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Cattlemen's Capitol Concerns Archive
Contact:
Bethany Shively,
The Cattlemen's Capitol Concerns (CCC) is a weekly report from Washington, D.C., giving an up-to-date summary of top policy initiatives concerning the cattle industry; direct from the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA). Please feel free to reprint in full or in part. If you would like to include NCBA's logo, contact us at 303-694-0305. | |
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PLC Applauds Rejection of Petition to Ban Predator Control Tools
The Public Lands Council (PLC) and National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) are pleased with the decision by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to deny a petition for suspension and cancellation of M-44 Sodium Cyanide Capsules & Sodium Fluroroacetate (Compound 1080) Livestock Protection Collars (LPC).
Annually, cattle and sheep industry losses to predation are estimated to be $18.3 million and $51 million respectively and in the absence of effective predation management tools these numbers could easily double or triple.
Ranchers invest a great deal of time, care, and resources to protect their livestock. M-44s and Livestock Protection Collars are important tools in guarding their animals from predators.
There are significant restrictions in place to prevent threatened or endangered species from exposure to M-44s and LPCs. EPA stated that M-44s and LPCs do not pose a significant risk to non-target wildlife and there is no substantive reason to ban registration and use of these predator control methods.
In addition to protecting livestock, these predator control methods aid public safety, combat the spread of disease and reduce wildlife conflict while creating a sustainable balance between people and wildlife.
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USDA Releases 2008 Beef Export Statistics
According to a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) report released earlier this week, the U.S. totaled $3.62 billion in beef, beef variety meat, and processed beef-product exports in 2008. This is the highest level the U.S. has seen since the 2003 (pre-BSE) level of $3.86 billion.
The top 10 countries in U.S. beef exports in 2008 were:
1. Mexico ($1.399 billion)
2. Canada ($716 million)
3. Japan ($383 million)
4. Korea ($294 million)
5. Vietnam ($131 million)
6. Taiwan ($128 million)
7. EU-27 ($111 million)
8. Egypt ($93 million)
9. Russia ($90 million)
10. Caribbean ($79 million)
Of the top 10, every country other than Japan and Korea imported a new record-level of U.S. beef and beef products in 2008. The top 10 countries account for 95% of total U.S. beef export dollars, with Mexico and Canada accounting for 58% of the total.
The U.S. is still capable of an additional $1 billion in annual beef exports to Japan, which is why regaining access to this country continues to be a top priority for NCBA. NCBA members recently passed a policy to further efforts to increase access to Japan through a staged or multi-step approach. While we continue to press for full OIE compliance with Japan and all of our trading partners, we recognize the necessity in some cases of using a staged approach to increase market access. Regaining access to Japan is critical to the economic livelihood of U.S. beef producers, and this policy is an important step in the right direction.
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PLC Prepares for Upcoming Western Range Summit in Utah
The Public Lands Council (PLC) is making preparations for the Western Range Summit, taking place February 26 and 27 in Salt Lake City. The summit will consist of four sessions-public relations, administrative action, legislative action, and litigation-with the goal of strengthening the business climate for ranching in the West. Participants will work together to identify tools and strategies for maintaining a stable climate for ranching operations, including maximizing the environmental benefits of maintaining open space. PLC encourages all interested environmental, conservation, and industry groups to attend the summit. For more information, or to reserve a spot, contact Dustin Van Liew at dvanliew@beef.org or 202-879-9126. |
Don't Miss NCBA's Cattlemen to Cattlemen!
Don't miss NCBA's Cattlemen to Cattlemen February 17 - 22, as we learn about the importance of the right mineral nutrition program on a cattle operation. We'll also head to New York City to learn more about the famous Lobel's of New York. Plus, we'll spend a day in the life of a feedyard worker from Nebraska.
NCBA'S Cattlemen to Cattlemen debuts Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. The show also airs Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. and on Sunday at 12:00 a.m. (All times are Eastern). Don't forget, you can watch NCBA's Cattlemen to Cattlemen online anytime by visiting www.CattlemenToCattlemen.org
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NATIONAL CATTLEMEN'S BEEF ASSOCIATION
1301 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 300
Washington, D.C. 20004 | |
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