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Congressman calls on Perdue to look into processing discrimination
A member of the House Ag Committee is calling on Ag Secretary Perdue to look into meat processing discrimination.
Minnesota Republican Jim Hagedorn tells Brownfield it appears packer-owned hogs are getting a preference in processing at the expense of independent farmers.
“It’s putting unnecessary and unjust pressure, financial and otherwise, on (those independent farmers).”
He says USDA data shows processing of packer-owned hogs has risen nine percent since January while independently owned hogs are down about nine percent.
As the President’s designee under the Defense Production Act, Hagedorn says the Secretary of Agriculture has the power to oversee packing plant issues.
“We think because the Secretary has authority in these areas can utilize it to require the proportionate processing of hogs (and) to make sure the contracts continue as were put in motion before this (pandemic).”
Hagedorn says there are also some antitrust and other types of discriminatory concerns that he’d like Secretary Perdue to look into.
Congressman is right, the processing plant tells us they don’t have a slot for us, but it makes sense they own their plant so they prefer processing their hogs first.