OCM SAYS GIPSA DEBATE CHALLENGE UNANSWERED

OCM SAYS GIPSA DEBATE CHALLENGE UNANSWERED

January 17, 2017 By kanderson@brownfieldnetwork.comFiled Under: Livestock, News

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Photo courtesy Kansas Livestock Association

The Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM) says its challenge to the nation’s major livestock groups to debate the GIPSA livestock rules has gone unanswered.

In late December, OCM sent a letter to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) and National Chicken Council (NCC), challenging them to a series of debates over the merits of the GIPSA rules. All three groups have been highly critical of those rules.

OCM president Mike Weaver says, by failing to respond to OCM’s challenge, NCBA, NPPC and NCC are attempting to “hide the truth” about ag markets from farmers and consumers. He accuses them of working against “family farm market safeguards”.

OCM is holding a series of meetings called the “Taking it Back” tour. Weaver says the goal is to build support for “restoring the agriculture markets to a fair and just system for farmers and consumers alike”.