Friday March 13 Ag News

Ricketts, Nebraska Grocers Express Confidence in Supply Chain

Today, Governor Pete Ricketts and the Nebraska Grocery Industry Association issued statements expressing confidence in the state’s food supply chain.

“Nebraska’s farmers and ranchers help feed the world,” said Governor Ricketts.  “We have a very secure supply chain, and we are examining steps to ensure that products move quickly.  Nebraskans should make sure they have their prescription medications, and two weeks of food and water on hand.  As Nebraskans heed calls to prepare for coronavirus, we know that some products are being purchased faster than they can be restocked.  Please be patient as our business owners work around the clock to keep operations moving.”

“Grocery stores are open for business,” said Kathy Siefken, Executive Director of the Nebraska Grocery Industry Association.  “While some food products are being purchased faster than they can be restocked, there is no food shortage.  Grocery stores receive multiple trucks every day to restock the food items that have been sold.  Warehouses are full of food.  There is a shortage of paper products and household chemicals and the supply chain continues to work on these issues.  There is no food shortage but there is a lag time between shelves being cleared by consumers and trucks delivering food the next day.”



An Update on 2020 Nebraska FFA State Convention
Stacey Agnew, Executive Director, Nebraska FFA Foundation

The situation regarding COVID-19, the coronavirus, has changed dramatically over the last week. In light of the current health issues and precautions taken to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, the Nebraska Department of Education has made the difficult decision to cancel all Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSO) 2020 State Conventions. This includes the Nebraska FFA State Convention.

While there are many questions outstanding at this time, we hope to know more in the coming weeks.  While this is certainly not the outcome we wanted, we know it is in our best interest for the health and safety of many.

If you have questions, I encourage you to reach out to our staff.

Corporate sponsors and industry partners contact:
Victoria Broders
402-314-3249
victoria@neffafoundation.org

Individual donor and supporters contact:
Sarah Mullen
402-843-6270
sarah@neffafoundation.org



IN-PERSON TRAININGS CANCELLED AND ONLINE TRAINING AVAILABLE FOR PRIVATE PESTICIDE AND CHEMIGATION APPLICATORS
Nathan Mueller, NE Cropping Systems Extension Educator

   Nebraska Extension is fully committed to the health and well-being of Nebraskans. In a disease situation like COVID-19, the principle of social distancing is one of the main methods that can be used to help reduce the spread of the disease. Chancellor Ronnie Green has issued guidance that all UNL classes will move to ‘remote’ modes. To be consistent with that guidance, Nebraska Extension will, whenever possible, provide Extension programs remotely (video or teleconferencing) but will not provide in-person Extension programs, at least until May 9. We recognize that this practice may create some level of disruption relative to the important information we provide to Nebraskans. However, online training options are currently available for both chemigation and private pesticide applicator trainings and you can learn more about those online options below.

Online Private Pesticide Applicator Trainings
   Remember, a private pesticide applicator is one who uses or supervises the use of restricted use pesticides in the production of agricultural commodities on land owned or rented by them or their employer, farmers, ranchers and orchardists. You are not eligible to purchase or apply restricted use pesticides until you are both certified and licensed.

   For those remaining applicators that need to take a private pesticide applicator training, an online self-study (go to https://psep.education/applicator/) course will need be completed for the same cost as the in-person trainings at $40.00 per individual. There are additional online training requirements for use of some Dicamba products and all Paraquat products. Information on these additional trainings can be found online (go to https://pested.unl.edu/certification-and-training).

Online Chemigation Training
   Applying fertilizer through pivots is an opportunity for achieving improved nitrogen use efficiency. However, to do this you need to be a licensed chemigation applicator with the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy. For initial and recertification, study materials are available online at https://water.unl.edu/article/agricultural-irrigation/chemigation. If you are recertifying, you can now watch the videos and take the exam online without coming into the Extension office. If you are taking the training for the first time/initial training, you can also take the training online, but will need to take a proctored exam in-person.  At this time, a training on May 20, 9:00 am to Noon, in Lincoln at the Lancaster County Extension Office (444 Cherrycreek Rd) will be offered, though subject to change.

   We appreciate your patience and flexibility in taking trainings online to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in Nebraska. 



Nitrogen Management Certification Training
Keith Glewen, NE Extension Educator, Saunders County

As a result of the virus pandemic, the Lower Platte North/Nebraska Extension Nitrogen Management Certification training scheduled for Thursday, March 19 at the Eastern Nebraska Research & Extension Center near Mead has been cancelled. Growers who had planned on attending the training can secure certification by doing so on-line. Go to: http://lpnnrd.org/test-request/  to start this process. If you choose not to use this method, please contact the NRD office to identify other options. Our apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused.



