Category: Press Releases

OCM Calls on President Trump to Renegotiate Beef Trade Deal with China

OCM Staff

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 12, 2017 Media Contact: Angela Huffman, 614-390-7552 ahuffman@competitivemarkets.com OCM Calls on President Trump to Renegotiate Beef Trade Deal with China Deal puts U.S. farmers and ranchers at a disadvantage to foreign imported beef LINCOLN, NE – Pointing to the provisions of the trade deal that will allow U.S. beef exports to China, the Organization for Competitive Markets today called on the Trump Administration to renegotiate the deal to ensure it does not put U.S. Read More …

OCM Public Comments Strongly Support GIPSA Fair Practices Rule

OCM Staff

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE LINCOLN, NE – In submitting public comments on the USDA’s Grain Inspection, Packers & Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) Fair Practices Rule, the Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM) urges every farmer, every rancher and every consumer to take the time to do the same. OCM President Mike Weaver said, “With the June 12th deadline looming, it is imperative that everyone act now. It appears USDA is disregarding all comments from previous public comment periods and now will Read More …

Costco Refuses to Discuss Poultry Contracts

OCM Staff

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For more information, contact: Mike Weaver (304) 668-2526 John Hansen (402) 580-8815 Costco Refuses to Discuss Poultry Contracts LINCOLN, NE – As a result of Costco’s Wholesale Corporation CEO W. Craig Jelinek’s failure to accept or respond to an invitation from the Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM) and Nebraska Farmers Union (NeFU) to sit down and discuss concerns with poultry contract provisions offered to area farmers, OCM and NeFU have issued an open letter to Read More …

Senate Judiciary Committee must carefully assess Delrahim in light of potential agribusiness mergers

OCM Staff

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 9, 2017 WASHINGTON, DC – Tomorrow, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a confirmation hearing for Makan Delrahim, President Trump’s nominee for Assistant Attorney General of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division. The DOJ’s Antitrust Division reviews and makes decisions on corporate mergers, and as an Assistant Attorney General Delrahim will be the ultimate decider on the proposed merger of giant agrichemical companies Monsanto Company and Bayer AG. A coalition of 137 farmer, consumer and environmental Read More …

Over 250,000 Farmers, Organizations, and Businesses Urge Congress to Pass Meaningful Checkoff Program Reform

OCM Staff

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 27, 2017 Media Contacts: Bill Bullard, 406-252-2516, billbullard@r-calfusa.com Angela Huffman, 614-390-7552, ahuffman@competitivemarkets.com Over 250,000 Farmers, Organizations, and Businesses Urge Congress to Pass Meaningful Checkoff Program Reform WASHINGTON, D.C. – In letters to the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, more than 80 organizations, representing over 250,000 ranchers, farmers and businesses called on Congress to fix the federal government’s failed commodity checkoff tax programs by supporting recently introduced legislation that, when passed, will bring much Read More …

Where’s the Beef in President Trump’s ‘Buy American’?

OCM Staff

Yesterday, President Trump issued an executive order pushing for a renewed effort to buy American manufacturing products and restore jobs for American working men and women. The Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM) applauds the president’s initiative, but unfortunately, those who want to purchase U.S. beef and pork are unable to identify it due to the repeal of Country of Origin Labeling. While American consumers have a fundamental right to know where other products are made or processed and Read More …

USDA Delays GIPSA Rule Again, Keeping Farmers in Harm’s Way

OCM Staff

Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) announced it is delaying the effective date of the Farmer Fair Practices Interim Final Rule an additional 180 days, until Oct. 19, 2017. Further, it will again solicit public comments on the direction that USDA should take with regard to the rule. During a new 60-day comment period, the public will weigh in on whether USDA should (1) let the rule become effective, (2) suspend Read More …

USDA Claims Confidentiality for 12,000 Pages of Federal Checkoff Spending Records

OCM Staff

OCM Moves Forward in Freedom of Information Case despite USDA’s Attempt to Conceal NCBA’s Abuses of Beef Checkoff Funds LINCOLN, NE – March 31, 2017 was the USDA’s court-ordered deadline to choose transparency or secrecy in a lawsuit over records from an audit initiated in 2011 of the federal Beef Checkoff Program. It chose secrecy. Out of a total of 12,341 pages of financial records from the audit and sought by the Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM) through Read More …