WASHINGTON, Nov 7 (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)