including settlements for child labor violations, settlements for back wages and penalties, and a settlement of Packers and Stockyards Act violations related to unfair practices.
Smithfield Foods’ Beef Ops was the dominant beef cattle purchaser in the Southern Tier. Smithfield used the Cargil Wyalusing, PA, processing facilities. Southern Tier farmers could trailer their cattle to Wyalusing behind a large pickup. JBS purchased Smithfield and in 2025 move beef processing to Souderton, PA. Southern Tier farmers paid the additional costs to hire a semitrailer to get cattle to market. In January, 2026, JBS first announced moving Souderton beef processing to Michigan, then changed it to Nebraska or Colorado. NY-23 cattle would have to go halfway across the US. Cows would lose market weight and transportation is costly. JBS, the Southern Tier’s large commercial buyer, will not be buying from New York cattle farms. And, beef prices will continue to rise.
Langworthy endorsed moving almost all dairy production and beef processing to the western states. It is bad for the economy of Western New York and the Southern Tier. It is bad for eastern consumer prices. It is bad for national food security as a single point of failure in a crisis.
Langworthy thinks you will reelect him because he is a Republican. That is not good enough. We should elect someone who represents our interests.
