Industry groups urge USDA to allow comments on GIPSA

Five industry groups Monday sent a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack urging him to allow public comment if USDA proceeds with certain portions of a livestock and poultry marketing rule originally proposed in 2010 that are strongly opposed by the industry.  “The opposition expressed six years ago remains as staunch as ever, and we urge the agency to abandon the proposed rule because of the significant adverse effect adopting it would have on the meat and poultry industry, particularly the producer community, who will be disproportionately affected,” wrote the North American Meat Institute, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the National Chicken Council, the National Pork Producers Council and the National Turkey Federation.