2004 CCC Archive
Cattlemen's Capitol Concerns: August 5, 2004
Cattlemen's Capitol Concerns
August 5, 2004
The 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).
USDA Procedures on BSE Surveillance: USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced Aug. 4 that it will now wait until the second and third concurrent rapid tests for BSE are conducted before declaring a test sample inconclusive. Only if one of these tests is reactive will APHIS announce the result as an inconclusive, at which point a confirmatory test will be conducted at the National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa. This protocol is consistent with manufacturer’s instructions, which state that a sample is inconclusive for BSE if either of a set of duplicate tests conducted after the first rapid test is reactive. At that point an immunohistochemistry (IHC) test – the gold standard test for BSE – is performed. NCBA suggested this change and believes this improvement in testing and announcement procedures is consistent with the agency’s need for a science-based approach and will improve efficiency as the surveillance program moves forward.
Surveillance Program in 3rd Month: USDA continues its BSE surveillance program which began on June 1. APHIS posts the test results on their website at: http://www.aphis.usda.gov. To date, 28,254 tests have been conducted with no positives reported.
Feed Rule Comments: A coalition of industry groups including NCBA, sent a letter this week to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) outlining recommendations for consideration as the agency begins taking comments on their proposed rule on animal feed. In the letter, the groups express their concern that "FDA’s advanced notice of proposed rulemaking on BSE mitigation reflects a significant shift in agency philosophy, one that suggests a ‘one-step cures all’ approach based almost exclusively upon removal of all specified risk materials from all animal foods. We are concerned that this approach may actually limit effective implementation while causing significant unintended consequences that adversely impact animal health." The groups suggest that the agency should be open to alternative actions "that enable the agency, in concert with industry, to create a system of enhanced feed controls providing equivalent risk mitigation." The letter suggests a "more integrated systems approach that is informed by the results of USDA’s enhanced surveillance program" and that the agency conduct appropriate risk/benefit and cost/benefit analysis of various policy options. The letter was signed by NCBA and American Feed Industry Association, American Meat Institute, American Sheep Industry Association, National Grain and Feed Association, National Milk Producers Federation and the National Renderers Association. NCBA will also be filing formal comments by the August 13 deadline.
FDA Commissioner Outlines Agenda: In related news, Acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Lester M. Crawford spoke Aug. 2 at the National Press Club in Washington D.C. outlining the agency’s priorities for the next six months. Focusing mainly on current issues in human pharmaceuticals, Crawford did, however, give some clues about his agency’s response to BSE, an issue that has drawn increasing criticism in his direction. Crawford emphasized that the FDA is doing everything possible to bolster human and animal BSE safeguards. In the next six months, Crawford hopes his agency can finalize rules in regards to BSE and impose further ruminant feed regulations which ban SRMs from animal feed. Crawford did not specify which SRM list his agency would employ.
International Trade Talks: A framework for U.S. Agriculture trade negotiations is moving forward thanks to the efforts of U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick and Ambassador Al Johnson, the Chief Agriculture Negotiator for the U.S. during trade talks in Geneva. In the aftermath of stalled trade talks in Cancun and Seattle, the 147 member nations of the World Trade Organization (WTO) agreed to eliminate agriculture export subsidies. The agreement will provide much-needed structure and direction for the ongoing talks which are aimed at expanding access for America's producers to overseas markets through reductions in tariffs and other restrictions, and reducing trade-distorting domestic subsidies. These multilateral negotiations are the best way for U.S. cattle producers to expand export market access opportunities for U.S. beef and beef products.
Australian FTA: In related news, President Bush signed H.R. 4759, the U.S./Australia Free Trade Agreement in a Rose Garden Ceremony Aug. 3. Throughout the negotiation process, NCBA has remained concerned that this bilateral agreement increases access to the U.S. beef market without U.S. producers gaining anything in return. NCBA’s long-standing policy has been to negotiate further trade liberalization via the multi-lateral (WTO) process and urge that bilateral agreements be conducted parallel with the multilateral process. In his remarks, President Bush applauded the WTO agreement reached in Geneva over the weekend to eliminate export subsidies. "For the last several days, our trade ministers in Geneva have worked tirelessly to achieve an agreed framework for the WTO's Doha's negotiation. This framework provides a road map for these ongoing talks. Among other things, it commits WTO members to the elimination of export subsidies on agricultural products," President Bush said. "There is more work to be done, but Prime Minister Howard and I remain committed to the success of the Doha negotiations." The President also praised U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick saying "He has done heroic work, as has his staff, to see to it that the world trades more freely and America is treated fairly when it comes to trade."
