The Agriculture Department’s scheduled publication today of the final rule implementing the 2008 farm bill provisions of the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration has elicited a wide range of reactions from farm groups. Read More...

The Hagstrom Report has obtained a copy of the interim final rule on changes to the Grain Inspection Packers and Stockyards Administration rule Read More...

The Agriculture Department on Thursday sent a modified version of its proposed changes to the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards rule to the Office of Management and Budget for review, and today Food & Water Watch, a consumer group, and the National Farmers Union sent out conflicting reactions to USDA's approach. Read More...

The Senate on Tuesday approved the fiscal year 2012 Agriculture appropriations bill as part of a larger package of bills. Read More...

Amendments to keep the Food and Drug Administration from approving “Frankenfish” genetically modified salmon and to stop the Agriculture Department from cutting back on the use of potatoes and other starchy vegetables in the school lunch program are among those that might be offered on the Senate floor if the Senate version of the fiscal year 2012 Agriculture appropriations bill comes up there as an independent piece of legislation. Read More...

The Justice Department will continue to advise the Agriculture Department on the USDA Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration’s rewrite of the rule governing the Packers and Stockyards Act, outgoing Assistant Attorney General Christine Varney said today. Read More...

The Obama administration will not withdraw the proposed Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration rule regarding the marketing of livestock and poultry, even though a bipartisan group of 147 House members wrote Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack urging that it be rewritten, a USDA spokesman said. Read More...

The National Meat Association is not satisfied with the response to its Freedom of Information Act request for documents related changes to the rule implementing the 1921 Packers and Stockyards Act, and is considering an appeal. The NMA, which represents meat packers, requested the records from the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration. Read More...