National Pork Producers Council officials say they will oppose the reintroduction of legislation to ban packer ownership of livestock. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley is sponsoring the measure due to concerns about vertical integration and concentration in the beef, pork and poultry industries. NPPC President Ken Maschhoff says his group is opposed to any government mandate that restricts s producer’s ability to sell or a packer’s ability to buy livestock.

He says the attempt to keep packers from owning livestock has been defeated in the past. His group recently spoke recently with members of Congress about this and other issues impacting the pork industry.

Maschhoff says at least one existing packing plant and all five of the new plants coming online the next two years are partially or fully owned by producers. He says that raises concerns about the legislation’s impact on those operations.