Dominican Republic Trade: Trade ministers from the U.S., Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua gathered in Washington today to sign the U.S./Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA). With this FTA signed, the door is now open for formal implementation of the agreement by the legislatures of each country. Negotiations on the inclusion of the Dominican Republic in the CAFTA took place Jan. – March 2004, and cattlemen will be pleased with the market access provisions that were negotiated for U.S. beef. One of the strongest aspects of the agreement is that the vast majority of our exports are a premium grain-fed product that will not compete price-wise with Central American grass fed beef. The DR-CAFTA agreement’s immediate duty-free access for U.S. prime and choice beef (defined as "high quality") into Central American hotels and restaurants is significant for cattle producers. NCBA believes the DR-CAFTA will establish a strong model by which agreements with developing countries can be negotiated in the future. More information on the DR-CAFTA can be found at http://www.ustr.gov/new/fta/cafta.htm.
USDA Awards Animal ID Grants: USDA Secretary Ann Veneman announced Aug. 5 that 29 state and tribal projects have been selected to receive $11.64 million to advance the national animal identification initiative. The agency began taking applications June 15, and asked that emphasis be placed on coordination within the beef, dairy, sheep and swine industries. The projects will focus on registering premises and establishing necessary data transfer procedures. NCBA believes that premises systems are the first priority, or hurdle, that must be addressed before additional work can be completed on a National Animal Identification System (NAIS). Many projects will also conduct field trials or research in order to test and fine-tune ID technologies and collect animal movement data. Additional information about the programs is posted at http://www.usda.gov.
The 29 awardees are: California Department of Food and Agriculture; Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; Fort Belknap Indian Community; Idaho Department of Agriculture; Illinois Department of Agriculture; Indiana Board of Animal Health; Kansas Animal Health Department; Kentucky Department of Agriculture; Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry; Maine Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources; Minnesota Board of Animal Health; Mississippi Board of Animal Health; Missouri Department of Agriculture; Montana Department of Livestock; Nebraska Department of Agriculture; New Jersey Department of Agriculture; North Dakota Department of Agriculture; Ohio Department of Agriculture; Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry; Osage Nation Environmental and Natural Resources Department; Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture; South Carolina; South Dakota Animal Industry Board; Texas Animal Health Commission; Tri-National Proposal administered by Colorado Department of Agriculture; Utah Department of Agriculture; Vermont Department of Agriculture; West Virginia Department of Agriculture; Wyoming Livestock Board.
APHIS officials told NCBA that total requests from states far exceeded the level of funding available. A number of key cattle states will receive little to no funding in the first round of cooperative agreements. APHIS officials have also told NCBA that they expect another round of funding to be available following approval of the FY05 Budget, which includes $33 million for development of a NAIS.
ID Listening Sessions: The next USDA listening session on Animal ID will be held next week in Greeley, Colo. on Aug. 10. The USDA continues to host public forums to discuss the development, structure and implementation of a national animal ID program. Future sessions scheduled include: Greeley, Colo. - Aug. 10; Billings, Mont. - Aug. 13; Kissimmee, Fla. - Aug. 16; Columbus, Ohio - Aug. 18; Ames, Iowa - Aug. 26; Joplin, Mo. - Aug. 27; Appleton, Wis. - Aug. 30; St. Cloud, Minn. - Aug. 31. Producers are encouraged to attend. Details about each session, including the site and time of meeting, will be posted at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/issues/nais/nais_listeningsessions.html.
