The Department of Agriculture is “doing everything” it can to roll out the department’s organic livestock welfare rule before the Obama administration leaves office next month. The rule is currently under review at the White House Office of Management and Budget, but a USDA spokesperson told the Hagstrom Report this week that USDA will do everything possible to push the rule forward before January 20th. The comments follow lawmakers representing Oregon and Maine urging USDA to finalize the rule quickly. Representative Peter DeFazio, a Democrat from Oregon, says the rule is “necessary to meet the expectations consumers have when they purchase organic products.” In a statement, DeFazio said he “supports USDA’s work” on the rule and urged the White House and USDA to finalize the rule quickly.
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting news service.