Public Affairs
WASHINGTON, Sept. 28, 2023 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) entered into a stipulation agreement with Windsor Livestock Auction Co. Inc. (Windsor) on Aug. 30, 2023, for alleged violation of the Packers and Stockyards (P&S) Act. Under the terms of the stipulation agreement, Windsor waived its rights to a hearing and paid a civil penalty of $600.
An investigation by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) revealed that Windsor failed to have its scale tested in 2022. Windsor tested its scale on Dec. 21, 2021, and continually weighed livestock throughout the 2022 calendar year without the scale 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 $33,896 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 Dora Malykin, Packers and Stockyards Division, at (202) 720-7051 or by email at dora.malykin@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