The livestock industry is doing their homework this week as an all-day meeting in Fort Collins this Friday will bring some big hitters to the plate. According to the Department of Justice’s (DOJ’s) website, this joint DOJ/USDA competition workshop will address beef, hog and other animal sectors. Likely issues for discussion are concentration in livestock markets, buyer power and enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act. This meeting is the fourth in a series of five joint workshops focused on competition and regulatory issues in agriculture. Previous meetings focused on farming, poultry and dairy. The final meeting will look at margins.
CLICK HERE to see the full agenda for Friday’s event in Fort Collins.
Folks from our region that will be sitting on the various panels do include:
* Dr. Taylor Haynes, rancher, Cheyenne, Wyoming
* Harry Livermont, rancher, Interior, South Dakota
* Gilles Stockton, rancher, Range, Montana
* Robert Mack, cattle producer/feeder, Watertown, South Dakota
Along with the scheduled testimony, there is also over 2 hours that has been set aside for public testimony.
WHAT THE INDUSTRY IS SAYING…
You can bet on the major industry groups being represented in full force Friday in Fort Collins. The U.S. Cattlemen’s Association says that they are optimistic that the DOJ and USDA have come up with fair representation that will lead to an even and balanced discussion. They will urge that the USDA stand firm on the proposed changes to the Packers and Stockyards Act, contending that the beef sector is the last remaining, least vertically integrated livestock industry and that consumers benefit from the competition and innovation that a market filled with many producers brings.
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