(NAFB.com) – The National Farmers Union is unhappy that the Poultry Grower Payment Systems and Capital Improvement Systems rule proposed by the USDA’s Ag Marketing Service has been postponed. NFU President Rob Larew is disappointed that USDA is delaying the implementation of its rule from July 1, 2026, to December 31, 2027. “The rule is designed to increase fairness in poultry contracting and payment systems,” said Larew. “Growers have long raised concerns about the unfairness of tournament pricing and the amount and quality of information provided to them by poultry companies.” He also said the rule establishes guardrails on the tournament system, giving producers more certainty and transparency so they can operate their farm businesses successfully. Broiler chicken growers operate under a tournament-style system, where they must compete against their neighbors for the best price. NFU said growers cannot reasonably avoid certain practices that cause them harm.