The National Family Farm Coalition, an advocacy group that has historically been critical of large-scale and corporate agriculture, is raising concerns over a reported delay to a federal poultry rule it says is critical for contract growers.
In a statement issued Wednesday afternoon, the organization said it has “heard that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is proposing to delay the Poultry Grower Payment Systems and Capital Improvement Systems Rule,” a regulation finalized in January 2025 under the Packers and Stockyards Act. The rule was originally scheduled to take effect July 1, 2026.
According to the NFFC, the rule is designed to bring more transparency and fairness to the contract poultry system, which dominates U.S. chicken production. The group claims the proposed delay could have significant consequences for growers who operate under contracts with integrators.