Urging USDA to revitalize the Packers & Stockyards Act’s protections for livestock growers

In January of 2023, Antimonopoly Counsel collaborated with Democracy Forward to draft a regulatory comment on behalf of Farm Action in support of a proposed USDA rule that substantially improved the ability of farmers (and the Department) to hold poultry integrators and meatpackers accountable for their widespread discriminatory, retaliatory, and deceptive practices in livestock markets.

Covering the text, history, and purpose of the Packers and Stockyards Act, Farm Action’s comment set forth the legal foundation for the proposed rule and provided detailed information to support the USDA's rationale for promulgating it. The comment then went on to make specific recommendations for how USDA could improve the Proposed Rule and more effectively accomplish its goals.