Livestock Reporting Rule Proposed

September 7, 2000

USDA’s Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) has proposed rules to implement mandatory price and contract reporting of livestock that Congress approved last year. The proposed regulation was published in Tuesday’s Federal Register.

The Packers and Stockyards Act was amended by the legislation to create a new subtitle called "Swine Packer Marketing Contracts" to implement the new subtitle. The new regulation would require certain packers to file swine marketing or purchase contracts with GIPSA and would require GIPSA to publish monthly reports about available swine marketing contracts.

An objective of the new law is to establish a program of information regarding the marketing of cattle, swine, lambs, and products of such livestock by: providing information that will be readily understood by producers, packers, and other market participants, including information with respect to price, purchase contracts, supply and demand conditions for livestock, livestock production, and livestock products; improving the price and supply reporting services of the Department of Agriculture; and encouraging competition in the marketplace for livestock and livestock products.

Comments on the new proposed GIPSA regulation must be received by Oct. 5 for consideration and may be mailed to the Deputy Administrator, Packers and Stockyards Programs (GIPSA), USDA, Stop 3641, 1400 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20250-3641; sent by fax to 202-205-3941; or e-mailed to comments@gipsadc.usda.gov.

Please state that the comments refer to Swine Packer Marketing Contracts (PSA-2000-01-a, RIN 0580-AA71). All comments will be a matter of public record and will be available for review during normal business hours in the Office of the Deputy Administrator, Packers and Stockyards Programs, Room 3039 (same address as listed above).

A copy of the proposed regulation may be found on GIPSA’s web site at http://www.usda.gov/gipsa/strulreg/fedreg/fr00/fr00.htm.