On Friday, July 9th, President Biden issued an Executive Order (EO) entitled “Promoting Competition in the American Economy,” which is aimed at addressing unfair markets, the right to repair, poultry tournament pay, and Product of the USA labeling. On the same day, the President separately announced $500 million for regional meat packing expansion, as well as $100 million for FSIS Inspection Overtime Relief.



In the Executive Order, the President:
  • Directs USDA to consider issuing new rules under the Packers and Stockyards Act making it easier for farmers to bring and win claims and adopting anti-retaliation protections for farmers who speak out about bad practices.
  • Directs USDA to consider issuing new rules defining when meat can bear “Product of USA” labels, so that consumers have accurate, transparent labels that enable them to choose products made here.
  • Directs USDA to develop a plan to increase opportunities for farmers to access markets and receive a fair return, including supporting alternative food distribution systems like farmers markets and developing standards and labels so that consumers can choose to buy products that treat farmers fairly.
  • Encourages the FTC to limit powerful equipment manufacturers from restricting people’s ability to use independent repair shops or do DIY repairs—such as when tractor companies block farmers from repairing their own tractors.
This order calls for USDA to conduct and publish several reports, one of which will focus on regulatory and legislative changes that could bring about greater transparency to improve price discovery. This order is expected to be implemented within 150 days, which is when we will likely see said reports and have more concrete information about what this actually means for Arizona producers. 



We appreciate the Administration taking steps to address agricultural market challenges and provide greater flexibility for all farmers and ranchers to be competitive in today’s economy. We will be looking closely at the details of this order and future reports to ensure it helps create a more financially sustainable environment for livestock producers. 



To read American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall’s comment on executive order addressing livestock markets and “right to repair,” click here.