“In an era of market consolidation, Barack Obama and Joe Biden will fight to ensure family and independent farmers have fair access to markets, control over their production decisions, and transparency in prices.”

President Barack Obama has an opportunity to keep a promise. As a candidate, he said he would fight for America’s family farmers and ranchers.

Four big multi-national corporations control over 85% of the meat packing industry. They have a virtual monopoly. And, they pay unfairly low prices for livestock from hard working independent farmers and ranchers. They want complete control over the food you buy and eat.

Unfair and deceptive practices by the big meat packers have contributed to the loss of more than half a million ranchers over the last 30 years.

One year ago, on June 22, President Obama’s Department of Agriculture proposed a new rule to level the playing field for thousands of farmers and ranchers. This fair market, anti-monopoly rule is an important step to protect family farmers, ranchers, and consumers.

The meat packers and livestock commodity groups are pounding on the administration, USDA, and Congress to stop this rule.

It’s time for you and me to speak up for this rule.

President Obama needs to hear from you June 20-23.

Pick up your phone and call the White House. Urge the President to use his authority to implement the fair market, anti-monopoly rule NOW. Tell the President that it’s time to fight for family farmer and ranchers.

You can use the message below, or deliver your own.

1. Call the White House June 20-23 at (202) 456-1111 between 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. EDT. You may need to call a couple of times because lines are expected to be very busy.
2. Give your message to the operator. You can use the one below, if you’d like.

My name is ________. I’m a farmer/livestock producer/consumer/other from city, state.

I urge President Obama to ensure that the U.S. Department of Agriculture issues and enforces the new Packers and Stockyards livestock fairness rule now.

It has been over a year since the rule has been posted, and over three years since Congress directed USDA in the Farm Bill to develop the rule. No more delays!

The rule would enable family farmers and ranchers access to the information they need to make sound business decisions. The rule would encourage the fair prices necessary to keep families farming, and these rules would provide the legal standing to prevent industry retaliation when a farmer or rancher expresses a view point.

Corporate meat packers and their partners have severely damaged fairness and competition in the livestock industry.

Get a strong rule out now! Don’t let the packers stall and weaken this important rule.

If you feel comfortable leaving your contact info, you can add:

“I would like to know where the Administration stands on this issue. Please contact me at ___________. Thank you.”

Background

The 2008 Farm Bill included a requirement that USDA develop and enact rules to clarify and better enforce the Packers and Stockyards Act. Livestock producers and family farm groups have demanded this reform for years.

We were initially encouraged when USDA began the process of defining these rules. But let’s recap where things are at:

• Three years since the 2008 Farm Bill passed which required a new rule and livestock market fairness, and still – No Implementation
• One year since the rule was first posted and seven months since the public comment period ended, which generated 60,000 comments mostly in support of the rule, and – No Action
• Five U.S. Department of Justice and USDA workshops on Competition in 21st Century, where family farmers and consumers testified again and again about an unfair and corporate manipulated marketplace and – No Action

USDA is moving slowly because the agency is taking a lot of heat from the major corporate meat packers and their partners like the National Pork Producers Council and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. The opponents want Congress to kill or delay the rule.

Recently, the meat packers and their partners got language into the U.S. House 2012 ag appropriations bill that would halt the fair market, anti-monopoly rule dead in its tracks. The House passed the bill last week.

If the meat packers can’t kill the rule outright, they’ll try to delay it as long as possible.