By GREG HENDERSON June 22, 2022
The Senate Agriculture Committee on Wednesday advanced two bills aimed at making cattle markets more transparent and competitive.
The Meat and Poultry Special Investigator Act of 2022, and the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act of 2022 were both passed out of committee and prepared for floor action. Senate Agriculture committee chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) said, “These bills will make progress toward a more competitive, transparent, and fair supply chain that is better for American farmers and better able to keep food on all our tables.”
Last week the U.S. House passed its version of the special investigator bill, which was opposed by the North American Meat Institute, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, National Pork Producers Council and National Chicken Council.
A press release issued by Chuck Grassley (R-IA) hinted at the Senator’s delight as he proclaimed, “With the passage of these two important bills, my years-long beef with Big Cattle is one step closer to being settled. Iowa cattle producers have struggled to receive a fair price for years – long before inflation hit a 40-year high. It’s past time for Congress to stand with independent cattle producers and put an end to the cozy relationship between large meat packers and big cattle feedlots.”
Grassley offered an amendment to the Special Investigator Act to ensure the assigned investigator is a senior level USDA career staff person and not a political appointee. The amendment passed unanimously.
The Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act passed on a voice vote with only two recorded no votes, according to Deb Fischer (R-NE).
“The broad support reflects the importance of restoring market fairness so that every segment of the cattle supply chain can succeed,” Fischer said.
The Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act, however, was opposed by both by NCBA and the North American Meat Institute. NCBA said the proposal would subject every cattle producer in the country to a business-altering government mandate.
“Congress is instituting a one-size-fits-all policy that will hurt cattle producers’ livelihoods. Cattle markets are finally returning to normal after pandemic-fueled uncertainty, but these heavy-handed mandates will stifle innovation and limit marketing opportunities,” said NCBA Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane.
Julie Anna Potts, President and CEO of the Meat Institute, said in a statement, “The Grassley-Fischer bill being marked-up in the Senate Agriculture Committee this week will cost producers in the largest cattle producing region millions of dollars, and producers around the country will lose the ability to market their cattle as they choose.”
The Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act was sponsored by Fischer, Grassley, Jon Tester (D-MT) and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
