Sen. Fetterman urges Dep. of Agriculture to protect small, domestic livestock producers

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WTAJ) -- In an effort to safeguard small domestic poultry and livestock producers from the interests of large corporations, Senator John Fetterman sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The letter expressed endorsement for the "Fair and Competitive Livestock and Poultry Markets" and "Poultry Grower Payment Systems and Capital Improvement Systems" rules proposed under Packers & Stockyards Act (PSA) authority.

The PSA was enacted in 1921 to promote effective competition and integrity in the livestock, meat and poultry markets. It was enacted as a response to growing concerns about the exploitative practices of the "Big Five" meat packers. The PSA prohibits predatory practices by meatpackers and live poultry dealers to maintain market integrity and ensure fair competition, boosting economic stability for producers and maintaining top-quality domestic livestock.

Over a century later, Big Poultry controls all their own inputs and outputs, manipulating the market to eradicate feasible competition. The industry opposes any effort to promote a fair market, claiming these rules impose an anti-business regulatory agenda and could increase chicken prices, in an effort to maintain their dominance over the market.

"I can think of no clearer example of an 'unfair' practice in the poultry industry than pitting growers in a regional market against each other. Similarly, I can think of no clearer 'deceptive' prac...