Nebraska Soybean Board to meet
The Nebraska Soybean Board (NSB) will hold its next meeting Thursday, March 19 through Friday, March, 2020 at the Embassy Suites located at 1040 P Street in Lincoln, Nebraska.

The Board will conduct regular board business along with committee reports and industry updates. This meeting also focuses on evaluating FY21 research projects funded by NSB.  The meeting is open to the public and will provide an opportunity for public discussion.  A complete agenda for the public meeting is available for inspection on the Nebraska Soybean Board website at www.nebraskasoybeans.org. 



Nebraska Farm Bureau Disaster Relief Fund Closes $3.4 Million Distributed to Storm Victims

It is the one-year anniversary (March 13-14) of one of the most disastrous storms to ravage the state in recent history, causing unprecedented flooding for farmers, ranchers, and rural communities. Nebraska Farm Bureau was there to help, creating the Nebraska Farm Bureau Disaster Relief Fund and collecting $3.4 million to help restore health and safety to individuals and livestock on farms and ranches and in rural communities. One hundred percent of the donations have been distributed, with zero administrative fees charged.

“My calves were surrounded by water, standing there bawling for help. I felt helpless. But Farm Bureau got us hay for two and a half months. They lined up hay, feed, fencing supplies, veterinary supplies to help my sick calves. It was unbelievable what they did for us! I can’t say enough thanks to Farm Bureau for that,” said Tom Geisler who farms with his wife Fran outside of Hooper.

In Spencer, ice chunks 10 to 12 feet high, some the size of cars, took out the Spencer Dam and caused catastrophic damage to the Ruzicka farm, where Willard and his son Anthony, raise cattle near Verdigre. It also took out the water lines in Boyd County where half to two-thirds of county residents were served by the Boyd County Rural Water District. The Nebraska Farm Bureau Disaster Relief Fund helped Ruzicka’s to rebuild, brought water to residents of Spencer and Verdigre, and helped restore the water lines in Boyd County. These are some of the people and places that were able to receive help from the money collected by the Nebraska Farm Bureau Disaster Relief Fund.

“Our regional managers worked side-by-side with Nebraska farmers and ranchers and rural communities to help aid those affected by the challenging weather season. The generosity of people who wanted to help financially or just volunteer their time for clean-up was overwhelming. More than 6,000 individuals and companies donated to the fund. Volunteers have given countless hours of time transporting hay, feed, and veterinary supplies for Nebraska farmers and ranchers who had nowhere else to turn. While we hope this fund will not be needed in the future, we are glad to have a mechanism in place at Nebraska Farm Bureau to provide help to farmers and ranchers when it is needed the most. We stand ready and thank those who supported the flood relief efforts. You truly made a difference for so many individuals,” said Steve Nelson, Nebraska Farm Bureau, president.

The fund was established at the Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation, a nonprofit organization with the ability to manage donations and relief distributions. The number of requests coming into the Disaster Relief Fund were overwhelming.

“We received a total of $35 million in unmet need requests to the Nebraska Farm Bureau Disaster Relief Fund. Private gifts were critical to meeting the needs of those affected by the storms, especially the necessities needed immediately following the storms. We sent out our final disaster checks early this month to close the fund. We’re pleased to have worked with so many generous people and organizations in Nebraska and across the county who donated to the Nebraska Farm Bureau Disaster Relief Fund,” said Megahn Schafer, executive director of the Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation.

Needs reported from relief applicants included debris removal; repair of personal property, including homes; fencing and feed for livestock; veterinary expenses; farm equipment and increased transportation costs due destruction of roads and bridges.

For Tom and Fran Geisler, Nebraska Farm Bureau helped them get through this difficult time.

“I don’t know if Tom would have made it through without Farm Bureau. They were right there on our doorstep after this disaster. They just came through for us,” Fran Geisler said.



Scribner Woman Crowned Nebraska Dairy Princess

Anna Ready, an 18-year-old senior at Logan View High School from Scribner was crowned the Nebraska Dairy Princess during the Nebraska Dairy Convention on February 25th in Columbus.

Ready, the daughter of Sid and Ruth Ready, currently serves as vice president of her school’s FFA chapter. She has been involved with 4-H and Girl Scouts, exhibited dairy animals at the World Dairy Expo and attended the National 4-H Dairy Conference. She is also involved in choir, drama and speech at school.

