NASDA News December 18, 2007

FEINSTEIN RECONSIDERS AQI AMENDMENT
Published: December 18, 2007

       During the Senate's debate on the farm bill December 14, 2007, Senator Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.) considered introducing an amendment to move the Agricultural Quarantine Inspection (AQI) authority from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Customs and Border Protection (CBP) back to the Animal & Plant Health Inspection Agency (APHIS). Instead, Feinstein announced, at least for the time being, that she was willing to give the Department of Homeland Security the benefit of the doubt regarding the need to remove the AQI authority from DHS. Feinstein met with Michael Chertoff, secretary of DHS, and subsequently received a letter from him making two more concessions: 1) creating a deputy executive director position for Agricultural Operational Oversight and 2) "reaffirming that the agricultural specialists are to be specifically assigned to agricultural inspection activities and will be dedicated to the mission of protecting the nation's food supply and agricultural industry from pests, diseases and related bio-threats, absent exigent operational circumstances." Feinstein then withdrew her amendment to the farm bill that sought to transfer responsibility for conducting agricultural inspections at all points of entry in the United States from DHS back to APHIS. 
       The senator noted in her news release, "Pest infestations cost the American agriculture industry $41 billion annually.  And in California alone, pest infestations cost farmers about $3 billion a year.  Yet, since the Department of Homeland Security took over responsibility for agriculture inspections in 2003, fewer agricultural inspections have been conducted at key points of entry and the morale of agriculture specialists has been low.   I believe there is a serious problem with agriculture inspections at the Department of Homeland Security.  The causes are many. The stakes are high. The impact is potentially devastating. Here are the problems:
       *  One, agriculture inspections are down.  We know that agriculture inspectors at DHS are being taken off of their jobs 22 percent of the time and assigned other jobs.
       *  Two, pest infestations are up.  California alone has three medfly infestations this year.  And, other states have similar problems. Florida has seen a 29 percent increase in pest outbreaks over the last four years.'
       These two factors combined are endangering our nation's food supply and agriculture industry,' Feinstein said."
       In response to the concerns raised by Congress, NASDA, and others earlier this year, CBP and APHIS' Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) established the APHIS-CBP Joint Task Force on Improved Agriculture Inspection. This task force identified many core recommendations and supported the creation of an advisory board responsible for monitoring oversight and implementation of actions plans. The advisory board has been appointed; however, it has not yet met.  (Contact: Bob Ehart)

SENATE PASSES 2007 FARM BILL
Published: December 18, 2007

       The Senate passed the 2007 farm bill (H.R. 2419) on December 14 by a vote of 79 to 14 after a week of debate and more than a month of delays. The farm bill now goes to a conference committee in January to resolve differences between the House and Senate versions of the legislation.
       During Senate debate, lawmakers defeated about a dozen amendments that were offered. There were two key votes on farm payment limitations. Senators rejected an amendment offered by Sens. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) and Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) which would set an annual income limit of $250,000 on which producers can receive direct payments. The vote failed by 56 to 43 because 60 votes were required for passage.  Lawmakers also rejected an amendment offered by Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) which would limit participation in commodity programs to full-time farmers with incomes less than $750,000 per year and part-time farmers making less than $250,000 a year. The vote was 48 to 47 and 60 votes were required for passage.
       Earlier in the week, the Senate defeated a proposal by Sen. John Tester (D-Mont.) regarding unlawful practices under the Packers and Stockyards Act that would prevent meat packers from giving "unreasonable preference" to any particular person or locality. The vote was 40 to 55. Lawmakers also defeated an amendment proposed by Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and John Sununu (R-N.H.) that would have cut $2 billion in spending from the federal crop insurance program and use the money for conservation and nutrition programs. The vote was 32 to 63. 
       The farm bill still faces some hurdles in the conference committee and the Bush administration has threatened to veto the legislation (see separate story).  (Contact: Charlie Ingram or Jennifer Yezak)

