House Ag Committee Passes MPR Legislation

The House Agriculture Committee has passed through committee the legislation to reauthorize mandatory price reporting (MPR).

The committee passed the bill, sponsored by Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (Minn.), to reauthorize the Livestock Mandatory Reporting Act for five years. Peterson and livestock subcommittee chair David Scott (Ga.) led this week's effort.

This legislation extends reporting requirements of livestock daily markets for five years and makes two significant changes from the existing law for pork and dairy. The current law expires on Sept. 30.

"We worked with the leadership of the other livestock, meat industry and general farm groups to finalize the language for price reporting legislation," commented Peter Orwick, American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) executive director. "There was a two-year lapse of reporting the last time the legislation expired, and we are doing everything possible to assure that this does not happen again.

"We appreciate Chairman Peterson's leadership to secure committee approval of the legislation," continued Orwick. "The chairman specifically mentioned the importance to the sheep industry for getting this legislation approved before the Sept. 30 deadline."

Co-sponsors of the bill include Joe Baca (Calif.), Leonard Boswell (Iowa), Michael Conaway (Texas), Henry Cuellar (Texas), Kathleen Dehlkemper (Penn.), Jeff Fortenberry (Neb.), Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (S.D.), Tim Holden (Penn.), Steve Kagen (Wisc.), Steve King (Iowa), Larry Kissell (N.C.), Cynthia Lummis (Wyo.), Betsy Markey (Colo.), Mike McIntyre (N.C.), Jerry Moran (Kan.), William Owens (N.Y.), Earl Pomeroy (N.D.) David Scott (Ga.), Adrian Smith (Neb.) and Timothy Walz (Minn.).

Along with ASI, the American Farm Bureau Federation, American Meat Institute, National Cattlemen's Beef Association, National Farmers Union, National Pork Producers Council, National Meat Association and the United States Cattleman's Association supported the extension of this legislation.

On a similar note, Sen. Blanche Lincoln (Ark.), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, this week joined Ranking Member Saxby Chambliss (Ga.) in introducing bipartisan legislation in the Senate (S.3656) that would also reauthorize MPR for five years.

Other co-sponsors of the bill include Sens. Max Baucus (Mont.), Michael Bennet (Colo.), Chuck Grassley (Iowa), Tom Harkin (Iowa), Mike Johanns (Neb.), Ben Nelson (Neb.) and Pat Roberts (Kan.). The Senate hopes to address this bill before it adjourns for its August recess.