Washington - The U.S. Agriculture Department said it has selected sources outside of the agency to review its investigations into competition in the livestock industry.
The peer review was initiated after the Western Organization of Resource Councils submitted a petition regarding forward-contracted and packer-fed cattle procurement practices in Texas.
“(Agriculture) Secretary (Dan) Glickman has made it clear that concentration issues in agriculture must be addressed head-on and that America's small farmers must be given an equal opportunity to compete in the marketplace,” USDA Undersecretary Mike Dunn said.
The department said the goal of the peer review is to determine if the USDA “asked the right questions, collected the right data, and conducted sound analyses using appropriate models.” Reviewers are expected to provide individual assessments in approximately two months.
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