Agricultural News
OCM Blasts NCBA for Supporting Elimination of Livestock Title In 2012 Farm Bill
Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:23:36 CST
The Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM) expressed its dismay at a recent announcement by the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) that it intends to oppose the inclusion of a livestock title in the next farm bill.
OCM President Fred Stokes stated; "OCM and allied organizations have worked hard to get the livestock title included in the farm bill so that independent producers might have fair and competitive markets and a fighting chance at survival. This action makes it very clear whose interest NCBA represents. NCBA has become a powerful political force through the tens of millions of dollars they receive from the beef check-off each year and in exchange they have worked to the detriment of the interests of those paying the check-off."
Following their annual meeting, NCBA announced that its top priority in 2012 Farm Bill is to eliminate the livestock title, as stated by its Executive Director of Legislative Affairs Kristina Butts. As justification, NCBA said that the livestock title in the 2008 Farm Bill included such programs as country-of-origin-labeling (COOL) and mandated that the USDA draft rules to clarify several aspects of the 1921 Packers and Stockyards Act. OCM advocated for the inclusion of these provisions in the 2008 Farm Bill.
COOL is a program that allows our nation's producers to satisfy consumer demand to know where their food is produced and offers a valuable marketing opportunity for U.S. producers. The rules written by the USDA to regulate unfair market practices by big business under the Packers and Stockyards Act were drafted to minimize corporate practices that unfairly target individual producers which have forced thousands of producers out of business nationwide.
"NCBA unabashedly supports the WTO as it undermines our national sovereignty and challenges our laws which would merely identify the superior food products produced in America!" stated Stokes.
OCM supports maintaining existing livestock producer protections and calls for more safeguards in the form of a ban on packer ownership, production contract reform, and vigorous enforcement of our antitrust laws. Additionally, OCM strongly supports COOL and calls on our U. S. Trade Representative to strongly resist any effort to nullify or weaken our lawful right to identify and differentiate products produced in America.
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