USDA Settles a Packers and Stockyards Case with Lowell Livestock LLC.

Date
Tuesday, December 20, 2022 - 11:00am
Contact Info
Release No.
235-22

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20, 2022 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) entered into a stipulation agreement with Lowell Livestock LLC. (Lowell) of  Lowell, Ind., on Nov. 14, 2022, for alleged violation of the Packers and Stockyards (P&S) Act. Under the terms of the stipulation agreement, Lowell waived its rights to a hearing and paid a civil penalty of $750.

An investigation by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) revealed that Lowell failed to have its scale tested in the first half of 2022. Lowell tested its scale on March 2, 2021, and used it to weigh livestock in commerce from July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022, without it being tested.

The P&S Act requires subject entities to test livestock scales used in commerce at least once between January 1 and June 30 and at least once again between July 1 and December 31, with a minimum period of 120 days between tests.

The P&S Act authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to assess civil penalties up to $31,459 per violation against any person after notice and opportunity for a hearing on the record. USDA may offer alleged violators the option of waiving their right to a hearing and enter into a stipulation agreement to resolve alleged violations quickly.

The P&S Act is a fair-trade practice and payment protection law that promotes fair and competitive marketing environments for the livestock, meat, and poultry industries.

For further information about the Packers and Stockyards Act, contact Kraig Roesch, Packers and Stockyards Division, at (303) 375-4291 or by email at kraig.roesch@usda.gov.

#

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.

Get the latest Agricultural Marketing Service news at www.ams.usda.gov/news or follow us on Twitter
@USDA_AMS. You can also read about us on the USDA blog.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.