Blog for Rural America
The Center for Rural Affairs, a private, non-profit organization, is working to
strengthen small businesses, family farms and ranches, and rural communities.
Permission to reprint items from this web log is hereby granted, on the condition
that clear credit is given to the original source of the material. If the blog provides
information for a story, please let us know by sending an email to
johnc@cfra.org.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 2006
Small Meat Processors Fight for Fairness
Small Meat Processors Fighting for Fairness
By Melissa Dunson of the Carthage (MO) Press Staff
(see link under title for online version)
The South American country of Argentina can sell beef to customers in the
state of Kansas, but Cloud's Meat Processing and Smoking, located 20
miles from the Kansas/Missouri state border, cannot.
Andy Cloud, production manager at Cloud's, doesn't think that's right and
he has a list of others across the U.S. who agree with him. A broad-based
coalition of agricultural and farm organizations has been formed to
address the issue. The coalition includes The National Association of
State Departments of Agriculture, American Association of Meat
Processors, Center for Rural Affairs, American Meat Goat Association,
Kansas Livestock Association, National Farmers Union, national Grange,
American Sheep Industry Association, Missouri Association of Meat
Processors, Montana Chamber of Commerce, National Association of
State Meat and Food Inspection Directors, National Bison Association,
North Dakota Meat Processors Association, North Dakota Stockmen's
Association, Ohio Association of Meat Processors, R-CALF United
Stockgrowers of America, Texas Association of Business and Wisconsin
Association of Meat Processors.
The issue that has unified these widely separated groups is the 1967 and
1968 Meat and Poultry Acts that prohibit state-inspected products from
being sold in interstate commerce. The laws apply to beef, poultry, pork,
lamb and goat, but strangely not to “non-amenable,” but still state-
inspected products such as venison, pheasant, quail, rabbit and others.
Andy said when the laws were originally passed, state-inspected
processing plants were small and each community had their own plant to
serve them. But now, in the ever shrinking world of local agriculture, plants
have grown in size and increased the volume they can produce so they
can serve a greater area. But the laws haven't changed with the years and
he feels small businesses are being penalized by a law that discriminates
against U.S. products.
Foreign-produced meat and poultry can be freely shipped and sold
anywhere in the U.S. as long as the meat has met an equivalent standard
of inspection to that of federally inspected meats, essentially the same
requirements met by state-inspected meats. More than 30 countries are
eligible to export meat to the U.S., including Mexico, Nicaragua, Israel, the
Slovak Republic and Hong Kong.
“We follow the same rules, but we don't have the same rights,” Andy said.
The solution the coalition is seeking comes in the form of S. 3519, the
Agricultural Small Business Opportunity and Enhancement Act of 2006.
The bill was introduced by Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Kent Conrad (D-ND)
and Herb Kohl (D-WI) and will allow interstate shipment of state-inspected
meat and poultry. Niki Cloud, executive secretary for Missouri Association
of Meat Processors, believes the new legislation which is currently
awaiting floor space in congressional chambers, will provide a number of
benefits to the national and local economy.
“This is good for farmers, processors, small businesses and consumers,”
Niki said. “There are 130 processing plants in Missouri and while it will
affect all states, it has a big ripple effect especially for Missouri because
we are surrounded by eight states.”
Andy said not only would the new legislation support local farmers and
provide a better product to more customers, but it would also help solidify
Missouri's reputation as a high quality meat producer.
“It would be huge,” Andy said. “It would allow us to promote Missouri
products. When you think of cheese, where do you think of? You think of
Wisconsin because they've done a good job marketing their product.
When people buy good quality meat, I want them to think Missouri.”
Cloud's currently processes 5,000 pounds of meat each day, enough to
provide meals to 20,000 individuals, but Andy said the business and local
economy still has ample room for growth.
To support S. 3519, the Agricultural Small Business Opportunity and
Enhancement Act of 2006, contact John Crabtree, johnc@cfra.org or
post a question here.
Center for Rural Affairs
Values. Worth. Action.
posted by Center for Rural Affairs @ 8:00 AM