Farm Aid is deeply concerned about the decision by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to rescind three rules regulating deceptive, discriminatory and unfair conduct by meatpackers. Finalized by the Biden administration, the rules were part of the Packers and Stockyards Act, a piece of antitrust legislation meant to ensure effective competition and integrity in livestock, meat and poultry markets.
The rules, two of which were already in effect and one whose implementation was delayed, were the result of years of advocacy by Farm Aid and our partners to address our country’s highly consolidated meat and poultry industries and documented unfair practices by meatpackers that hurt poultry growers and ranchers.
Steve Etka, policy director of the Campaign for Contract Agriculture Reform, of which Farm Aid is a member, said of the rule changes,
“The Administration has published its ‘Unified Agenda for Regulatory and Deregulatory Act’, which is a wonky list of all the rulemaking actions each federal agency plans to take in the coming months. Buried deep in this list is a very troubling confirmation of USDA’s plans to unravel key protections for our nation’s livestock and poultry farmers against the deceptive and retaliatory trade practices of large meatpackers and poultry companies.”
Though USDA has not given a reason for rescinding the rules, meat and poultry companies have strongly opposed the regulations. “The irony is that the Administration, with great fanfare, is pledging to crack down on monopolistic practices of these powerful meatpackers and poultry companies. But once the microphones are off, they are doing exactly the opposite,” said Steve Etka. “If the Administration wants to help family farmers, as it claims, they must reverse course and leave these key Packers and Stockyards Act protections in place.”
Farm Aid will continue to push for legislation that strengthens the Packers and Stockyards Act and protects our country’s poultry producers and ranchers. The next farm bill could offer an opportunity to strengthen antitrust legislation and reverse these rule changes — stay tuned for more updates!
