NASDA News March 26, 2007

House Approves Agriculture Disaster Assistance
Published: March 26, 2007

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a supplemental appropriations last week that included $3.7 billion for agriculture disaster assistance for farmers and ranchers who experienced losses in 2005-2007. "This disaster package will finally provide some relief to farmers and ranchers who have been waiting for Congress to act for more than a year," said House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson. 

While the agriculture disaster assistance package provides much needed assistance for farmers and ranchers, Peterson worked closely with House leadership to create a program that was disciplined and fiscally restrained. Producers can apply for a disaster payment for only one of the three years covered in the proposal, and for the first time, only farmers who had insured their crop are eligible for payments. 

The agriculture disaster assistance package includes assistance for farmers who lost 35% or more of their crop in one of the covered years and for livestock producers in counties that experienced USDA designated natural disasters during the covered time. 

The need for agriculture disaster assistance is clear and pressing. Natural disasters including hurricanes, floods, droughts, wildfires, heat waves, blizzards and other weather-related events caused serious damage to crops and livestock in 2005, 2006, and 2007. More than 80 percent of all U.S. counties have been declared primary or contiguous disaster areas by USDA during the past three years. 

A coalition of more than 30 farm and allied organizations strongly urged Congress to pass disaster assistance last year and has voiced strong support for the agriculture disaster assistance provisions in the supplemental appropriations bill. (Contact: Jennifer Yezak)

NASDA Highlights Farm Bill Recommendations—Food and Nutrition
Published: March 26, 2007

NASDA is presenting farm bill highlights each week in NASDA News as Congress gears up for consideration of the 2007 farm bill. NASDA's recommendations and a summary of highlights are posted on the NASDA website at http://www.nasda.org/fb2007. This week the highlights focus on food and nutrition. 

NASDA's 2007 Farm Bill Recommendations emphasize nutrition for the first time and includes several recommendations to provide consumers greater access to a wider variety of safe, healthy, high-quality foods. One of the key recommendations is to increase funding and expand USDA's Fruit and Vegetable Pilot Program (FVPP) nationally to all states and to all schools within each state. NASDA also proposes increased funding for the Department of Defense (DoD) Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program and to give states more flexibility to determine what types of products that schools may order. The proposals support a buy-locally-first approach to provide healthier and fresher commodities and to halt rising costs of warehousing, shipping and reprocessing charges that are limiting services. 

USDA administers a variety of food and nutrition assistance programs to provide children and needy families with better access to food and a more healthful diet, including nutrition education efforts. Programs include: Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program, Food Stamp Program, School Meals, Food Distribution, Child and Adult Care Food Program, and the Summer Food Service Program. NASDA recommends additional funding for these programs and to allow more flexibility for states to administer them. NASDA further recommends improving outreach and nutrition education in the Food Stamp Program through guideline revisions in Food Stamp Nutrition Education (FSNE). NASDA also believes there is a need to emphasize fruit and vegetable consumption in all nutrition programs to align with the healthy eating index. 

Another NASDA farm bill priority is to allow interstate sales of state-inspected meat and poultry. Current law prohibits state-inspected products (beef, poultry, pork, lamb, and goat) from being sold across state lines, even though these products must meet or exceed federal inspection standards. No other food commodities inspected by state authorities are prohibited from being shipped across state lines. Removing the ban on interstate meat sales will level the economic playing field for rural small businesses. Increased markets will not only benefit producers and processors, but it also gives consumers more choices at the supermarket. (Contact: Charlie Ingram)

NASDA Members Meet on Capitol Hill on 2007 Farm Bill
Published: March 26, 2007

NASDA members are meeting with key members and staff of the House Committee on Agriculture and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry this week to urge support for NASDA's farm bill recommendations. The NASDA delegation includes: North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson, NASDA president-elect; California Agriculture Secretary A.G. Kawamura; New Mexico Agriculture Secretary Miley Gonzalez; Delaware Agriculture Secretary Michael Scuse; New Jersey Agriculture Secretary Charles Kuperus; and Pennsylvania Deputy Agriculture Secretary Cheryl Cook. The delegation will highlight recommendations, among several, including the specialty crops block grant program, economic safety net programs, nutrition programs, and bioenergy initiatives. More information is located at http://www.nasda.org/fb2007. (Contact: Jennifer Yezak)

APHIS Briefs
Published: March 26, 2007

~~Mexican Border Temporarily Closed to U.S. Rice~~On March 13, Mexico's Ministry of Agriculture issued an alert requiring that U.S. rice imports be certified free of genetically engineered material as a condition of entry. Accordingly, on March 14, Mexican customs official stopped U.S. rice shipments. Mexican authorities later released the shipments, and as of March 19, Mexico is allowing the entry of U.S. rice shipments. Both APHIS and USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service are working with Mexico's Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Health to address their questions and to ensure continued market access for U.S. rice.

