Comment Period Extended on Packers and Stockyards Act Rulemaking

The USDA says it’s extending the comment period on the proposed “Inclusive Competition and Market Integrity Under the Packers and Stockyards Act” by five weeks.  The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association welcomed the extension while urging USDA to proceed in a deliberate manner. 

“While we appreciate the additional time to submit thorough comments, overall, USDA should slow down on this rulemaking effort,” said NCBA senior director of government affairs Tanner Beymer. “It’s a significant undertaking rooted in decades of history, and stockholders must get the chance to thoroughly evaluate the effects of this rule and those the Department says are coming soon.”

NCBA and other industry partners requested an extension of the comment period last month in a letter to USDA.  The proposed Packers and Stockyards Act rule spans 180 pages, poses 44 specific questions, and covers 14 years of regulatory history, so the initial 60-day period was too short.

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