Competition provisions needed in Farm Bill

Farmers, ranchers and consumers are eagerly awaiting the debate over the 2007 Farm Bill. Ranchers and rural residents of our region are especially interested in this farm bill because it has the potential to address the most critical issue facing livestock producers today—returning competition and concentration to livestock markets.

Both the House and Senate Agriculture Committees will be meeting in early July to begin the nitty gritty of farm bill negotiations. It is now up to WORC’s members and allies to participate in that process in order to ensure competition issues are brought to the forefront and get the discussion and debate they deserve.

WORC has been working toward the Captive Supply Reform Act for over 17 years and now we have the opportunity to make lasting change on all fronts of competition. Through WORC’s collaboration with allies such as R-CALF, RAFI USA, National Farmers Union, Organization for Competitive Markets, Center for Rural Affairs, Institute for Ag and Trade Policy and Sustainable Agriculture Working Groups, our voice has the potential to drown out the meatpacking and mega-retail lobbyists.

Contact members of the Agriculture Committees and ask them to support and vote for competition measures in Committee and when they come to the Senate and House floors. Ask Agriculture Committee members to support the bills listed below and tell them:

The Captive Supply Reform Act would return fairness by requiring all contracts to contain a firm base price and requiring that contract be offered or bid in an open, public manner.

Congress has a choice. They can choose to champion the strong, comprehensive competition issues and be key leaders in returning balance to agricultural markets. Or—they can stand by and watch the balance of market control tip further and further toward agribusiness corporations while more and more family farmers and ranchers lose their livelihoods and rural communities shrivel up and die.

Competition Legislation in the 110th Congress

Captive Supply Reform Act S. 1017 Introduced March 28, 2007 To amend the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921, to prohibit the use of certain anti-competitive forward contracts. Primary sponsor: Sen. Enzi (R-WY). Co-sponsors: Dorgan (D-ND), Conrad (D-ND), Thomas (R-WY), Grassley (R-IA), Tester (D-MT), Johnson (D-SD)	Captive Supply Reform Act H.R. 2213 Introduced May 8, 2007 To amend the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921, to prohibit the use of certain anti-competitive forward contracts. Primary Sponsor: Rep. Herseth Sandlin (D-SD). Co-sponsors: Cubin (R-WY). Pomeroy (D-SD)
Country of Origin Labeling S. 404 Introduced January 26, 2007 To amend the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to require the implementation of country of origin labeling requirements by September 30, 2007. Primary Sponsor: Thomas (R-WY). Co-sponsors: Baucus (D-MT), Thune (R-SD), Grassley (R-IA), Tester (D-MT), Bingaman (D-NM), Dorgan (D-ND), Conrad (D-ND), Enzi (R-WY), Clinton (D-NY), Feingold (D-WI)	Country of Origin Labeling H. R. 357 Introduced January 9, 2007 To amend the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to implement mandatory country of origin labeling requirements for meat and produce on September 30, 2007. Primary sponsor: Rehberg (R-MT). Co-sponsors: Herseth Sandlin (D-SD), Cubin (R-WY), Kagen (D-WI) McMorris Rogers (R-WA)
Packer Ban on Ownership S. 305 Introduced January 16, 2007 To amend the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921, to make it unlawful for a packer to own, feed, or control livestock intended for slaughter. Primary sponsor: Grassley (R-IA). Co-Sponsors. Dorgan (D-ND), Enzi (R-WY), Harkin (D-IA), McCaskill (D-MO)	Spot Market S. 786 Introduced March 6, 2007 To amend the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to foster efficient markets and increase competition and transparency among packers that purchase livestock from producers. Primary sponsor: Grassley (R-IA). Co-sponsor: Feingold (D-WI)
Competition and Fair Agricultural Markets Act of 2007 S. 622 Introduced February 15, 2007 To enhance fair and open competition in the production and sale of agricultural commodities. Primary sponsor: Harkin (D-IA). Co-sponsors: Enzi (R-WY), Feingold (D-WI), Thomas (R-WY), Dorgan (D-ND), Baucus (D-MT), McCaskill (D-MO), Brown (D-OH)	Competition and Fair Agricultural Markets Act of 2007 H.R.2135 Introduced May 3, 2007 To enhance fair and open competition in the production and sale of agricultural commodities. Sponsors Rep. Boswell, (D-IA). Cosponsors: Braley, (D-IA), Cubin (R-WY), Kagen, (D-WI) Kaptur (D-OH) Loebsack (D-IA), Pomeroy (D-ND), Herseth Sandlin (D-SD), Fortenberry (R-NE)
Ending Mandatory Arbitration S. 221 Introduced January 9, 2007 To amend Title 9, United States Code, to provide for greater fairness in the arbitration process relating to livestock and poultry contracts. Primary Sponsor: Grassley (R-IA). Co-Sponsors: Feingold (D-WI), Kohl (D-WI), Harkin (D-IA), Hagel (R-NE), Leahy (D-VT), Durbin (D-IL)

—Jeri Lynn Bakken