Cattlemen's Capitol Concerns: November 13, 2003

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 National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA).

Canadian Trade:

This year’s single Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) case in Canada continues to bring questions and concerns regarding risks the U.S. beef industry may face as a result of resuming the importation of beef products and cattle from Canada. Our NCBA members and staff continue to act in response to questions from fellow cattle producers, the media, and other agriculture groups on this issue. Specific concerns include: potential introduction of the BSE agent and the associated risks to cattle and human health; impacts on consumer confidence in the U.S. and/or in our international markets;  the economic impact; and the actual impact on beef and cattle prices as a direct result of increased supplies of beef in the U.S.  NCBA believes that these are all valid questions and concerns for our industry, that need to be given proper consideration as we consider reestablishing trade with Canada.

NCBA has developed a new Q&A document on this issue, titled, "Key Issues and Questions Associated with Reestablishing Beef and Cattle Imports from Canada." The public can access this document at: http://hill.beef.org/bse or contact our DC media team, listed below.  On November 4, 2003 the USDA-APHIS published a proposed rule on BSE, addressing and analyzing concerns and questions.  This is a proposed rule and as such the USDA invites and will accept comments until January 5, 2004. NCBA is currently analyzing the proposed rule from the USDA and will comment accordingly.  We continue to insist that science-based standards be used in the adoption of rules that would allow the reopening of the border.

Country-of-Origin Labeling:

The current mandatory country of origin labeling legislation included in the 2002 Farm Bill is expected to be debated in House and Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittees. NCBA continues to be gravely concerned with the prospect of actually implementing this flawed mandatory law. Most perilous are the mandatory demands it puts upon U.S. cattle producers, allowing retailers and packers to call for access to the production records of producers. This mandatory law means mandatory costs on producers.  We maintain that a voluntary, market-driven, producer-led country-of-origin labeling program will allow producers to participate at their choosing without incurring unnecessary costs. Cattlemen continue to hope that Congress will find a way to re-work the law so it helps – not hinders – the profitability of cow-calf producers. 

Endangered Species: 

Today’s cattlemen represent some of America’s last living embodiments of true environmentalism. With generations of families living off the land since the mid-19th century, cattlemen have an innate love for the land and appreciation for land preservation.  Biodiversity solutions must accommodate the need for farmers and ranchers to make a living off the land as well as accommodate the conservation of biodiversity. Jeff Eisenberg, NCBA Director of Federal Lands and head of the Public Lands Council (PLC) is presenting at the 3-day conference today on the Endangered Species Act, called "ESA at 30:  Lessons and Prospects." The workshop, hosted by the University of California, Santa Barbara, the University of Idaho, and Columbia University, took place in Santa Barbara, Calif.  Attending and presenting at the conference are representatives from environmental groups, industry, academia, and government.

Eisenberg spoke on behalf of cattle producers about maintaining biodiversity on working landscapes. He noted that society needs to come together to think more broadly about preferred land uses for biodiversity in the context of all pressures affecting land use. NCBA believes further research is needed to determine what constitutes viable biodiversity in the context of current and likely future social use of working landscapes, and to determine what measures must be taken to conserve that diversity.

Clean Air Issues:

On Wednesday, NCBA presented testimony at a meeting of EPA’s Clean Air Science Advisory Committee ("CASAC") in Research Triangle Park, NC.  The purpose of the meeting was to discuss an EPA Staff Paper that proposes to reduce sharply the amount of coarse particulate matter that an entity, including cattle operations, could emit.  NCBA urged CASAC to change the proposed Particulate Matter ("PM") standard for several reasons.  First, current PM monitors are collecting false and misleading data on fine and coarse PM in arid areas.  In fact, the filters in the monitors are being cross-contaminated with fine and coarse PM. The result has led EPA to conclude that coarse PM causes adverse health effects when, in fact, there is substantial evidence to the contrary.  There is a big difference in health effects if a person inhales fine PM (like cigarette smoke) which does cause health problems, or coarse PM (like manure dust) which poses little risk at ambient concentrations.  Yet EPA treats them the same.  Second, NCBA does not believe there is sufficient scientific data to warrant a coarse PM standard.  Third, there is bias in the selection of studies included in the paper.  The EPA Staff Paper ignored the preponderance of scientific evidence which concludes that there is no need for a coarse PM standard.  Fourth, NCBA reiterated that stationary monitors do not provide a fair representation of a person’s actual exposure to coarse PM because coarse particles fall out of the air quickly after emission.  Finally, the proposed new lower standard is not a realistic one, making compliance impossible. 

Free Trade Area of the Americas:

The next round of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) negotiations will take place in Miami, Florida next week, from November 17-21, 2003.  NCBA will continue to provide the U.S. Trade Representative input on our position regarding these negotiations.  In December 1994, 34 democratically elected leaders in the Western Hemisphere met and agreed to conclude negotiations on an FTAA by 2005. The U.S. continues to hold a leadership position during these negotiations and is co-chairing the final period of negotiations with Brazil.  U.S. Cattlemen can only support an FTAA if it is negotiated on a parallel track with the multi-round WTO negotiations.  We will not support increased access to the U.S. beef market until meaningful access and tariff reduction is achieved in other major beef importing countries.  Because several South American countries are major beef exporters and many major beef importers are in Asia and Europe, this balanced objective can only be achieved through comprehensive multi-lateral WTO negotiations.

Livestock Marketing Council:

Independent livestock marketing businessmen and NCBA have ushered in a new full service branch of NCBA that represents only Livestock Auction Markets, Order Buyers and Dealer/Brokers. The NCBA Livestock Marketing Council focuses directly upon issues that directly affect livestock marketers while also providing members insurance, legal and risk management services. With economic forces and ongoing change as a backdrop for the livestock marketing industry, NCBA Livestock Marketing Council members are staying focused on a free competitive market system. If you’re in the livestock marketing business, and would like to give us a closer look, call 1.866.BEEF.USA.

Producers- Send Your Comments:

Cattle producers are encouraged to review the proposed mandatory country-of-origin rule, see how it would affect your operation, and submit your personal comments via e-mail to cool@usda.gov or send by mail to Country of Origin Labeling Program; USDA Agricultural Marketing Service; 1400 Independence Ave., SW Stop 0249; Washington, D.C. 20250-0249, no later than Dec. 29, 2003. The proposed rule and USDA news release can be accessed on the USDA web site at http://www.ams.usda.gov.

Grazing Permits:

The Public Lands Council (PLC) is fighting for the rights of certain cattle ranching families in New Mexico and Arizona who have been forced off of their grazing allotments due to a lawsuit filed by environmentalists.  The case involved 29 allotments on national forests in Arizona and New Mexico for which the Forest Service failed to consult under the ESA on the 10-year impacts of reauthorizing grazing permits. We believe the court erred in invalidating the permits.  PLC will be working with the Administration and Congress to determine how this situation can be rectified. Well-managed livestock grazing is essential to the future preservation of America’s rangelands, and plays an important role in supporting western communities.

Media Contact:

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

This publication is funded by cattle producers and other industry supporters through their voluntary membership contributions to NCBA. To join the tens of thousands of cattle producers from across the U.S. in working to preserve our legacy, contact NCBA Member Services at 1-866-BEEF-USA or Membership@beef.org.

For more information, please visit our web site at hill.beef.org.

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