Source:  Lisa M. Keefe, MEATINGPLACE.COM, 1/28/11

The USDA announced it has established the Wholesale Pork Reporting Negotiated Rulemaking Committee. The committee is to develop proposed language to amend the Livestock Mandatory Reporting regulations to implement mandatory pork price reporting.

Its members include:
• American Meat Institute
• Chicago Mercantile Exchange
• Food Marketing Institute
• Grocery Manufacturers Association
• Livestock Marketing Information Center
• National Farmers Union
• National Livestock Producers Association
• National Meat Association
• National Pork Producers Council
• North American Meat Processors Association, American Association of Meat Processors, and Southeastern Meat Association (1 combined representative for all three per organizations’ request)
• United Food and Commercial Workers International Union
• USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service

“This committee will bring greater transparency and confidence to our wholesale pork reporting program,” said Rayne Pegg, administrator of AMS.
Data likely won’t be available to the market until 2012, however. 

The committee’s first meeting will be Feb. 8 to 10, in St. Louis. It is open to the public without advance registration, although public attendance may be limited to the space available.

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