Reining in the USDA's GIPSA Rule

With an alarming number of proposed legislation coming out of Washington over the last several months seeming more than a little anti-agriculture, the approval by House lawmakers of an ag funding bill preventing the USDA from finalizing and implementing its GIPSA Rule was met with surprise and welcome relief from livestock and poultry producers this past week. The proposed Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration marketing rule literally stomps all over Congress’s original intent and even goes so far as to include previously rejected provisions. Contrary to USDA’s estimated cost to producers and consumers, a study by Informa Economics found that the overall costs suffered if GIPSA passes would run in the billions; with nearly $362 million to the poultry industry, $400 million to pork producers, and a staggering $880 million to the beef industry. If implemented as is the GIPSA Rule would more than likely result in overwhelming and devastating costs to livestock and poultry producers, not to mention catastrophic job losses in these ag industries.