FARM BILL FACES CONFERENCE HURDLES AND VETO THREAT
Published: December 18, 2007

       The House and Senate have passed their 2007 farm bills but there are some key issues that will need to be resolved by a joint conference committee. In addition, the Bush administration has threatened to veto the farm bill if changes are not made to the legislation.
       The 2007 farm bill will now go to a House-Senate conference in January and congressional leaders have said that they want to complete work on the legislation by the end of that month. Some of the key issues that lawmakers will have to resolve are differences on commodity payment limits, specialty crop funding, crop insurance, and livestock competition issues.
       After the Senate passed the farm bill on December 14, USDA Acting Secretary Chuck Conner issued a statement saying the legislation was "fundamentally flawed."  He said the Senate farm bill has $22 billion in unfunded commitments and budget gimmicks, and includes $15 billion in new taxes. Conner said it is imperative that substantial changes are made to this legislation.
       The White House also issued a statement that said the Senate farm bill does not represent wise stewardship of taxpayer dollars. The statement noted that Congress has refused to significantly limit farm income subsidies for the wealthiest Americans. The White House statement said the president's advisors would recommend he not sign this bill.  (Contact: Charlie Ingram)

SENATE APPROVES COMPREHENSIVE ENERGY BILL
Published: December 18, 2007

       The Senate overwhelmingly approved a comprehensive energy bill (H.R. 6) on December 13 that provides the largest overhaul of the nation's energy policies in decades. The energy legislation has been stalled in Congress for almost a year and lawmakers are expected pass the package for adjourning this week.
       The energy legislation would increase the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) to 36 billion gallons by 2022 from the current level of nine billion gallons. For the first time in decades, the bill would increase the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFFÂ) standard for automobiles and light trucks to 35 miles per gallon by 2020. The energy package also reduces energy consumption by increasing the efficiency standards for home appliances.
       The Senate action came after recent House action and lawmakers removed billions of dollars in tax incentives for renewable energy. President Bush had threatened to veto the legislation over the tax provisions. Farm-state lawmakers said ethanol fuels mandate contained in the energy package would be a win for agriculture producers.  (Contact: Charlie Ingram)

CONGRESS STRUGGLES TO PASS PRIORITY BILLS BEFORE ADJOURNMENT
Published: December 18, 2007

       The House and Senate are preparing to adjourn by December 21 and are facing a packed agenda this week. Lawmakers are struggling to pass an omnibus appropriations package for FY08, comprehensive energy legislation, Alternative Minimum Tax (ATM) relief, and terrorism risk insurance.
       The House is expected to begin debate December 17 on a massive $500 billion omnibus appropriations package. The budget legislation is needed because Congress has only passed one out of the eleven annual appropriations bills for FY08. The federal government has been operating under a continuing budget resolution since the fiscal year began October 1 and this temporary measure expires on December 21. The omnibus appropriations bill will also include language to continue certain farm bill programs on a short-term basis. The language will provide continuing authority through March 15, 2008, for most programs in the 2002 farm bill in order to avoid budgetary changes before the new bill can be completed. It will not extend the 2002 commodity support programs to the 2008 crop year. Program provisions for the 2008 crop will be included in the new farm bill.
       Lawmakers are also rushing to finalize a comprehensive energy bill that was passed by the Senate last week (see separate story). Another priority for lawmakers is Alternative Minimum Tax (ATM) relief legislation. The measure would keep the AMT from hitting millions of taxpayers by increasing the exemption amounts to $66,250 for joint filers and $44,350 for single filers for tax year 2007.  (Contact: Charlie Ingram)

