After the Holcomb fire and fallout from the COVID pandemic, cattle producers went looking for answers on improving market transparency. In an ongoing effort to provide a legislative response, Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., joined with Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., to offer the Cattle Market Transparency Act of 2021 to ensure robust regionally negotiated cash trade and provide producers with more pricing information.
The bill builds off the recommendations provided by USDA in its Boxed Beef and Fed Cattle Price Spread Investigation Report and discussions producers across the U.S. are having in response to historically low cattle prices and a dysfunctional marketplace. In response to the introduction, the bill was welcomed by industry players including the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association and the American Farm Bureau Federation, but each group left the door open for the need for additional discussion on the hotly debated topic that has varied by region and producer type.