The National Pork Producers Council has applauded the U.S. Senate for reauthorizing the law requiring meat packers to report the prices they pay producers for animals.
Senators unanimously approved a five-year reauthorization of the Livestock Mandatory Reporting Act of 1999. The House of Representatives passed an identical bill last September. The law expired Sept. 30, 2005.
“Pork producers are extremely grateful to the Senate for taking action on this important legislation,” says NPPC President Joy Philippi, a Bruning, NE, pork producer. “The mandatory price reporting law is an important tool that helps producers make business and production decisions.”
The legislation includes three enhancements to the price reporting provisions:
Adding more sows to the pricing reports to more accurately reflect the sales and prices paid in the sow market.
Changing the timing for data reporting to help the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) ease its workload to help increase report accuracy and efficiency.
Allowing USDA to publish price distributions for net prices to provide more useful information, while still maintaining the current confidentiality requirements.
There was a lot to be positive about in the pork industry the last week of October. I realize it is difficult to be optimistic when you are still losing $25 to $30/head. I also realize that positive news at this point could be as dangerous as it is welcome. But facts are facts, and we must recognize them.
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As I begin this week's column, I"m reminded of two different "flip side" statements that may help characterize the topic at hand. The first is the old Archie Campbell schtick - "That's good - no that’s bad," which I have used before. The second reflects President Truman's frustration with economists' incessant use of the qualifier - "on the other hand" - to introduce the contrary opinion on a given topic. President Truman once demanded in his usual colorful language: "Will someone please find me a *!&%$*?>
