Congress recently approved a one-year extension of the existing Farm Bill. This decision extends the discussion over the formulation of a new bill well into 2024.
During this extended period, advocacy groups plan to advocate for significant policy reforms. Key areas of focus include ending subsidies for factory farm manure management and implementing measures to foster competition in the livestock markets. These steps aim to support the sustainability of independent producers.
Missouri cattle farmer Darvin Betlage highlighted the challenges posed by waste management in farming communities. He emphasized the disproportionate profits earned by corporations in contrast to the burdens borne by local communities, such as dealing with manure, odor, and dead animals.
Furthermore, Betlage, along with advocates for family farming, is pushing for mandatory country-of-origin labeling. This change would enable consumers to make more informed decisions regarding their food purchases. Although the Farm Bill expired in September, Congress has not yet made progress on passing a new version.
In addition to these concerns, family farmers are advocating for updates and stronger enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act. This would aim to curtail the influence of meat packers on pricing, addressing issues where meat packers pay low prices to cattle farmers while charging high retail prices, thereby squeezing producers’ profits.
Betlage expressed the struggles faced by small, family-run cattle operations, many of which have been forced out of business due to these pricing strategies. He believes modernizing the system to limit the power of meat packers is crucial.
A specific proposal includes a requirement for meat packers to purchase at least 50% of beef on the open market, which could potentially enhance profits for local cattle farmers.
(Photo courtesy Missouri News Service)
