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Grain Standards Act may get more protections
The Grain Standards Act is coming up for renewal – after 10 years – and there’s a move in Congress to include protections against port slowdowns like the one in Washington State. Congressman Rick Crawford of Arkansas, chairman of the House General Farm Commodities subcommittee, says a bill is being worked on by the House Ag Committee that would not allow private inspectors during labor disputes.
The Grain Standards Act (GSA) allows the USDA to provide inspection services in the event of disruptions. But, Crawford says Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack declined to use his “discretionary authority” to maintain inspections at the Port of Vancouver.
The president of the National Association of Wheat Growers says the USDA’s Federal Grain Inspection Service must step in to insure inspections continue. Brett Blankenship, in a letter to the House Ag Committee, said what happened on West Coast ports should not be allowed to happen again because foreign customers began to question U.S. wheat growers’ ability to deliver on contracts.
Tags: Exports, Grains/Oilseeds, USDA, Wheat
I CAN NOT UNDERSTAND WHY OUR SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE HAVING THE AUTHORITY TO INTERVIEN IN GRAIN INSPECTIONS DID NOT USE THE AUTHORITY HE HAD . HOWEVER, HE IS AN OBAMA SELECT. WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT.