Farm Bill won't include ban on packer livestock

"A ban on meatpacker ownership of livestock, part of a group of new competition provisions in the Senate-passed version of the Farm Bill, was removed from the conference report of the bill in late-night meeting this week," reports Dien Judge of The Iowa Independent. "The provision would have stopped the practice of meatpackers from raising their own herds of livestock, a practice which has caused difficulties for small, independent livestock producers." It also "would have reduced the power of large meatpacking companies to manipulate livestock markets," Judge writes.

The move was a defeat for Republican Sen. Charles Grassley, who told the Independent a packer ban is needed more than ever because "the world's largest meatpacker, JBS, has announced plans to purchase three other meatpacking companies," Judge writes. Grassley told him, "We've seen why it's needed more than ever. Packer-owned cattle and hogs distort the marketplace so the farmer can't get a fair price." (Read more)

For a rundown on other aspects of the bill, from Peter Shinn of Brownfield Network, click here.