New Hampshire Governor Vetoes On-Farm Slaughter Bill

By Meryl Nass

New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte vetoed HB 396, legislation intended to expand on-farm slaughter options for local producers and consumers. The state legislature could still override the veto if supporters maintain their previous votes and enough absent lawmakers participate.

Writing on July 10, Meryl Nass argued that the veto reflects a broader pattern of policies limiting small farmers’ access to local meat-processing markets. She also pointed to the removal of the PRIME Act from the Senate version of the Farm Bill. That proposal would have created a pilot program allowing meat processed at qualifying custom slaughterhouses to be sold directly to consumers without full USDA inspection.

At the federal level, the Trump administration has proposed rolling back USDA rules intended to protect livestock and poultry producers from unfair treatment by major meatpackers. Food & Water Watch attorney Emily Miller called the move a reversal of efforts to improve competition and farmer protections.

Critics say consolidation has given four major meatpackers control of roughly 80 percent of the beef market, allowing processors to exert greater influence over prices while reducing the share paid to cattle producers. Nass contends that the state and federal actions leave independent farmers with fewer processing options and consumers with less access to locally produced meat.

Read more: https://merylnass.substack.com/p/today-governor-ayotte-of-nh-vetoed