Congress Must Act on MPR Law
September 30, 2005
September 30, 2005 -- With the law requiring meat packers to report the prices they pay producers for animals due to expire tomorrow, a coalition of livestock groups is calling on Congress to immediately approve a multi-year reauthorization of the act.
Livestock producers, including the American Farm Bureau Federation, American Sheep Industry Association (ASI), National Cattlemen?s Beef Association, and National Pork Producers Council, said that allowing the law to expire would ?leave producers in the lurch ? without complete market information.? The Livestock Mandatory Reporting Act of 1999, the coalition pointed out, is necessary for a transparent, accurate and timely national market reporting system that allows producers to make knowledgeable business decisions.
The livestock groups strongly support H.R. 3408, a bipartisan bill sponsored by Reps. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and Collin Peterson (D-Minn.). The five-year reauthorization legislation was approved by the House earlier this month. The U.S. Senate legislation extends the act for only one year.
Livestock producers have agreed to a consensus position for a multi-year reauthorization and are urging Congress to act before the price reporting law expires.
?Although a final agreement has not yet been reached, ultimately the program will be reauthorized. Therefore, it is important that companies continue to report voluntarily,? commented Peter Orwick, executive director for the American Sheep Industry Association.
On Thursday, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) objected to a five-year reauthorization offered by Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), chairman of the Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee.
Staff contact: Peter Orwick, ext. 33
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