U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) urged U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee leadership to include mandatory country of origin labeling (MCOOL) for beef in the 2024 Farm Bill.
“American producers want their high-quality, domestic beef product labeled appropriately when put on the shelf next to foreign beef,” said Sen. Rounds. “Consumers want to know that they’re truly buying American products.”
As the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee works to develop a new Farm Bill, Sen. Rounds said the measure must include a feasible MCOOL solution for beef.
“Since the repeal of MCOOL, American cattle producers have experienced significant market fluctuations,” the senator wrote in a letter sent to committee leadership. “Concurrently, the largest meat packers have realized immense profits through the use of forward contracting and formula-based sales.”
While cattle prices are currently on the rise, he added, it’s evident that producers again will encounter market disruptions.
“As farmers and ranchers deal with a volatile market, it is imperative the federal government work to provide a level playing field,” Sen. Rounds wrote. “This can be achieved through supporting additional transparency in our beef labeling system.”
As the Sept. 30 deadline for the 2024 Farm Bill approaches, numerous national and regional farm and ranch advocacy groups recently expressed strong support for Sen. Rounds’ MCOOL efforts.
In fact, numerous groups endorsed his letter, including R-CALF USA, the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association, the National Farmers Union, the North Dakota Farmers Union, the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association, the South Dakota Farmers Union, the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, and the Organization for Competitive Markets, among many others.
“I am pleased that farm and ranch advocacy groups from across the nation are supportive of the effort to put MCOOL in the Farm Bill,” Sen. Rounds said. “Thank you to everyone who has joined this effort so far.”
Members of the U.S. Senate may add their name to Sen. Rounds’ MCOOL letter until July 12.