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Amendment would prevent USDA from moving on GIPSA rule

An amendment passed by the House Appropriations Committee would again prevent the USDA from implementing the so-called GIPSA (Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyard Administration) rule. The regulations are designed to protect chicken growers who contract with processing companies that typically own the birds.

Barbara Patterson with the National Farmers Union says the organization is disappointed in Tuesday’s vote.  “Last year we finally achieved some success with the Omnibus legislation that didn’t include a rider,” she says.  “We worked with USDA and we understand from them that they were ready to move forward on writing rules and finalizing some of the rules that they’ve had out there for several years now.”

AUDIO: Barbara Patterson, National Farmers Union

Ohio Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur says this is the sixth attempt by the House Appropriations Committee to stop the implementation of the GIPSA rule by the USDA.  “They’ve had all the input and comments have come in and USDA has altered what they were proposing several years ago,” she says.  “We’ve had several attempts by this committee to stop progress in this industry.  America can compete when all actors in the system are treated fairly – the processing companies and the growers.”

Maryland Representative Andy Harris, who sponsored the amendment, says the regulations threatens to upset the current tournament pricing system where a portion of the payments to farms is based on the quality of the birds grown.

The American Farm Bureau, the National Farmers Union, and the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition oppose the amendment.  The National Chicken Council and the National Pork Producers Council are in favor of it.

USDA officials say new regulations could be proposed this summer.