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A publication of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture MEMBERS APPROVE STEWARDSHIP FUNDING FORMULA NEW JERSEY SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE TO STEP DOWN IN DECEMBER CONGRESS MOVES APPROPRIATIONS BILLS WORLD FOOD PRIZE FOUNDATION TO HONOR BORLAUG FARMERS PROTEST/DEMAND SUBSIDIES IN MEXICO State News--EQUINE TESTING RULES CHANGED State News--STATE TO PURCHASE MORE NYS FARM PRODUCTS
Past Issues July 30, 2001July 20, 2001 What's New on the NASDA Website
CAFO letter & Updated CAFO Survey NASDA 2001 agenda and sponsorship information Florida Environmental Laws Guide available
NASDA's 2002 Farm Policy Briefing Book
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MEMBERS APPROVE STEWARDSHIP FUNDING FORMULA NASDA's Natural Resource and Environment Committee held a conference call meeting on August 8 and approved a funding formula for NASDA's Agricultural Stewardship Program. Earlier this spring, the committee unanimously approved the design and structure for the new block grant program, and recommended that it be funded with an "investment" of $8 billion annually in order to meet the country's environmental and conservation challenges and needs. Committee members had been continuing work on an allocation formula for distributing the funds to states. The distribution formula would be based on National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) survey data for gross receipts for agricultural production in each state and estimated land area in production within each state. Both gross receipts and agricultural land area would be weighed equally in the formula. In addition, a base allocation of 0.2 percent would be provided to all states. This figure was determined by applying each state's equal share of 10 percent of each $1 billion annually. Committee Chairman Frank DuBois, director/secretary of the New Mexico Department of Agriculture, said the funding formula would ensure that all states receive the funding and resources to implement agricultural conservation priorities. DuBois said that "agreement among the country's agriculture commissioners should send a strong message to Congress and the administration." An updated table showing the specific dollar amounts that states would receive under the funding formula will be distributed to NASDA members next week and posted on NASDA's website. (Contact: Charlie Ingram) NEW JERSEY SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE TO STEP DOWN IN DECEMBER New Jersey Agriculture Secretary Art Brown, Jr., has submitted his resignation to Acting Governor Donald DiFrancesco, effective December 1, 2001. In his letter to the Governor, Brown indicated that he would assume a faculty position at Cook College, Rutgers University, in New Brunswick some time in 2002. Brown also noted that the agriculture industry in the Garden State has made significant strides in the past 20 years and thanked the administration and the state legislature for their strong support of the industry. "When I became secretary of agriculture in 1982, I had a mental list of accomplishments or contributions that I hoped to make to our ag industry to encourage its economic viability," Brown said. "The list included improvements in marketing locally-grown agricultural items, saving productive farmland for future generations, enhancing programs to conserve soil and water on farms, and protecting our animal and plant resources from devastating diseases and pests. I think I've managed to meet my personal goals in all these areas." Brown's leadership under four governors has kept the industry vital and thriving. Despite being the most urban state in the nation, New Jersey's strong agriculture industry has maintained a progressive, adaptive character. With nursery and greenhouse production topping the list of New Jersey's agricultural products, the state ranks third in the Northeast in agricultural production and annually ranks in the top 10 nationally in the production of a number of fruits and vegetables. Brown developed the award-winning "Jersey Fresh" marketing and promotion program which has become the model for many state promotion programs. The program covers every facet of the state's nearly $1 billion production agriculture sector. "It's important to remember that the Jersey Fresh program does more than promote fruits and vegetables," Brown said, "it promotes the Garden State as a great place to live, work and raise a family and that's an image we can all be proud of." In addition, he has worked tirelessly to expand foreign markets for New Jersey products, raising the amount of exports from less than $42 million 1980 to over $150 million this year. Farmers and politicians yesterday lauded Brown for helping to win permanent funding for farmland preservation. Nearly 81,000 acres on 590 farms were preserved under his watch, according to the department of agriculture. He fought for state assistance to struggling farmers, lobbying for a $20 million bailout after the 1999 drought. Born in Fulton, New York, and raised on a Massachusetts dairy farm, Brown worked in the agriculture industry and for 11 years as the Atlantic County agriculture agent, attaining a professorship at Cook College before being named secretary. With a bachelor of science degree in animal science from the University of Massachusetts in hand Brown earned a master's degree in horticulture from Cook College, Rutgers University in 1977. (Contact: Rick Kirchhoff) CONGRESS MOVES APPROPRIATIONS BILLS The House and Senate approved several FY02 spending bills before adjourning last week for the summer August recess. Despite some delays, both chambers have made progress in the appropriations process; but, much work remains before the new fiscal year begins in October. The full Senate will consider the FY02 agriculture appropriations bill (S. 1191, S. Rept. 107-41) when Congress returns to work after Labor