The Iowa Farmers Union (IFU) announced earlier this month the long awaited farmer Fair Practices Rules, which aim to level the playing field for family livestock producer and poultry growers, have been published by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration submitted to OMB an interim final rule that gives producers protection against unfair practices and proposes two new rules for oversight pricing and payment practices. “Iowa’s family livestock producers have been dealing with a heavily concentrated marketplace with no meaningful protection against unfair, anti-competitive practices,” said Aaron Lehman, IFU President. “We have been waiting a long time for the problem to be address, and I’m happy to see this important set of rules finally moving forward.” Lehman says the current rules favor the processors and packet. The IFU has not finalized the proposed rules, but the union will review the published changes and ensure they are implemented in a way benefiting Iowa’s farmers.
