The U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service is extending the deadline for comments on the proposed rule, Fair and Competitive Livestock and Poultry Markets, for an additional 15 days, from Aug. 27 to Sept. 11, 2024. Comments may be submitted anonymously at www.regulations.gov.

The Fair and Competitive Livestock and Poultry Markets proposed rule would define unfair practices as conduct that harms market participants and conduct that harms the market. Combined, these comprehensively define the contours of “unfair practices” under the P&S Act.

A webinar can help provide background information and an overview of the proposed rule.

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Senior Director of Government Affairs Tanner Beymer released the following statement on the U.S. Department of Agriculture extending the 60-day comment period for their latest Packers and Stockyards proposed rule by 15 days:

"Cattle markets are immensely complicated and USDA is planning to make sweeping changes to those markets with only 75 days of public input. While today's extension is welcome, it is not nearly enough time to properly solicit public comment and review a rule that will have such an overarching impact on the cattle industry. The proposed rule is already a direct attack on producer profitability and now USDA is running down the clock to prevent meaningful input from cattle producers."