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).

Animal Identification:  Efforts to implement a national database to track the movement of livestock are moving forward.  The U.S. Animal Identification Organization (USAIO), ViaTrace LLC and Microsoft Corp. officially launched this week a multi-species animal tracking database to record movements of livestock from point of origin to processing. At a press event March 1, USAIO Chairman and Kentucky cattle producer Charles Miller said the system is designed to be confidential, cost-effective and easy to operate for producers while giving state and federal animal health authorities the information they would need to trace back livestock quickly.

Currently, many producers already participate in regional and breed programs which identify animals and track their movement.  The USAIO database will integrate the data from those existing systems, as well as allow individual producers from all species groups to input ID and movement information into a national system.  Pilot projects have been underway in 17 states in the Northwest and Southeast since January 2005.

The USAIO is a nonprofit, independent consortium made up of representatives from beef cattle and bison associations as well as regional identification networks.  The goal is for producer groups to manage the day-to-day operation of the database.  “The USAIO will grow as other livestock producers and species groups get involved,” Miller says. “Currently, we are working with livestock associations, data service providers and animal health authorities to encourage producer participation.”  As a first step, producers can contact their state veterinarian or animal-health professional to register for a premises ID.

Carbon Monoxide Packaging: Carbon monoxide packaging has been a safe and effective meat packaging technology for years.  But a company named Kalsec, Incorporated (maker of a line of herbal products used to maintain the appearance of freshness and retard the effects of oxidation of meat) has filed a petition to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to have the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status of carbon monoxide packaging in meat revoked.

In Congress, Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich) has offered an amendment during House consideration of the National Uniformity for Food Act of 2005 that would: "Permit states to maintain or enact food warning laws that require notifications regarding the treatment of food with carbon monoxide."  This issue is certain to see more floor debate next week. 

Cattlemen staunchly believe the regulation of food packaging processes is clearly the role of the FDA and USDA, not Congress!  So NCBA, along with other industry groups, is working to defeat this amendment, which would essentially overrule the authority of FDA and USDA to regulate what is safe. NCBA producer-members are encouraged to weigh in on this issue with their Congressional Representative and urge them to oppose the Stupak amendment. 

Air Regulations:  NCBA’s Director of Environmental Issues Tamara Thies presented remarks on EPA’s proposal to regulate coarse particulate matter (dust) February 28 to USDA’s Agriculture Air Quality Task Force.  At their quarterly meeting in Bethesda, Maryland, Thies asked the Task Force to send a letter to U.S. Ag Secretary Mike Johanns reaffirming their position that a coarse standard not be promulgated under the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) of the Clean Air Act unless and until sufficient research findings justify a standard. 

“Cattlemen are committed to protecting the public’s health by complying with standards that are appropriate and necessary,” Thies said.  “We are opposed, however, to regulation that is not justified.” Thies says throughout the NAAQS review process, EPA staff and their Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee’s (CASAC) Particulate Matter Review Panel have publicly cited the weakness, lack of data, inconsistency and incoherence of the science on coarse PM.

EPA published the final proposed rule in the January 17th Federal Register.  NCBA is preparing comments for the April 17, 2006 deadline.

Colombian Free Trade Agreement: The United States and Colombia announced February 27 they have concluded their work on a free trade agreement.  U.S. exports of agricultural products to Colombia totaled $667 million in 2005.  NCBA Chief Economist Gregg Doud says real market access, resolution of sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) issues, including lifting the ban (due to BSE) on U.S. beef remain priorities in this comprehensive agreement.

World Trade: NCBA and other agricultural groups continue to urge U.S. trade officials to work for beneficial market access opportunities during global trade talks. In a letter sent this week, NCBA and more than a dozen agricultural groups urged U.S. Trade Representative Robert Portman to strongly consider market access for agriculture in World Trade Organization negotiations that are scheduled to be completed by April 30.

Japanese Beef Trade: On March 3, a photo and interview piece with NCBA president and Missouri cattle producer Mike John will be appearing the top national newspaper in Japan. The newspaper readership is estimated at 21 million Japanese consumers. During the interview, John urged the safety of U.S. beef and the importance of the Japanese market for U.S. cattle producers.

