News Update
June 11, 2013
2013 Farm Bill Passed by U.S. Senate
On June 10, the U.S. Senate passed the Agriculture, Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2013 by a vote of 66-27. Several agricultural interest groups have since weighed in on the decision.
“I am pleased that the Senate was able to come together in a bipartisan manner to pass the 2013 Farm Bill, which is a vital piece of legislation for family farmers and ranchers across the country,” said National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson. “We are happy to see language included that will provide a safety net for family farmers and ranchers, as well as a robust crop insurance program, mandatory energy funding, streamlined conservation programs, additional protections for livestock producers and incentives for locally owned and organic production.”
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) President Scott George, Cody, Wyo., added, “Cattlemen and women have been asking Congress to pass a farm bill [that] not only provides certainty for agricultural producers nationwide, but also incorporates priorities important to the cattle industry — there is not a livestock title, conservation programs are maintained and the research title is sustained. We are also pleased that disaster-assistance programs are included in this legislation, which is a positive step toward providing a strong safety net for our producers.”
American Soybean Association (ASA) President Danny Murphy, Canton, Miss., said, “We now turn our attention to the House and call on Representatives to move the bill quickly through the chamber this month and on to conference with the Senate before the August recess. The version of the farm bill passed earlier by the House Agriculture Committee cuts Direct Payments as part of $40 billion in total savings, and streamlines more than 100 federal programs.”
Work on the bill is reportedly scheduled to begin next week in the House of Representatives.
S.D. Stockgrowers Invite Producers to Dinner
The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association (SDSA) is on the road, and they’re inviting producers to join them for any of six dinners to be hosted across South Dakota next week. Meetings are scheduled in Highmore, Mobridge, Isabel, Reva, Newell and New Underwood with a meal to be served and some great information to be shared. The meetings are free and open to the public.
“We’re excited to invite everyone to join us for a meal and an opportunity to learn more about the issues facing our livestock industry,” said Shane Kolb, president, SDSA. “On the national level, we’re working on country-of-origin labeling (COOL), marketing reform under GIPSA (Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration), and a variety of federal land issues, and we want to make sure that producers also know all the work that Stockgrowers does on policy right here in our state.”
Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund United Stockgrowers of America (R-CALF USA) CEO Bill Bullard will be the featured speaker, presenting a variety of information about federal policy issues including the recent changes to COOL rules. SDSA leaders will also be discussing recent state policy issues and answering questions from producers about predator control, oil and gas development issues, property tax policy and other topics. Producers are encouraged to attend, share their thoughts and ask questions.
For more information, please view the full release here.
NFU Submits Comments on Japan’s Inclusion in the TPP
NFU President Roger Johnson submitted comments to the office of the U.S. Trade Representative in response to the inclusion of Japan in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade-agreement negotiations.
“The agricultural sector is among the few parts of the U.S. export portfolio with a trade surplus,” said Johnson. “We must do much more to reduce our crippling, massive trade deficits, and this should be our negotiators’ primary concern in the TPP talks, which now include Japan, The needs of farmers and consumers around the world must be considered when formulating international trade policy, and the inclusion of Japan in the TPP is no different.”
Johnson is scheduled to meet with Akira Banzai, of JA-Zenchu, the Central Union of Agricultural Cooperatives in Japan, tomorrow at NFU headquarters in Washington, D.C.NCBA on Canadian Government’s
List of U.S. Commodities for Possible Retaliation
The Canadian government released a statement June 7 in response to the submission of the amended rule on mandatory country-of-origin labeling (mCOOL) to the World Trade Organization (WTO). NCBA President and Cody, Wyo., cattleman Scott George issued the following statement:
“Cattlemen and women have long known mCOOL not only violates our international trade obligations, but also that it provides no value to the consumer. It is a failed experiment in boosting beef demand and a tremendously successful experiment in creating a trade barrier.
“NCBA does not oppose voluntary country-of-origin labeling, but it is a marketing tool, not a food safety program. And as a marketing tool, it needs to be run by beef producers and processors, not codified into law or administered by the USDA. mCOOL is not market or consumer driven and it does not fit within our international trading obligations.”
Canada’s government has stated that it is ready to proceed with the next phase of the WTO dispute-settlement process on the amended mCOOL rule and has set a list of products for possible retaliatory tariffs. The list includes beef, pork and chicken in addition to a wide range of grains, fruits and dairy products.
“This list of products brings home the real-world consequences of the USDA’s adherence to mCOOL. Our members have warned both the USDA and members of Congress that should this program continue, there will be a true cost to not only cattle and pork producers but to many other segments of the U.S. economy, as well. This is too high a price to pay for a program that has proven it has no value.”
Breakfast on the Farm 2013 Programs begin June 15
The 2013 Michigan State University (MSU) Extension Breakfast on the Farm events will kick off June 15 at the Reid Dairy Farm.
Consumer interest in Breakfast on the Farm has steadily grown with more than 40,800 interested people attending the 21 events hosted since 2009. As more of America’s population is further removed from agricultural production, this public educational effort increases the consumer’s knowledge of modern food production and farming practices, and their confidence in food products.
The breakfast at the Reid Dairy Farm will be served from 9 a.m. to noon, and tours will be offered until 1 p.m. The self-guided educational walking tour will have stations highlighting various aspects of the farm. For the <em>Reid Dairy Farm this includes calf care, animal well-being and healthy cows, comfortable cow housing, cow nutrition, manure handling and storage, milking system and milk quality, and water recycling and solar energy. Several pieces of farm equipment and technology will be on display, and farmers and agriculture representatives will be ready to share information and answer questions. There will also be many activities for children of all ages.
The event is completely free, but tickets are required for the breakfast. For more information about Breakfast on the Farm and a list of ticket locations, visit www.breakfastonthefarm.com.
Tickets are not required for the tour.
For more information, please visit Angus Journal’s Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events here.
‘Taste of Texas’ Program Slated June 27
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service offices in four East Texas counties will present “Taste of Texas” from 5:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m. June 27 in Center, Texas. Registration will start at 5 p.m.
“Taste of Texas” is a unique program in many ways, in that it will include “viewing, tasting and learning events,” said Lane Dunn, AgriLife Extension agent in Shelby County.
“We will actually have video going through an entire feedlot operation and an entire packing plant operation,” Dunn said. “So it’s just like you were there, walking through in person. We’ll see everything on the feedlot side of things, then everything on the packing-plant side.”
There will also be new and different cuts of beef to taste, instruction on how to cook and cut beef, and how to produce a quality beef product.
Registration is $15 per person, which includes an evening meal and product sampling. Registration is limited to the first 100 people who RSVP, Dunn said.
“We are going to have a gentleman who’s a chef for Texas Beef Council,” said Jason Banta, AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialist. “He’s going to show, for example, if we cut this particular steak out of a chuck roll, this is how we can utilize it; or if we cut a roast, this is how we can utilize it. And also, if you cook a cut of meat one day, what are the options for reheating and reusing the extra meat for another meal?”
For more information on the “Taste of Texas” program, please visit Angus Journal’s Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events here.
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