The U.S. Department of Agriculture extended this week the 60-day comment period for their latest Packers and Stockyards proposed rule, "Fair and Competitive Livestock and Poultry Markets," by 15 days, an inadequate timeframe, according to National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Senior Director of Government Affairs Tanner Beymer.

Comments were originally due on the proposed rule by Aug. 27, 2024, but the period has been extended to Sept. 11, 2024.

"Cattle markets are immensely complicated and USDA is planning to make sweeping changes to those markets with only 75 days of public input. While today's extension is welcome, it is not nearly enough time to properly solicit public comment and review a rule that will have such an overarching impact on the cattle industry,” Beymer stated. “The proposed rule is already a direct attack on producer profitability and now USDA is running down the clock to prevent meaningful input from cattle producers."

The rule seeks to provide clarity regarding the interpretation of “unfair” under section 202(a) of the P&S Act for the USDA, courts, and private parties to further the understanding of what conduct the P&S Act prohibits. If finalized, USDA said it would provide a workable guideline on how the prohibitions on unfair practices will operate and be enforced. USDA said the Agricultural Marketing Service would use the guideline to fulfill its statutory obligation to ensure fair and competitive national livestock and poultry markets and ensure livestock producers and poultry growers receive the full value for their products and services.

“Fairer, more competitive markets enable greater choice, quality, and fairer prices in the meat and poultry processing markets, delivering benefits for working family consumers of meat and poultry,” the agency said.

When the proposed rule was announced in June, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the rule is an enforcement tool that will bring greater balance in the relationships between farmer and integrator.

“All of this is designed in combination with the resources and investment we’ve made to create the opportunity for more new and better markets,” he said. “And that translates to an opportunity for more farmers to have an opportunity for their operation to remain successful and profitable.”

Comments can be submitted using the electronic process available at https://www.regulations.gov/. All comments should reference the document number and the date and page number of the issue of the Federal Register.