Bill to update slaughter exemptions

WLJ Oct. 18, 2024 1 minute read

Bill to update slaughter exemptions — Sides of beef hang in storage at the Sam Kane beef processing facility in Corpus Christi
USDA

A trio of lawmakers introduced the Livestock Owned by Communities to Advance Local Foods Act of 2024 to amend the Federal Meat Inspection Act to add more support to small-scale meat producers in rural communities.

The bill introduced by Sens. Peter Welch (D-VT), Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) would amend personal-use and custom exemptions to allow producers to sell live animals to consumers, who could then hire someone or slaughter the animal themselves.

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Adding value to feeder cattle

With input decisions individualized and the price of those inputs often set by retailers or commodity markets, earning maximum value for feeder cattle is a worthwhile pursuit for cattle producers.

“The LOCAL Foods Act will reduce both financial and regulatory burdens on small farmers and thereby improve consumers’ access to local foods,” said Judith McGeary, executive director of the Farmers and Ranchers Freedom Alliance.