NASDA News March 10, 2008

LAWMAKER PUSHES VOTE ON AGRICULTURE H-2B WORKFORCE
Published: March 10, 2008

       Rep. Charles Boustany (R-La.) introduced a congressional petition (H. Res. 1025) on March 6 to increase the number of H-2B seasonal agricultural workers. NASDA sent a letter to key congressional and administration leaders last week urging them to quickly renew the H-2B foreign worker program which is critical to agriculture and related industries. 
       The congressional discharge petition introduced by Boustany would force a House floor vote on legislation sponsored by Rep. Bart Stupack (D-Mich.) to increase the number of temporary seasonal workers allowed to enter the country this year. The current program caps the number of H-2B visas that can be issued to 66,000 per year. An estimated 150,000 to 200,000 experienced H-2B workers will not be able to reenter legally to sustain these industries unless Congress acts to renew the returning worker exemption. The Boustany petition requires signatures from 218 lawmakers for the legislation to move forward with a vote. 
       Meanwhile, House Republican leaders are also pushing for votes on another immigration bill sponsored by Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) to beef up enforcement of immigration laws. Lawmakers are plan to file a separate discharge petition to force a vote on Shuler's bill. 
       NASDA members approved a resolution during their recent midyear meeting supporting agricultural workforce needs. NASDA's letter to Congress and the administration is posted on the NASDA website and is described in more detail in the March 3 issue of NASDA News. (Contact: Charlie Ingram)

FARM BILL NEGOTIATIONS INTENSIFY AS DEADLINE APPROACHES
Published: March 10, 2008

       Congressional agricultural leaders and the administration continued negotiations on the 2007 farm bill last week with no breakthrough deal in sight yet. Lawmakers are struggling to reach a compromise before March 15 when the current farm bill expires. 
       The negotiators are considering a plan that would provide $10 billion in additional farm bill spending over ten years, but have not decided how the funding would be allocated or where the money will come from. The administration has repeatedly threatened to veto the farm bill if it includes any tax increases. On March 4, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) proposed a package of revenue offsets to pay for the additional $10 billion in funding. The proposal contains a variety of recommendations, such as changing Medicare reimbursement rules to pay for the additional farm bill spending. Meanwhile, jurisdictional disagreements arose between the congressional finance committees and the agriculture committees over who would control the money. 
       Unless a financing deal is reached this week, Congress will be faced with extending the current March 15 farm bill expiration date or the permanent 1949 farm law will go into effect. Several congressional leaders have said they will only support a short-term extension of one month or less. Last week, USDA released a document which outlined what would happen if a new farm bill is not enacted or an extension of the 2002 farm bill is not approved by March 15. (Contact: Charlie Ingram)

HOUSE AND SENATE PANELS APPROVE FY09 BUDGET PLANS
Published: March 10, 2008

       The House and Senate Budget Committees approved their FY09 budget resolutions the week of March 5. The budget resolution is non-binding and provides revenue and spending targets for the congressional authorizing committees. 
       The two budget resolutions are similar and provide just over $3 trillion in overall revenues for FY09 which is about one percent more than the president's budget proposal. The budget blueprint provides about $21.5 billion in discretionary spending authority for agriculture with outlays of $21.2 billion in the next fiscal year. The current FY08 budget provides agriculture with $22.4 billion in discretionary budget authority and $21.5 billion in outlays. The full House and Senate will consider and vote on the budget resolutions this week. (Contact: Charlie Ingram)

LAWMAKERS CHIDE USDA ON FOOD SAFETY & BEEF RECALLS
Published: March 10, 2008

       The House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee held a hearing on March 6 to review the proposed FY09 budget for USDA, but lawmakers primarily voiced concerns about food safety and USDA's actions on the recent beef recall from the Westland/Hallmark Meat Company. USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Richard Raymond testified at the hearing. 
       Subcommittee Chairman Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and other panel democrats expressed frustration and concern about Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) testing programs for E. coli and retail information from the beef recall. Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.) pressed USDA to release information and a list of retailers who purchased meat products that were later recalled. Dr. Raymond responded that he would have to check to see if the list was "proprietary information" to which Hinchey replied that it was information which concerned the safety of the American public and if the information was not released in the next week, the agency would receive more pressure from the subcommittee. 
       DeLauro also pushed USDA to explain delays to implement new rules that would allow public disclosure of retail establishments that purchase recalled products. She said the delays were a sign of the agencies "favoring private entities over public safety and national interest." During the contentious hearing, DeLauro also questioned the lack of USDA data on E. coli to implement additional risk-based inspections at slaughter facilities. Raymond said the reports were collected from plants around the nation, and he believes they were a good representation of figures nationwide. (Contact: Charlie Ingram or Carissa Wilhelm)

