USDA Issues Proposed Rule on Meat and Poultry Competition

On September 26^th, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a proposed rule to support fair and competitive meat and poultry markets, as part of the Department’s role in the President’s Competition Council. According to USDA, the Inclusive Competition and Market Integrity proposed rule would revise regulations under the P&S Act by prohibiting certain prejudices and disadvantages against covered producers in the livestock, meat, and poultry markets. The regulations would prohibit retaliatory practices that interfere with lawful communications, assertion of rights, and participation in associations, among other protected activities—such as retaliating against a farmer or rancher for blowing the whistle on price-fixing. The regulations would also identify unlawfully deceptive practices that violate the P&S Act with respect to contract formation, contract performance, contract termination and contract refusal.

Text of the rule is available on the Agricultural Marketing Service website. Once published, stakeholders and other interested parties will have 60 days from the date of publication to submit comments via the Regulations.gov web portal.