USDA OPENS NEW AGRICULTURAL TRADE OFFICE IN CHINA
Published: December 18, 2007

       USDA announced last week the opening of a new agricultural trade office in Chengdu, the capital of southwest China's province of Sichuan. Chengdu is China's fifth most populated city in a region of nearly 200 million people. "China is a vital market for U.S. agricultural products," said A. Ellen Terpstra, deputy under secretary for USDA's farm and foreign agricultural services. "It is one of the world's largest economies and the fifth largest market for U.S. agricultural exports. Rising per capita incomes and steady economic growth are creating new demand for U.S. foods and beverages in this region. This office will help U.S. exporters position themselves to take advantage of these trends."
       Along with offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, the Chengdu office is the fourth USDA agricultural trade office on mainland China and the 102nd overseas office staffed by USDA in 82 countries around the world.
       China imported roughly $8.2 billion worth of U.S. agricultural products in fiscal year 2007, a record figure. Bulk and intermediate products like soybeans, cotton, hides, meat, and poultry accounted for a large portion of that total. While U.S. bulk commodities have traditionally fared well in this market--the market for U.S. soybeans and cotton is the largest for the United States--U.S. consumer-ready foods like nuts, dairy products and wine made the biggest gains in 2007 with a 44 percent increase over fiscal year 2006.
       The primary mission of agricultural trade offices is to help market and promote U.S. agricultural, fish, and forestry products, and to assist in trade development. The offices provide a starting point for U.S. companies, cooperatives, farmers and processors interested in exporting.
       In addition to inaugurating the new office in Chengdu, Terpstra is in China to attend meetings of the Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade and the U.S.-China Strategic Economic Dialogue. She will also hold additional bilateral discussions on agricultural trade. Terpstra is part of a U.S. delegation, including officials from the departments of Treasury, Commerce, and Health and Human Services, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.
       USDA's Chengdu Agricultural Trade Office can be reached via e-mail at ATOChengdu@fas.usda.gov. The director of the new office is Kevin Latner of USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service.  (Contact: Jennifer Yezak)
 

"BIRD FLU" IN THE NEWS
Published: December 18, 2007

       Reports of "bird flu"--both in human and avian populations--often increase when temperatures drop during the winter months. For example, the World Health Organization warned this week that countries should be on the alert for "bird flu" because it is again on the move. Myanmar recorded its first human case this year and several people fell ill in Pakistan; two of which have died.
       On the avian front, five chickens have been found infected with H5N1 bird flu virus on a private farm in Poland in the latest outbreak of the disease in that country. This is the seventh case of the H5N1 bird flu virus discovered in Poland since the start of December, when the first case was found in central Poland at a turkey farm. In addition to Poland, Germany, the United Kingdom, Russia, Egypt, Pakistan, and Vietnam have all reported High Path cases in avian species in the past month.  'Tis the season' for vigilance regarding this disease.  (Contact: Bob Ehart)
 

NEBRASKA BECOMES 10TH STATE TO REACH HALFWAY POINT IN PREMISES REGISTRATION
Published: December 18, 2007

       This month, Nebraska became the 10th state to register at least 50 percent of its total estimated production agriculture animal premises under National Animal Identification System (NAIS). Nebraska officials attribute the increased registrations in part to a significant number of visits to its NAIS "Locate in 48" website. "Locate in 48" publicizes the main goal of NAIS, which is to retrieve trace-back data within a 48-hour window to contain the spread of animal disease. Other factors contributing to the increase in registrations in Nebraska include the ability to register by phone and direct mail outreach.
       Substantial increases have occurred this year in the number of premises registered as part of the National Animal Identification System. USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has recorded 429,600 premises registered nationwide. There are an estimated 1.4 million production premises in the United States.
       Other states that have topped the 50 percent mark include Idaho, Indiana, Michigan, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Utah, and Wisconsin. West Virginia is approaching the 50 percent mark, having registered 49.8 percent of its estimated 17,670 premises. In addition, Delaware, Iowa, and Massachusetts have reached the 40 percent mark and double-digit registration gains have occurred this year in a number of other states. Iowa started the year with just over 11,000 premises registered and now that number is over 20,000--an increase of almost 80 percent. Texas registered more than 6,400 new premises this year, resulting in a 27.7 percent increase.
       Working cooperatively between USDA and the states, tribes and industry partners, the NAIS is a modern streamlined information system that helps producers respond quickly and effectively to animal disease events. It consists of three components: premises registration, animal identification and tracing. The premises registration component of NAIS ensures the availability of a nationwide communications network to assist livestock owners and animal health officials in the event of an animal disease event.
       "Premises registration is absolutely necessary to rapidly and reliably trace and eradicate animal disease," said Bruce Knight, under secretary of USDA's marketing and regulatory programs. "As the number of registered premises continues to grow, it emphasizes the growing support for animal identification, and I applaud these producers for making a choice that is crucial to the health and economic well-being of commercial livestock and poultry industries in the United States."
       To contact a state partner or find out more about NAIS go to http://www.usda.gov/nais.  (Contact: Bob Ehart)