EPA ISSUES SUPPLEMENTAL RULES FOR ANIMAL FEEDING OPERATIONS
Published: March 10, 2008

       The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking comment on additional options being considered for the agency's 2006 rulemaking on concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and requirements for Clean Water Act (CWA) permits. A federal appeals court case required EPA to revise several policy issues contained in the original 2003 and 2006 CAFO rules. 
       This supplemental proposal would provide a voluntary option for CAFOs to certify to the permitting authority that they do not discharge or propose to discharge and therefore do not need a Clean Water Act (CWA) permit. The agency is also proposing a framework for identifying the terms of the nutrient management plan (NMP) and offers three alternative approaches for addressing application rates of manure, litter, and process wastewater when identifying terms of the NMP to be included in the permit.
       In July 2007, EPA set February 27, 2009 as the new date for newly defined CAFOs to seek CWA permit coverage and for permitted CAFOs to develop and implement nutrient management plans (NMPs) as required by EPA's 2003 CAFO rule. 
       Comments on the supplemental proposal are due by April 7, 2008. Additional information is available on EPA's website at http://www.epa.gov/npdes/afo/revisedrule. (Contact: Charlie Ingram)

RESEARCH INDICATES E20 BLEND WORKS IN CARS
Published: March 10, 2008

       Doubling the amount of ethanol blended into gasoline will not present problems for current vehicles or for fuel-dispensing equipment, according to a new study released this week by the state of Minnesota.
       Using 40 pairs of vehicles commonly found on American roads, a year-long research effort found that increasing ethanol blends from 10 percent (E10) to 20 percent (E20) in a gallon of gasoline provides similar power and performance across a range of tests focusing on drivability and materials compatibility.
       The state of Minnesota conducted the study as part of the process to meet a state law that requires ethanol to comprise 20 percent of all gasoline sold in Minnesota beginning in 2013. Pawlenty signed legislation that included this requirement in 2005.
       The study was conducted at Minnesota State University Mankato and the University of Minnesota, with cooperation from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and the Renewable Fuels Association. The study included input from fuel refiners and automakers, and received funding from the Minnesota Corn Growers and the Council of Great Lakes Governors.
       "Until now, there has been limited information available on the performance of fuels with higher ethanol content," Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Gene Hugoson says. "This research gives us solid information on how the fuels can perform in today's vehicles." The report and much more information about ethanol are available on MDA's website, http://www.mda.state.mn.us/renewable/ethanol/default.htm.

