FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August
14, 2001
NMA TAKES A STAND FOR
CONFIDENTIALITY
OAKLAND, CA – NMA takes a fierce stand in comments today against the USDA’s
misguided new rule, the 3/70/20. This rule will go into effect on August
20, replacing the current 3/60 guidelines that govern the use of proprietary
information collected under Mandatory Price Reporting.
NMA was against Mandatory Price Reporting from the
beginning, but at least it was clear that there would be protections for
confidential information. Now, in an attempt to cover fundamental flaws, even
that will be eroded.
“3/70/20 fails to protect the confidential and proprietary
data that packers are required to submit when they are the only source or one
of two sources in a single cell block in published information. NMA
considers this breach of confidentiality, in violation of the statute, as a
very serious abrogation of the Secretary’s responsibilities,” wrote NMA
Executive Director Rosemary Mucklow in official comments.
She went on to note that “when industry consolidation is measured
over the next few years, USDA will have to explain to producers that the
government itself assisted in reducing the number of slaughterhouses and
slaughterhouse companies by its failure to protect the identity of data sources
in this program.”
The full text of NMA comments are available through its
website, NMAonline.org.
National Meat Association is a non-profit trade association
representing meat packers and processors, as well as equipment
manufacturers and suppliers who provide services to the meat industry. The
association, with over 600 members throughout the United States, includes
membership in Canada, Australia and Mexico.
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