USDA this week issued a guidance document on how the department will enforce the final rule on "Undue and Unreasonable Preferences and Advantages" under the Packers and Stockyards Act. The guidance comes as USDA composes new rules to bring fairness to the marketplace for farmers and ranchers.
National Farmers Union strongly supports strengthening the Packers and Stockyards Act to protect livestock producers from unfair treatment and practices by meatpackers and integrators.
In response, NFU President Rob Larew states, “We welcome USDA’s newly released guidance, which demonstrates a further commitment to strong enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act.”
USDA says the proposed rules will strengthen the department’s enforcement of unfair and deceptive practices and undue preferences, address the poultry grower tournament system, and make it easier for USDA to bring enforcement actions under the Act. And, USDA says the enforcement policy commits USDA to defend farmers to the maximum extent possible.