10-20 NWR Livestock marketing

10-20 NWR Livestock marketing

David Sparks Ph.D.
David Sparks Ph.D.
This is your Northwest report for Thursday, October 20, I'm David Sparks and the USDA is moving forward with proposed changes that would change livestock marketing regulations and a key Senate Republican says that he is supportive of their efforts. Iowa Republican Chuck Grassley has just told reporters that he thinks the rules would give family farmers more confidence in the markets. The USDA says that fair farmer practices rules would seek to help balance relationships between producers and the companies that purchase their products. Grassley said that is a good goal to have. "What is wrong with knowing what the marketplace is doing? I don't understand these complaints. I am going to applaud the Department of Agriculture if these rules turn out the way there letter stated and I am going to have to accept some disagreement with some of these commodity groups where normally I agree with them 100%." One of those groups is the National Cattleman's Beef Association. They and a number of other agricultural groups stand opposed to these changes.

Elsewhere, and following a story we have covered this week, it appears that one of the reasons that the EPA's Scientific Advisory Panel on the carcinogenic potential of the pesticide glyphosate was delayed is because of the "voluntary departure" of one of the scientists appointed to the panel. As always, politics reign.

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