News Update

News Update
Aug. 24, 2007

USDA Announces Sign-up Dates for New Livestock and Crop Disaster Programs

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced sign-up dates for the new Livestock Compensation Program (LCP), Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) and Crop Disaster Program (CDP). The three ad hoc disaster programs provide benefits to farmers and ranchers who suffered losses caused by natural disasters in recent years.

Eligible ranchers and other livestock producers can apply to receive benefits under the LCP and LIP beginning Sept. 10, 2007. Eligible farmers can sign up for the CDP beginning Oct. 15, 2007, if they suffered quantity losses to their crops. USDA will announce and conduct CDP sign-up for quality losses as soon as possible.

LCP compensates livestock producers for feed losses occurring between Jan. 1, 2005, and Feb. 28, 2007, due to a natural disaster. This can include producers who suffered losses resulting from blizzards that started in 2006 and continued into January 2007. Livestock producers may elect to receive compensation for calendar year 2007 grazing season losses that are attributable to wildfire natural disasters occurring during the applicable period as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture.

Producers in primary counties declared secretarial disaster areas or certain counties declared presidential disaster areas between Jan. 1, 2005, and Feb. 28, 2007, are eligible as are producers located in counties contiguous to those counties. Also, producers in a primary (or contiguous) county that received an Administrator’s Physical Loss Notice directly associated with a disaster declaration made by President Bush may also be eligible. Producers incurring a loss in more than one of the 2005, 2006 or 2007 calendar years must choose only one year for which they want to apply for benefits.

LIP compensates livestock producers for livestock losses between Jan. 1, 2005, and Feb. 28, 2007, that resulted from natural disasters, including losses due to blizzards that started in 2006 and continued into January 2007. Producers in primary counties declared secretarial disaster areas or certain counties declared presidential disaster areas between Jan.1, 2005, and Feb. 28, 2007, are eligible as are producers located in counties contiguous to those counties. Also, producers in a primary (or contiguous) county that received an Administrator's Physical Loss Notice directly associated with a disaster declaration made by President Bush may also be eligible. Producers incurring eligible livestock losses in more than one of the 2005, 2006 or 2007 calendar years must choose only one year for which they want to apply for benefits.

CDP provides benefits to farmers who suffered quantity and quality losses to 2005, 2006, or 2007 crops from natural disasters if the crop was planted before Feb. 28, 2007, or, in the case of prevented plantings, for crops that would have been planted before Feb. 28, 2007. Producers who incurred qualifying losses in 2005, 2006 or 2007 must choose only one year to apply for benefits. Producers may apply for benefits for losses to multiple commodities as long as the losses occurred in the same crop year. Only producers who obtained crop insurance coverage or coverage under the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) for the year of loss will be eligible for CDP benefits. Producers must have suffered quantity losses in excess of 35 percent to be eligible for CDP.

On May 25, 2007, President George W. Bush signed into law the “U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans’ Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act, 2007” (2007 Act). The 2007 Act authorizes LCP, LIP and CDP. It also authorizes funding for the Emergency Forestry Conservation Reserve Program (EFCRP), Emergency Conservation Program and Dairy Disaster Assistance Program III (DDAP-III). USDA recently announced sign-up for EFCRP and the distribution of funds to 18 states under ECP. USDA will announce and conduct sign-up for DDAP-III as soon as possible. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is charged with administering the programs.

— release provided by USDA

South Korea to Resume U.S. Beef Imports

South Korea will resume imports of U.S. beef next week after suspending them earlier this month, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry announced Friday.

J. Patrick Boyle, President and CEO, American Meat Institute (AMI), applauded the decision. “We are pleased that South Korea has resumed inspections. Producing safe beef for American consumers and for export to South Korea and other countries is a top priority for the U.S. meat industry. Multiple BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) mitigation measures in place ensure that there is no food safety issue involved with American beef.”

Boyle also noted that AMI is pleased to see that South Korea will proceed with the import risk assessment process and urged the governments to continue discussions to fully restore beef access pursuant to international safety standards.

— release provided by AMI

Traceability and FMD Take Center Stage at 2007 ID/INFO EXPO

The National Institute of Animal Agriculture’s (NIAA’s) ID/Info Expo 2007 is where traceability needs intersect for the animal agriculture industry. That includes animal health, country-of-origin labeling (often referred to as COL or COOL), food safety and consumer demand — all rolled into one two-day session Aug. 28-30 at the Westin Crown Center in Kansas City, Mo.

“ID/Info Expo was an effort that the National Institute of Animal Agriculture put in place to educate our livestock industry about animal identification and how this applies to our industry in the United States,” said Robert Fourdraine, co-chair of the event and chief operating officer (COO) of the Wisconsin Livestock Identification Consortium.

Fourdraine says this year NIAA has expanded the program for the Expo to be more about traceability. “So, it’s not focused just on disease programs and the need for animal identification,” he says. “We’re going to be talking about country-of-origin labeling, value-added programs and branding of products all relative to having traceability of animals and animal products.”

Bruce Knight, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) undersecretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, who is responsible for various aspects of animal ID and traceability, will deliver a summary keynote address during the last session of the event on Thursday morning.

In addition, the program will open on Tuesday with the timely topic of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and the ability of the United States to cope with an outbreak of that disease.

The program starts at 1 p.m. Aug. 28 and concludes at 12:30 p.m. Aug. 30. For program details, go to www.animalagriculture.org; click on ID/Info Expo, and then on “Schedule of Events.”

— release provided by NIAA

— compiled by Mathew Elliott, assistant editor, Angus Productions Inc.