NASDA News March 24, 2008

NASDA SUBMITS COMMENTS ON AGRICULTURE EMISSIONS RULE
Published: March 24, 2008

       NASDA has submitted comments on a proposed rule by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to exempt certain agricultural air emission reporting under federal hazardous waste laws. The comments were submitted by NASDA's Natural Resource and Pesticide Management Committee Chairman Leonard Blackham (Utah) and Vice Chairman Bill Northey (Iowa). 
       NASDA's comments strongly support EPA's proposed rulemaking on December 28, 2007, to exempt certain releases of hazardous substances to the air from the administrative notification requirements of the "Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act" (CERCLA ) and the "Community Right-To-Know Act" (EPCRA), also known as Superfund law. This proposed exemption is very limited and narrow. It would only exempt certain poultry growing operations from emergency notification requirements for air emissions where the source of the release is animal waste at farms. These substances are typically ammonia and hydrogen sulfide which are emitted to the air from digestion activities, break-down, or decomposition of animal waste.
       In recent years, NASDA and other agricultural organizations have expressed concern about a growing number of lawsuits that seek to regulate farm operations under the Superfund hazardous waste law. NASDA firmly believes that it was never intended for agricultural operations, including manure fertilizer and other substances used in routine farm operations, to be regulated under these laws. NASDA and many farm groups have pushed EPA and Congress to address this broader issue for some time. NASDA's comments and additional information on this topic are posted on the NASDA website. (Contact: Charlie Ingram)

HEADLINE-WORTHY PRODUCTS AND TRENDS AT 2008 USFES
Published: March 24, 2008

       The lineup of new and innovative products at the 2008 U.S. Food Export Showcase (USFES) provides a barometer of today's market forces that will keep food and business writers in headlines for months to come, according to NASDA's Director of Trade Shows DeWitt Ashby. "In these turbulent economic times, small- and mid-size businesses are determined to find a competitive edge," explains Ashby. "The current circumstances of favorable exchange rates and exploding middle class demands in many countries give those companies a great opportunity."
       The 2008 Showcase, April 27 to 29 in Chicago, offers international and domestic food buyers a coast-to-coast view of "what's cooking" across America. State departments of agriculture and regional trade groups sponsor pavilions where local food manufacturers exhibit items in virtually every product category. This year, food manufacturers have tuned into consumers interest in "green" and healthful products. 
       Royal Hawaiian Honey is touting its product as the first certified carbon neutral food. The company has off-set its carbon footprint by investing in carbon-reducing projects such as renewable energy, energy efficiency, and reforestation. Royal Hawaiian Honey is distributed by Tropical Traders Specialty Foods (Booth 403).
       Street Smart Cuisine (Booth 807) is offering a healthy alternative to one of America's favorite foods . . . pizza. Their Lean Lifestyle pizzas meet the nutritional guidelines of the American Heart Association and are available in Turkey Pepperoni Pizza or Low Fat Cheese Pizza. 
       1-2-3 Gluten Free (Booth 919) is introducing its brand-new Yummy Yellow Cake Mix, which is free of gluten, wheat, dairy, soy, corn, egg, peanuts, and tree nuts. The product is sugar free allowing consumers to add the sweetener of their choice. 
       HoneyTree's Sugar-Free All-Purpose Syrup (Booth 604) is a corn syrup substitute for those watching their sugar intake including diabetics. With this product, individuals can now enjoy recipes that were once "off limits." 
       For consumers interested in strengthening Chi' there is ChiBerry (Booth 915), an innovative liquid dietary supplement made from U.S.-grown organic schizandra berries. ChiBerry offers health-enhancing benefits of this ancient superfruit' in a flavorful, convenient liquid form. 
       Yohay Baking Co. (Booth 700) has new 100% USDA certified organic cookies including Cranberry Chocolate Chip, Lemon Dreams, and Espresso with new eye-catching packaging.
       Jumbo whole cranberries have been added to the Graceland Fruit (Booth 600) infused dried product line. Graceland Fruit provides ingredients for numerous products from cereals to salads. 
       The culinary archeologists at Nosherei (Booth 913) have brought back the tastes of the past with their Fire Escape Eggplant. The product gets its name from the way fresh produce was flame roasted on the fire escapes of Manhattan's Lower East Side 100 years ago. Fire Escape Eggplant is flame roasted with sweet peppers in small batches with an heirloom blend of seasonings, which can be used as a salsa or bruschetta topping.
       New from BlackMustard, Inc. (Booth 104) is a dry rub with the flavors of their award-winning BlackMustard Barbecue Slather. This mustard-style barbecue sauce starts off sweet and ends with a little bit of heat, making it perfect for chicken and pork. 
       The U.S. Food Export Showcase is sponsored by NASDA and will be presented under the umbrella of the Global Food & Style Expo 2008, April 27 to 29 in Chicago. (Contact: DeWitt Ashby or Megan McDonald)

