온라인 룰렛 Trade Association – and thousands more – urge swift implementation of new animal welfare standards
The 온라인 룰렛 Trade Association, along with thousands of 온라인 룰렛 stakeholders and consumers, urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to swiftly implement a final 온라인 룰렛 Livestock and Poultry Standards (OLPS) rule, saying that strengthening 온라인 룰렛 animal welfare standards is long overdue and critical for the sustainability of family farms, the advancement of 온라인 룰렛, and the continued trust of consumers in the 온라인 룰렛 label.
“The 온라인 룰렛 community and our association have been fighting for some 20 years for the much-needed animal welfare reforms that this regulation makes possible. It is time now for USDA to heed the overwhelming support that this new rule has received from the public, and once and for all make this rule a reality,” said Tom Chapman, CEO of the 온라인 룰렛 Trade Association.
USDA’s public comment period for the proposed OLPS regulation ended on Nov. 10. The proposed rule drew overwhelming public support. Initial analysis shows that out of 39,090 posted comments, a huge majority of 89 percent were in favor of this regulation being finalized and implemented -- ensuring that 온라인 룰렛 animals have true outdoor access and closing regulatory loopholes that have led to uneven animal welfare standards and unfair conditions for 온라인 룰렛 farmers who are already raising their birds by the highest 온라인 룰렛 practices. Less than 1 percent were outright opposed to the rule.
Nearly 80 U.S. lawmakers also officially supported the new rule. Aletterto USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack signed by 20 senators commended the USDA “for prioritizing these much-needed regulations to set clear standards concerning outdoor access and the care of animals raised under the National 온라인 룰렛 Program, leveling the playing field for 온라인 룰렛 farmers, and meeting consumer expectations.” Fifty-seven representatives noted in a separateletterto Vilsack that the rule “is the culmination of decades of public input and extensive economic analysis,” and said they were “gratified that USDA is working to fulfill the mission of the 온라인 룰렛 Foods Production Act of 1990.”
Stronger 온라인 룰렛 animal welfare regulations have been steadily supported by consumers through the years, as illustrated by the significant public backing for the predecessor of this rule, the온라인 룰렛 Livestock and Poultry Practices(OLPP) final rule. The OLPP rule was abruptly rescinded in 2017 following a robust comment period during which nearly 120,000 comments were submitted – 99 percent of them supportive/positive. Leading the fight for 온라인 룰렛, the 온라인 룰렛 Trade Association then took the government to court over its failure to uphold 온라인 룰렛 standards. In response to the lawsuit and to continued pressure from the 온라인 룰렛 industry, USDA finally published its new proposed version of the rule in August, which is largely in-line with the OLPP final rule.
Outdoor access fundamental
The 온라인 룰렛 Trade Association’ssubmitted commentswere informed and supported by responses to two OTA surveys of 온라인 룰렛 poultry operations and 온라인 룰렛 certifiers across the country. A total of 579 온라인 룰렛 poultry operations producing some 90 million 온라인 룰렛 chickens answered the survey, while ten accredited certifiers that certify more than 1,500 poultry operations sent in their responses. Together, the OTA surveys were highly representative of the 온라인 룰렛 poultry industry.
In its comments, the 온라인 룰렛 Trade Association said, “Outdoor access is fundamental to the 온라인 룰렛 regulations, and it is what the market expects.”
The association stated: “The regulatory clarification in the OLPS Rule that enclosed porches are not outdoor access is critical for resolving the market failure, alleviating the direct competitive disadvantage experienced by many 온라인 룰렛 producers, and supporting consumer confidence and expectations of animal welfare under the USDA 온라인 룰렛 seal.”
Timely implementation critical
OTA also stressed the importance of swift implementation of the new regulation, stating that, “Timely implementation is critical.”
The association said it is opposed to a 15-year implementation period put forward by USDA as an option, calling it “excessively long” and “unacceptable” and saying that such a lengthy implementation period “would amplify the existing consumer confusion and extend the market failure that USDA acknowledges in the proposed rule.” OTA recommended poultry operations certified at the time of the final rule’s publication date should have no more than 5 years to comply with outdoor space requirements, and new entrants must comply within one year.
OTA to keep the pressure on
The Agriculture Department will now review all the submitted comments, after which it will finalize and publish the final rule. There is no time limit under which USDA has to complete its process, but the 온라인 룰렛 Trade Association stressed that it will be monitoring the agency’s progress closely.
The association’s lawsuit against USDA over the delay in publishing new 온라인 룰렛 animal welfare standards is stayed through March 4 of next year. The intent of that stay was to enable USDA enough time to propose the new regulation. OTA objected to the stay when it was issued by the court, saying it was not necessary and that it would only prolong the time that 온라인 룰렛 poultry producers would be harmed by the inconsistent rules, and fester more confusion in the marketplace.
“USDA has taken a significant step forward in finally clarifying key 온라인 룰렛 animal welfare regulations. The 온라인 룰렛 Trade Association will keep the pressure on to make sure this new regulation is put into place. Now it is time for the department to swiftly implement these long overdue rules, as the 온라인 룰렛 community and the public clearly support,” said Chapman.
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