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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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House Passes Food Safety Bill
After falling short yesterday of the two-thirds majority needed to pass H.R. 2749, the "Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009" under suspension of the rules, Congress eventually passed the bill today under regular order. The National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA), along with the American Sheep Industry Association and the National Pork Producers Council sent a letter yesterday to the House Committees on Energy and Commerce and Agriculture thanking them for reaching compromise language to help address concerns raised about the original bill.
The final bill clarifies that livestock are exempt from the Food and Drug Administration's regulation under the bill-- including on-farm inspections and additional authorities that are currently under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The committees also made several other improvements, including clarifications to the bill's traceability and record-keeping provisions.
While America has the safest food supply in the world, America's cattle producers are constantly looking for ways to increase the efficiency and the effectiveness of our current food safety system. We look forward to continuing to work with the House and Senate as the food safety debate continues, to ensure the goal of increasing food safety is achieved, without detracting from the strong processes we have in place.
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NCBA Continues to Push for Expanded Beef Access to Japan
The National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) commends members of the House Ways and Means Committee for calling for a new strategy to expand U.S. beef access with key markets like Japan. In a letter sent yesterday to U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk and Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack, Ways and Means Ranking Member Dave Camp (R-MI), Trade Subcommittee Ranking Member Kevin Brady (R-TX), Wally Herger (R-CA), Roy Blunt (R-MO), and Devin Nunes (R-CA) urged the Administration to uphold science-based trade principles and to consider new approaches for opening and expanding markets overseas-including a phased approach for U.S. beef trade with Japan.
Japan continues to be our number one trade priority, as their 20 month and under age restriction on U.S. beef imports is limiting the U.S. to about 25% of pre-BSE levels of trade, translating to at least $1 billion in untapped beef export revenues each year. NCBA fully supports science-based trade standards and full World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) compliance with Japan and all of our trading partners. At the same time, we recognize the necessity in some cases of using a phased or multi-step approach to increase market access over time.
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Reform Needed in Livestock Indemnity Program
A bipartisan group of Senators on Tuesday sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack calling for changes to the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) to ensure the program is in line with the intent of Congress. The National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) supports LIP reform, and is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on ways to make sure this critical program is equitable for livestock producers during challenging economic times.
Under the 2008 Farm Bill, the USDA was directed to set LIP payment rates at "75 percent of the market value of the applicable livestock on the day before the date of death of the livestock, as determined by the Secretary." Non-adult beef animals are separated into weight ranges of "less than 400 pounds" and "400 pounds and more." However, extreme heat this year has led to a high death toll of heavy steers and heifers in feedlots-many weighing upwards of 1000-1300 pounds. USDA is valuing these animals as 400 lb steers rather than their actual weight, thus significantly reducing payments to the producer. This reduced market value payment is not adequate to cover livestock losses in these higher ranges.
NCBA supports the Senators' guidance that USDA come up with a more precise methodology forcalculating specific payments for each animal.
The letter was signed by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Tom Harkin (D-IA), Mike Johanns (R-NE), Ben Nelson (D-NE), Pat Roberts (R-KS), Sam Brownback (R-KS), Tim Johnson (D-SD) and John Thune (R-SD).
NCBA is encouraging members of the House of Representatives to make a similar request for reform. |
Cap and Trade Impacts on the West
The House and Senate Western Caucus held a joint hearing today on "Cap and Trade: Impacts on Jobs in the West, and the Nation." Jim Magagna, Executive Vice President, Wyoming Stock Growers Association testified on behalf of producers.
Magagna talked about the negative impacts that H.R. 2454 (the "Climate Change Bill") would have on America's farmers and ranchers. Specifically, Magagna expressed concerns about the bill's effect on energy costs. Considering the fact that approximately 45% of agriculture production costs are energy related, these increased costs could push many operations over the edge, forcing ranchers to sell off their land to developers.
"There is nothing green about a rural sub-division as compared to livestock roaming the range," Magagna said.
In addition to increased input costs, Magagna expressed concerns about decreased agriculture revenues, as agriculture producers are "price-takers" and will not be able to pass the increased energy costs on consumers. He also talked about the bill's effects on international trade; U.S. producers would be at a disadvantage to other countries due to the increased costs. Finally, he noted that the bill could have unintended environmental impacts; increased energy and input costs could force ranchers to cut back on widely-used environmentally sustainable farming practices such as rotational grazing.
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Don't miss NCBA's Cattlemen to Cattlemen!
Don't miss NCBA's Cattlemen to Cattlemen, August 4 - 8. We'll learn more about the Environmental Stewardship Awards, and we'll talk to the experts from Dow AgroSciences about how proper care of the land helps cattlemen become more profitable producers.
The show debuts Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. and airs again Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. and Saturdays at 9 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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