The incoming Republican chairman of the House Agriculture Committee is very unhappy with the proposed Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) rule that he says will likely result in a “tremendously devastating” impact on the livestock sector. During the special live 200th episode of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s Cattlemen to Cattlemen program last week, Congressman Frank Lucas (R-OK) …
Lucas to Chair House Ag Committee
Congressman Frank Lucas (R-OK) has been selected to chair the House Agriculture Committee in the 112th Congress. “It is an honor to continue in this leadership role of the Agriculture Committee where I have served since I was first elected to Congress,” Lucas said. “As a lifelong farmer from a diverse, agricultural state, I have lived the real world challenges …
Ag Groups Unite for Estate Tax Reform
Ten diverse agricultural organizations are conducting a press conference right now in Washington DC to urge Congress to act on estate tax reform during the lame-duck session. Scott Bennett (pictured), Virginia Tech University student and active participant in his family’s livestock operation, did a really nice job speaking on behalf of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association – noting that he …
Death Tax and the White House
It looks like the death tax is going to be really hard for Washington legislators to ignore. There are 31 ag groups making sure of it. They sent a letter to President Obama today “urging immediate, permanent and meaningful estate tax reform.” Anyone with a lick of common sense would know that if estate taxes are allowed to be reinstated …
Thanksgiving and Farmer Priorities
This week is the time to give thanks to America’s farmers and ranchers for producing the most affordable and abundant food supply in the world. If you’d like to help do that using your social media channels then please visit #foodthanks. In this week’s program I’m featuring a couple of interviews from Trade Talk at the NAFB convention. Here’s your …
NCBA Submits Comments on GIPSA Rule
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) today submitted official comments on behalf of its membership to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) regarding its proposed rule on livestock and poultry marketing. Colin Woodall, NCBA vice president of government affairs, says the comments submitted to USDA represent a thorough review of the potential consequences …
Informa GIPSA Rule Study Results
This morning at the NAFB convention a press conference was held the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), the National Turkey Federation (NTF) and the National Meat Association (NMA) to release the results of an economic analysis of USDA’s proposed livestock and poultry marketing regulation – the so-called GIPSA rule. I’ve posted the audio of …
Informa Study Finds Economic Losses Under GIPSA Rule
An Informa Economics study on the economic impact of the proposed GIPSA rules finds it could cost the economy $1.5 billion and nearly 23,000 jobs. The study, which was conducted on behalf of meat industry organizations, was released today in Kansas City by representatives of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, National Pork Producers Council, National Turkey Federation and National Meat …
Pork Producers Have 7 Reasons to Oppose GIPSA
With just two weeks before the comment period deadline remaining, the National Pork Producers Council is calling on consumers to join with meat producers in opposing the proposed Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) rule and they have come up with seven reasons why they should: No. 1 It’s a solution in search of a problem. The rule is …
Vagueness of GIPSA Proposal Concerns Montana Producer
The basic problem with the proposed Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) rule as far as Montana cow-calf producer Bill Donald is concerned is that it is just too vague. “We can have intelligent people that read it and come up with a very different analysis of what it will or won’t do,” Bill says. “It’s so hard to …