Secretary Vilsack Throws A GIPSA Grenade.

Dec 16, 2016

National Cattlemen's Beef Association Release

http://www.beefusa.org/newsreleases1.aspx?newsid=6115

Jeopardizing U.S. livestock producers, USDA released their final rulemaking on the 2010 Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Act. Tracy Brunner, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association president said these provisions are very similar to the 2010 proposed rules that industry groups have consistently voiced concern over. He also pointed out that Congress has repeatedly defunded the rules due to the staggering harm they would cause industry.

“The GIPSA rules are especially troubling to the cattle industry,” said Brunner. “As we have consistently stated, if adopted, this rulemaking will drastically limit the way our producers can market cattle and open the floodgates to baseless litigation. In a time of down cattle markets, the last thing USDA needs to do is limit opportunity. The fact of the matter is, we don’t trust the government to meddle in the marketplace.”

USDA has announced the new GIPSA regulations include an interim final rule on competitive injury and two proposed rules to address undue preference and the poultry grower ranking system. While USDA has provided a 60-day comment period, the interim final rule will take effect 60 days from the date of publication.

“USDA is going well beyond their statutory limitations, limiting marketing options for a product that America is demanding,” said Brunner.” If USDA was interested in real solutions rather than increased government regulations, they wouldn’t have rushed these rules out the door at the very close of the Administration’s term, bypassing any input from industry. Cattlemen and women don’t appreciate Secretary Vilsack throwing a grenade in the building as he abandons it.”

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.