Cattlemen's Capitol Concerns: September 23, 2004

Cattlemen's Capitol Concerns 
September 23, 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).

Sage Grouse Hearing: Oregon cattleman John O’Keeffe is in Washington D.C. this week to testify before the Senate's Environment & Publics Work Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, and Water regarding the Sage Grouse and Endangered Species Act (ESA). The hearing to review state and private Sage Grouse conservation programs is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 24. The Fish & Wildlife Service is currently considering petitions by environmental groups to list the bird under the ESA. The Sage Grouse issue has become a priority issue for cattle producers, as such ESA listings restrict the use of grazing lands. Members of NCBA and the Public Lands Council believe that efforts underway to conserve the Sage Grouse and its habitat offer a better alternative to listing. Many programs are currently being coordinated by the Bureau of Land Management, Natural Resources Conservation Service, state agencies and private landowners. Working on the land each day, cattle producers are some of our nation’s experts when it comes to wildlife and environmental protection, knowing from experience that conservation programs can better protect a species than federal mandates. A listing decision is expected around the end of 2004.

Japanese Trade: This week, President Bush met with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to discuss issues including the resumption of U.S. beef trade with Japan. As government-to-government negotiations proceed this month, the NCBA will continue to urge the speedy reopening of the largest export market for U.S. beef, a top priority for U.S. cattle producers. We believe the negotiators must continue to work toward a resolution, without delay.

Immediately following the December 23 announcement of the BSE case in the U.S., NCBA formally requested the Bush administration establish as the nation’s top trade priority the reopening of U.S. beef export markets. We will continue to work toward full, science-based normalization of trade with Japan because all U.S. beef is safe from BSE. We say this with confidence because the USDA mandates removal from the food supply any material that would most likely carry the disease. In 2003, U.S. beef and beef variety meat exports to Japan were worth about $1.4 billion to America's beef industry. In terms of cattle prices, the Japanese export market represents $60 per head on fed cattle and $12 per hundred-weight for our cattlemen who raise calves. Traditionally, one-third of our beef exports have gone to Japan. We look forward to Japanese consumers once again enjoying the safest beef in the world.

Canada Meetings: Jay Truitt, NCBA’s Executive Director of Legislative Affairs is in Canada this week for meetings with the Alberta government’s Agriculture Food and Rural Development Economics & Competitiveness Division. The division hosted key U.S. Congressional and Canadian Parliamentarian staff for a series of meetings regarding Canada’s food safety and animal health surveillance safeguards, including their animal ID system, and the current economic conditions of the Canadian cattle industry. U.S. congressional staffers representing the states of Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska and North and South Dakota were in attendance. The group took an aerial tour and saw firsthand the hardships being faced by Canadian cattlemen, with many feed yards virtually empty, and most cattle are being kept on grass. Alberta cattle producers told meeting attendees that they look forward to the reopening of the U.S. market. More information is posted on the Alberta Agriculture Food and Rural Development website at http://www.agric.gov.ab.ca.

Disaster/Drought Update: The FY05 Homeland Security appropriations bill has stalled in Congress. The U.S. Senate added a $2.9 billion emergency aid package to this bill last week before passing the bill and sending it to a conference committee with the House of Representatives. House Appropriations Chairman Bill Young (R-FL) has not yet named House conferees to the committee, since there has been discussion on several provisions the Senate added that the House is not supportive of. One of those provisions happens to be the $2.9 billion drought, flooding, and frost disaster aid package. The sensitive nature of the Homeland Security appropriations bill, and the desire for Congress to get it passed as quickly as possible, has Senate and House leaders negotiating the details of the conference. It is anticipated that the bill will go to a formal conference next week. The fate of the disaster package will also affect whether or not Sens. Nelson and Graham (D-FL) will be able to get the bill amended to include $700 million for hurricane disaster assistance in Florida.

Beef and Nutrition Issues: This week, NCBA gave oral testimony to the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture during public comment session on the "Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005." NCBA is currently finalizing the written comments, which are due Monday, Sept. 27. The guidelines are reviewed every five years, and form the basis of federal food, nutrition education and information programs. NCBA supports the 2005 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s overall theme: eating more nutrient-rich foods and being more active are essential to achieving a healthful weight and lifestyle. Calorie-for-calorie, beef is one of the most naturally nutrient-rich foods. NCBA recommended: "Research shows consumers respond better to ‘do’s’ rather than to ‘don’ts’. Instructing people to choose lean meat, skinless poultry, and other lean protein sources is more actionable than telling them to reduce saturated fat intake. And today, people can easily select one of 19 cuts of beef that meet government standards for lean." The complete technical report can be found at http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines.

