Ohio Farmers Union

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United to Grow Family Agriculture Since 1934

Sign of life for GIPSA Rule?

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FB-logo-ofuWhile opponents of traditional family farming in Congress have blocked implementation of the Grain Inspection and Stockyards Protection Administration rule from the 2008 Farm Bill, the National Farmers Union has continued to lobby for full implementation of the rule which would add transparency and more competition to U.S. markets.

NFU and others got a boost recently when eight members of Congress sent USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack a letter renewing calls to finish the rule making on GIPSA.

That process could proceed more smoothly at USDA now that the anti-GIPSA riders have been removed from recent spending bills.

“Producers and consumers alike benefit from competitive and transparent markets… Deceptive, fraudulent, retaliatory, and anti-competitive practices have no place in a well-functioning market, and we need to have sound rules of the road to protect consumers, livestock producers and poultry growers in increasingly concentrated market environments,” the lawmakers stated in the letter.

Ohio’s own U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Toledo, signed the letter to Vilsack with three other representatives and four senators. You can read the letter here.

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NFU Blasts Anti-Family Farmer Language Snuck Into Federal Appropriations Bill

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nfunr2National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson and United States Cattlemen’s Association (USCA) President Danni Beer today sent a letter to the House and Senate leaders strongly objecting to three anti-family farmer and rancher provisions slipped into the 2015 Appropriations Act in the dark of the night, without a single congressional hearing or an ounce of public discussion.

“NFU and USCA are very concerned that the report language included on Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL) could be used as an opportunity to stop the appeals process at the World Trade Organization or re-open the legislation that mandated COOL, both of which are unacceptable,” notes the letter. “Congress should not intervene in the WTO process.”

Formally known as Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015, the bills are being considered before both the House and the Senate this week. The joint letter points out that also hid inside the Act is a provision that orders the Secretary of Agriculture to refrain from implementing a reformed beef checkoff program, with the irony that the closing period on public comments for the beef checkoff is today.

“National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is so fearful of losing its $40 million-plus revenue stream through the beef checkoff that it has lobbied for this language to be included in the report rather than allowing producers the ability to have their comments recognized and addressed through the commenting process. NCBA has lobbied Congress on a mandatory producer checkoff program that they control,” notes the letter.

Also contained in the proposed Act is a legislative provision that prohibits the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyard Administration (GIPSA) from implementing regulations on the livestock and poultry industry that would address an array of fraudulent, deceptive, anti-competitive and retaliatory practices.

The letter points out that gutting the GIPSA law “would deny farmers protection from retaliation when they use their first amendment rights to speak with congressional representatives, deny them the right to a jury trial, and deny them the right to request information on how their pay is calculated. This provision is unconscionable.  Its inclusion in a funding bill is unacceptable to NFU’s and USCA’s members.”

“We strongly object to the use of the appropriations process as a mechanism to limit the secretary’s authority to uphold the COOL law, to respond to the dire need for reform of the beef checkoff, and to address anti-competitive market concerns.”

Read the letters in their entirety here.

NFU: COOL, GIPSA Will Come Under Fire in Appropriations Process

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While the appropriations that routinely wind their way through Congress aren’t supposed to create – or kill – policies already passed in other bills, the National Farmers Union is warning that opponents of Country of Origin Labeling and the Grain Inspection Packers and Stockyards Administration will try to harm both COOL and GIPSA by starving them of funding.

NFU President Roger Johnson testified before the US House Agriculture Subcommittee on Livestock, Rural Development and Credit. Members of the committee heard from several interested parties on the state of the U.S. livestock industry earlier this week.

Johnson reminded the committee that rural America has lost 34 percent of beef operations and 91 percent of hog farms since 1980 – a total loss of 1.1 million livestock farms. There are also fewer meatpackers and processors. Today, the top four beef packers have control over 81 percent of cattle slaughter in the U.S.,
and the top four swine processors control 65 percent of hog sales.

In meetings sponsored by the Ohio Farmers Union earlier this year, farmers, FSA and state extension officials all seemed to agree that one constraint in promoting a grass-fed beef cooperative in northwestern Ohio is the dearth of independent processing in Ohio. Speakers representing their own successful independent family farm livestock operations and cooperatives told OFU members that attempting to work with the multi-national, market-dominating processors will only lead to total dependence and the potential for ruin if a farmer runs afoul of the system and is essentially black-balled in the Big Ag marketplace.

“Fewer livestock buyers result in less competition, greater opportunity for antitrust violations, and a difficult market for the remaining farmers and ranchers,” said Johnson. “The U.S. Department of Agriculture has the authority to prohibit deceptive or fraudulent buying practices by processors and may protect farmers and ranchers if they have been harmed by unfair trade practices, but appropriations riders over the last three years have kept USDA from implementing these basic fairness rules. Future riders that impede enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act must be defeated,” Johnson said.

On COOL, Johnson told the committee, “I commend Congress for maintaining (COOL) standards in the 2014 Farm Bill. Consumers want to know more about the food they purchase, while U.S. farmers and ranchers are proud of what they produce.”

“NFU strongly opposes the use of an appropriations rider or other legislative vehicle to deny consumers access to information about their food.”

