WASHINGTON, D.C. (NAFB) – Legislation to create tax incentives supporting small and mid-sized meat processing plants was introduced by Republicans in the House and Senate.

The Hagstrom Report says the goal of the bill is to help cattle producers compete for better prices. A news release says the Feed America by Incentivizing Rural Meat Packing (FAIR) Act says that the bill will make sure the nation’s cattle producers get a level playing field and fair prices for their products, as well as lower prices for consumers in their local grocery stores.

“The success of the Kansas economy relies heavily on the cattle industry at every step from pasture to plate,” says Kansas Senator Roger Marshall. “We must ensure robust competition at the packing level by providing butcher shops and medium-sized packers more opportunity for success.”

Missouri Representative Jason Smith says, “Our cattlemen are some of the hardest working people in the country and deserve access to fair markets. Unfortunately, if the mega meatpackers continue their stranglehold on the market, our hardworking producers don’t stand a chance.”

South Dakota Representative Dusty Johnson says, “There’s no silver bullet, but several reforms continue to move us in the right direction. The FAIR Meat Packing Act is one of those reforms.”