NASDA News February 28, 2006

NASDA Builds International Buzz for Annual Showcase
Published: February 28, 2006

        Talk is not cheap when it comes to promoting the 2006 U.S. Food Export Showcase. Not when you travel to China to talk personally with hundreds of food buyers, distributors, and government officials about attending the annual showcase. That's what executives from NASDA did this fall, which is now being reinforced by NASDA's partner in trade show promotion . . . the Foreign Agricultural Services (FAS).
        "There is no substitute for meeting face-to-face with food executives in China to personally invite them to the Showcase," said DeWitt Ashby, director of the U.S. Food Export Showcase. "Personal relationships are paramount to success in international trade so it was a very worthwhile trip."
        Visits were arranged with groups and companies capable of organizing delegations to attend the U.S. Food Export Showcase, which lead the NASDA executives to hosting 432 food industry executives at seven dinners in major Chinese cities. Their itinerary included visits to Shanghai, Hangzhou, Beijing, Shenyang, Dalian, Qingdao, Xiamen, and Shenzhen. In 2005, 131 Chinese food industry executives from the affluent coastal regions to the emerging markets in the interior attended the Showcase, which NASDA hopes to increase this year.
        "China is a collection of diverse markets with a wide variety of regional cultures and levels of purchasing power. The showcase offers products that fit a variety of China niches. The showcase gives U.S. exhibitors a great opportunity to begin exploring which China market could be a fit for their products," Ashby said. To make the Chinese delegation and other delegations feel more at home, NASDA will once again sponsor the International Trade Center. The International Trade Center is an "oasis" on the exhibit floor for international visitors and includes translators, FAS trade experts, private meeting areas, and access to Global Connect . . . a software program that helps buyers locate exhibitors selling specific products.
        The 2006 U.S. Food Export Showcase runs from May 7 to 9 in Chicago's McCormick Place. The showcase is specifically designed to help small- and mid-size food manufacturers gain access to international markets. Individual state departments of agriculture sponsor "pavilions" that provide qualified food manufacturers with a cost-effective way to exhibit.
        Ashby also announced the availability of a new and easier to use exhibit planner now available on the show's website, http://www.usfes.org/, that "will make it easier for visitors to plan an efficient visit to the showcase." (Contact: DeWitt Ashby)

NASDA Meets With USDA Secretary and Sub-Cabinet Members
Published: February 28, 2006

        NASDA members kicked off their 2006 Midyear Conference on February 17 with a working session with USDA Secretary Mike Johanns and the Under Secretaries for several USDA agencies. A variety of topics were discussed during the meeting, including the 2007 farm bill, market access for agriculture products, World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations, disaster assistance, bioenergy development, food safety, environmental, BSE surveillance, animal identification and soybean rust issues.
        Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns announced the results of an investigation into the ineligible shipment of veal that was sent to Japan last month. He also released a comprehensive USDA report that details the findings of the investigation and actions taken by USDA. Johanns also reviewed some trends from USDA's farm bill listening sessions and discussed USDA's proposed FY07 budget. (Contact: Rick Kirchhoff)

NASDA Partnership Announces Model Food Emergency Plans
Published: February 28, 2006

        NASDA, in cooperation with USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has announced the availability of a model Food Emergency Response Plan Template. The template addresses the goal of enhancing the protection of the United States' agricultural industry and food security through increased prevention, detection, response, and recovery planning.
        The template will provide states with a guide for developing a food emergency response plan. It is designed to assist the states with development of either a stand-alone plan for responding to a food-related emergency or an addendum to an existing all-hazard state emergency response plan. Because a food emergency could occur at any point from farm to fork, including pre-harvest production, processing, and distribution, the application of this template allows for management of emergencies with varying degrees and scope. A food-related emergency involves the unintentional or deliberate contamination, threatened or actual, of food that impacts or may impact human health. A food emergency response plan does not apply to food incidents routinely handled by local or state health departments.
        The template is also a "building block" in the national effort to develop a seamless system of food defense from local, state and federal perspectives. It identifies how these efforts will be effectively integrated with the National Response Plan (NRP) descriptions for responding to, mitigating, and recovering from a domestic incident. In addition, the template provides a baseline structure for preparing state-level plans to protect critical infrastrucutre and key resources identified through the National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP).
        The model Food Emergency Response Plan Template is available on the NASDA website at http://www.nasda.org. The document was developed through a federal-state cooperative agreement and in consultation with a consortium of stakeholders. Federal representatives included USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS), the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). State representatives included the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA), the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), and the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO). (Contact: Charlie Ingram)

