House Subcommittee Reviews Reauthorization Of The Livestock Mandatory Reporting Act

Rep. David Rouzer (R-NC), Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee’s Livestock and Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee, held a public hearing to review the reauthorization of the Livestock Mandatory Reporting Act.

First enacted in 1999, the Livestock Mandatory Price Reporting Act was developed in response to changing markets with an increasing number of animals being sold via marketing arrangements under which prices were not publicly disclosed. As these structural changes continued, livestock producers requested that the voluntary price reporting mechanism be made mandatory. The resulting Act mandated price reporting for live cattle, boxed beef, and live swine, and allowed USDA to establish mandatory price reporting for lamb sales. Subsequent reauthorizations modified swine reporting provisions and reporting of wholesale pork cuts. The current 5-year authorization expires on September 30th of this year.

“Today’s hearing allows us to start the legislative process of reauthorization by hearing from industry and stakeholders on the challenges they are facing,” Chairman Rouzer said. “It is vital to have industry groups work together to find the best solution. As the committee works on reauthorizing the Livestock Mandatory Reporting Act, it is the goal and intent of our committee to bring all parties together and strike a balance that promotes fairness, transparency, and stability in the market. No one knows how to make this process work better than those directly involved, and I appreciate their willingness to work together and with the committee to make this happen."

Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway said, “I appreciate representatives from the livestock and packer segments of the industry laying the important groundwork as the Agriculture Committee begins drafting reauthorization language. We will take into account the concerns of farmers and ranchers, packers, and industry affiliates, and hope to find common ground that will benefit producers, consumers, and the overall economy.”