Throughout the 20th century, imports of meat into the United States have been subject to qualitative and quantitative restrictions as well as to tariffs. The former developed as a result of health and safety concerns, and the latter as a direct response to increasing meat imports and deteriorating economic conditions in the domestic cattle industry. These two concerns still motivate periodic efforts to change the Meat Import Act of 1979 and the Federal Meat Inspection Act. This report traces the development of meant import restrictions and analyzes current proposals for change in meat import requirements. Since the Meat Import Act (which relates to imports of fresh or frozen beef, veal, mutton, and goat meat) is the focus of this paper, issues related to pork imports receive only brief mention.,Abstract -- Introduction -- Legislative History. Early History: Qualitative Restrictions ; Tariff Restratints ; Changes in World Meat Trade ; Quantitative Restraints: The Meat Import Act of 1964 ; Additional Attempts to Restrict Imports, 1967-1978 ; The Meat Import Act of 1979 ; Import Provisions in the 1981 Farm Bill -- Current Issues. Chemical Residues in Imported Meat ; Labeling Imported Meat at the Retail Level ; Meat Imports from Australia and New Zealand -- Conclusion -- Appendix I: Foreign Agriculture Service Fact File: Meat Import Law ; Appendix II: USDA Imported Meat Inspection Program.,CRS 85-956 ENR,"September 19, 1985.",SuDoc# LC 14. 18/3

The Farm Credit System was established during the period 1916-1933 to meet the unique credit needs of agricultural producers, and to address the financial problems they faced during the deteriorating agricultural economic situation of the 1920s and early 1930s. This paper reviews the structure of the Farm Credit System; the legislation that established it; the System's initial capitalization by the Federal Government and subsequent steps that led to private ownership; and the current status of the System's revolving funds held by the U.S. Treasury.,CRS 85-997 ENR,"October 10, 1985.",SuDoc# LC 14. 18/3

On November 1, 1985, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farmers Home Administration (FeHA) published regulations instituting new procedures for handling farm loan program borrowers who are one year or more delinquent in their loan payments. This report outlines the history of the lawsuit that led to the promulgation of the new regulations, examines the arguments against them contained in the subsequent legal challenge, and discusses some of the policy issues underlying FmHA's actions regarding delinquent borrowers.,Jean M. Rawson, Analyst, Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division.,CRS 86-524 ENR,"January 23, 1986.",SuDoc# 14. 18/3

The basic intent of H.R. 2970 is to amend the Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921, as amended (7 U.S.C. 181), to extend the existing jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Packers and Stockyards Administration over the poultry and egg industries. This report gives a brief legislative history of the Packers and Stockyards Act, discusses the major features of the proposed bill, and presents the views of the various groups that would be affected by the proposal if it became law. A side-by-side comparison of current law and H.R. 2970 is attached.,CRS 86-633 ENR,March 25, 1986,SuDoc# LC 14. 18/3