The second-oldest sport in the history of the cattle business is beating up on the packer.

November 8, 2010

1 Min Read
GIPSA Rule Puts Industry At Risk

The second oldest sport in the history of the cattle business is beating up on the packer. I’m guessing the oldest involved a cowboy on a horse trying to rope a steer.

No one likes the packer, which is actually strange when you think about it because “the packer” is an absolutely necessary entity during “the process” of converting beef with the hide on it to beef without the hide on it. Who likes to eat hide?

Whether you call them a “packer,” “processor,” or “middle man” really doesn’t matter. They are always one of several buyers in the marketing chain of our product.

I’m going into this because some are touting this proposed GIPSA (USDA’s Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration) rule on livestock marketing as a way for producers to settle a longstanding score with the packer. In reality, this rule does no such thing. The fact is this rule actually ends up pitting producers against producers. How do I figure?

To read the entire article, link here.

For other viewpoints on the GIPSA controversy, see these opinion pieces:

GIPSA Rule Will Benefit All Beef Producers

GIPSA Rule Will Fuel Activist Lawsuits


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