USDA HOSTS CITRUS GREENING SUMMIT
Published: December 18, 2007

       The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is hosting a summit on citrus greening and the Asian citrus psyllid to enhance prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery efforts. This meeting is taking place on Dec. 17 and 18 in Bethesda, Md. It will provide a forum for federal, state, and industry representatives to collaboratively discuss these efforts and integrate activities across all sectors to improve America's defense against this disease.
       Citrus greening, also known as huanglongbing, is one of the more serious diseases of citrus fruit. The Asian citrus psyllid is the primary insect vector that spreads citrus greening from infected trees to healthy trees as the insect feeds on a plant. Currently, there are 28 counties in Florida quarantined for citrus greening. And 32 counties in Texas and Hawaii, Puerto Rico and Guam are quarantined for the Asian citrus psyllid.
       Summit participants will include specific subject matter experts from citrus-producing states who represent the industry, regulatory, and research arenas. Other USDA agencies also will attend, including the Agricultural Marketing Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, Agricultural Research Service and Risk Management Agency. Gale Buchanan, under secretary for USDA's Research, Education and Economics mission area also will be a keynote speaker at this event.
       "This summit is an unprecedented opportunity for citrus health experts to come together as they work to find a solution in controlling the spread of citrus greening," said Bruce Knight, under secretary for marketing and regulatory programs. "Citrus greening is a serious bacterial disease of citrus fruit that greatly reduces production, can kill trees and destroys the economic value of citrus fruit. It's important that we work together to stop its spread."  (Contact: Bob Ehart)

PICANSO JOINING VETERINARY SERVICES
Published: December 18, 2007

       Colorado Agriculture Commissioner John Stulp has announced that John Picanso is retiring from the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA), effective December 31, 2007.  Picanso will be joining the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's (APHIS), Veterinary Services (VS), as their chief information officer.  The announcement from Veterinary Services Administrator John Clifford follows:
       "We are pleased to announce the selection of Mr. John Picanso as the VS CIO effective January 7, 2008. Mr. Picanso served as the chief information officer for the Colorado Department of Agriculture for nine years. His duties included leading technology development efforts in the areas of Homeland and Agro-security, preparedness and response, livestock disease surveillance, data collaboration and integration, and risk assessment and mitigation. Under his leadership at the Department of Agriculture, Picanso and his team were the recipients of the 2002 C.I.O Award for "Enterprise Integration", and the 2002 Infoworld 100 Award for implementing web services within the enterprise. In 2003 the Colorado Information Managers Association named Picanso "C.I.O of the Year". Picanso also served as the State of Colorado's Chief Information Officer under former Governor Bill Owens, where he directed the Office of Innovation and Technology.
       Prior to joining Colorado state government, Picanso worked for Veterinary Services, serving 13 western states, and was a research associate at the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis. We look forward to his leadership in VS information technology community and his collaboration with the APHIS technology units."
       Picanso has been an integral member of the CDA team for nine years, providing great leadership and guidance in developing and implementing CDA's IT infrastructure.  From installing the agencies first e-mail system to architecting the developing Colorado Livestock Security System framework, Picanso has certainly made his mark on CDA.
       Picanso's expertise and knowledge in livestock production and information technology provided a great framework for his work at CDA on homeland security and development of systems to aid in animal disease programs and animal tracability.  Picanso's work with Colorado State University that was published in the American Society of Animal Science earlier this year, that analyzed the realities of effective livestock traceback during an animal disease event.  Recently Picanso has worked closely with Maulsby and Rick Wahlert and the 15 western states with brand laws in developing a set of recommendations for USDA to consider in implementing the national animal identification system.  (Contact:  Christi Lightcap, 303/239-4190)

