Ag News: Cattle Market Transparency Act
**Nebraska Senator Deb Fischer introduced the Cattle Market Transparency Act of 2020.
This comes in response to packer concentration and the lack of competition in U.S. cattle markets, an ultra-thin price discovery market for fed cattle, and the USDA’s non-disclosure of pricing information in regions with too few fed cattle buyers.
Fischer’s bill follows a bipartisan bill in mid-May and a subsequent companion bill in the House.
But, the earlier bills were never scheduled for a Senate ag committee hearing and languished for months without any action.
**Black Hog Farms, of East Palatka, Florida, has paid a Perishable Agriculture Commodities Act reparation order.
Thepacker.com reports, the company satisfied the nearly $15,000 order and can again operate if it successfully applies for a PACA license from the USDA.
Company principals Jonathan Insetta and Luke A. Watkins can now be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee.
**The 2020 US cotton crop is projected at 17.06 million bales, with the September estimate being revised down 1 million bales from August estimates.
Now, according to agfax.com, that 17.06 million bale potential crop has, since the September numbers were determined, been impacted by Hurricane Sally and Tropical Storm Beta.
It’s also still in question whether the September number fully captured the net effect of Hurricanes Marco and Laura.
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