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War of words over release of GIPSA rule

The sometimes contentious relationship between Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack and the nation’s major cattle and hog groups has flared up again.

Following USDA’s release of the GIPSA livestock rule, the National Pork Producers Council issued a statement calling it “an apparent attack on rural America for its role in helping elect Donald Trump as president”.

That drew an angry response from Vilsack.

“That’s absurd—that’s absolutely absurd—and it’s unfortunate that they would use such rhetoric,” Vilsack said. “This has got nothing to do with the election of 2016. This has everything to do with what’s fair to producers.”

AUDIO: Vilsack

 

NPPC CEO Neil Dierks tells Brownfield the timing of the GIPSA announcement is suspect.

“In five weeks, we will have a new President inaugurated. In about three weeks, we’re going to have a new Congress coming in,” Dierks says. “It’s kind of unusual timing for having this come through.”

AUDIO: Dierks

 

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association was also critical, with NCBA president Tracy Brunner accusing Vilsack of “throwing a grenade in the building as he abandons it”. Brunner says the rule will limit the way producers can market cattle and “opens the floodgates to baseless litigation”.

Both groups vow to work with the new administration and new Congress to stop the rule from taking effect.

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