Reps. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO-04) and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-20) recently introduced the Amplifying Processing of Livestock in the United States (A-PLUS) Act to allow livestock market owners to maintain ownership in small meatpacking entities.
The legislation clarifies regulations under the Packers and Stockyards Act and could help boost processing capacity. The bill would allow markets to hold an ownership interest in, finance or participate in the management or operation of a packing plant that has a slaughter capacity of less than 2,000 animals per day or 700,000 animals per year.
Both the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and U.S. Cattlemen’s Association (USCA) praised the new bill.
“Today’s livestock auctions are often family owned and regionally based,” said USCA President Brooke Miller. “If one of these entities wanted to invest in a local processing facility to increase processing capacity for producers in their area, there shouldn’t be an outdated regulation holding them back from doing so.”
