Today, Farm Action released the following statements in response to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announcement to finalize the Poultry Grower Payment Systems and Capital Improvement Systems rule and withdraw the Fair and Competitive Livestock and Poultry Markets rule, both of which were efforts to reinvigorate the Packers and Stockyards Act (P&S Act) of 1921.
In response to the finalization of the Poultry Grower Payment Systems and Capital Improvement Systems rule, Farm Action issued the following statement, which can be attributed to Angela Huffman, Farm Action’s President:
“We applaud the USDA for its efforts in proposing and now finalizing this critical rule that will improve its ability to hold monopolistic poultry integrators accountable for unfair and deceptive payment and capital improvement systems for poultry growers. This rule is a necessary step to strengthen protections for farmers who face abuse by corporations within the predatory tournament system.”
In response to the withdrawal of the Fair and Competitive Livestock and Poultry Markets rule, Huffman added:
“We are disappointed that once more farmers and ranchers will suffer due to the USDA’s unfinished business. Eight years ago, at the end of President Obama’s administration, we were left in the same position after the USDA failed to move key farmer protections through the rulemaking process in time. This rule would have clarified that farmers and ranchers can bring individual action against dominant meatpackers without the impossibly high burden of proving industry-wide harm. We are discouraged that the wait for this much-needed regulation now continues.”
Farm Action has urged the USDA to act quickly to avoid running up against the clock to complete its efforts. This includes publishing report cards in 2022 and 2023, calling attention to the USDA’s slow progress. Despite this, Farm Action is appreciative of the USDA’s successful finalization of three rules in total that will help begin to restore the P&S Act to its originally intended purpose of protecting producers from abusive meatpackers in our food and farm system.
Media Contact: Emma Nicolas, enicolas@farmaction.us, 202-450-0094
