Nebraska Farmers Union leaders are expecting legislation allowing packer ownership of swine to move forward this week in the Unicameral. Farmers Union President John Hansen says the ban on direct meatpacker ownership has been in state law for a long time and his group will fight to keep that in place.

Hansen thinks LB 176 will likely pass out of committee this week and head to the floor where the fight to stop it could be tougher.

Proponents of the legislation are concerned about Nebraska losing its processing industry if packers aren’t allowed to own livestock.