Day. The Senate Appropriations Committee approved the legislation on July 17. It provides more funding for agriculture than the House-passed version and the administration's request. Both chambers have passed spending legislation (S. 1216 and H.R. 2620) for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The House bill includes an amendment offered by Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) that would maintain funding under the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) for reregistering and re-assessing pesticide tolerances at the same level of $20 million that was appropriated last year. Pelosi's originally sought to strike a provision in the bill that would have prohibited EPA from using funds to issue final regulations to implement user fees to help finance tolerance processing activities. The House bill provides $25 million for a new state enforcement grant program that the White House and EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman have advocated as a more cooperative approach to environmental protection. The Senate rejected the program. The FY02 Interior Appropriations bill has also cleared both chambers and will go to conference in September. The legislation prohibits new energy leasing in existing national monuments that the Bush administration had proposed. (Contact: Charlie Ingram) BYRD AMENDMENT IMPLEMENTED The "Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset Act," also known as the Byrd amendment, is being implemented by the U.S. Customs Service. Customs announced this week that it will begin plans to distribute countervailing duties collected in FY2001 to affected eligible domestic producers this year. Details on the act can be found in the August 3 Federal Register (66 Fed. Reg. 40,782). The notice gives further directions for affected producers on how to claim the distribution by filing an official certification. The Federal Register also provides detail on who qualifies for the distribution. The amendment has angered U.S. trading partners, who argue that the law clearly violates certain WTO provisions on dumping. The act will most likely be reviewed by the World Trade Organization (WTO) for dispute resolution. There, a dispute panel will be formed to investigate the rule under question. Australia, Brazil, Chile, European Union, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, and Thailand have already requested that such a panel be created. However, the U.S. has effectively blocked the request for the time being, but the countries will be able to renew their petition in September. Canada and Mexico are asking for a consultation with the WTO. Initially, the two countries refused to join the petition with the other nine countries, believing they would be exempt under the North American Free Trade Agreement. However, the two countries were recently informed that, in fact, the U.S. does not plan to exempt them from the Act and may join the request to be filed in September by the other nine countries. The Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset passed last year as part of the agriculture appropriations bill. Sponsored by Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), the Byrd amendment provides for the distribution of antidumping and countervailing duties collected to affected domestic producers for certain expenditures. The Act is scheduled to take effect in October. (Contact: Patrick Atagi) WORLD FOOD PRIZE FOUNDATION TO HONOR BORLAUG The World Food Prize Foundation has announced its 2001 International Symposium, "Risks to the World Food Supply in the 21st Century," will be held in Des Moines, Iowa, October 18 to 20 This event will be a unique, perhaps never-to-be-repeated, celebration of the role of Iowa agriculture in global food security. A ceremony honoring Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Dr. Norman E. Borlaug will take place during the celebration of World Food Prize's fifteen anniversary. A public television special on Dr. Borlaug's role as "Father of the Green Revolution," will also be premiered. In addition, there will be the world debut of the first movement of a symphony commissioned in honor of Dr. Borlaug, performed by the Des Moines Symphony Orchestra. Finally, the $250,000 World Food Prize will be presented to this year's Laureate. Dr. Borlaug was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for developing high-yielding grains that saved millions from starvation in South Asia and Latin America. Dr. Borlaug conceived of the World Food Prize 15 years ago as a means to inspire and recognize "Nobel Like" achievements in increasing the quality, quantity, and availability of food. (Contact: Rick Kirchhoff) FARMERS PROTEST/DEMAND SUBSIDIES IN MEXICO Mexican farmers marched through Mexico City earlier this week, demanding subsidies and a halt to free trade. The march, on Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata's birthday, was a show of force for the "old Mexico." March organizers, who said about 5,000 farmers participated, warned that "rural Mexico could explode." Farmers are suffering from a prolonged drought and from low prices for coffee, rains, sugar, and tropical cash crops. (Contact: Tom Sommer) ENVIRONMENT BRIEFS ~~House Passes Comprehensive Energy Bill~~The House passed comprehensive energy policy legislation last week with a wide range of incentives for production and conservation, including a controversial proposal to allow oil exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). The legislation (H.R. 4) contains many elements of the Administration's proposed energy plan and was hailed as a victory for President Bush. The House rejected an amendment that would have increased the corporate average fuel economy standard (CAFE) for passenger cars and light duty trucks. Lawmakers approved an amendment offered by Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-Texas) and the Congressional Black Caucus that would earmark $5 million annually for bioenergy training and education to help minority and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers. ~~Senate Approves EPA Nominees~~The Senate has cleared several Bush administration nominations for positions at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). G. Tracy Mehan was approved as assistant administrator for the office of water and Judith Ayres was approved to be assistant administrator for the office international activities. Senators also approved Robert Fabricant to be general counsel and Jeffrey Holmstead to be assistant administrator for the office of air and radiation. