Earlier this month, the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee held a series of four hearings on the Obama Administration’s fiscal year (FY) 2013 budget request for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The hearings precede and are meant to inform the markup of a FY 2013 agriculture appropriations bill. The four hearings covered the President’s budget […]
Competition & Anti-trust
Oklahoma Case Shows Why Farmers Need Strong GIPSA Rules
On March 6, the Oklahoma Supreme Court overturned a jury award of $10 million to poultry growers who had contracts to grow out broiler chickens for Tyson Foods. The growers alleged that Tyson had given them unhealthy chicks and feed because the growers would not make costly modifications to their chicken houses that were not […]
Bill to Ban Packer Ownership of Livestock Introduced
On Wednesday, February 29, Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Kent Conrad (D-ND) introduced a bill (S. 2141) that would ban most meatpackers from owning livestock. Also signing on as original co-sponsors were Tim Johnson (D-SD) and Tom Harkin (D-IA). The Senate passed versions of this legislation in 2002 and 2008, but each time the measure […]
It’s Time: Help us Speak up for Sustainable Agriculture
Check out our Path to the 2012 Farm Bill blog series for updates on the 2012 Farm Bill process – and be sure to sign up for NSAC Action Alerts to stay in the loop on speaking out and taking action! The summer’s bounty may feel far away, but even in January, farmers and ranchers […]
GIPSA Contract Fairness Rule Finalized
USDA’s Grain Inspection, Packers & Stockyards Administration has issued a rule, to be published on December 9, that finalizes some provisions of the GIPSA rule proposed in June 2010. The provisions are intended to increase protections for farmers who produce poultry and hogs on contract. The four major areas covered in the final rule include: […]
Final FY 2012 Agriculture Funding Levels Agreed Upon
On Tuesday, November 15, House and Senate negotiators reached a compromise deal on a fiscal year (FY) 2012 appropriations “minibus” (H.R. 2112) which includes the FY 2012 agriculture appropriations bill. The minibus will now be sent back to both chambers of Congress for a final vote before being sent to the President for his signature […]
Senators Harkin and Johnson Stand Up for Fair Competition
On Thursday, October 20 , Senators Tim Johnson (D-SD) and Tom Harkin (D-IA) presented floor statements in support of the proposed Grain Inspection, Packers, and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) livestock competition rule. Earlier in the Senate floor debate, negative remarks made against the rule were made by Senator James Inhofe (R-OK) and Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS). […]
Court Rules Pilgrim’s Pride Violated Packers & Stockyards Act
Last week, a U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas issued a decision in Adams v. Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation, in which the court ruled that Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation (PPC) violated Section 192(e) of the Packers and Stockyards (PSA) when it closed and refused to sell a poultry processing plant in El Dorado, Arkansas […]
Livestock Marketing Fairness Act Introduced in House
This week Representative Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) introduced the Livestock Marketing Fairness Act (H.R. 2631) with Representative Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) as a co-sponsor. The Act is a companion bill to Senate Bill 1026 introduced earlier this year. That bill also had the bipartisan of Senators Mike Enzi (R-WY), Chuck Grassley (D-IA), Tim Johnson (D-SD), and Jon […]
Top Antitrust Official Christine Varney Leaving Justice Department
Assistant Attorney General Christine Varney has announced that she is leaving the Department of Justice to join a private law firm. Varney took over as the head of the Department’s Antitrust Division in 2009. During 2010, Varney attended the five joint workshops held by DOJ with USDA around the country on Agriculture and Antitrust Enforcement […]
Articles of Note in Latest JAFSCD Issue
Among the many excellent articles contained in the latest issue of the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development are three with special relevance to NSAC’s work. An article highlighting African American farmers is available without a subscription until July 16. Access to the full issue requires a subscription, but the abstracts can be […]
House Small Business Subcommittee Hearing on GIPSA Proposed Rule
On Thursday, July 7, the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Energy & Trade of the House Small Business Committee held a hearing on a rule proposed by USDA’s Grain Inspection Packers & Stockyards Act (GIPSA) in response to a 2008 Farm Bill directive. The directive requires USDA to implement regulations under the Packers & Stockyards Act to […]
An Action Packed June
It’s been a busy month at NSAC with four separate advocacy campaigns put in play. On June 28th, NSAC and a broad coalition of farm, conservation, wildlife, and forestry organizations representing millions of Americans orchestrated a National Day of Action to protest huge cuts to farm bill conservation programs and an attack on local and […]
Farmers and Ranchers Call the White House
For Immediate Release: June 22, 2011 Contact: Ferd Hoefner (202) 547-5754 Farmers & Ranchers Tell the White House to Issue Final GIPSA Rule Washington, D.C. June 22, 2011. Farmers and ranchers applauded when the Obama campaign pledged to restore open and competitive markets and fair contracts for livestock and poultry producers and again when last […]
We’ve Waited Long Enough….
