Agricultural News
The GIPSA Rules - USDA's Answer to the Question Nobody Asked
Thu, 27 Oct 2016 12:25:13 CDT
Rumor has it US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has sent the infamous GIPSA rules to the Office of Management & Budget for assessment, a piece of policy that's not been discussed since 2010. This is cause for considerable concern for ag trade groups like the National Cattlemen's Beef Association who say this development was discovered through the grapevine; that no courtesy call was made to any opponents of these rules. NCBA's Vice President of Governmental Affairs Colin Woodall tells Farm Director Ron Hays the USDA's actions are very telling as to the kind of push-back the department is expecting to get from affected industries.
"There is the review at the Office of Management & Budget which we're not sure exactly how long that will take," Woodall said. "But from what we understand, one of the provisions would be an interim final rule, so basically it would go into effect as soon as it was published without any feedback or input from the industry."
The mere fact that this proposed rule has not been a subject of conversation for six years, has Woodall worried enough, believing the department to be basing their decisions using outdated information.
"If he is trying to make some changes based upon comments that were submitted six years ago-" Woodall said. "Our industries have changed in six years; things are a little bit different than they were then. I don't believe he has the most updated information in order to make changes that would actually improve this rule."
Stopping this rule will be a priority for NCBA as Congress returns for the lame duck session, says Woodall. Their strategy - using language in the proposal's appropriations measures. It's a mechanism that has been successful before, Woodall says, and NCBA intends to use existing policy to their advantage in halting the GIPSA rules before they can be implemented.
Listen to Farm Director Ron Hays speak with Colin Woodall of NCBA about the concern behind USDA's push to implement the infamous GIPSA rules, on today's Beef Buzz.
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR below for today's show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
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