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee approved the nomination of Donald Schregardus to be assistant administrator for the office of enforcement and compliance assistance, but the full Senate has not acted on the nomination. On July 21, the Senate approved Allen Johnson as chief agriculture negotiator in the office of the U.S. Trade Representative. Johnson recently served as president of the National Oilseed Processors Association. He also headed to Iowa Soybean Association and served as an environmental and trade assistant to Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa). (Contact: Charlie Ingram) FOOD SAFETY BRIEFS ~~Food Uniformity Bill Introduced~~A bill (H.R. 2649) that would provide uniform national standards for food labeling was recently introduced in the House by Rep. Richard Burr (R-N.C.). Similar legislation was approved by the Senate Agriculture Committee last year, but became bogged down over questions about how state consumer protection laws would be affected. NASDA's affiliate organization, the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) had expressed concerns about the legislation passed in the Senate and has been working to resolve several issues. ~~USDA Modifies Policy on Carcass Condemnation Notices~~USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has announced modifications to its residue policy. The effort is intended to better ensure the safety of the nation's food supply and reduce the levels of chemical residues in meat and poultry products. FSIS said it will begin to post a list of livestock or poultry sellers with repeat residue violations on the agency home page and plans to modify agency policy by condemning entire animal carcasses if violative levels of chemical residue are found in target tissues. FSIS will now work in cooperation with the FDA to create a list of repeat violators for the FSIS website. The list is designed to help slaughter establishments make informed purchasing decisions. The list will provide the names and addresses of sellers of livestock or poultry that the FDA has determined to have repeat violations in a 12-month period. Names will remain on the list for one year from the time of being listed. If a violation occurs while a seller is on the list, the name will remain on the list for one year from the subsequent violation. The procedure of removing names based on five or 15 non-violative tests will be eliminated, but FSIS's testing for residues will continue. This change will be effective Sept. 5, 2001. Comments on the carcass condemnation notice must be submitted by the same date. ~~FSIS Seeks Comment on Beef Definitions and Labeling~~The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is seeking public comments on an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) regarding the definitions and labeling of "United States cattle" and "United States fresh beef products." The agency is also requesting comments on whether such beef products should bear labeling claims that are different from the claims that are permitted under the Agency's current policy. The proposed rulemaking is in response to a congressional direction to clarify which cattle and fresh beef products should be considered products of the United States. The conference report accompanying the FY2000 agriculture appropriations bill directed the secretary to promulgate regulations defining which cattle and fresh beef products are "Products of the U.S.A." and to determine the most appropriate labeling terminology to reflect that such beef products are, in fact, U.S. products. Current FSIS labeling regulations allow voluntary labeling of fresh beef products using terms such as "U.S.A. Beef" or "(State) Beef" to signify that the cattle were born, raised, slaughtered and processed in the United States or in specific geographic locations in the United States. Producers are required to maintain records and provide such documentation to the Agency to substantiate such claims. Written comments should be submitted by October 9, 2001 to the FSIS Docket Clerk. (Contact: Charlie Ingram) PESTICIDE BRIEFS ~~Section 18 Approvals Increase~~A recent article in the Bureau of National Affairs (BNA) says that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has received and approved more requests for emergency pesticide uses in FY2001 that it did during the same period of FY2000. The article was based on statistics from EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs. According to the BNA report EPA has approved 394 out of 492 requests for emergency uses under Section 18 through the third quarter of this year. The article also says that the agency is taking less time to conduct reviews of the requests and was able to process them on average within 29.5 days of receipt, compared to 42 days in the first three quarters of last year. ~~EPA Releases Risk Assessment for Thiabendazole~~The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released risk assessment documents for the pesticide Thiabendazole undergoing reregistration and tolerance reassessment. Thiabendazole is a fungicide registered to control fruit and vegetable diseases such as mold, rot, and stain. It also is used as a post-harvest treatment on citrus and pome fruits, as well as on bananas, carrots, potatoes, green beans, sugar beets, avocados, and