THREE YEARS AGO, Candidate Barack Obama promised to stand up for open and fair markets for family farm livestock producers. THREE YEARS AGO, Congress passed a farm bill directing USDA to write rules to end price discrimination against small and mid-sized farmers by corporate meatpackers and processors and to ensure fair production contracts for poultry […]
House Takes Up Agriculture Appropriations Next Week
The House of Representatives is scheduled to debate and vote on the agriculture appropriations bill for fiscal year 2012 on Tuesday and Wednesday, June 14 and 15. The measure will be in front of the House Rules Committee on Monday afternoon. At the Rules Committee, House Agriculture Committee Chair Frank Lucas (R-OK) and Ranking Member […]
Proposed FY2012 Food and Agriculture Cuts One Step Closer to Becoming Law
On Tuesday, May 31, the full House Appropriations Committee passed its fiscal year (FY) 2012 agriculture appropriations bill, which was first passed by the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee last week. If it were to become law, this bill would make truly massive cuts to conservation, extension, research, renewable energy, and rural development programs. A number […]
House Ag Appropriations Subcommittee Passes FY2012 Funding Bill
On Tuesday, March 24, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies passed by voice vote its fiscal year (FY) 2012 agriculture appropriations bill, which would cut USDA and FDA discretionary programs by 13.4 percent on top of a similar amount in the FY 2011 bill completed last month. […]
House FY2012 Appropriations Bill Would Slash Conservation, Rural Development, and Research Programs
On Monday, May 23, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies released a draft of its fiscal year (FY) 2012 agriculture appropriations bill. The Subcommittee will debate, potentially amend, and almost certainly pass the bill on Tuesday during an afternoon markup. Before the bill can become law, […]
Senators Introduce Bill to Protect Livestock Farmers and Ranchers from Packer Price Manipulation
On Thursday, May 19, Senators Mike Enzi (R-WY), Chuck Grassley (D-IA), Tim Johnson (D-SD), and Jon Tester (D-MT) introduced a bill (S. 1026) with measures to protect independent livestock farmers and ranchers from price manipulation by packers and processors. Senators Enzi, Grassley, and Johnson co-sponsored a similar bill in 2009. The Livestock Marketing Fairness Act […]
House Members Join Big Packers’ Effort to Deny Justice to Farmers and Ranchers
On Monday, May 29, a letter signed by 147 members of the House of Representatives was delivered to USDA Secretary Vilsack urging him to withdraw a proposed fair competition rule issued on June 22, 2010. The anti-farmer and rancher letter was sent despite containing a major factual inaccuracy that was called to the attention of […]
NSAC Joins 160 Organizations to Urge Release of Report on Antitrust – Regulatory Enforcement Workshops
On Wednesday, May 11, NSAC joined 160 organizations on a letter urging USDA and the Department of Justice to complete and release a report on the findings from five workshops held in 2010 on antitrust issues and regulatory enforcement in farm and food sectors. Hundreds of farmers and ranchers attended the workshops held across the […]
U.S. Supreme Court Declines to Review Jury Award to Poultry Growers
On Monday, May 2, the U.S. Supreme Court declined, without comment, a petition of certiorari to review a 10th Circuit Court of Appeals decision in the case O.K. Industries v. Been. The Appeals Court upheld a federal jury award of $14.5 million to poultry growers from a poultry processor because of the processor’s violations of […]
Don’t Sign This
A small handful of giant meatpackers and processors have been underpaying and unfairly treating farmers and ranchers for decades. 10 months ago USDA issued a proposed livestock and poultry rule (also called the “GIPSA” rule) that would rein in some of their worst practices The big meat packers and processors have lobbied hard against these […]