~~Agricultural Quarantine Inspection (AQI) User Fee Update~~On March 14, the U.S.-Canada Senior Level User Fee Working Group met in Riverdale, Maryland, to discuss the status of the Interim Rule on Inspection and Collection of Fees. The group discussed issues related to animal products; harmonization, fraud reduction, and identification of origin options/alternatives; and future efforts to identify possible limited risk activities that could receive some type of differential treatment under the user fee regulations.

~~Secretary Johanns Signs Framework Agreement with FAO~~On March 14, USDA Secretary Mike Johanns signed a Framework Agreement with the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to coordinate technical assistance between USDA and FAO. The agreement included a commitment to stop the spread of plant and animal diseases, including avian influenza. Under the agreement, a Crisis Management Center, operated by the FAO in close collaboration with the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), was established in Rome to provide animal disease analysis and to deploy international resources to prevent and contain animal diseases. Three USDA specialists are currently assigned to the center. Secretary Johanns also provided an update on USDA's efforts to prepare for and protect the United States from highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza. USDA has focused its efforts on four key areas: international efforts, wild bird monitoring, domestic poultry monitoring and avian influenza research.

~~Board of Scientific Counselors (BSC) Meeting~~On March 15 to 16, the Animal and Plant Inspection Service (APHIS) officials attended a BSC meeting in Atlanta, Georgia along with officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Coordinating Center for Infectious Diseases (CCID). The BSC provides consultation to the CDC and CCID for developing plans to meet contemporary public health challenges through research, control strategies, improving emergency response capacities, and enhancing preparedness.

~~APHIS Sponsors Government Career Symposium~~On March 17, APHIS sponsored the second Government Career Symposium at the Student American Veterinary Medical Association Annual Convention in Raleigh, North Carolina. The purpose of the event was to educate veterinary students on public practice careers. The program included speakers from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

~~Decision to Deregulate GE Corn~~APHIS expects to announce a decision to grant nonregulated status to the MIR604 corn line, which is genetically engineered to resist corn rootworm. In response to Syngenta's petition, APHIS conducted an environmental assessment, solicited public comment, and has reached a finding of no significant impact (FONSI). Pending final approval by the Office of General Council, APHIS will announce in the Federal Register the availability of the FONSI, response to public comments, determination, and final environmental assessment.

~~Environmental Assessment for GE Tobacco~~APHIS anticipates publication in the Federal Register of an environmental assessment associated with a permit application for proposed field plantings of genetically engineered tobacco. The tobacco produces an antimicrobial antibody against a bacterium associated with tooth decay in humans. APHIS will solicit public review and comment for 30 days.

Dehaven Leaving APHIS to Lead AMVA
Published: March 26, 2007

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services' (APHIS) Administrator Ron DeHaven has announced he has been offered the position of executive vice president/CEO of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). In this capacity, he will be in a leadership position in the organization that represents 73,000 veterinarians at a time when the profession is at a crossroads. The U.S. is facing a future where the intersection of animal health and public health, and food supply veterinary medicine, is becoming critical to meeting the needs of a global society. DeHaven is planning to remain the APHIS administrator for a few months to ensure an orderly transition for the agency. 

DeHaven was appointed APHIS administrator in April 2004. DeHaven had served as deputy administrator for APHIS' Veterinary Services' program since April 2002, where he provided leadership in safeguarding U.S. animal health. He also served as acting associate administrator for APHIS from October 2001 through April 2002. 

From 1996 to 2001, DeHaven was the deputy administrator for the Animal Care (AC) unit of APHIS, administering the Animal Welfare Act and the Horse Protection Act. Before assuming the deputy administrator position, DeHaven was AC's western regional director in Sacramento, California, for seven years. 

DeHaven was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. He obtained a doctor of veterinary medicine degree from Purdue University in 1975 and a master's in business administration from Millsaps College in May 1989. After graduating from veterinary school, he spent four years in the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps before beginning his career with APHIS in 1979. (Contact: Bob Ehart)

Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Boost Agriculture Research
Published: March 26, 2007

Sens. Kit Bond (R-Mo.) and Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) on March 23 introduced legislation to boost the federal investment in agricultural research. The bill would implement recommendations from USDA's Research, Education and Economics task force established in the 2002 farm bill. 

The legislation would create a National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to provide additional funds for competitive agriculture research grants. It would provide $3.44 billion in federal funds over the next five years. The NIFA would be similar to the successful research programs at the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation. NIFA would not replace USDA's current research, extension, and education programs. 

Harkin noted that funding for food and agriculture research has faced significant cuts over the years, and this bill is designed to "help put us back on track to leading the world with the best technology that will keep America's farmers and food and agriculture sector, and rural communities the most productive in the world." (Contact: Charlie Ingram)

Herman Ellison New Director of Virginia Field Office, National Agricultural Statistics Service
Published: March 26, 2007

On February 19, 2007, Herman Ellison became the state director at the Virginia Field Office (VA FO) of the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). A career statistician with NASS, he began his career in 1985 as a student intern in the South Carolina Field Office. After graduating from Tennessee State University in 1988, he went full-time with the Agency and worked in South Carolina and Nebraska before moving to NASS headquarters in Washington, D.C., in 1998. 

