The proposed rule, issued on June 22, 2010 "responds to a directive in the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (the farm bill) to clarify and spell out how the protections contained in the Packers and Stockyards Act apply and are to be enforced in livestock and poultry marketing and contract production and growing arrangements."
GIPSA recently extended the comment period to November 22, 2010. For more information on the proposed rule click here and here to read past US Ag&Food Law and Policy blog posts on the subject.
Agri-Pulse reports that the National Farmer's Union (NFU) President, Roger Johnson, praised the senators, saying "On behalf of U.S. farmers and ranchers, I thank the 21 senators who have signed on to this letter. The establishment of greater stability through transparency in the marketplace is of utmost importance for the future of the livestock industry." He continued, stating that the proposed rule was a "significant step" to providing producers with "the means to sell their products in a fair marketplace."
The letter also urges Secretary Vilsack to "issue a final rule as expeditiously as possible once the comment period is closed and the Department has reviewed the comments and made any appropriate modifications to the proposed rule."
For the text of the proposed rule published in the Federal Register, click here.
To read the full text of the letter, click here.
To read the Drovers story, click here.
To read Agri-Pulse story, click here.
Posted: 08/17/2010
