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Livestock market reforms considered in House Agriculture Committee; we’ll keep pressure on as the full House debates the farm bill

The Center for Rural Affairs has made the point many times – farmers, ranchers, and rural communities want, need, and deserve livestock market reforms that restore competition and ensure access to equitable markets for all livestock producers.

Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Tom Harkin (D-IA) introduced the Competitive and Fair Agricultural Markets Act of 2007 earlier in the year and seems intent on including it in his “mark” or draft farm bill as a competition title. There is support on the Senate committee, but also stern opposition. But the outcome is uncertain.

There are flickers of hope that the House Agriculture Committee will find the courage to bring livestock market competition issues into the farm bill debate.

Livestock Subcommittee Chair Leonard Boswell (D-IA) held a livestock competition hearing on April 17, 2007, providing the first airing of competition issues in the House of Representatives in too many years to recall. (Read the Center’s testimony at www.cfra.org/competition.)

Representative Boswell then introduced the Competitive and Fair Agricultural Markets Act in the House, with bipartisan co-sponsorship – Representatives Barbara Cubin (R-WY), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Bruce Braley (D-IA), Dave Loebsack (D-IA) and Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE). Many farmers, ranchers, and rural organizations hoped that this was a sign that the House Agriculture Committee would grapple with competition in a substantive fashion.

Meanwhile, support for livestock competition reforms is growing. Sixty- four farm, ranch, and rural organizations signed a letter to Representative Boswell in support of a competition title in the farm bill. The Center for Rural Affairs, American Farm Bureau Federation, and National Farmers Union sent another letter to Representative Boswell and Senator Harkin outlining the competition provisions the three organizations agree should be included in the farm bill (www.cfra.org/competition).

When the Livestock Subcommittee considered their sections of the farm bill, Representative Boswell did not, however, offer his legislation as an amendment. The livestock sections were drafted in conjunction with Agriculture Committee Chair Collin Peterson (D-MN) and did not include any market competition provisions.

Representative Boswell did offer an amendment to prohibit mandatory arbitration clauses in livestock production contracts, which passed the subcommittee on a vote of 8 to 6 – a hopeful sign for competition reforms. The fact that Representative Boswell did not offer his full competition amendment was disappointing. But we will continue to press for inclusion of key competition provisions when the full House Agriculture Committee debates the farm bill at the end of June.

Contact: John Crabtree, johnc@cfra.org or 402.687.2103 x 1010 for more information.