USDA News: 3 Articles
News Date October 18, 2007
~~USDA Seeks Comments on Proposed National Leafy Greens Handling Regulations~~
USDA is seeking comments on a proposed federal marketing program to regulate the handling of leafy green vegetables throughout the country. The public--growers, handlers, buyers, sellers and consumers of leafy greens--is invited to submit comments and information that would help USDA evaluate the need and support for a nationwide program. Options being considered: a marketing agreement that requires handlers to comply with the agreement's regulations after voluntarily entering the program and a marketing order that would be implemented following a grower referendum, requiring mandatory compliance for all handlers. If the response to this request is favorable, USDA will proceed with the development of the marketing program in cooperation with the industry and a notice of public hearing will be published in the Federal Register. Public comment and rulemaking will precede implementation of the proposed marketing agreement. Comments must be received by Dec. 3, 2007. The proposal can be located at http://www.ams.usda.gov/fv/.
~~USDA Establishes Grass (Forage) Fed Marketing Claim Standard~~
USDA issued a voluntary standard for grass (forage) fed marketing claims this week. The grass fed standard states that grass and/or forage shall be the feed source consumed for the lifetime of the ruminant animal, with the exception of milk consumed prior to weaning. The diet shall be derived solely from forage and animals cannot be fed grain or grain by-products and must have continuous access to pasture during the growing season. Increasingly, livestock and meat producers are using production or processing claims to distinguish their products in the marketplace. USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service, through its voluntary certification and audit programs, verifies the accuracy of these claims. The proposed standard will establish the minimum requirements for those producers who choose to operate a USDA-verified program involving a grass (forage) fed claim. Copies of the proposal are available at http://www.ams.usda.gov/lsg/stand/grassclaim.htm.
~~Farm Service Agency (FSA) Announces Sign Up for 2005-2007 Disaster Assistance~~
FSA Administrator Teresa Lasseter announced that eligible farmers who suffered quantity losses to their crops in recent years can enroll in the Crop Disaster Program 2005-2007 (CDP) at local FSA service centers starting this week. FSA will announce and conduct sign-up for quality losses under CDP as soon as possible. Subject to final rules for the program, CDP provides benefits to farmers who suffered losses to the 2005-2007 crops from natural disasters and related conditions so long as the actual crop lost was planted or prevented from being planted before Feb. 28, 2007. Producers who incurred qualifying losses in 2005, 2006, or 2007 must choose only one year to receive benefits. Producers may apply for benefits for losses to multiple crops as long as the losses occurred in the same crop year. Only producers who obtained crop insurance coverage or coverage under the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) for the year of loss will be eligible. Producers must have suffered quantity losses in excess of 35 percent to be eligible and the payment rate is set at 42 percent of the established price. For more information about CDP and other disaster programs implemented by FSA, visit http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov. (Contact: Jennifer Yezak)