Election Year Events: With the November elections around the corner, NCBA staff members and NCBA’s Political Action Committee are actively involved in meeting with various contenders in key battleground states. NCBA is dedicated to assuring that cattle producers’ needs are a top priority for the candidates. This week, NCBA’s Washington D.C. office is buzzing with election priorities, attending various pre-election events and meetings allowing NCBA staff to meet one-on-one with candidates to discuss top current policy issues affecting our industry. In many states, early/absentee voting has already begun. If you are going to be out of town on election day, or prefer the convenience of voting early, contact your local election office to vote early. Rules on early voting vary state-by-state and your local election officials should be able to assist you. Voting early is a great way to assure your vote counts on election day.

USDA Secretary Regarding Jan Lyons: Speaking to angus cattle producers from across the country last Friday, Sept. 17 in Virginia, USDA Secretary Ann Veneman spoke highly of NCBA President Jan Lyons "She [Jan Lyons] has been a terrific advocate for your industry in her position that she assumed earlier this year. And I can tell you, it is an absolute delight to work with her. And we do work very closely together, particularly as we have dealt with all of the issues we've had to deal with since December 23rd."

Export Markets Update: Also in her Sept. 17 speech to cattle producers, Secretary Veneman noted that the Bush Administration was working diligently to re-open international markets. "Currently, about 60 percent of our previous beef export value is flowing to markets abroad. Working with other government agencies including the U.S. Trade Representative, our staff at USDA and I have met both here and abroad with representatives from Japan, the Philippines, Egypt, China, Korea, Mexico, Taiwan, Canada, and others. Many of those discussions have yielded positive results. To date, 18 nations have reopened their markets to selected exports of American beef, or more than one-third of our market value. Japan and Korea, which remain a central focus of our market restoration efforts, represent three-quarters of the export value that remains banned. As you know, we are in negotiations with Japan to reopen that important market, and we feel that we are making good progress. We're going to continue to work tirelessly to reopen the Japanese market, and all international markets, to American producers, as we have also led efforts to address BSE in a more consistent global context."

Colorado Conservation Workshop: The Colorado Conservation Workshop is scheduled for this Friday, Sept. 24, 2004. This is a unique opportunity for members of the press to learn about the impressive stewardship practices of today’s cattle producers on an award-winning ranch. The Colorado winners will be hosting their own workshop at Frasier Farms in Woodrow, Colorado. The families will be demonstrating the innovative practices they have implemented, and officials from the Natural Resources Conservation Service will be available to discuss participation in the Farm Bill Cost Share programs. All media, producers, and the public are welcome to attend, and lunch will be provided. Please contact Megan Tipton ASAP if you would like to attend, at mtipton@beef.org or 202/347-0228.

Public Lands Meeting: The Public Lands Council (PLC) members and staff are currently preparing for the PLC Annual Meeting, scheduled for Glasgow, Montana Sept. 30-Oct. 1 2004. Anticipated activities include a discussion with the Forest Service about on-the-ground permit administration issues and a report on the progress the National Fire Plan has made from Tim Murphy, Deputy Director, Office of Fire and Aviation, Bureau of Land Management. Members of the Montana congressional delegation have been invited to address the group. Other activities to look forward to include policy discussions, a update from Washington, D.C., state reports, range tour, task force reports, and more. If you are interested in attending this exciting event regarding the future of public lands, contact Stacey Katseanes in our Washington, D.C. office at 202-347-0228.

D.C. Conservation Workshop: The NCBA 'Conservation Workshop' Llangollen Farms in Upperville, Virginia is scheduled for Thursday, September 30, 2004. The Virginia winners of the Environmental Stewardship Award Program will be hosting this on-farm conservation workshop experience. The families will be demonstrating the innovative practices they have implemented, and officials from the Natural Resources Conservation Service will be available to discuss participation in the Farm Bill Cost Share programs. All media, producers, and the public are welcome to attend, and lunch will be provided. Please contact Megan Tipton if you would like to attend.

USDA Surveillance for BSE: USDA continues its BSE surveillance program which began on June 1. APHIS posts the test results on http://www.aphis.usda.gov. To date, 62,294 tests have been conducted with no positive results reported.

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