Gillespie Named to Administration's Food and Agriculture Council
Published: February 28, 2006

        Massachusetts Agriculture Commissioner Doug Gillespie has been named to represent NASDA and the state departments of agriculture on the administration's Food and Agriculture Council. The purpose of this council is to work with federal departments and agencies on homeland security issues and policies.
        The Food and Agriculture Council was organized in March 2004 by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Council members serve as the "liaisons" that provide input and work with DHS, USDA, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other federal agencies as they plan, coordinate and implement homeland security policies and programs for the food and agriculture sector. Specific tasks for the councils include: (1) identifying key policy issues; (2) identifying gaps and/or needs in programs and activities; (3) communicating and sharing critical information; and (4) leveraging resources between government and industry.
        The council represents the full spectrum of the Nation's food production system from "farm to fork." The state agriculture departments and the state health agencies are members of the council. Iowa Agriculture Secretary Patty Judge also represents NASDA on the council. In addition, the council includes two NASDA affiliates the National Assembly of State Livestock Health Officials and the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO). (Contact: Charlie Ingram)

NASDA Urges Opposition to Food Uniformity Bill
Published: February 28, 2006

        This week, NASDA is urging congressional lawmakers to oppose the "National Uniformity in for Food Act" (H.R. 4167) that would preempt state and local food safety regulations and policies. The legislation is scheduled for a vote in the House of Representatives on March 2.
        H.R. 4167 was introduced last October by Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) and has more than 200 cosponsors. The food industry and bill supporters have been pushing for action on the bill, although no hearings have been held. NASDA has urged Congress to hold hearings and seek input from state and local officials in the food safety system.
        The general intent of the legislation is to provide uniform food safety warnings and notifications. However, the state departments of agriculture are concerned that H.R. 4167 goes far beyond this purpose and expands federal preemption under the Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act. Specifically, NASDA believes the bill will threaten existing state food safety programs such as those related to Grade A milk, retail food protection, and shellfish sanitation. Two of NASDA's affiliate organizations have strongly opposed the legislation the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) and the American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO).
        NASDA sent a letter to members of the House on February 27 urging lawmakers to vote against the bill. (Contact: Charlie Ingram)

NASDA Focuses Work on 2007 Farm Bill
Published: February 28, 2006

        NASDA members focused a majority of their work on developing recommendations for the 2007 farm bill during their Mid-Year Conference which was held February 16 to 20 in Washington, D.C.
        Last fall, NASDA's six policy committees identified priority issues for the 2007 farm bill and are now developing more detailed proposals and policy language. NASDA's farm bill proposals address six core areas of a broad, risk management and opportunity-based agricultural policy. These general policy areas include: (1) Farm and Ranch Long-Term Viability; (2) Enhancing Critical Agricultural Resources for Land, Water, and Air; (3) Rural Development; (4) Agricultural Bio-Industry Development; (5) Safe and Healthy Food; and (6) Enhancing Agricultural Product Markets.
        During last week's conference, NASDA's Natural Resources and Pesticide Management Committee reaffirmed support for Agricultural Stewardship Partnership Agreements. The program calls for a new initiative to provide financial resources and assistance to producers for environmental enhancements, including incentive payments, cost-share, and technical assistance. Under the program, states would have maximum flexibility to implement specific goals for improving land, water, ai,r or other related natural resources on working agricultural lands.
        The Food Regulation and Nutrition Committee recommended a nationwide Fruit and Vegetable Nutrition Program to promote fresh fruit and vegetable consumption to schoolchildren. The committee also proposes to allow interstate shipment of state-inspected meat and poultry products. NASDA's Food and Agriculture Security Committee proposed that the 2007 Farm Bill include funding for a new initiative to conduct food defense planning and preparedness training for state agriculture departments and other state government agencies.
        The Animal and Plant Industries Committee identified animal and plant health safeguarding, eliminating foreign pest introductions that arrive on items in global trade and biotechnology as issues to be included in NASDA's farm bill initiative. The specialty crops block grant program as well as proposals to increase the development of energy from agriculture are recommendations from NASDA's Rural Development and Financial Security Committee.
        NASDA's policy committees will continue to further develop and refine their recommendations over the coming months. NASDA plans to present many of these proposals to lawmakers as congressional hearings on the 2007 farm bill are held throughout the year. The House Agriculture Committee began a series of field hearings on the 2007 farm bill this month which are expected to continue through summer. Both the House and Senate Agriculture Committees have indicated that additional hearings will get underway in Washington, D.C., in the fall of 2006. (Contact: Rick Kirchhoff)

