May 5, 2008

US farm bill will not ban packer ownership of livestock, approval pending
 

The final version of the new farm bill will not be including a ban on packer ownership of livestock. 

Senator Grassley attempted a ban but it did not pass, according to a spokeswoman for Agriculture Committee.

Senator Grassley's amendment was beaten by congressional conferees on a voice vote. The legislators also adopted language from the House version of the farm bill which did not include a packer ban.

All other major elements of the bill have been agreed upon and approved, an official with the Agriculture Committee said.

However, both houses of Congress must approve the finished legislation before sending it to the White House, which has warned that approval could be problematic.

The president wants to sign a farm bill that meets his criteria or else he would be forced to veto it, according to Chuck Conner, US deputy secretary of agriculture. Conner added that the conferees should produce a bill that reduces costs and implements real reform.

The farm bill includes a Livestock Title provision "to provide basic protections for producer in livestock and poultry markets".

Said protections would provide producers the ability to decline to be bound by an arbitration clause in a livestock or poultry contract; enable producers to settle disputes in the Federal judicial district where they live rather than where the company headquarters is located; assist hog producers by authorizing a programme for trichinae certification to promote trade and marketing of pork; and improves oversight of USDA's enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act be requiring the Department to provide an annual compliance report detailing the number and length of time spent on investigations of potential violations of the Act.