Governor Vilsack has signed into law a bill which will force meatpackers todisclose the prices they pay for livestock purchased on private contract.The other piece of farm aid to come out of the 1999 Iowa legislature was abill seeking to lower the interest rates on loans to livestock farmers.Senator Betty Soukup, a democrat from New Hampton, said the legislatureshould have done more for struggling farmers.Representative Sandy Greiner, a republican from Keota, said the loan helpwould aid desperate farmers. The bill uses idle state funds to leverageabout 20-million dollars in loans.
