At the AFR Convention, National Farmers Union President Rob Larew provided updates on key issues affecting farmers and ranchers, ranging from a significant lawsuit settlement to concerns about USDA cutbacks and the stalled Farm Bill. After his time on a panel with Congressman Frank Lucas discussing these issues, Farm Director KC Sheperd sat down with him to talk further.
Beef Industry Lawsuit Settlement:
Larew announced a significant development in the lawsuit against major beef packers. He explained, “The Farmers Union has been in a lawsuit with R-CALF against the four major packers in the beef industry, and the case, itself, continues to kind of move its way through the courts. We do have preliminary approval for a settlement in that case by JBS to the tune of about $83.5 million.”
He explained that “those who have sold fed cattle directly to any of the four defendants in this case will ultimately be eligible to recoup some losses.” He urged producers to “continue to watch this case very carefully, and additional news will be coming out with the details.”
Frustration Over Farm Bill Delays:
Larew expressed disappointment over failing to pass a new farm bill last year. “Boy, not getting a farm bill done last year really put the ‘lame’ in the lame duck,” he remarked. He emphasized the importance of the Farm Bill for providing certainty to producers facing challenging economic times. “Without the certainty of that five-year farm bill, it’s making this year, and what was already kind of financially tough times, even worse for a lot of folks.”
He stressed the need for congressional action, stating, “I certainly hope that members of Congress, and certainly Congressman Lucas here at the convention heard very clearly, that we need that certainty, and we can’t let Congress forget it this year.”
Concerns About USDA Cutbacks:
Larew addressed concerns about reported cutbacks at the USDA, highlighting the difficulty in obtaining concrete information. “Quite frankly, it’s getting some real information here. There’s a lot of just kind of reporting about cuts and different programs without any specifics about exactly what they are.”
He outlined NFU’s efforts to gather information from impacted producers. “Farmers Union is working with a lot of our states and at the national office through NFU.org to collect information from folks who have been directly impacted, either from conservation contracts that they’ve had a question about, or maybe it’s been put on hold or canceled. We also have folks who have been hearing about staffing challenges and so forth.”
He underscored the far-reaching impact of USDA cuts, particularly in rural communities. “These cuts have a big impact on those communities in the world,” Larew said this was a call to action and noted the connection between USDA programs and local issues. “As the news about programs being canceled that help control wildlife pressures here in Oklahoma, for example, or the mediation program or any number of programs, including wastewater programs for small communities, these things all have a direct connection.”
He urged producers to voice their concerns. “Right now, we’re asking folks to speak up, let us know what’s being impacted so that we can work with Capitol Hill to make sure that folks understand and hopefully that can be reinstated.”
Opportunities with the New Administration:
Larew expressed optimism about potential opportunities with the current administration, particularly in addressing market fairness. “I think there are a lot of opportunities right now. I know we certainly are continuing our fight for fairness for farmers which centers around things like the cattle markets and so forth.”
He highlighted appointments focused on anti-trust and right-to-repair issues, indicating a potential for stronger enforcement of fair market practices. “We’re really encouraged that the administration is putting in place somebody who’s a strong anti-trust fighter fighting against monopolies at the Department of Justice. They also have somebody who strongly believes in the right-to-repair at FTC. So I think some of the work that we’ve been building on to push back and to create a fairer market for farmers and ranchers; this administration can take that even further.”
National Convention in Oklahoma City:
Larew expressed excitement about the upcoming National Farmers Union Convention in Oklahoma City. “We are so excited not only to see you but to be back here in Oklahoma for our national convention. This will be the culmination of pulling together policy positions on all kinds of issues like the Farm Bill, fairness for farmers, and the new administration, bringing that all together to develop national policy positions. It’ll be a great time. We’re looking forward to celebrating and kicking back here in Oklahoma City.”
He finished by reminding those who were interested that more information is on the NFU.org website.
