U.S. Senator Pat Roberts, R-Kan., Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, has announced Senate passage of H.R. 2051, the Agriculture Reauthorizations Act of 2015. The bipartisan legislation reauthorized Mandatory Price Reporting (MPR), the National Forest Foundation Act and the U.S. Grain Standards Act (USGSA).

“I’m proud to lead a Committee that gets things done in a timely manner,” said Chairman Roberts. “We reauthorized three bills in one day – that’s practically unheard of in Congress.”

“These important reauthorizations illustrate what can be accomplished when we put partisanship aside and focus on improving the wellbeing of our nation’s farmers, foresters, and ranchers,” U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, Ranking Member said. “Included in this package are reforms that increase transparency in the livestock markets, maintains the integrity and boosts the responsiveness of our existing federal grain inspection systems, and promotes partnerships to revitalize the 193 million-acres in our national forest system. I thank Chairman Roberts for his work on these issues and call on members of the House to pass this bill immediately.”

In response to this announcement, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) said they appreciate the efforts of the Senate in reauthorizing Mandatory Livestock Price Reporting through 2020. NCBA President, Philip Ellis, a Wyoming cattle producer, said this information provides producers greater transparency in market conditions.

“Transparency is essential to the functioning of our livestock markets, and our ability as producers to make decisions critical to our profitability,” said Ellis. “Unfortunately, due to the actions of Senator Stabenow, not only does this legislation lack the status of an essential service, the bill differs substantially from the House version; subjecting producers to further delay and uncertainty.”

In contrast to the House version, NCBA said the Senate’s MPR legislation does not make the program an essential government service, rendering the program vulnerable to future government shutdowns. Due to these differences, the legislation now must be conferenced with the House, and signed by the President prior to expiration on Sept. 30, 2015.

The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) also commented. “America’s pork producers are grateful to the Senate for approving legislation to reauthorize the MPR law, which provides them and meat packers transparent, accurate and timely market information to make knowledge-based business decisions about selling and buying hogs,” said NPPC President Dr. Ron Prestage, a veterinarian and pork producer from Camden, SC.

NPPC said the Senate’s five-year reauthorization measure includes new provisions sought by the U.S. pork industry, including one that establishes a “Negotiated-Formula” price category to better reflect the total number of hogs negotiated each day regardless of how buyers and sellers arrive at the prices. Another provision will require that pigs sold after 1:30 p.m. be included in the next morning’s price report.

“Now we need both houses to work out some minor difference in their bills and get this thing to the president’s desk before the law expires at the end of the month,” added Prestage.