MAINE MORNING STAR • June 4, 2024
A rule proposed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture would eliminate pay deductions for chicken producers, Secretary Tom Vilsack said Monday. Under the current poultry payment system, companies contract with producers to supply broiler chicks, feed, and veterinary care and then it’s up to the farmers to raise healthy, substantial chickens at a mutually agreed price. But companies can also deduct pay from producers’ base pay based on that year’s market. The proposed rule would prohibit companies from deducting that pay. There are roughly 260 farms in Maine that sell broilers and other meat chickens, the vast majority of which are small producers.