NASDA News - August 11, 2009

Senate passes Fiscal Year 2010 Agriculture Appropriations bill
Published: August 11, 2009

Last week, the U.S. Senate cleared a $125 billion FY2010 Agriculture Appropriations bill (HR 2997).  The legislation, which passed by a vote of 80-17, includes full funding for the Market Access Program (MAP) and the Foreign Market Development (FMD) program.  In matching the efforts in the House-passed version of the bill, Congress has moved much closer to maintaining the full funding for these critical programs for the coming fiscal year. 

Following the August recess, there are several provisions to be dealt with in conference, including weaker language regarding Chinese poultry imports, an additional $350 million in funding for FSA efforts, which is initially meant for assistance to dairy producers, as well as a reduction in funding for animal identification activities to $7.3 million, which the House completely zeroed out for FY2010.  (Contact: David Hickey)

Senate committee-passed bill may allow Mexican trucking program to move forward
Published: August 11, 2009

The Senate Appropriations Committee-approved FY2010 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act includes language that may allow the cross-border trucking pilot program to move ahead.  The legislation includes a provision that will allow funds to be utilized for the program, as long as certain safety standards are adequately met.  The report language also states: “The Committee notes that the Congress acted earlier this year to suspend the Mexican trucking pilot program because of serious and legitimate safety concerns, and expects that the administration will not commence another Mexican trucking pilot program until those concerns have been addressed and resolved. The Committee urges the administration to work expeditiously with the Mexican Government to establish a proposal to implement a cross-border trucking program that maintains the safety of our roads and highways and enhances the efficient movement of commerce.”  After the Senate returns from their August recess, they are expected to continue to work on appropriations bills. 

Earlier this year, Congress inserted a provision in the FY2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act that eliminated a pilot program that allowed qualified Mexican truckers to carry goods into the United States.  Mexico views the action as a violation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and has instituted import tariffs of up to 45 percent on nearly 100 U.S. export products, of which two-thirds are agricultural products.   (Contact: Amy Mann and David Hickey)

Invasive species detected in California
Published: August 11, 2009

Eleven fruit flies—seven white-striped and four Oriental—have been found over the last few weeks in the La Verne area of California. This is the first time the white-striped fruit fly, which is native to tropical Southeast Asia, has been detected in the Western Hemisphere. Authorities have set up two quarantine areas in L.A. and San Bernardino counties to combat two species of fruit flies discovered in fruit, vegetables and plants. (Contact: Bob Ehart)

California company recalls beef after salmonella outbreak
Published: August 11, 2009

Beef Packers, Inc., of Fresno, California is recalling approximately 825,769 pounds of ground beef products that may be linked to an outbreak of salmonellosis, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced last week. As a result of an ongoing investigation into an outbreak of Salmonella Newport associated with ground beef products, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment notified FSIS of the situation. Epidemiological and trace-back investigations conducted by FSIS and the Colorado Department determined that there is an association between the fresh ground beef products and illnesses reported in Colorado. (Contact: Bob Ehart)

EPA releases RFS analysis
Published: August 11, 2009

Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released several peer reviews of their recent Renewable Fuel Standard Program (RFS2) Lifecycle Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Analysis.  When released earlier this year, the analysis brought on myriad concerns with the potential negative impacts it may have on the future of domestic biofuels, especially with the consideration of indirect land use change.  In the months since the release, EPA organized for the peer reviews to be conducted to evaluate the recommended revisions to the RFS. 

In response to EPA’s release, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D-MN) said: "The EPA peer review panel reaffirmed many of the concerns I have about the EPA's proposed rule and rulemaking process for the RFS2. The panel expressed concern about using these incomplete and unreliable models to measure indirect land use changes and indicated that they didn't have enough time to review this convoluted and complicated proposal.  I am also concerned that there is no evidence that the U.S. Department of Agriculture or any other Federal agencies with expertise on these issues were included in the peer review process.  This is exactly why the House of Representatives voted in the climate change bill to limit EPA's ability to implement international indirect land use provisions in the RFS2." (Contact: David Hickey)

