GIPSA Agency Elimination a Blow to Competitive Markets for Family Farmers, NFU Says
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it will be eliminating the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) as a standalone agency and consolidate its functions into the work of the Agricultural Marketing Service.
National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson issued the following statement in response to the announcement:
“At a time when just a handful of companies control all of the markets that supply and buy from family farmers and ranchers, the elimination GIPSA is a big step in the wrong direction. The agency’s statutory duty is to ensure fair and competitive markets for family farmers. This decision comes on top of USDA’s decision to withdraw the Farmer Fair Practices Rules, which would have given American family farmers the most basic of protections against abusive and undue practices levied against them by companies that hold substantial market power. Farmers Union strongly urges USDA to reconsider both of these decisions that undermine competition and place family farmers and ranchers at a significant disadvantage in the marketplace.”