FARM BILL NEGOTIATIONS CONTINUE WITH NEW FUNDING PLAN OFFERED
Published: March 24, 2008

       House and Senate negotiators are continuing to work on the 2007 farm bill and a new funding proposal was offered in the Senate last week. The "closed door" discussions are taking place although Congress is taking a two-week spring recess until April 1. 
       On March 18, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) announced a "preliminary funding framework" on how the $10 billion in additional spending over the budget baseline would be allocated in the farm bill. The proposed funding framework would allocate $1.4 billion for commodities, $4.9 billion for conservation, $9.5 for nutrition, $1.4 billion for specialty crops, $1 billion for energy, and $2.2 billion for disaster assistance.
       However, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) issued a statement on the same day saying the funding proposal was "dead on arrival" with him and other senators. Baucus said the Finance Committee had created a fully-paid for $5.1 billion fund for permanent disaster assistance and "I will won't vote for or help to fund any agreement that does not do disaster assistance right for our farmers in need." 
       Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer and USDA Deputy Secretary Chuck Conner held a teleconference with reporters on March 18 to discuss the farm bill and the extension of current law. Schafer repeated the administration's veto threats if the farm bill includes tax increases or does not provide certain policy reforms. Congress passed legislation (S. 2745) on March 12 to extend the current 2002 farm bill until April 18. The extension was necessary because the existing farm bill was scheduled to expire on March 15 and the 1949 permanent farm law would have gone into effect. President Bush said in a statement that if lawmakers can not reach an agreement on the farm bill by April 18, then he would call on Congress to extend current farm law for at least one year. (Contact: Charlie Ingram)

USDA ANNOUNCES SIGN-UP FOR CONSERVATION SECURITY PROGRAM
Published: March 24, 2008

       Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer has announced a sign-up for the Conservation Security Program (CSP) that will be available starting on April 18. CSP is a voluntary conservation program that provides payments for ongoing environmental management and stewardship on agricultural working lands. 
       The CSP sign-up will be open in 51 watersheds from April 18 to May 16 with potentially 64,000 farms and ranches eligible to participate in the program. CSP is offered on a rotational basis in as many watersheds as funding allows. USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) asks potential participants to complete a CSP self-assessment workbook (available on the NRCS website or from local NRCS offices) to find out if their operation meets the requirements of the program and qualifies for program participation. When this process is completed, the producer submits the CSP workbook to the local NRCS office during the sign-up period and meets with NRCS personnel to go over any additional needed documentation. NRCS will then determine if eligibility requirements are met and provide options for the producer's decision on enrollment category placement. 
       CSP payments can include three components: 1) an annual stewardship component for the base level of conservation treatment; 2) an annual component for maintenance of existing conservation practices; and 3) an enhancement component for exceptional conservation effort. Enhancement activities could include limited pesticide applications, renewable energy generation, and widening existing riparian forest buffers for restoring critical stream habitat. Additional information on CSP, including eligible watersheds and a CSP self-assessment workbook, is available at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/csp. (Contact: Charlie Ingram)

AGENCIES RELEASE PROPOSED REVISIONS TO INTERAGENCY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS REGARDING FLOOD INSURANCE
Published: March 24, 2008

