NOBULL: Thirty-four Groups Express Support for Four Farm Bill Amendments
Thirty-four Groups Express Support for Four Farm Bill Amendments
Washington, D.C.- Thirty-four national and state livestock, farm and consumer groups, including R-CALF USA, joined in a letter to encourage the U.S. Senate to approve four specific amendments to the 2013 Farm Bill.
The letter states, "In the few years since enactment of the 2008 Farm Bill, the United States has lost 4 percent of its beef cattle operations and 7 percent of its hog operations."
The groups indicate that the 2013 Farm Bill represents an opportunity for Congress to take steps to reverse the ongoing exodus of livestock operations by protecting "independent livestock and poultry producers from unfair and deceptive contract and marketing practices."
The groups urge the Senate to support the following livestock competition amendments:
Senate Amendment (SA) 969 by Senators Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) that establishes a special counsel on agricultural competition to coordinate and oversee competition and antitrust enforcement activities among the federal agencies.
SA 971 by Senator Jon Tester (D-Mont.) that requires the Secretary of Agriculture to collect information on the consolidation levels throughout the food and farm sector and issue an annual
Report on agriculture consolidation.
SA 982 by Senators Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), Tim Johnson (D-S.D.), and Jon Tester (D-Mont.) that prohibits the use of anti-competitive forward contracts, otherwise known as un-priced formula contracts. "The Enzi amendment requires all marketing arrangements to use firm, fixed base prices for marketing arrangements to ensure that cattle producers are fairly paid for their livestock," the groups wrote.
SA 993 by Senators John Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), and Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) that it is unlawful for companies "to retaliate against farmers for exercising their legal rights, such as talking to federal agency officials or members of Congress about their farming operations and contracts."
The 34 groups that joined in the letter of support for the four livestock competition amendments include: Alabama Contact Poultry Growers Association, Campaign for Contract Agriculture Reform, Cattle Producers of Louisiana, Cattle Producers of Washington, Center for Rural Affairs, Contract Poultry Growers of the Virginias, Dakota Rural Action, Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance, Food & Water Watch, Hmong National Development, Inc., Independent Beef Association of North Dakota (I-BAND), Independent Cattlemen of Wyoming, Independent Cattlemen of Nebraska, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Kansas Cattlemen’s Association, Land Stewardship Project, Missouri’s Best Beef Co-Operative, Missouri Rural Crisis Center, Murray County, Oklahoma Independent Cattlemen, National Catholic Rural Life Conference, National Family Farm Coalition, National Farmers Union, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, Nevada Live Stock Association, Northern Plains Resource Council, Northern Wisconsin Beef Producers, Organization for Competitive Markets, Poultry Partners (Arkansas), Powder River Basin Resource Council, R-CALF USA, Rural Advancement Foundation International-USA, Rural Coalition, South Dakota Stockgrowers Association, and Western Organization of Resource Councils.
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R-CALF USA (Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, United Stockgrowers of America) is the largest producer-only cattle trade association in the United States. It is a national, nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring the continued profitability and viability of the U.S. cattle industry. For more information, visit www.r-calfusa.com or, call 406-252-2516.