mushrooms. It is used before planting on several crop seeds. EPA will accept comments on this risk assessment until October 1, 2001. The risk assessment documents and other information are available on EPA's web site at http://www.epa.gov/pesticides. ~~Final Tolerance Revocations Issued~~A final rule revoking 24 tolerances for the pesticides diazinon, parathion, disulfoton, ethoprop, and carbaryl was recently published by EPA. The agency first proposed these revocations in May 1999. Tolerances for these chemicals are being revoked because the pesticides are no longer used on crops in the United States or because the crops are no longer used for animal feed. The review of the tolerances is part of the reassessment process that EPA is conducting under the 1996 Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA). (Contact: Charlie Ingram) USDA NEWS ~~Secretary of Agriculture Ann M. Veneman On Senate 2001 Farm Aid Bill~~Secretary Veneman made the following statement today upon passage by the U.S. Senate of the 2001 Farm Aid Bill last week. "I commend the Senate for working expeditiously to pass the 2001 Farm Aid Bill that is supported by both the President and the U.S. House of Representatives. "This is a bill that the President can and will sign. It is a big victory for farmers and a clear example of how we are working together in Washington to achieve results the quick action by Congress will help ensure that USDA has the time necessary to process these payments for farmers. We at USDA will get these payments to farmers as soon as possible." ~~USDA Promotes Biodiesel/Ethanol~~Promoting the use of farm-grown energy sources, Secretary Veneman said this week that some of USDA's fleet of vehicles will switch to biodiesel and ethanol fuels. Veneman said that as supplies become available, and if the costs are reasonable, the Department will try to start using vegetable oil-based biodiesel fuel in about 800 vehicles. Another 700 vehicles and all gasoline fueling facilities maintained by USDA will use blended fuel with at least 10 percent domestically produced ethanol, Veneman said. ~~Increase in Assessment of Imported Pork~~USDA is proposing to increase assessments on imported pork and pork products. The increase is seven-hundredths to one-tenth of a cent per pound, or the equivalent of fifteen hundredths to twenty-two hundredths of a cent per kilogram. The proposed increase reflects the 36 percent increase in U.S. market hog prices last year. The rate of assessment, which is 0.45 of one percent of market price, remains unchanged. This proposed change will bring importer assessments more in line with those being paid by domestic producers. Assessments on imported pork and pork products are established by formula each year, based on U.S. market hog prices. The assessments fund research and promotional activities designed to strengthen the position of pork in the marketplace. The proposed changes will appear in the Aug. 13 Federal Register. Comments, postmarked no later than Sept. 12, may be sent to Ralph L. Tapp, chief, Marketing Programs Branch, AMS Livestock and Seed Program, USDA Stop 0251, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-0251; telephone 202/720-1115; fax (202) 720-1125. Copies of the proposed rule and additional information are available from the same address. ~~Reduced Assessment for Mushrooms~~USDA has announced that it has approved a reduced mandatory assessment under the Mushroom Promotion, Research, and Consumer Information Program. Effective Aug. 6, the mandatory assessment rate will decrease from $.0025 to $.001 per pound of mushrooms marketed or imported for the fresh market in the United States. Producers and importers whose businesses average over 500,000 pounds of mushrooms annually for fresh use will be affected. Funds generated by this mandatory assessment will be used for non-promotional activities by the Mushroom Council. The council will accept voluntary contributions to fund promotional activities. The mushroom program is authorized by the Mushroom Promotion, Research, and Consumer Information Act of 1990 and is administered by the council under the supervision of USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service. The council collects assessments on fresh market mushrooms produced in or imported into the 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. The Mushroom Council's budget for the 2001 calendar year is $1,689,000. At the beginning of this fiscal year, before today's announced change, assessment income was projected at $1.49 million (95.3 percent from domestic production and 4.7 percent from imports). ~~Mandatory Livestock Reporting~~New confidentiality guidelines for the Livestock Mandatory Reporting Program which will increase the number of reports available while protecting the identity of market participants were announced this week. These changes will become effective Aug. 20. The new A3/70/20 confidentiality guideline will require the following three conditions: at least three reporting entities need to provide data at least 50 percent of the time over the most recent 60-day time period; no single reporting entity may provide more than 70 percent of the data for a report over the most recent 60-day time period; No single reporting entity may be the sole reporting entity for an individual report more than 20 percent of the time over the most recent 60-day time period. For additional information, contact John Van Dyke, Chief, Livestock and Grain Market News, AMS Livestock and Seed Program, USDA Stop 2619, 1400 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, D.C. 20090-2619; telephone 202/720-6231; fax 202/690-3732; or e-mail john.vandyke@usda.gov. (Contact: Patrick Atagi) STATE NEWS MICHIGAN EQUINE TESTING RULES CHANGED Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) Director Dan Wyant has announced that revised testing requirements to prevent the transmission of Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) were