       The federal bank, thrift, credit union, and Farm Credit System regulatory agencies have requested public comment on new and revised interagency questions and answers regarding flood insurance.
       The Interagency Questions and Answers Regarding Flood Insurance were first published in 1997 under the auspices of the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council. The agencies are proposing new questions and answers, as well as substantive and technical revisions to the existing guidance, to help financial institutions meet their responsibilities under federal flood insurance legislation and to increase public understanding of the flood insurance regulations. The proposed changes include substantive modifications to questions and answers pertaining to construction loans and condominiums. The agencies are also proposing new questions and answers in a number of areas including second lien mortgages, the imposition of civil money penalties, and loan syndications/participations. Finally, the agencies are proposing to revise and reorganize certain existing questions and answers to clarify areas of potential misunderstanding and to provide clearer guidance to users.
       After public comments are received and considered and the Interagency Questions and Answers are final, they would supersede the 1997 Interagency Questions and Answers and supplement other guidance or interpretations issued by the agencies and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
       The agencies invite comment on the proposed changes and, more generally, on other issues regarding compliance with the federal flood insurance statutes and regulations. Comments are due May 20, 2008. The Federal Register notice is available at 
http://www.fca.gov/newsr.nsf/f279238acac9fceb852573cc006d7019/b596cec84e72a25a85257413004ab818/$FILE/E8-5787.pdf. (Contact: Charlie Ingram)

GEORGIA EQUINE TAG UNVEILED
Published: March 25, 2008

       Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin was one of several leaders to unveil Georgia's new equine license plate recently at the State Capitol.
       Joining Commissioner Irvin for the ceremony were Georgia legislators; members of the Agricultural Commodity Commission for Equine, horse and animal lovers; and Andrea Howell of Marietta, the artist who created the illustration used on the license plate.
       Howell's art was selected after the commission launched an art contest last fall for the design of the new license plate.
       "Many talented people submitted entries for the contest," Irvin said, "and I know Ms. Howell will be pleased to see her design displayed on vehicles all over Georgia. The funds from the sales of the license plate will greatly help our equine industry."
       A total of 1,000 license plates will have to be pre-sold in order for the manufacturing process to begin. Proceeds from sales of the specialty tag will provide needed funds for promotion, research and educational programs for the state's equine industry.
       The equine license plate can be ordered by filling out an Application for a Special Interest License Plate (specifying "Georgia Equine Industry) at any motor vehicle tag office. A one-time manufacturing fee of $25 will be required at the time of order (this will apply to the tag or it will be refunded if the tags are not produced). Those who order the tag should be sure to obtain a receipt after payment.
       "I am encouraging drivers, especially horse lovers, to put their car before the horse--the horse license plate," said Georgia Deputy Agriculture Commissioner Terry Coleman. "We will need to pre-sell 1,000 license plates in order to make this tag a reality." (Contact: Arty Schronce, 404/656-3689)

NCDA&CS SEEKING FEDERAL APPROVAL FOR PHARMACEUTICAL DISPOSAL PROGRAM
Published: March 24, 2008

       North Carolinians will have a new option for disposing of their unused pharmaceuticals if a program proposed by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services receives federal approval.
       Staff members with the department's Pesticide Disposal Assistance Program have asked the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency to allow the program to collect unused prescription drugs and other medications alongside unwanted pesticides. The department submitted its application in October. DEA approval is necessary because the program might collect controlled substances.
       "Our department pioneered the safe collection and disposal of pesticides back in 1980," said North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. "By slightly modifying our program, we can also become a national model for helping citizens safely get rid of unused medications. At a time when concern about medications ending up in our nation's waters is growing, this program could be a great benefit to our state."
       Derrick Bell, manager of the Pesticide Disposal Assistance Program, said the department works with N.C. Cooperative Extension and household hazardous waste programs to hold pesticide collection events in every county in the state at least once every two years. "People drop off their unused pesticides, we collect them and a hazardous waste contractor incinerates them," he said.
       Under the proposal, disposing of pharmaceuticals would work much the same way, Bell said. People would drop their medications into 55-gallon drums filled with a solvent that would render the drugs unusable. The hazardous waste company would take the materials to a licensed incinerator. If approved, this model also could be used by local household hazardous waste programs, he said.
       The department could include pharmaceuticals in the PDAP at little additional cost, Bell said. The PDAP has collected two million pounds of pesticides since it began in 1980. 
       The department has been working with the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, other state agencies, the DEA, hazardous materials experts, and the pharmaceutical industry since late 2006 to develop ways to promote responsible disposal of unused medications and similar products. 
       Bell said pharmaceutical disposal initiatives aren't widespread. Several states, including Maine, Washington and Wisconsin, are in various stages of setting up programs. (Contact: Derrick Bell, 919/733-3556)