National Farmers Union Applauds USDA Packers and Stockyards Act Rule

USDA has released a new rule. It's called the Inclusive Competition and Market Integrity under the Packers and Stockyards Act Rule. It's something that the National Farmers Union has worked on for a long time, according to Executive Director, Rob Larew.

“What this does is, actually bring greater clarity into the Packers and Stockyards Act. Things like what exactly are deceptive practices, that those who are also players beyond the producers themselves are often guilty of or certainly stretch the rules out there? What USDA is doing right now is to try to bring a lot more specifics in there. So that whether we're talking about the terms for contract with integrators, for example, that the terms that must be clarified and spelled out can give producers a lot more certainty and hopefully protect them against deceptive practices and really unfair and un-American kind of market practices.”

The Packers and Stockyards Act is over 100 years old and LaRue says that many sections of the Act have been weakened over time. This new rule and others that will follow will put teeth back into the statue, USDA oversees the Packers and Stockyards Act and the Department of Justice helps to enforce it when cases are brought up. The final rule will be effective 60 days following publication in the Federal Register.