by Ben Nuelle
Ag groups across the board express mixed feelings about a USDA rule claiming to protect poultry and pork producers from meat-packers.
USDA?s Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration released the Farmer Fair Practices rule Wednesday along with two other rules.
Iowa Ag Secretary Bill Northey says he?s hearing concerns from both sides.
?I talked to some pork producers who feel like some of the arrangements they have are in trouble and they may have to not have those arrangements that they are very happy with. They will say the way the rule looks to be implemented won?t create any transparency. I hear other pork producers that say maybe they think it will.?
Groups such as the National Pork Producers Council, National Chicken Council, and National Cattlemen?s Beef Association are upset about the rules. They say all this does is increase more regulations on the industry.
?A lot of the commercial folks I talk to are concerned about it and feel like it came in at the end. Not in a way where their voices were heard either so there are a lot of folks trying to roll pieces of this back either right before the administration leaves or right after the administration leaves.?
Groups in support of the rule include American Farm Bureau Federation, National Farmers Union, R-CALF USA, and the U.S. Cattlemen?s Association.
There will be a 60-day comment period when the rules are registered in the Federal Register.
View the rules here.