ILLINOIS STATE MUSEUM AWARDED FEDERAL GRANT FOR ORAL HISTORY OF ILLINOIS AGRICULTURE
Published: December 18, 2007

       The Illinois State Museum (ISM) has received a $564,651 National Leadership Grant (NLG) from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to develop educational resources on the history of Illinois agriculture. The Illinois State Museum will partner with the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum (ALPLM) to record oral histories of Illinoisans with agricultural experiences and make them available worldwide on the Internet.
       Dr. Robert Warren, ISM Curator of Anthropology, is directing the two-year project. Dr. Mark DePue, ALPLM Director of Oral History, is serving as co-director.  "Cultural institutions energize their communities by not just preserving culture, heritage, and knowledge, but by supporting life-long learning and engagement. National Leadership Grants harness the work of the best of these institutions," said Dr. Anne-Imelda Radice, IMLS Director.  "By promoting innovation and partnerships, they allow these institutions to create national models that address the challenges of the broader library and museum communities, and help strengthen their impact."
       Forty-three NLG grants, totaling more than $18 million, were awarded this year from a pool of 213 applicants.  "The Illinois State Museum is thrilled to have the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum and other institutions to help preserve this important component of Illinois' rich agricultural legacy and make it accessible to a worldwide audience through the Web," remarked Illinois State Museum Director Dr. Bonnie Styles.
       The project will create an interactive Web module--the Audio-Video Barn--featuring digital oral-history interviews with people involved in various aspects of agriculture and rural life in Illinois. Some of the interviews will come from audio tapes archived in libraries at the University of Illinois-Springfield and Northern Illinois University.
       Oral-history crews will also record 50 new interviews with a diverse array of people of various ages from throughout the State of Illinois. Most of the new interviews will be recorded on digital videotape so that images as well as sounds can be made available on the Web module. All of the interviews will be digitized, edited for sound quality, and transcribed.
       "The Illinois State Museum crew looks forward to meeting people all over the state who have dedicated their lives to agriculture" said Warren. "We'll sit down with them to record their life stories and agricultural experiences. When the opportunity arises, we also want to do  walk-and-talk' interviews. We'll take our video cameras out to the dairy barn at milking time and out to the corn field at harvest time to give people a sense of some of the pleasures and demands of farm life."
       "We at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library are excited about helping the Illinois State Museum record Illinois' vibrant agricultural history  for the ages," said DePue. "I can't think of another subject that is more central to Illinois' history and identity, and considering the state's many agribusiness industries, educational and research initiatives, plus the Chicago Board of Trade, it will continue to be central to Illinois' story far into the future. This project will give voice to those who have lived that history, voices that too often go unheard."
       Interviewees will be chosen from a list that currently includes more than 130 candidates. The list reflects the tremendous breadth of agriculture in Illinois including grain farmers, beekeepers, elk and bison ranchers, dairy farmers, organic-chicken farmers, and growers of grapes, wheat, horseradish, and pumpkins. Charlyn Fargo of the Illinois Department of Agriculture and Steven Simms of the Illinois Farm Bureau contributed many names of interview candidates.
       The interview recordings will be computer-indexed by theme, topic, and geographical location so Web visitors can search them for topics of special interest. Dr. Michael Frisch, Professor of History and American Studies at the State University of New York (SUNY-Buffalo), will provide expertise in the process of computer indexing.
       The interactive Audio-Video Barn will give Museum and visitors a rich, personal view of Illinois agriculture--past, present, and future.
       For more information about this project contact Dr. Robert Warren at warren@museum.state.il.us. To learn more about the project, please visit http://www.museum.state.il.us/avbarn.
       The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's 122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute's mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. National Leadership Grants help libraries and museums collaborate, build digital resources, and conduct research and demonstration projects. The selected projects are national models that will help foster individual achievement, community responsibility, and life-long learning.  To learn more about the Institute, please visit http://www.imls.gov.