Ready will spend the next year helping to share the story of dairy farming and dairy’s role in healthy diets with people across the state.

Taylor Larson, 17, daughter of Bob and Kelsey Larson of Creston was named as the Nebraska Princess runner-up. Larson is a senior at Leigh Community Schools and has been involved with 4-H for eight years, showing dairy animals at the fair. Her school involvement includes basketball, Family, Careers and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), One Acts, Dance Band, Choir, Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), yearbook and journalism.

Ready will receive a $1000 scholarship from Midwest Dairy’s Nebraska Division, which sponsors the dairy princess program, while Larson will receive a $500 scholarship.

The Nebraska Dairy Princess is selected based on general dairy knowledge, enthusiasm for the industry, communications skills and ability to reach a consumer audience.



Third NCTA dean candidate visit is March 19

Public seminars with two candidates for the dean position at the Nebraska College of Technical in Curtis will proceed as planned on Monday and Thursday, despite cancellation of classes.

Meanwhile, students are invited to attend the seminars on campus or engage in remote access students meetings with Dr. Clyde Cranwell of Kansas on Monday and Dr. Darrel Sandall of Florida on Thursday.

The two professors, both with agricultural backgrounds, are among three candidates being considered by the NCTA Dean Search Committee.

Each will present a public seminar at 3:45 p.m. at the Nebraska Agriculture Industry Education Center, followed by a public reception from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

Dr. Darrel Sandall currently is Associate Professor Management at the Florida Institute of Technology.

He is a Rock County, Nebraska native who graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with degrees in agriculture education and agricultural honors.

He has been involved in production agriculture his entire life with beef, sheep, and beekeeping operations, and has been involved in workforce development continuously for the past 25 years.

Prior to his current position at Florida Tech, Sandall served as the Chief Operating Officer of Xtreme Alternative Defense Systems and as the Chief Skills Officer (CSO) for SkillsNET Corporation, one of the top 500 fastest growing companies in the United States in 2006 as recognized by Inc Magazine.

In addition to his corporate executive leadership and management experience, Sandall has also been a tenure track faculty member in the Department of Technology Leadership and Innovation at Purdue University.

In 1990, he was a recipient of the American FFA degree.

Dr. Clyde Cranwell will be at NCTA Monday. He is currently on the faculty at Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas where he is the chair of the Animal Science Department.

From 1999 to 2006, he served as chair of the NCTA Agriculture Production Systems (APS) Division and coached the Aggie Livestock Judging Team.

Other details about the NCTA Dean search are available at https://ncta.unl.edu/meet-dean-candidates.

NCTA is part of the University of Nebraska system. The college emphasizes workforce development in agriculture, agribusiness and veterinary technology.  Students can earn associate degrees, certificates and other credentials.

For details about NCTA, see ncta.unl.edu.



Top 10 Announced for Iowa’s Best Burger Contest

Iowans submitted nominations between February 10 – March 10 to kick off the quest to find the best burger in Iowa. Nominations were accepted online by the Iowa Beef Industry Council and the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association. The number of votes each restaurant received determined the 2020 Top Ten restaurants. The restaurants making the Top Ten list (in alphabetical order) include:

AllyCatz GrubHouse, Denver; Big Schwilly’s Chicken Dillys, Fairfield; Birdies, Burgers, & Brews at the Hillcrest, Graettinger; Brady’s Pub, Sheldon; BurgerFiend, Cedar Rapids; Lucile’s at the Continental Hotel, Centerville; The Buck Snort, Council Bluffs; The Twisted Tail Steakhouse & Saloon, BeeBeeTown; Troy’s Bar and Grill, Earling; and Wink’s Bar & Grill, West Liberty.

"Iowa has over 25,000 beef producers, and this contest is a great way to celebrate the beef they produce and the impact they have on Iowa," says Katie Olthoff, Director of Communications for the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association.

To qualify, the burger must be a 100% real beef patty served on a bun or bread product. Burgers may include any combination of condiments, sauces, cheese or toppings.

“Several restaurants have really unique and creative ways to encourage customers to vote. It was a close race to the finish line,” comments Kylie Peterson, Director of Marketing for the Iowa Beef Industry Council. “In total, we had nearly 300 towns and cities across Iowa represented which proves that there are a lot of great tasting burgers all across the state.”

Eight of the Top Ten restaurants are new qualifiers. Returning contestants include The Twisted Tail Steakhouse and Saloon in BeeBeeTown and BurgerFiend in Cedar Rapids.

