U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced more support, resources and new rules to strengthen the U.S. food supply chain, promote fair and competitive agricultural markets, prevent abuse of farmers by poultry processors and make prices fairer for farmers and American consumers. These actions build on President Biden’s Executive Order to promote competition in the American economy and fulfill key pillars of the Meat and Poultry Supply Chain Action Plan.
“For too long, farmers and ranchers have seen the value and the opportunities they work so hard to create move away from the rural communities where they live and operate,” Vilsack says. “Under the leadership of President Biden and Vice President Harris, USDA is committed to making investments that promote competition—helping support economic systems where the wealth created in rural areas stays in rural areas—and strengthening rules and enforcement against anticompetitive practices. The funding and new rule we’re announcing today ultimately will help us give farmers and ranchers a fair shake, strengthen supply chains and make food prices fairer.”
From USDA:
- The Packers and Stockyards Act is designed to protect poultry growers from abuse. The order is to stop unfair, deceptive, discriminatory and anticompetitive practices in the meat and poultry industry. The new rulemaking will require poultry processors to provide key information to poultry growers at several critical steps—increasing transparency and accountability in the poultry growing system.
- The USDA is making available $200 million under the new Meat and Poultry Intermediary Lending Program (MPILP) to strengthen the food supply chain and create opportunities for small businesses and entrepreneurs in rural communities.
- $25 million in investments will go toward workforce training programs for meat and poultry processing workers with American Rescue Plan Act Section 1001 funding.
