Republican legislators are poised to force meatpackers to disclose the dealsthey make in private contracts with livestock producers. The manditoryprice reporting bill will be passed by the Iowa legislature according toSenate Republican Leader Stewart Iverson.Senator Jeff Angelo, a republican from Creston, says the law will remove anyconfidentiality clauses in packer contracts with farmers and make priceinformation a matter of public record.Representative Ralph Klemme, a republican from Le Mars, saysmanditory price reporting is needed by independent producers who haven’tsigned a deal with a meatpacker.The price reporting wouldn’t be required until July 1, 2000 as legislatorshope by that time the federal government will have price reportingrequirements in force nationwide.
