WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that he has asked the Justice Department to investigate meat packing companies that he says are driving up the price of beef.

"I have asked the DOJ to immediately begin an investigation into the Meat Packing Companies who are driving up the price of Beef through Illicit Collusion, Price Fixing, and Price Manipulation," Trump said in a post on Truth Social, without mentioning the names companies.

Ranchers have long complained about consolidation in the packing industry, where Tyson, Cargill, JBS and National Beef Packing Company together control around 80% of the market. Tyson, Cargill and JBS have paid tens of millions of dollars to settle lawsuits accusing the companies of conspiring to inflate U.S. beef prices by restricting supply. 

Spokespeople for the companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington, Bhargav Acharya in Toronto and Jody Godoy in New York; editing by Costas Pitas)