Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a 45-day extension of the comment period for the proposed rule titled, “Inclusive Competition and Market Integrity Under the Packers and Stockyards Act.” The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) welcomed the extension while urging USDA to proceed in a cautious, deliberative manner.
NCBA Senior Director of Government Affairs Tanner Beymer, explains why this extension is so important.
As to what NCBA would like to see in this final rule, Beymer says one thing would be for USDA to tap the brakes.
NCBA, along with other national livestock partners, requested an extension of the comment period last month in a letter to USDA. In addition, this coalition secured 100 bipartisan signatures on a congressional letter to USDA echoing this request.
The proposed Packers and Stockyards Act rule spans 180 pages, poses 44 specific questions, and covers over 14 years of regulatory history, making the initial 60-day comment period too short for stakeholders to provide meaningful feedback.