The quest for the winner of the Iowa’s Best Burger will now begin. All Top Ten restaurants will be visited by a panel of anonymous judges who will evaluate the burgers based on taste, appearance, and proper doneness (160 degrees Fahrenheit). The judges’ scores and comments will be accumulated and the winner will be crowned on May 1 to kick off May Beef Month.

“This year’s Top Ten restaurants are award-winning worthy,” says Peterson. “But they are only a few of the many restaurants in Iowa that do an outstanding job of promoting and serving our beef products to their customers on behalf of Iowa’s beef farmers.”

To learn more about the contest and the Top Ten restaurants, including addresses and hours, visit www.iabeef.org.



Secretary Perdue Statement on Canada Passing USMCA

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue issued the following statement after the Canadian Parliament approved the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA):

“USMCA is a great victory for America’s agriculture industry, and I am pleased to see Canada’s Parliament approved the deal today. USMCA locks in and expands access to our neighbors to the North and South. I thank President Trump for negotiating this deal and for always supporting America’s farmers and ranchers. We will continue to work with both Canada and Mexico in implementing this agreement.”
 
Background:
USMCA was signed into law by President Donald J. Trump on January 29, 2020, after it received overwhelming bipartisan support in Congress. All three countries are working together closely on implementation in advance of the Agreement’s entry into force. USMCA will advance United States agricultural interests in two of the most important markets for American farmers, ranchers, and agribusinesses. This high-standard agreement builds upon our existing markets to expand United States food and agricultural exports and support food processing and rural jobs. Canada and Mexico are our first and second largest export markets for United States food and agricultural products, totaling more than $39.7 billion food and agricultural exports in 2018. These exports support more than 325,000 American jobs.

Key Provision: Increasing Dairy Market Access
    America’s dairy farmers will have expanded market opportunities in Canada for a wide variety of dairy products. Canada agreed to eliminate the unfair Class 6 and 7 milk pricing programs that allowed their farmers to undersell U.S. producers.

Key Provision: Biotechnology
    For the first time, the agreement specifically addresses agricultural biotechnology – including new technologies such as gene editing – to support innovation and reduce trade-distorting policies.

Key Provision: Geographical Indications
    The agreement institutes a more rigorous process for establishing geographical indicators and lays out additional factors to be considered in determining whether a term is a common name.

Key Provision: Sanitary/Phytosanitary Measures
    The three countries agree to strengthen disciplines for science-based measures that protect human, animal, and plant health while improving the flow of trade.

Key Provision: Poultry and Eggs
    U.S. poultry producers will have expanded access to Canada for chicken, turkey, and eggs.

Key Provision: Wheat
    Canada agrees to terminate its discriminatory wheat grading system, enabling U.S. growers to be more competitive.

Key Provision: Wine and Spirits
    The three countries agree to avoid technical barriers to trade through non-discrimination and transparency regarding sale, distribution, labeling, and certification of wine and distilled spirits.



U.S. Grains Council Statement On USMCA

On Friday, Canada's government approved the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), making it the third and final party to the agreement to do so. Below is a statement from U.S. Grains Council (USGC) Chairman Darren Armstrong, a farmer from North Carolina, on this milestone:

“Our leaders and members are thrilled to see the completion of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement's approval process and look forward to it entering into force.

“The list of advantages of USMCA for our sector is long. The agreement:
• maintains zero tariffs on U.S. feed grains, co-products and ethanol;
• provides the highest enforceable sanitary and phytosanitary standards in any trade agreement to date;
• addresses regulatory equivalence, science and risk analysis, transparency and cooperative technical consultations;
• creates a rapid-response mechanism to address trade challenges;
• modernizes border procedures; and
• includes an enforceable biotechnology chapter – the first ever in a U.S. trade agreement.

“Throughout the negotiations that produced USMCA, the Council has worked closely within our industry, with our customers - particularly in Mexico - and with the negotiating governments to ensure the needs of the U.S. grains sector were considered and the new agreement continued the success we experienced together under NAFTA. We welcomed the chance to bring Mexican buyers to the United States, U.S. farm reporters to Mexico and talk with so many stakeholders about the importance of our relationships with Canada and Mexico.

“All told, we believe this agreement will solidify our most important and strategic trade relationships with our closest neighbors and best customers, and it will position our industry to continue to grow with our friends and partners in Mexico and Canada.

“We appreciate the hard work of everyone involved in this intense process and look forward to continued growth toward a more successful future with the foundation USMCA provides.”



