Grassley & Harkin expect challenges to proposed packer ownership ban
Wednesday, October 31, 2007, 2:33 PM
by Julie Harker
Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley expects a serious effort on the Senate floor to strip the packer ownership ban from the ag committee’s farm bill. Grassley supports the ban but his major constituents in the livestock industry do not. He says a higher percentage of farmers now have contracts with certain packers, unlike five years ago, but the provision only affects ownership.
"I think that the packers may lead these farmers that have these contracts to believe that we're affecting them. Even though it's wrong, it could still make an impact in the Senate on peoples' votes."
Fellow Iowan and Ag Committee Chairman Tom Harkin says he’s not sure how the proposed packer ban will fare but he’ll fight to keep it.
"I don't know that this is something that's readily understandable by people on the floor of the Senate. So I would suspect that it would not be an item on the floor, but certainly will be in conference."
Harkin says during the last farm bill of 2002, the packer ban was stripped out in conference committee. Harkin says they had to trade it for COOL (Country of Origin Labeling), which they don’t have to do this time.
The Senate Ag Committee's ban would prohibit packer ownership of livestock more than 14 days before slaughter. The House-passed farm bill does not include a packer ban.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007, 2:33 PM
by Julie Harker
Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley expects a serious effort on the Senate floor to strip the packer ownership ban from the ag committee’s farm bill. Grassley supports the ban but his major constituents in the livestock industry do not. He says a higher percentage of farmers now have contracts with certain packers, unlike five years ago, but the provision only affects ownership.
"I think that the packers may lead these farmers that have these contracts to believe that we're affecting them. Even though it's wrong, it could still make an impact in the Senate on peoples' votes."
Fellow Iowan and Ag Committee Chairman Tom Harkin says he’s not sure how the proposed packer ban will fare but he’ll fight to keep it.
"I don't know that this is something that's readily understandable by people on the floor of the Senate. So I would suspect that it would not be an item on the floor, but certainly will be in conference."
Harkin says during the last farm bill of 2002, the packer ban was stripped out in conference committee. Harkin says they had to trade it for COOL (Country of Origin Labeling), which they don’t have to do this time.
The Senate Ag Committee's ban would prohibit packer ownership of livestock more than 14 days before slaughter. The House-passed farm bill does not include a packer ban.