Taft Announces Energy Action Plan
Published: February 28, 2006

        Governor Bob Taft has announced steps to better align state policies to meet the energy needs of Ohio farms, businesses, and families. The plan builds upon ongoing efforts to better utilize Ohio's natural resources as renewable energy sources. Taft detailed the strategies during visits to an ethanol plant site in Lima and a Cincinnati company that manufactures wind turbine parts.
        "Ohio family budgets and businesses have been hit hard by high energy costs," said Taft. "As a leading manufacturing state, Ohio is deeply dependent on ample, reliable sources of energy. Our goal is to move Ohio and the nation away from our dependence on foreign oil and take advantage of our homegrown resources such as coal, natural gas, wind, corn and soybeans."
        While visiting the Greater Ohio Ethanol, LLC plant site in Lima, Taft presented company President Greg Kruger and Lima Mayor David Berger with a $5.9 million check for state incentives including low-cost financing, Job Creation Tax Credit, Ohio Investment in Training Program funds and infrastructure assistance. The $80 million Greater Ohio Ethanol investment will create 35 new jobs, and at full capacity, will annually convert 20 million bushels of corn into more than 56 million gallons of ethanol a year.
        Taft arrived at the Greater Ohio Ethanol plant in a flex-fuel vehicle owned by the Ohio Department of Agriculture. During his visit, he announced plans to build on Ohio's biofuel commitment by:
        * Doubling E85 ethanol use in the state fleet from 30,000 gallons to 60,000 gallons per year by January 1, 2007. After 2007, Ohio will increase E85 usage by 5,000 gallons each year;
        * Increasing biodiesel use in the state fleet by 100,000 gallons annually starting in 2007. The state is currently committed to using one million gallons by 2007;
        * Purchasing only flex-fuel vehicles that can run on both regular gasoline and E85 ethanol blend as state vehicles are replaced. Ohio already has 1,710 flex-fuel vehicles; and
        * Tripling the amount of E85 pumps available to Ohio consumers by the end of 2006. Taft highlighted another element of the proposal in Cincinnati, at Magna Machine Company, one of approximately 25 Ohio companies producing wind turbine components. Taft's proposal, a new pilot incentive program to encourage more wind power production in Ohio, would set aside $25 million from the Energy Loan Fund over five years and would provide a grant for up to 1.2 cents per kilowatt-hour of electricity produced by wind. The proposal requires legislative approval.
        "As the use of wind power expands and provides a new source of energy for our homes and businesses, it will be a growing source of jobs and investment for Ohio's economy," said Taft. "I look forward to working with the Ohio General Assembly to encourage Ohio businesses to incorporate wind power as an energy source."
        In addition, Taft outlined strategies that would maximize on Ohio's immense coal reserves and clean coal research and development to help create jobs and move the state and nation toward greater energy diversity and independence, including:
        * Working with state and federal authorities to plan for a pilot plant to produce jet fuel from coal;
        * Committing to help fund a comprehensive statewide assessment of coal resources to better understand the distribution, quantity and quality of the state's coal resources (the last such assessment was completed nearly 50 years ago);
        * Exploring ways to make geological data critical to future Ohio-based oil and gas development easily accessible in digital format; and
        * Reiterating the state's commitment to attract FutureGen, a federal project that will bring a $1 billion clean coal electricity generating plant to one of a number of competing states.
        To ensure that the state of Ohio leads by example, Taft vowed to continue aggressive efforts to develop and execute state energy efficiency initiatives. He proposed using $3.6 million from the Energy Loan Fund, which supports energy efficient projects for residences and businesses, to invest in approximately 40 energy efficient projects for state government buildings in order to reduce energy costs. The state would then use the savings from these projects to pay back the investment and make long-term purchases of renewable energy. The governor also proposed an Energy Standards and Reporting Task Force to report on state government energy use and efficiency.
        Finally, Taft emphasized the need to address obstacles that block the generation of power from local sources. At the direction of Governor Taft, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio held the first of four technical meetings in Columbus today to address how the state can promote small-scale power generation. First Lady Hope Taft addressed the panel to discuss the success of a solar power system in place at the Governor's Residence in Bexley. "Ohio has the resources, the innovation and the ability to be a leader in the advanced energy economy," said Taft. "With the steps I've announced today, we will move closer to our goal of curtailing our dangerous dependence on foreign oil and developing our own clean, affordable sources of energy, securing a better future for the families, farms and businesses who call Ohio home." (Contact: Mark Rickel, 614/644-0957)