recently enacted by the Michigan Legislature and signed into law by Governor Engler. Effective June 29, 2001, Michigan horse owners will now have until April 30, 2002 to get a onetime mandatory EIA test of their animals. Due to the one-time mandatory test, annual testing is no longer required and the provision requiring a negative EIA test prior to travel on or by a public roadway has been removed. "By ensuring that all equines in the state are tested for EIA at least once, Michigan will be able to find positive, infected animals, thus greatly reducing future risks to horse owners across the state," Wyant said. "These changes will help Michigan horse owners more easily comply with the law but also help ensure that our state's equine population is protected against this troublesome disease." EIA is a viral disease that causes anemia, intermittent fever, profuse sweating, rapid breathing and severe weight loss in horses, ponies, mules and donkeys. It is transmitted by the exchange of certain body fluids from an infected to a non-infected animal, which usually occurs through biting flies that feed on the blood of animals. The disease only affects equine and cannot be transmitted to people or other animals. Once an equine is infected with EIA, it is infected for life and can be a reservoir for the spread of disease. Other provisions in the law, except for foals under six months of age and nursing, include: * Equine entering Michigan from another state must test negative for EIA prior to entry within the current calendar year. (NOTE: In this law, current calendar year is defined as December 1 through the end of the next December 31.) * Equine entered into fairs, exhibitions or similar events must test negative for EIA prior to the event within the current calendar year. * Equine entered in sales or auctions or changing owner must test negative for EIA prior to the event within the current calendar year. * Equine tested to comply with any of the above requirements will also satisfy the one-time mandatory EIA test requirement. * Equine not tested under any of the above movement or exhibition requirements will simply need a one-time EIA test before April 30, 2002. Equine tested from January 1 through June 29, 2001, will meet the new law's one-time mandatory testing requirement. Current estimates place the state's horse population at about 130,000 animals. So far in 2001, nearly 70,000 of those have been tested for EIA, with 13 testing positive for the disease. (Contact: Sara Linsmeier, 517/241- 4282) STATE TO PURCHASE MORE NYS FARM PRODUCTS --New Initiative Increases State Agency Flexibility for Purchase of New York Produce New York State Agriculture Commissioner Nathan L. Rudgers and N.Y. Office of General Services (OGS) Commissioner Kenneth J. Ringler, Jr. have announced at the Empire Farm Days in Seneca Falls an initiative that enables state institutions to better support New York farmers by increasing the discretionary purchasing levels for New York State products. This program utilizes the Governor's Pride of New York program to effectively link farmers and state institutions. Under this program, discretionary purchasing levels for state institutions have been increased to allow each institution to purchase, every 15 days, up to $10,000 worth of any type of fresh fruits, vegetables and eggs from a New York State grower, producer or New York State association of growers and producers. Products purchased with discretionary funds must be reasonable and comparable to current market prices. Purchases made up to these spending caps are exempt from state bidding requirements. "This is a win-win situation for all involved. State agencies have more flexibility when purchasing produce, local farmers will be able to increase their revenues and sell more product, and the state provides a great service from which local economies benefit," said OGS Commissioner Ringler. "Governor Pataki has long advocated state agencies working together to improve New York and this initiative is a great example of a productive partnership." OGS and the Department of Agriculture and Markets developed this initiative to enable agencies to go directly to local farmers and growers to purchase locally grown produce. This initiative allows for repeat purchases within the growing season without triggering the competitive bid threshold which in the past, may have resulted in a non-local supplier. The Pride of New York program is the mechanism that will help match farmers and their products with the needs of state agencies. The Pride of New York program is a member-based initiative, administered by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, and assists farmers, processors, manufacturers and retailers in promoting the sale of New York produced and processed food and agricultural products. Commissioner Rudgers said, "Connecting farmers with state institutions will serve as a tremendous benefit for New York's agricultural industry. As farmers face more and more competition in the marketplace, programs such as Pride of New York and this particular initiative will enable farmers to be more profitable and viable across New York State." Through the N.Y. Department of Agriculture and Markets' website, state institutions can search for Pride of New York members by product and location to fulfill their needs. Each member's entry will include contact information, product information, product availability and other sales information to help enable state institutions to easily link up with the appropriate New York State farmer for that institution's needs. For those interested in participating in the Pride of New York Program and this new initiative, please contact the Department of Agriculture and Markets at 1-800-554-4501 or visit the Department's website at http://www.agmkt.state.ny.us/. (Contact: Jessica A. Chittenden, 518/457-3136) |
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