Dietary Guidelines: NCBA submitted comments Aug. 4 to the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee as they work to finalize their report to the Secretaries of Health and Human Services and USDA. NCBA’s comments focus on a gap in the Advisory Committee’s recommendations by not dealing with deficiencies in iron and zinc. NCBA is urging the inclusion of advice to eat "lean meat and protein sources" to address the iron and zinc deficiencies. The Advisory Committee is preparing for their final meeting scheduled for August 10-11, 2004 in Washington, D.C. NCBA will be in attendance. USDA and HHS aim to release the final revised Dietary Guidelines in early 2005. These guidelines will become the basis for U.S. government nutrition programs, such as school lunches.
CRP Sign-up to Begin Aug. 30: USDA announced Aug. 5 that the agency would be implementing the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) by offering early re-enrollments and contract extensions for acres that begin expiring in 2007. The CRP allows eligible farmers and ranchers to voluntarily establish long-term conservation practices on their operations. In exchange, they receive annual rental payments and cost-share assistance for maintaining those practices. In three years, 16 million acres under CRP contract will expire. Another 6 million acres will follow in 2008, 4 million in 2009 and 2 million in 2010. President Bush’s directive to offer early re-enrollment and extensions of existing contracts to current CRP participants underscores a commitment to full enrollment of CRP up to 39.2 million acres. General sign-up for CRP will begin Aug. 30 and run through Sept. 24, 2004. Offers accepted under this sign-up will become effective Oct. 1, 2005, or Oct. 1, 2006, at the producer’s discretion. More detailed information on CRP and the general sign-up is available at local FSA offices and on FSA’s Web site at: http://www.fsa.usda.gov/dafp/cepd/crpinfo.htm.
CRP Comments: In related news, a request for public comment on various aspects of the Conservation Reserve Program will be published in the Federal Register in early August 2004. Among other issues, USDA is specifically seeking public comment on:
- How to manage the large acreage set to expire from CRP;
- How to manage future CRP sign-ups and acreage;
- How to evaluate the program's environmental effectiveness;
- How to better utilize information technology such as Geographic Information Systems that evaluate acreage for enrollment; and
- How to improve CRP, including the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, through partnerships that better address local environmental issues.
The Federal Register notice and request and information for submitting comments is posted on FSA’s Web site at http://www.fsa.usda.gov.
Mark Your Calendar for VA Conservation Workshop: Producers in the mid Atlantic area are reminded to mark their calendars. The 2nd Conservation Workshop will be held at Llangollen Farms in Middleburg, VA on Thursday, September 9th from 8:30 am-3:00 pm. Llangollen Farms is the 2003 Region I winner of the Environmental Stewardship Award Program. Farm manager, John Wilkins will be demonstrating some of the conservation practices they have implemented, and NRCS officials will be available to discuss participation in the Farm Bill Cost Share programs. All media, producers, and the public are welcome to attend. There will be a free BBQ lunch for all who attend. Please contact Megan Tipton at NCBA (mtipton@beef.org or 202-347-0228) to attend.
NCBA Summer Conference: NCBA will host over 1,000 attendees at its 2004 Cattle Industry Summer Conference next week in Denver, Colo. Aug. 9-13. One of the highlights promises to be the five public forum sessions on breaking issues which will take place Wednesday morning. Issues being addressed are BSE, animal ID, nutrition, beef demand, and activists and issues management. These breakout sessions will be preceded by a cattle and beef industry economic outlook.
Officers Forums to be Broadcast Live Via Satellite: Cattle producers not able to attend the conference can tune into NCBA officers’ forums on Wednesday evening on RFD-TV. NCBA and the Cattlemen’s Beef Board will host two separate 45-minute forums which will allow producers from around the nation to call into a toll-free number provided on screen to ask questions of, and provide input to beef industry leaders. The 45-minute policy forum is sponsored by McDonald’s Corporation. The event will begin at 5 p.m. MDT (7 p.m. EDT, 6 p.m. CDT and 4 p.m. PDT). The program will be rebroadcast three times by RFD-TV on Aug. 11-12 at 6-hour intervals following the 5pm MDT broadcast. It will also air at 2 p.m. MDT on Aug. 14.
CCC Published from Denver next week: Look for Summer Conference coverage in next week’s Cattlemen’s Capitol Concerns. The CCC will be sent out Thursday, Aug. 12 from Denver!
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