“Producers and agribusinesses fear the proposed rules will have negative and unintended consequences that should be avoided,” said Todd Haymore, Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry, in a letter to US Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “For example, they expect that the changes being proposed could lead to the removal of incentives for investments in innovation that are needed for the US agriculture to remain competitive in the global marketplace. … These principals also fear that if these rules become final, they will lead to litigation that might be time-consuming and costly to Virginia’s agricultural interests,”
Haymore said he is also concerned that the proposed rules far exceed what was authorized by Congress, thus causing the annual impact of the proposed rules to far exceed their predicted threshold.
“Because of these concerns, I respectfully request that the USDA conduct a comprehensive economic impact analysis before proceeding further with the proposed rules. In additional, I recommend that information about your analysis and the data be shared with the industry for review and comment. Finally, I respectfully request that you seek input and guidance from the state departments of agriculture during this process,” the letter concluded.
To view the letter, go to:http://www.meatami.com/ht/a/GetDocumentAction/i/65750.
