Controversial Livestock Marketing Law Remains Controversial

Livestock prices remain low even though state lawmakers changed the Missouri Livestock Marketing Law during the special legislative session in September. It was argued the original law kept major meat packers out of the state, devastating the livestock cash market and it needed to be changed to bring them back. Missouri Farmers Union president, Russ Kramer, opposed the changes and sees the prolonged slump as evidence that the law didn’t need changing. Kramer says the major meat packers got what they wanted and again are flexing their muscle in Missouri. State Agriculture Director Lowell Mohler disagrees. Mohler says market factors have caused cattle and hog prices to slump, not the change in the law. He says things would be even worse if lawmakers hadn’t acted.