Read NFU’s Entire Testimony – Lots of Great Info

 

 

Congress, Obama Administration put interests of large, national meat packers over family farmers in final GIPSA Rule

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WASHINGTON (Dec. 8, 2011) – National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson issued the following statement after U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has published the Final Rule implementing protection provisions for farmers and ranchers under the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA):

“While the Final Rule is a good first step, it is certainly not a last step. We are disappointed that Congress passed a Fiscal Year 2012 appropriations bill that prevents additional portions of the rule from advancing. In particular, it is critical that the competitive injury portion of the rule be implemented. Currently, a producer must prove that a packer’s anti-competitive practices damaged the entire marketplace. Clarification of competitive injury is needed so that the producer would only have to prove that his or her operation was hurt by such actions, a much more reasonable standard. In choosing to prevent the competitive injury portion of the rule from moving forward, Congress has clearly chosen to put the interests of large packers ahead of family farmers and ranchers.

“After more than one year of discussion and more than 60,000 comments received, USDA has issued a Final Rule that provides some protection to family farmers and ranchers across the country. This rule will make the livestock market at least somewhat more transparent and fair. The rule clarifies whether the requirement of additional capital investments for poultry growers and swine producers violates the Packers and Stockyards Act, and ensures poultry dealers have a reasonable period of time to remedy a breach of contract.

“We will continue working with this administration and Congress to ensure that family farmers and ranchers are able to compete in a fair and open marketplace.”

 

Market competition is good for consumers, farmers and ranchers

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The following op-ed by Roger Johnson, president of the National Farmers Union, made the rounds a few weeks ago. At the time, there was yet another concerted push on to get the Obama Administration to make final approval of the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration rule (GIPSA). Johnson makes the points very clearly below why final approval of GIPSA remains a key policy consideration of both the National and Ohio Farmers Union. It’s rather unbelievable at this point that rule making which actually protects the rights of family farmers, smaller livestock operators and consumers would be held up since 2010. Please consider sending President Barack Obama a letter or email today regarding your support of final implementation of GIPSA. – Ron

by Roger Johnson, National Farmers Union President

In June 2010, the U.S. government provided some simple clarifications to the law that governs the relationship between livestock producers and the meatpackers and processors who buy their animals. This proposed change, known as the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (or GIPSA) rule, would help to ensure fairness for individual producers and restore competition to agricultural markets. Predictably, it prompted immediate and vigorous backlash from meat processors.

What does the GIPSA rule, so demonized by packers and processors, actually do?

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Market Competition is good for consumers and family farmers & ranchers

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GIPSA rule would protect basic rights of family farmers – and maintain choices for consumers

It’s rather unbelievable that an administration in Washington which talks every day about “fighting for the middle class” has delayed implementing the GIPSA rule. Please find below a clear explanation of the issue from the National Farmers Union. The Ohio Farmers Union is joining NFU in urging our members – and others who support us – to contact their elected representatives in Washington and tell them you want the GIPSA rule implemented now. Follow this link to find your member of Congress and U.S. Senators and use the contact forms on their websites to ask them to tell the Obama Administration that GIPSA should be implemented now.

From the National Farmers Union:

In June 2010, the U.S. government provided some simple clarifications to the law that governs the relationship between livestock producers and the meatpackers and processors who buy their animals. This proposed change, known as the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (or GIPSA) rule, would help to ensure fairness and bargaining rights for individual producers and restore competition to agricultural markets. Predictably, it prompted immediate and vigorous backlash from meat processors.

What does the GIPSA rule, so demonized by packers and processors, actually do?

It protects the basic rights of family farmers. It ensures farmers are able to have their contracts reviewed by an attorney or financial specialist so they know they’re not being cheated, and it protects farmers who speak out against unfair practices from retaliation from packers and processors. It allows a poultry farmer, previously denied the opportunity to watch his chickens being weighed after purchase, to make sure the weights recorded are accurate. Hog farmers who were kept in the dark about each others’ contracting agreements could compare their contracts and other vital documents to make sure they are being treated fairly.

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Action Alert: Let Sen. Brown Know You Support Funding New GIPSA Rule

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Ohio Farmers Union President Roger Wise asked OFU members last week to sign letters to U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown in support of funding the new Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyard Administration (GIPSA) rule.

“For decades, a very small handful of giant meatpackers and processors has been underpaying and unfairly treating farmers and ranchers. However, funding for a new GIPSA rule is being considered by the US Senate subcommittee for Ag Appropriations (which Senator Sherrod Brown serves on) and we need to show support for it so the Senator stands strong with family farms,” Wise wrote.

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OFU Members’ Help Needed to Ensure Fairness in Livestock Markets

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Three years after the 2008 Farm Bill passed and one year since the Obama Administration published the proposed Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) rule – also known as the Farmer and Rancher Bill of Rights – the nation’s family farmers are still waiting for Washington to do what it promised.

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One Year Later, Market Fairness Rule Still Not Implemented (GIPSA)

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WASHINGTON  – National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson issued the following statement in recognition of the one-year anniversary of the proposed Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) rule:

“The Obama Administration needs to act now to implement and enforce the GIPSA rule. Farmers and ranchers need a fair marketplace now more than ever. We have waited long enough.

“It has been one year since the GIPSA rule was proposed. Since then, more than 60,000 comments were submitted to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regarding the rule. It has been more than three years since the 2008 Farm Bill was passed with a mandate to put forward protections for farmers and ranchers. It is long past time to implement these reforms to protect family farmers and ranchers.

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Ohio Farmers Union
P.O. Box 363
1011 N. Defiance Street
Ottawa, Ohio 45875
Phone: (419) 523-5300
Toll Free: (800) 321-3671