Flooding Continue to Disrupt Barge Navigation on Mississippi River

Consistent flood conditions on the Lower Mississippi River are causing disruptions from Cairo, IL, to the Gulf of Mexico.  As a result, tow size has been reduced by 5-10 barges and productivity has been reduced by 14-24 percent.

According to the American Commercial Barge Line, flood conditions are based on the river stage at Baton Rouge that crested above 40 feet and is currently slowly falling.

As of March 11, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasted Baton Rouge to remain above the 35-foot flood stage until late March.



Florida to Host 52nd Annual Beef Improvement Federation

Registration is now open for the 2020 Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) Research Symposium and Convention. This year’s event will be June 9-12 at the Embassy Suites by Hilton in Kissimmee, Florida.

The deadline for early registration is May 15. Attendees can save $100 by pre-registering. Online registration is available at http://www.beefimprovement.org.

This year’s BIF symposium features two and a half days of educational programming and a full day of tours. The first general session — “Progress in Beef Production in the Gulf Coast” — will feature a presentation by Dr. Todd Thrift of the University of Florida, a panel discussion for bull buyers, a Consumer Market Research presentation by Shawn Darcy of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and finally, attendees will learn about end user perspectives from Henry Zerby, Wendy’s Quality Supply Chain Co-Op. In the second general session, “Trade-offs in Genetic Issues”, attendees will focus on sustainability, learn about the trade-offs of thermo-tolerance and carcass quality and feed efficiency in feedlots versus pastures.

The afternoon breakout sessions both days will focus on a range of beef-production and genetic-improvement topics. The conference also features a Young Producer Symposium on Tuesday afternoon, designed for networking and to equip young cattle producers with essential knowledge as they grow their role in the business. Tuesday evening attendees will enjoy an opening reception.

For more conference details, including registration information, complete schedule and lodging information, visit http://www.beefimprovement.org. Prior to and during this year’s symposium, be sure to follow the event on social media channels using the hashtag #BIF2020.

Each year the BIF symposium draws a large group of leading seedstock and commercial beef producers, academics and allied industry partners. The attendance list is a “who’s who” of the beef value chain, offering great networking opportunities and conversations about the issues of the day. Program topics focus on how the beef industry can enhance value through genetic improvement across a range of attributes that affect the value chain.



Corn Checkoff Tackling the Challenge of Tar Spot

Make no mistake, when it comes to corn diseases Tar Spot is a booger. Although largely ignored until 2018 in the U.S., the fungus is now generating interest driven by its ability to severely crush corn yields. In fact, some fields suffered yield losses ranging from 25-60 bushels an acre that year.

Especially concerning is the apparent lack of resistance in many hybrids and how quickly it has spread since its arrival. Tar Spot was first identified in Mexico and then the Caribbean before landing in Illinois and Indiana in 2015. Indiana and Michigan reported hot spots in 2019 with appearances reported in Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Iowa and even Florida.

“Research is critically needed for rapid development of management strategies to reduce its impact and National Corn Growers Association with the support of state corn checkoff dollars and a FFAR grant is working to begin assessing germplasm for potential sources of resistance,” said Robyn Allscheid, NCGA Research and Productivity Director. “Corn Growers, along with additional support from a FFAR grant, are directing efforts to screen germplasm to look for resistance traits. Five lines have been identified thus far with strong potential.”

Work is also underway to develop a Tar Spotter App for smartphones to assist growers in identifying Tar Spot, relay potential fungicide treatments and to establish economic thresholds for treatment.

The knowledge gained through this project will help our growers better understand the management practices necessary to minimize the effects of this emerging disease, and help our partners identify and/or develop the tools needed to better control this pathogen, Allscheid said.

Tar spot is caused by the fungus Phyllachora maydis and can cause severe yield loss on susceptible hybrids when conditions are favorable for disease. Favorable conditions include wet, moderate weather. We continue to have above-average moisture with saturated, wet field conditions, which are conducive to early-season disease.

Tar spot appears as small, raised, black spots scattered across the upper and lower leaf surfaces. Tar Spot can look very similar to other corn diseases making it critical to identify your problem before treating.

Residue management, rotation, and avoiding susceptible hybrids may reduce tar spot development and severity.



