Packers & Stockyards Act and More USDA Aid for Agriculture
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson with your Agribusiness Update.
**Canals that stay dry due to drought may be more prone to cracking, intensifying calls for federal and state investment in water facilities.
Water district officials say the drought and resulting water shortages have further exposed weaknesses in water systems.
A national coalition has urged U.S. Senate leaders to boost funding for water facilities in any infrastructure package, while the state Legislature also considers water investments.
**USDA will continue its rollout of aid to segments of the ag industry impacted by the pandemic.
Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack tells www.agweb.com, it’s about bringing additional aid to ag producers and businesses as part of the USDA Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative.
Vilsack says this new round of funds will focus on a number of gaps and disparities in previous rounds of aid, to include relief for dairy farmers, biofuel producers, specialty crops growers, and livestock producers.
www.agweb.com/news/policy/politics/usda-more-pandemic-assistance-dairy-farmers-biofuel-producers-specialty-crop?mkt
**The USDA will begin work on three proposed rules to support enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act.
That’s the 100-year-old law originally designed to protect poultry and hog farmers and cattle ranchers from unfair, deceptive, and anti-competitive practices.
The first proposal is a rule that provides greater clarity to strengthen enforcement.
Second, a poultry grower tournament system rule.
And third, a rule that clarifies you don’t need to demonstrate harm to competition in order to bring an action.
