(NAFB.com) – National Farmers Union this week sent a letter to Appropriations Committee leadership opposing restrictions that would undo work to revitalize the Packers and Stockyards Act. The letter, signed by national, regional, and state organizations, points out that “opponents of competitive agricultural markets are seeking to roll back the work USDA has already completed, prevent USDA from making additional progress on these rules, and prevent any similar effort in the future.”  Damaging provisions were included in an earlier version of the FY24 Appropriations bill, and this same strategy was used by opponents of the Act during previous administrations. NFU President Rob Larew says, “Blocking USDA’s work would be a direct hit to fair markets,” adding, “Congress should champion family farmers and consumers, not bow to meatpacking monopolies. We urge them to discard this harmful proposal once and for all.” Just this week, USDA’s first updated Packers and Stockyards Act rule went into effect, with many more important rules to follow.