Government is the problem via the USDA meat inspection that is the bottleneck for small independent processing operations.
We don’t need a billion dollars in subsidies, we need the USDA boot off our neck. Simply turning meat inspection back over to the states would solve the problem instantly and for free.
More than half the states have a state slaughterhouse inspection program that can take the place of USDA inspections but the meat can only be sold within that state. I found a farm near me that does their own processing and sells direct from the farm. Prices are in line with the grocery store which unfortunately still means $18/lb for ribeye. It’s understandable since they have to have a retail store which adds cost.
The problem is, very few grocery store chains operate only in one state. That means they have to buy from one of the big four, Tyson, Cargill, JBS & National Beef.
USDA meat processors are required to have a full time USDA inspector at all times at a cost of $80k per year.
If every state had state inspection programs, maybe things would change as far as logistics and distribution but that would require grocery stores to put in more effort plus tiny states in the Northeast just don’t have the livestock.
Since the congress has the power of the Interstate Commerce Clause, they could fix things. Problem is, it’s congress we’re talking about and they rarely if ever fix things.