OAKLAND, CA – Natural Food Holdings’ President and CEO Gary Malenke testified on behalf of National Meat Association before the House Committee on Small Business today. Malenke’s testimony was part of the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Energy and Trade Hearing on Regulatory Injury: How USDA’s Proposed GIPSA Rule Hurts America’s Small Businesses.
“We are proud to have arrangements with a number of producers to bring us hogs to fit niche markets with whom we have marketing arrangements under various brands,” said Malenke. He testified that such arrangements with producers, which have made his company a success, are jeopardized by the GIPSA proposal. Malenke concluded his testimony by saying: “This is a very tough business – for producers and for packers. Working together in partnership and cooperation will give us the opportunity to be successful together. I am not here to cry about the very large firms – their very largeness denies them the flexibility that we enjoy at Natural Food Holdings. We don’t need to enroll GIPSA, a government regulatory agency, in our business plan – enhancing our partnerships with producers for our mutual benefit is a much better solution.”
Malenke has more than twenty years experience in the meat industry. His company is an active member of the US Meat Export Federation, as well as National Meat Association, and Gary also recently served on the Negotiated Rule making Committee for Mandatory reporting of wholesale pork. He currently serves as the Chairman of the North America Meat Processors Association.
“National Meat Association is very grateful for Malenke’s comments. The GIPSA Proposed Rule will have a terrible impact on all our members, particularly those that, like Natural Food Holdings, rely heavily on cooperative arrangements with producers to produce a specialized product,” said NMA CEO Barry Carpenter.
Malenke’s complete comments are available online at: http://nmaonline.org/pdf/Gary-Malenke-Testimony.pdf.
National Meat Association is a non-profit trade association. Since 1946, NMA has represented meat packers and processors, equipment manufacturers and food suppliers who provide services to the meat industry. The association has members throughout the United States, as well as in Canada, Australia and Mexico.
Printable version: http://nmaonline.org/pdf/pr7_7_11.pdf
Source: National Meat Association