USFRA_Q&A Question and Answer concerning USFRA Funding and explanation of compliance with applicable regulations can be found in the document
Tag: USDA
Reforming the Marketplace; What’s Next?
Thomas F. “Fred” Stokes Executive Director In a February 9th letter to Agriculture Secretary Vilsack and Attorney General Holder, Senators Patrick Leahy and Charles Grassley state; “we would appreciate an update as to what the DOJ and USDA plans for its next steps.” The two senators, Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, were referring to following-on actions after the conclusion of last year’s joint DOJ/USDA workshops. “What’s next” seems to be the question on the Read More …
Joint Letter to USDA
Joint Letter to USDA
“The Big Lie” – Weapon of Choice for GIPSA Rule Opponents
Thomas F. “Fred” Stokes Executive Director The comment period for the proposed GIPSA Rules has ended and the 80,000 or so comments are in; — but the bare knuckled, back-alley fight continues. Pursuant to Title XI of the Food Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 (Farm Bill), the U. S. Department of Agriculture published certain rules on the federal register, June 22nd. The rules have to do with interpreting and enforcing the Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921 Read More …
OCM Support Counters Corporate Interests
OCM_PR_Outpouring_GIPSA_Support Consumer and Producer groups combined to show support for proposed regulations of the Department of Agriculture that would provide producers and consumers a break they haven’t experienced in over 90 years. Many advocacy groups have joined OCM in these matters. Please read the press release on the list of advocacy groups and for more information regarding OCM’s role in the proposed GIPSA rule.
GIPSA Head Restoring Fair Markets
ocmgipsanew Many political organizations closely affiliated with major beef, pork and poultry integrators attacked J. Dudley Butler, administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s GIPSA for his attempts to update GIPSA regulations of meatpackers. David Domina, general counsel for the Organization for Competitive Markets, notes the packer-friendly gropus have these accusations backwards. Download the complete press release above:
Briefing Paper: Money Talks, but Its Language Is Vulgar
With a highly-concentrated industry and uncontrolled lobbying on elected officials, there is no way for ordinary people to expect their voices to be heard over the sounds of spending by huge vested interests. This document provides an overview of agribusiness spending in the 2016 election cycle. Read more.
Briefing Paper: When Small Is Big
By David A Domina & C Robert Taylor, PhD Livestock economists who look only at cash movement and do not analyze profitability outcome sometimes conclude that the effect of market power and captive supplies is “small.” They dismiss this “small” impact lightly, but ignore the fact that the impact they concede is the difference between profit and loss – the economic equivalent of the difference between life and death. Read more.