Organization for Competitive Markets

by David Andrews In 2008 the Federal Farm Bill instructed the Department of Agriculture to write rules for competition in the meat industry. This directive was to complete the details lacking in the 80-plus-year-old legislation on competition in the meat industry from the Theodore Roosevelt era. That legislation was to be enhanced with detailed directions on contracts, anti-trust policies and mandates requiring greater justice in meat production, processing and distribution….

Thomas F. “Fred” Stokes President On January 26th, J. Dudley Butler resigned his position as the livestock industry’s top cop. It was a sad day for independent livestock producers and poultry growers. There was lots of excitement and enthusiasm as the Obama Administration’s Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Department of Justice (DOJ) forged an historic joint effort to deal with the long-neglected concentration and market power abuse in agriculture. But…

Updated: Wednesday, February 08, 2012 11:42 AM By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI Capital Press Ranchers risk losing their independence unless they keep pressing for stronger oversight of meat packers, according to a former USDA official who recently resigned after losing a battle over livestock industry reforms. Cattle producers are subject to the same forces as the packer-dominated hog and chicken industries, said Dudley Butler, who left his post as chief of the…

Thomas F. “Fred” Stokes Executive Director The Rule doesn’t reinvent the Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921 (PSA) but rather reinvigorates it”, so says David Domina, OCM General Counsel of the Proposed GIPSA Rule published on the federal register June 22, 2010. The rule was issued pursuant to the 2008 Farm Bill to clarify and interpret the 89 year old Packers and Stockyards Act, but the PSA (sometimes called the…

big_lie_about_gipsa_rules_exposed Press Release announcing posting of video proof of Dudley Butler’s actual statements regarding the GIPSA rule.

Thomas F. “Fred” Stokes Executive Director The comment period for the proposed GIPSA Rules has ended and the 80,000 or so comments are in; — but the bare knuckled, back-alley fight continues. Pursuant to Title XI of the Food Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 (Farm Bill), the U. S. Department of Agriculture published certain rules on the federal register, June 22nd. The rules have to do with interpreting and…

OCM_PR_Outpouring_GIPSA_Support Consumer and Producer groups combined to show support for proposed regulations of the Department of Agriculture that would provide producers and consumers a break they haven’t experienced in over 90 years. Many advocacy groups have joined OCM in these matters. Please read the press release on the list of advocacy groups and for more information regarding OCM’s role in the proposed GIPSA rule.

ocmgipsanew Many political organizations closely affiliated with major beef, pork and poultry integrators attacked J. Dudley Butler, administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s GIPSA for his attempts to update GIPSA regulations of meatpackers. David Domina, general counsel for the Organization for Competitive Markets, notes the packer-friendly gropus have these accusations backwards. Download the complete press release above: