Is Mandatory Price Reporting Good for the Cattle Industry?

On April 2, 2001 the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) implemented the Livestock Mandatory Price Reporting Act, mandating collection and reporting of transaction data for cattle, swine, lambs and other livestock products. What prompted the Act, which was pushed through Congress by some livestock organizations, was concern over price discovery in the light of increased concentration in the livestock industry and increased use of captive supplies. As more and more animals are transacted through contracts, the argument goes, less and less price information becomes available for independent livestock producers