State Brand Inspection Helps Prevent Cattle and Horse Theft
Published: February 28, 2006

        There are ear tags. There are tattoos. In the brave new world of electronics, there are even microchips embedded under the hide. But to help stolen or lost livestock get back to their rightful owners, there's nothing quite as effective as the old fashioned cattle brand and the work of the Oregon Department of Agriculture's (ODA) livestock brand inspectors.
        Statistics compiled for 2005 by ODA's Animal Health and Identification Division show a busy livestock industry that depends on brand inspection.
        The problem is, too many owners of cattle and horses don't know the value of the brand and don't even know that they are required to have their animals inspected at certain times to ensure ownership.
        "Brand inspection, as we say, is a cow or horse's only return address," says Rodger Huffman, ODA's Brand Inspection Program Manager. "In a court of law, the brand is used as proof of ownership."
        With so many animals bought, sold, and transported across state lines, it is just as important today to be able to track livestock that may be missing or stolen as it was a hundred years ago when cattle rustling was a part of the old west.
        "Ear tags can be switched, tattoos can be blotted out, and microchips can't always be read by our electronic readers," says Huffman. "The old fashioned way of brands is the only legally recognized way for a person to prove that animal belongs to them."
        Whether it includes a running W, a lazy A, a bar, a slash, the brand is unique to the owner and is recorded by the Oregon Department of Agriculture in a massive, electronic database. ODA registers brands on cattle, horses, and some sheep. Currently, there are a total of 11,568 active brands recorded--most involve cattle.
        The application of animal brands is more prevalent east of the Cascades.
        "Animals or more likely to be out on the range on the east side and commingling with another rancher's cattle or may be out of sight from the owner's view," says Huffman. "They are more likely to be branded. Most Eastern Oregon producers do have a brand."
        Brands are not mandatory in Oregon, but state law does require that all cattle and horses, both branded and unbranded, be inspected before leaving the state, before being sold at an auction, before being taken to a slaughterhouse, and when change of ownership occurs (cattle only).
        ODA's brand inspection program is 100% fee supported and includes 69 inspectors statewide, five supervisors, and two livestock theft investigators. Last year, the team inspected 1,070,943 cattle and 13,388 horses.
        Brand inspection statistics for 2005 show that ODA received 75 reports of missing livestock involving 557 animals. What the figures don t show is the potentially huge number of animals that have not been lost or stolen because of brands and brand inspection.
        "The numbers of missing livestock have stayed fairly stable the past few years, but if we did away with our brand inspection program, I would bet that those numbers would increase dramatically," says Huffman. "Any loss of livestock leaves a major financial impact on the producer. That's why brand inspection is important." For more information or to schedule a brand inspection, contact the State Brand Inspection Program at 503/986-4681.