Today, National Cattlemen's Beef Association Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane released a statement on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's latest proposed Packers and Stockyards rule Fair and Competitive Livestock and Poultry Markets:

"USDA's newly proposed rule is a direct attack on cattle producer profitability. By creating criteria that effectively deems any innovation or differentiation in the marketplace improper, USDA is sending a clear message that cattle producers should not derive any benefit from the free market but instead be paid one low price regardless of quality, all in the name of so-called fairness."