The event highlighted solutions to help level the playing field for American producers as part of the national “Enough Is Enough” tour.
ALCPGA, CMA and OCM logos
ALCPGA, CMA and OCM logos
Tour is enough
Left to right: James Manasco of Rep. Robert Aderholt’s office, Connie Buttram, ALCPGA President Jonathan Buttram, Bryan Naugher of Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s office and CMA President Marty Irby. Photo: Competitive Markets Action
GUNTERSVILLE, Alabama, June 4, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — On Friday, farmers from across North Alabama gathered at Top O’ the River for the national Enough Is Enough tour to ask Congress to introduce a bill agricultural that returns power to American producers. The event was sponsored by the Alabama Poultry Contract Producers Association (ALCPGA), the Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM) and Competitive Markets Action (CMA), in collaboration with Farm Action, the American Grassfed Association and other agricultural groups throughout USA. Also joining were representatives from the offices of U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-AL, and U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-AL-04.
“We thank Senator Tommy Tuberville and Representative Robert Aderholt for sending representatives to join our event and appreciate them taking the time to listen to our producers in the Yellowhammer State.” said Jonathan Buttram, president of the Alabama Contract Poultry Producers Association and treasurer of the Competitive Markets Organization, who is also a beef cattle producer. “We call on Congress to bring reform and transparency to the scandal-plagued USDA commodity monitoring programs by passing the Fair Farming Opportunity Act that would give American family farmers a fighting chance against industrial agriculture interests such as Chinese-owned Smithfield and Brazil. based on JBS.”
“Congress must do everything in its power to help eliminate the terrible EATS Act language included in the House Farm Bill that would decimate farmers across the United States and overturn countless state laws and “local measures designed to protect small and medium-sized farmers.” said Alabama native and Mobile native Marty Irby, president of Competitive Markets Action and secretary of the Organization for Competitive Markets. “Policies that protect food security and support states’ rights should be a top priority for Agriculture Committee leaders rather than propping up industrial agriculture interests led by our foreign enemies.”
Speakers at the event discussed how government policies drive food system consolidation by empowering the largest food corporations to the detriment of farmers and ranchers, and offered solutions to help level the playing field for producers.
The event highlighted corruption in government check programs, which collect $1 billion from producers annually. These check dollars are often funneled to lobbying organizations representing the world’s largest meat processors and grain traders, which then work against the interests of the very producers who are tasked with contributing to the programs.
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Speakers rallied attendees to urge Congress to transfer more power to farmers and ranchers in the next farm bill by supporting critical legislation like the Fair Opportunity in Agriculture (OFF) Act, S.557, HR1249, headed by Representative Nancy Mace. , R-SC, and Dina Titus, D-NV, in the House and Sens. Mike Lee, R-UT, Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Cory Booker, D-NJ, in the U.S. Senate. , and by opposing the so-called End Agricultural Trade Suppression (EATS) Act, S. 2019/HR 4417, led by Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-IA, and Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., included a version of the EATS Act that does not include eggs in the recent Farm Bill that passed the Committee last month. OCM, CMA, ALCPGA and others are working with members of Congress on both sides of the aisle and the House Freedom Caucus preparing for a House amendment that would remove bad language from EATS.
The Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Lincoln, Nebraska. The basis of the Competitive Markets Organization is to fight for competitive markets in agriculture for farmers, ranchers and rural communities. True competition reduces the need for economic regulation. Our mission and duty is to define and defend the proper role of government in the agricultural economy as regulator and enforcer of the rules necessary for markets that are fair, honest, accessible and competitive for all citizens.
Competitive Markets Action (CMA) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization based in Washington, DC, that was formed with the mission of shaping policies to promote more regenerative and sustainable agriculture and competitive markets. in the US, and to defend against attacks on states’ rights by the federal government. CMA works to raise awareness about the harm caused by multinational conglomerates to American family farmers, the consumer, and our American economy as a whole, in an effort to achieve legislative and regulatory reforms.
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CONTACT: Marty Irby Competitive Markets Action 202-821-5686 marty@competitivemarketsaction.org
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