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site updated 1/20/12

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Contract Agriculture Reform Program

In the face of record low commodity prices and ever increasing market concentration, many U.S. farmers are turning to contracting for economic security. This program works to ensure these contract arrangements between individual farmers and processors are fair and equitable.

New Protections for Poultry Growers A new rule issued by the US Department of Agriculture Grain Inspectors, Packers and Stockyards administration protects contract poultry farmers from unfair practices, but restrictions placed on the USDA by Congress mean important sections were left out. Read more.>>	Know Your Rights The 2008 Farm Bill established new rights for poultry and livestock producers, including the right to decline to agree to mandatory arbitration in the event of a conflict with the company. Read more.>> As of January 4, 2010, USDA regulations require poultry companies to provide growers with more information and recognize the right of growers to discuss a poultry growing arrangement with certain parties. Read more.>> Or download a fact sheet. (PDF)(.doc) Coming soon: Fact sheet on the 2011 USDA rule.
News Releases 12.8.2011 - Poultry Growers Gain New Protections	Dealing with Mass Poultry Mortalities For poultry growers, the dreaded sound of the poultry house alarm going off means lost income and days of work ahead. Contract poultry farmers have tens of thousands of birds in each barn. When natural disaster, weather, equipment failure or disease threatens, farmers find themselves with the financial and logistical responsibility of disposing of large numbers of dead birds in a timely and safe way. Find resources on how to prepare for this kind of emergency and learn why mass mortality plans matter.>>
USDA/Justice Department Hearings The United States Justice Department and the United States Department of Agriculture hare holding hearings on competition and concentration of ownership in agriculture. Read our recommendations for the USDA and DOJ. The hearing on issues in the poultry industry was May 21, 2010, in Arkansas. Read more about the hearing..>>	More about the Program The RAFI Contract Agriculture Reform Program is an expansion of our decades of support for contract poultry farmers trapped in bad contracts. The poultry industry has been fully vertically integrated and dominated by contract production for almost forty years. Read more about the program. For more information, contact Becky Ceartas, Contract Agriculture Reform Program Director, at (919) 542-1396 x209 or becky@rafiusa.org.