By MICHELE F. MIHALJEVICH
Indiana Correspondent

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. House Appropriations Committee has eliminated funding for planned changes by the USDA’s Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) to its rules governing livestock and poultry marketing. The committee passed its budget bill for the USDA last week.
“The new rules are a one-size-fits-all approach and don’t bring fairness and opportunity, they just guarantee outcomes,” said Dave Warner, a spokesman with the National Pork Producers Council.

The GIPSA rules would basically end up setting one price for everyone, regardless of what a particular producer might do to better his herd, Warner added.

“Packers will often pay a premium if (producers) produce a certain pig. The rule says if you pay something different, you have to justify it. Another producer could sue, saying it was unfair. This rule creates a race to mediocrity. Why do anything special if everyone gets the same price?” he asked.

The legislation will prevent government intervention into the private marketplace, stated Bill Donald, president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Assoc. “This is the first step in preventing an unprecedented government invasion into the private marketplace,” he explained in a statement. “Big government has invaded banking, health care and more. The last thing we need is the federal government setting up shop on cattle ranches throughout the country.

“The marketplace works well without government intrusion and this legislation is proof that many in Congress feel the same way.”

Roger Johnson, president of the National Farmers Union, disagreed, saying in a statement the GIPSA rule changes are necessary to “protect farmers and ranchers from the abuses of packers and processors.

“Unfortunately, the language (denying funding) was included in the approved bill, which is a blatant attempt to advance a policy goal through appropriations,” he added.