Rules that would change the production of organic meat are awaiting President Obama’s approval but may run out of time. That means they might not ever go into effect. The High Plains Public Radio website says the proposed rules would clarify current rules and create new standards of care for animals on organic livestock farms. The rules would focus in on livestock and poultry living conditions, veterinary care, as well as transportation and slaughtering of livestock. The U.S. Department of Agriculture put the new rules together and estimates they’ll cost producers roughly $13 million per year. President-elect Donald Trump will be sworn in on January 20 and has pledged to undo a lot of regulations put into place by President Obama. Livestock industry officials and producers want these new rules to be among those that go away. The USDA says consumers aren’t certain about what the organic livestock label actually means, and that current standards are too ambiguous and confusing. Groups like the Organic Trade Association say the regulation updates are necessary to keep the organic label from getting watered down. The Association says rules like these should make sure producers don’t charge a premium for their product without following the rules for producing organic meats. Ag groups like the National Pork Producers Council and state chapters of the American Farm Bureau are vehemently opposed to the proposed rule changes.
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting news service.