NMPF Ready to Help Dairy Farmers Meet Coronavirus Challenges

In response to the continued spread of COVID-19 (the coronavirus) in the United States and the virus’s potential impact on domestic and international markets, National Milk Producers Federation President and CEO Jim Mulhern said the following:

“As the organization representing U.S. dairy farmers and the cooperatives they own, the National Milk Producers Federation stands ready to assist its members in addressing coronavirus challenges. From possible damages to domestic and world markets, to supply chain labor disruptions on the farm, at the processing plant or in transporting milk, the potential ramifications for dairy are wide-ranging. We will devote our resources to the best of our ability to helping dairy farmers and cooperatives respond to whatever challenges they may face.

“The good news is that the U.S. dairy supply is safe, and production of high-quality products continues unimpeded. The FDA has confirmed that heat treatment kills other coronaviruses, so pasteurization is expected to also inactivate this virus. In addition, there is no evidence that this strain of coronavirus is present in domestic livestock such as cattle.

“Still, all producers will remain vigilant as what has now been labeled a pandemic continues its path. We will continue to answer questions and offer information to help our members. Policy solutions also may be needed for producers whose operations have been affected by the virus. In keeping with our mission of serving our members, regardless of the challenge, we will work with lawmakers and regulators to ensure a safe and adequate supply of milk and to mitigate potential economic harm to dairy farmers.”



Statement from NCBA CEO Colin Woodall on the impact of Coronavirus on the U.S. Beef Supply Chain

"There is a great deal of uncertainty about the ongoing impact of Coronavirus on the beef industry and the United States as a whole. At this time, it’s impossible to measure the full effects of the virus or determine how it may continue to unfold. Although the full beef supply chain is being challenged by the outbreak, all segments of the industry are working closely together and must continue to do so. The current uncertainty facing beef producers is shared by all of agriculture and every American. By working together, we will overcome these obstacles.

"As Coronavirus has spread in the United States, NCBA has been in daily communication with participants from every sector of the beef supply chain. We’re working closely with cow-calf producers, stocker operators and feedlots. We’re also communicating regularly with packing sector participants, restaurant and retail operations. Every one of these operations is facing unique challenges and many shared burdens. As we continue to work through this crisis, we must do everything in our power to safeguard every sector of the business from disruption while ensuring cattle and beef continue to move in an orderly manner.

"In addition to working within the beef community, NCBA is working closely with Congress, USDA and many other regulatory agencies to remove possible barriers to beef production. Our work in Washington, D.C., will help keep the supply chain full and create the necessary food security required by consumers through the entirety of this event.  Consumer demand for beef remains strong, and producers across the industry remain ready to provide the safe, delicious, high-quality protein that’s required and desired around the globe.

"NCBA will continue to work with our members and partners throughout the beef supply chain to facilitate communication. By working together, every segment of the beef community can serve a role in returning the industry to normalcy as quickly as possible."



Proposed Rule Undermines Packers and Stockyards Act, Fails to Provide Needed Protections to Farmers

A rule proposed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) would undermine the intent of the Packers and Stockyards Act, according to comments submitted today by National Farmers Union (NFU) President Rob Larew.

Established in 1921, the Packers and Stockyards Act exists to "to assure fair competition” in the livestock, meat, and poultry industries and “to safeguard farmers and ranchers. . .from unfair, deceptive, unjustly discriminatory and monopolistic practices." The rule in question, which outlines criteria for determining if a company has shown “undue or unreasonable preferences or advantages” for one farmer over another, does little to achieve either goal. On the contrary, it would provide few, if any, protections to farmers while shielding corporations from legal challenges to abusive and anticompetitive actions.

In a statement, Larew echoed the organization’s earlier concerns with the rule and urged the USDA to develop clear and specific criteria that would offer meaningful protections to family farmers and ranchers.

“There has long been a massive power imbalance between family farmers and the poultry and livestock industries, a fact that Congress tried to remedy nearly a century ago with the Packers and Stockyards Act. But the Act has lacked the teeth it needs to provide even the most basic protections to farmers and ranchers. As a result, they have been subject to discrimination, price fixing, predatory contracts, and other unfair treatment.

“We were hopeful that by more clearly defining 'undue or unreasonable preferences,' this administration was finally taking steps towards balancing the relationship between farmers and corporations. Unfortunately, this proposed rule may just make the situation even worse. Not only does it fail to safeguard farmers from abusive practices, but it may also make it harder for them to litigate such practices.

“The Packers and Stockyards Act is supposed to protect farmers from corporations – not the other way around. To comply with the true intent of the Act, the USDA must revoke the proposed rule. In its place, the agency should develop criteria that are clear and specific and provide family farmers and ranchers the protections they need and deserve.”