[20010815]RS20079_牲畜强制性价格报告.pdf

Congressional Research Service The Library of CongressCRS Report for CongressReceived through the CRS WebOrder Code RS20079Updated August 15, 2001Livestock Mandatory Price Reportingnae redactedAgricultural Policy AnalystResources, Science, and Industry DivisionSummaryOn April 2, 2001, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) implemented theLivestock Mandatory Price Reporting (LMPR) law. LMPR was passed as part ofUSDAs FY2000 appropriations law (P.L. 106-78), to address the concerns of somelivestock producers about low prices, increasing industry concentration, and theavailability of price information. Under the previous, voluntary system, USDA reporteddata provided on a voluntary basis by meat packers and processors on the prices they payfor animals. The new law requires large packers to report not only negotiated sales, butalso forward contract and formula arrangement transactions. Since implementation,LMPR has provided new information and further disclosure on pricing, but the systemhas experienced problems. On May 14, USDA announced an error in the computerprogram, which incorrectly calculated published prices. Since then, USDA hasannounced corrections. On August 3, USDA announ