ACRE Sign-up deadline Friday
Published: August 11, 2009

The deadline for producers to elect the Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) program is on August 14.  ACRE, which was created in the 2008 Farm Bill, is a revenue-based program for producers serving as an alternative risk-management tool to the Direct and Counter-Cyclical Program (DCP).  With the deadline rapidly approaching, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has been encouraging producers to learn more about the opportunities ACRE may provide, "I encourage all producers to visit their local FSA office and land grant university representatives to evaluate and consider whether ACRE is right for your farm," Vilsack said. "ACRE provides producers an alternative to counter-cyclical payments and producers should make use of the opportunity to choose the option that better meets their needs."  For more information, including an electronic program payment calculator, please visit the official FSA ACRE website.  (Contact: David Hickey)

Signup begins for two conservation programs
Published: August 11, 2009

Signup for the new Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) begins August 10.  While signup is on a continuous basis, the signup period cutoff is September 30.  CSP is a voluntary program that provides technical and financial assistance to encourage farmers to maintain existing conservation practices and implement new ones.  CSP encourages producers to adopt conservation enhancements that target such things as fuel savings, air quality, soil erosion, water quantity, and water quality. More information about CSP is available online or at local Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)  field offices.

Signup for the Farmable Wetlands Program (FWP) began August 3.  FWP is a part of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and is aimed at restoring up to 1 million acres of farmable wetlands and associated buffers by improving the land's hydrology and vegetation.  Additional information on FWP is available online or at local Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices (Contact: Nathan Bowen)

Census of Agriculture data available by ZIP code
Published: August 11, 2009

USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) has expanded the amount of information available from the 2007 Census of Agriculture by providing select data at the ZIP code level. The ZIP code-level data can be accessed online through NASS’s Census statistics database, Quick Stats.

To conduct the 2007 Census of Agriculture, NASS mailed a Census form to all known and potential farm operators in the United States. In most cases, producers’ mailing addresses were the same as the location of their operation. Therefore, the vast majority of farms were tabulated in the ZIP codes where they are located. However, in some instances, the operator's farm was located outside the mailed ZIP code. Consequently, these farms are not counted in the ZIP codes of their physical location.

The information published is limited to farm counts for select items only and ZIP codes with no reported farms in the 2007 Census are not included. For more information about the Census or to access the QuickStats application, visit www.agcensus.usda.gov. (Contact: Charlie Ingram)

Report shows increase in farm production expenditures slows in 2008
Published: August 12, 2009

U.S. farm production expenditures totaled $307 billion in 2008, according to the Farm Production Expenditures 2008 Summary released August 6 by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) and Economic Research Service (ERS). Total farm expenditures for 2008 rose 8.3 percent from the revised 2007 total of $284 billion – a slower increase than the prior year.

The NASS expenditures report shows that the largest dollar increases per farm were feed up $2,325; fertilizer, lime and soil conditioners up $2,208; tractors and self propelled machinery up $1,286; and rent up $1,252. All other average increases were less than $1,200 per farm.

NASS revised its 2007 farm production expenditures estimates based on data collected during the 2007 Census of Agriculture. The revised 2007 farm production expenditures estimate increased $23.5 billion from the preliminary estimate to reflect current data on the number of farms in the United States. As reported in the Farms, Land in Farms, and Livestock Operations 2008 Summary, the number of farms in the United States in 2007 was 2,204,950, revised up from 2,075,510.

The increase in the number of farms had the greatest impact on the following farm production expenditure categories: livestock and poultry ($6.3 billion), feed ($3.8 billion), labor ($2.6 billion) and farm services ($2.5 billion).

For more information on U.S. farm production expenditures and income, visit the NASS website or the Economic Research Service website. Inquiries can also be made to Kevin Barnes at: (202) 720-6146. (Contact: Charlie Ingram)

CO: Schools encouraged to buy local products
Published: August 11, 2009

Colorado Governor Bill Ritter has proclaimed September 9, 2009, as Colorado Proud School Meal Day. This sixth annual event encourages schools to incorporate Colorado products into their meals to celebrate Colorado agriculture and to educate students about healthy eating

Free educational materials regarding agriculture and nutrition are available online to help schools organize the event in their areas. Schools may also request a visit from a farmer or chef to enhance the experience. Colorado Proud, created by the Colorado Department of Agriculture in 1999, promotes locally grown, raised or processed products to consumers statewide. Currently, the program has more than 1,100 members which include growers, processors, restaurants, retailers and associations.

Colorado Proud School Meal Day is organized by the Colorado Department of Agriculture and Colorado Department of Education. For more information or to participate in Colorado Proud School Meal Day, call (303) 239-4119 or visit coloradoproud.org. (Contact: Wendy White at wendy.white@ag.state.co.us)