2006 ESAP Nominations Due March 16:  NCBA will be accepting applications for the 16th annual Environmental Stewardship Award Program (ESAP) until March 16. Sponsored by NCBA, Dow AgroSciences and the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), ESAP annually recognizes seven regional winners who exhibit outstanding commitment to protecting the environment and improving fish and wildlife habitats, while operating profitable cattle operations.  Nominations are accepted for seven regional awards, and these seven winners compete for the national ESAP award. The most recent national winner, Lightsey Cattle Company of Lake Wales, Fla., was announced at last month’s Cattle Industry Annual Convention in Denver. The ESAP nomination application is now available for download online at http://hill.beef.org/esap, or you may request a copy of the application from NCBA by calling Stacey Katseanes at 202-347-0228.

Drought Continues: According to the U.S. Drought monitor, dry conditions continued to dominate the Southwestern United States, the Plains, Delta, and Corn Belt. The winter of 2006 is predicted to go down as the driest on record for numerous locations in both Arizona and New Mexico. At this time, several locations in the High Plains region will have established new records for minimum total precipitation for the month.

Much of Texas is under Exceptional or Extreme drought conditions, with record dryness over the last 12 months and a severe lack of soil moisture. Oklahoma is seeing Extreme or Exceptional drought in much of the eastern part of the state. The Oklahoma Climate Survey has stated that the last 90, 120, and 180 days are the driest periods on record ever for Oklahoma. Areas of Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri are experiencing Moderate to Severe drought conditions. Even with the improvements in moisture levels recently, the last 12 months in the Delta region have been the driest on record for that time period.  The drought monitor map is found online at: www.drought.unl.edu/dm/monitor.html.

International Livestock Congress:  NCBA Executive Director of Regulatory Affairs Gary Weber is in Houston, Texas this week for the International Livestock Congress (ILC), March 1-4. This year’s ILC will focus on the Global Prevention and Management of Foreign Animal Diseases.  Gary is on the program March 2 where he will report on the Foot and Mouth Disease Think Tank Session.  The FMD Think Tank Session is scheduled to be moderated by Valerie Ragan on the morning of March 2. For more information, visit http://www.theisef.com/content/section/10/97

NMA Meeting:  NCBA Chief Economist Gregg Doud traveled to San Francisco this week to participate in the National Meat Association’s (NMA) 60th Annual Convention, March 1-4.  Gregg is scheduled to participate in the Business & Industry roundtable discussion on “the Future for Livestock & Meat” March 3.  For more information, visit http://www.nmaonline.org.

Cattlemen Prepare for Spring Conference:  NCBA is busy with plans and preparations for our Spring Conference, March 27-31. Each year, hundreds of cattle producers from across the country visit our nation’s capital for this major cattle industry conference on policy issues.  Attendees will hear directly from top policymakers, meet face-to-face with key Congressional offices, government agency influencers and have the opportunity to articulate policy priorities for today’s cattle industry. 

Confirmed speakers include:

• U.S. Trade Representative Robert Portman
• USDA Chief Economist Keith Collins
• Kathleen Clarke, Director of Bureau of Land Management
• David Anderson, Program Associate Director, Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
• Dr. Dan McChesney, Director of FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine's (CVM) Office of Surveillance and Compliance
• Dr. Steven Vaughn, Director of FDA CVM Office of New Animal Drug Evaluation
• Dr. David White, Director of FDA CVM National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System
• Erica Tergeson and Doug Crandall, House Resources Committee staff

More information is posted at: http://beefusa.org/convspringlegislativeconference.aspx.

Ag Week is March 19-25:  Celebrated each year on or around the first day of spring, National Ag Day and Ag Week 2006 is this month! This year’s events kick-off on March 16, when associations, corporations, universities and government agencies will gather in our nation’s capital for a variety of events including Capitol Hill rally, Ag Day luncheon featuring key note speaker Senate Ag Committee Chairman Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), and Capitol Hill’s Taste of American Agriculture reception hosted by House Ag Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.).   

Sponsored by the Agriculture Council of America, National Ag Day and Ag Week events promote and celebrate the abundance of American agriculture, and the role agriculture plays as the backbone of the nation’s economy. NCBA is proud to be an Ag Day Champion sponsor! Visit http://www.agday.org for event info!

BSE Surveillance:  USDA’s Enhanced BSE Surveillance Program continues having already tested over half million high-risk animals for BSE since June 1, 2004.  As of today, the program has tested 636,753 targeted animals at highest risk for BSE and has found only one confirmed case, evidence that our safeguards are working and the prevalence of this disease in the U.S. is extremely low.  Testing 268,500 animals can detect BSE at a rate of 1 in 10 million adult cattle at a 99 percent confidence level.

Media Contact:
Tanya Augustson or Karen Batra at 202-347-0228; taugustson@beef.org or kbatra@beef.org