In D.C., he was responsible for the national estimates for peanuts and rice. In November 2002, he led the national soybean and minor oilseeds estimating programs. In March 2004, he participated in the USDA Graduate School's Executive Potential Program. He was appointed deputy director in Trenton, New Jersey, in November 2004. 

He succeeds Kevin Barnes, who directed the VA FO for the past three-and-a-half years. Barnes returned to NASS headquarters as chief of the Environmental, Economics and Demographics Branch. 

NASS began during the presidency of Abraham Lincoln. He founded the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1862 with one of its missions being the dissemination of information about U.S. agriculture. One year later, the USDA released its first statistical report. Today, NASS conducts hundreds of surveys every year and prepares reports covering virtually every aspect of U.S. agriculture production. Supplies of food and fiber, prices paid and received by farmers, farm labor and wages, farm finances, chemical use and changes in the demographics of U.S. producers are only a few examples. 

The Virginia office of NASS is a partner with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services through a cooperative agreement. (Contact: Elaine J. Lidholm, 804/786-7686)

Gov. Blagojevich Commends New Study Examining How Railports Spur Economic Growth Through Increased Agricultural Exports
Published: March 26, 2007

Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich has highlighted the release of an agricultural logistics report, which examines how the location of intermodal rail terminals in Ogle and Will counties (Illinois) have brought unexpected benefits to the local farm economies and how they can play a greater role in growing the regional economy. Gov. Blagojevich provided a $45,000 Opportunity Returns grant to the city of Rochelle for the study, which is titled "Capitalizing on Containers: Assessment of an Agricultural Development Opportunity for Northern Illinois." Opportunity Returns is the Governor's comprehensive economic development strategy to continue expanding the economy and creating even more jobs in northern Illinois and across the state. 

"Northeast Illinois is a cargo hub for the country, so it's incredibly important that we continue exploring how to leverage this asset and generate more economic growth across several sectors. Rochelle and Elwood contain the region's largest intermodal rail terminals and, with millions of containers entering and departing every year, these facilities present tremendous opportunities to export more agricultural products. Through this study, the region will be better able to maximize these opportunities in the global supply chain and put even more people to work," Gov. Blagojevich said. 

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) funded the study to examine the emerging logistics pattern taking place within commodity farm products. Several years ago, Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Union Pacific Railroad established the Logistics Park Chicago in Elwood and Global III in Rochelle, respectively, which are truck-to-train loading ramps that handle growing volumes of imported goods. These sites' proximity to farming areas has spurred development of a new delivery system for exporting agricultural goods. The majority of Illinois' agricultural exports are shipped on barges via the Mississippi River. Now, Illinois corn, soybeans and DDGS (a corn meal co-product from ethanol processing), are being trucked to Rochelle and Elwood for rail transport to the West Coast, where these "boxes" are loaded onto container vessels for delivery to customers in Asia. Shipping companies see agriculture exports as a means to fill the growing number of containers that return overseas empty. 

The study process featured a forum in Rochelle last September where representatives from the farm sector, economic development agencies, government and academia discussed how these transportation assets can best serve the farming economy. These comments helped advance the study's goal to address the current and potential use of containerized agriculture products. Given the widespread unfamiliarity with this new shipping method, the report features detailed descriptions of two actual export operations and show the many partnerships involved in the agricultural container "freight chain." 

The report concluded with a listing of recommended strategies for advancing the growth of containerized exports of Illinois agricultural products. This includes advancing enhanced freight planning, improving road and bridge capacity, and greater collaboration among the local, regional and statewide players for the purpose of establishing a more efficient container channel. 

Blagojevich recently celebrated that Illinois' exports reached record levels for the second consecutive year, reporting $42 billion in exports for 2006, a more than 17 percent increase from 2005. Illinois is also now the fifth largest exporting state in the country, which is its highest ranking ever. Since 2002, Illinois exports have grown $16.4 billion, a 64 percent increase. 

"This study identifies a significant opportunity to increase Illinois' agricultural exports, which is important because the industry owes much of its success to foreign trade," Illinois Agriculture Director Chuck Hartke said. "Nearly half of our crops are exported, and the demand from our trading partners helps us to sustain a level of production that is among the highest in the United States."

Director, Center for Plant Health Science and Technology
Published: March 26, 2007

APHIS has announced several job vacancies and encourages all those qualified to apply. To access the vacancy announcements online, go to www.usajobs.opm.gov, search by agency, and select APHIS. Or, for a copy of the announcement or for more information, call 202-720-3010/202-690-3014.

Director, Center for Plant Health Science and Technology
Vacancy Announcement Number: APHIS-SES-07-02A
Program: Marketing and Regulatory Programs
Duty Station: Center for Plant Health Science and Technology, Raleigh, NC
Opening Date: February 12, 2007
Closing Date: April 16, 2007