STAPLES SAYS NO TO CANADIAN CATTLE UNTIL MEXICO ACCEPTS U.S. BREEDING CATTLE
Published: March 10, 2008

       Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples has issued an order to stop specific Canadian cattle from passing through the state's export facilities into Mexico. 
       "I am deeply disappointed that Canada has signed a live cattle trading protocol with Mexico that is inconsistent with international standards," Staples said. "The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) standards are paramount in ensuring trade decisions are based on sound science and not political science."
       Initial reports stated the U.S. had signed off on this agreement between Canada and Mexico, allowing the trade of certain dairy and beef cattle less than 30 months of age--including breeding stock. However, Staples confirmed through high-level conversations with USDA officials that the U.S. has in fact not approved the pact. Rather, USDA officials have expressed disappointment with their counterparts in Canada for yielding confirmed science to political maneuvering.
       "If USDA allows these cattle to cross the Canadian border into the U.S., they will not move through the Texas Department of Agriculture's export facilities along the Mexican border," Staples said. "I have instructed TDA employees overseeing the agency's livestock export facilities along the Mexican border to not facilitate the trade of any Canadian cattle that would be inconsistent with the protocol for exporting U.S. cattle to Mexico."
       Currently, Mexico will only allow the importation of U.S. dairy heifers under the age of 24 months, despite in-depth international negotiations to broaden this to breeding stock. Staples is asking states that border Mexico to follow Texas' lead. 
       "I call upon the owners and managers of all livestock export facilities along the U.S.-Mexico border to join me in this effort," Staples said. "Please remember your most important customers--the U.S. livestock producers. Until Mexico recognizes OIE trading standards and begins to accept U.S. breeding cattle consistent with those standards, we will continue this firm prohibition of specific Canadian cattle."
       TDA manages five livestock export facilities on the border in Brownsville, Del Rio, Eagle Pass, El Paso and Laredo. Additionally, there are two privately owned livestock export facilities in Texas and three other facilities in New Mexico and Arizona.
       In December 2003, a single Canadian-born cow in the state of Washington was confirmed to have bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). Since then, the U.S. has worked with Mexico as well as trading partners around the world to reestablish beef and live cattle trade consistent with international standards. Several countries have recognized those standards and are accepting U.S. live cattle. In May 2007, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) formally classified the U.S. as a controlled risk country for BSE. This classification, combined with strong U.S. regulatory safeguards, allows broad trade of beef and live cattle consistent with international standards.
       In January, Mexican and U.S. officials signed an agreement to establish a livestock-working group to resolve many outstanding issues. Staples will offer any assistance to the group to come up with a solution that benefits both nations.
       "Mexico must recognize international standards and allow the importation of U.S. breeding stock immediately," Commissioner Staples said. "I consider both Mexico and Canada to be excellent markets for Texas products, just as Texans consume many Mexican-made products. I look forward to these issues being resolved soon." (Contact: Bryan Black, 512/463-7664)

HOUSE PASSES BILL MAKING KENTUCKY PROUD THE STATE's PERMANENT FARM MARKETING PROGRAM
Published: March 10, 2008

       Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer thanked the Kentucky House of Representatives for passing legislation that secures the long-term future of the Kentucky Proud farm marketing program.
       House Bill 626 permanently makes Kentucky Proud the state's farm marketing program, authorizes the agriculture commissioner to collect fees to fund the program, allows Kentucky Proud funds to be carried over from one fiscal year to the next, and establishes a 12-member council to advise the Kentucky Department of Agriculture on administering the program.
       This legislation will give our farmers, processors and retailers the confidence that Kentucky Proud will be in place for the long haul," Farmer said. "It's important that we provide our farmers every opportunity to succeed. House Bill 626 does that by assuring that they will always have the full clout of Kentucky Proud behind them."
       House Bill 626 passed 94 to 0. It now goes to the state Senate.
       The blue, green and red Kentucky Proud logo tells consumers the product was raised and/or processed in Kentucky by Kentuckians. The Kentucky Proud movement has grown from a few dozen members to more than 1,000 since 2004. Kentucky Proud food products accounted for an estimated $80 million in retail sales in 2007. For more information on Kentucky Proud, go to http://www.kyproud.com. (Contact: Bill Clary, 502/564-4696)

WEST VIRGINIA AGRICULTURE COMMISSIONER GUS R. DOUGLASS HAS APPOINTED DR. ROBERT E. PITTS DIRECTOR OF THE MEAT AND POULTRY INSPECTION DIVISION
Published: March 11, 2008

       Dr. Robert E. Pitts assumed the position of director of the Meat and Poultry Inspection Division of the West Virginia Agriculture Department on February 15, 2008, after being appointed acting director upon the retirement of Dr. W. Jan Charminski on November 1, 2007. Pitts previously served as veterinary supervisor for Circuit I of the Meat and Poultry Inspection Division.
       Pitts first joined the Meat and Poultry Inspection Division in 1989 as veterinary supervisor after leaving private practice. He left the department in 2000 and served as assistant clinical professor at West Virginia University's Davis College of Agriculture and Forestry for four years. Pitts then accepted a position with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) as staff veterinarian with Veterinary Services. He had been promoted to the position of program manager for Veterinary Services for VDACS before deciding to return to his position as veterinary supervisor with the West Virginia Department of Agriculture to be closer to family.