USDA Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA)
The USDA Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) has issued a rule addressing competition in the livestock and poultry sectors. This rule is required as a part of the implementation of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 (farm bill). It is also intended to address the increased use of contracting in the marketing and production of livestock and poultry by entities subject to the Packers and Stockyards (P&S) Act. The goal of this regulation is to level the playing field between packers, live poultry dealers, and swine contractors, and the nation’s poultry growers and livestock producers. The rule makes a multitude of changes that will impact many farmers and in many different ways. The outline for the proposed rule is below. You can also find more information at http://www.gipsa.usda.gov/GIPSA/webapp?area=home&subject=landing&topic=landing.
The regulatory changes will impact each operation differently. The impact of this rule on producers will vary depending on the type of animal produced on an operation, the ways the producer markets his or her product, and the location of a producer’s operation relative to slaughter and processing facilities. Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation will prepare comments according to our policy on this proposed rule before the deadline. We are encouraging members to submit comments as well. We will have some prepared comments on our Legislative Action Center on this website for our members. Please check there to submit comments.
GIPSA will consider comments received by November 22, 2010. Comments may be submitted via e-mail to comments.gipsa@usda.gov; hard copy via mail, hand delivery, or courier to Tess Butler, GIPSA, USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Room 1643-S, Washington, DC 20250-3604; fax to (202) 690-2173; or via the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov.
All comments will become a matter of public record and should be identified as ‘‘Farm Bill Comments,’’ making reference to the date and page number of the Federal Register (June 22, 2010 – PG 35338). Comments will be available for public inspection at http://www.regulations.gov. If you want to make your comments anonymously, that must be done through the www.regulations.gov site.
Farm Bill Regulations – Proposed Rule Outline 
The “Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008” authorized up to $50 million in a calendar year for the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) to provide emergency assistance to eligible producers of livestock, honeybees and farm-raised fi sh that have losses due to disease, adverse weather or other conditions, including losses due to blizzards and wildfires, as determined by the Sectretary. ELAP covers losses occurring on or after Jan. 1, 2008 and before Oct. 1, 2011 that are not covered under other Supplemental Agricultural Disaster Assistance Payment programs established by the 2008 Farm Bill, specifi cally Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP), Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) and Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments Program (SURE).
Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) - Farm Raised Fish
The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 amendments to the Food Security Act of 1985, as amended, authorized $25 million for the transition of expiring CRP land from a retired or retiring owner or operator to a beginning or socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher to return land to production for sustainable grazing or crop production. The Transition Incentive Program (TIP) provides annual rental payments for up to two additional years after the date of the expiration of the CRP ontract, provided the transition is not to a family member. The program is implemented by FSA on behalf of USDA’s Commodity Credit Corporation.
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) – Transition Incentives Program (TIP)
A person who meets the requirements in No. 1 or No. 2 below, as well as No. 3 is eligible to vote.
1) Be of legal voting age and have an interest in a farm or ranch as either:
- An individual
- The authorized representative of an entity
2) Not of legal voting age, but supervises and conducts the farming operations of an entire farm.
3) Participates or cooperates in any U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) program that is provided for by law.
FSA County Committee Election - Eligibility to Vote and Hold Office as a County Committee Member
The election of agricultural producers to Farm Service Agency (FSA) county committees is important to ALL farmers and ranchers, whether beginning or long-established with large or small operations. It is crucial that every eligible producer participate in these elections because FSA county committees are a link between the agricultural community and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
FSA County Committee Election