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A publication of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture NASDA CREATES MESSAGE BOARD FOR SPECIALTY CROP GRANTS FOOD COMMITTEE PLANS CONFERENCE CALL NASDA COMMITTEES TO DISCUSS FARM BILL NORTH DAKOTA AND SOUTH CAROLINA GUIDES RELEASED SPECIALTY CROP COMMITTEE MEMBERS SOUGHT IOWA LAUNCHES WATER QUALITY PROGRAM WITH USDA State News--JOHNSON, GABRIEL BACK BEEF COOPERATIVE'S VALUE-ADDED VENTURE State News--ILLINOIS STATE FAIR PROVIDES NEW OPPORTUNITIES TO IL AG
Past Issues July 30, 2001 July 20, 2001 What's New on the NASDA Website
Chart with Block Grants Totals for Each State Draft Farm Policy Language for the Food Regulation Committee (Members Only) Draft Biotechnology Policy (Members Only) Letter Concerning Block Grants 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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NASDA CREATES MESSAGE BOARD FOR SPECIALTY CROP GRANTS The new specialty crop block grant program to states has presented state departments of agriculture with a challenging new opportunity to help growers in their states to remain financially viable. Many NASDA members have expressed an interest in learning how other states are planning to use the grant funds. To help facilitate exchange of information, NASDA is creating a special resource "message board" on its website (http://www.nasda.org) which will be available on August 27. State departments of agriculture and other agencies can share important information and get updates regarding the new state grants for specialty crops. On August 23, USDA began distributing individual "guidance letters" to the governors about the grant funds. A copy of the letter has been faxed to state departments of agriculture. The guidance letter does not specify how the funds should be spent, nor does it specify which state agency will receive and distribute the funds. USDA's letter does offer some suggestions for how the funds might be used including (1) pest and disease prevention, control, and eradication; (2) food safety; (3) research; (4) market promotion; (5) WIC Farmers' Markets; and (6) other areas that will put the funds "to the best use to benefit agriculture in your state." NASDA has posted a chart listing the funds which will be available for each state. You can download the document under the "What's New" section. NASDA's special message board is intended to be an information clearinghouse. NASDA members are encouraged to share information about their state planning process, fact sheets, farmer recommendations. There is no registration for the board and a password will be emailed to all NASDA members when it is completed. A resource page is also being developed. (Contact: Charlie Ingram) FOOD COMMITTEE PLANS CONFERENCE CALL NASDA's Food Regulation and Nutrition Committee will hold a conference call next Wednesday, August 29, at 11:00 a.m. (EDT) to finalize its recommendations for the 2002 Farm Policy Initiative. A memorandum and draft final document was faxed to NASDA members on August 24. The committee, chaired by Dan Wyant, director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture, approved a framework document earlier this year. The key issue areas include: (1) a seamless, coordinated, and unified food safety system which includes state and local units of government; (2) pre-harvest (on-farm) food safety initiatives; and (3) nutrition advocacy and education. One of the committee proposals is a Food Safety Quality Assurance block grant program. The new program would be administered by state departments of agriculture to facilitate the adoption of innovative on-farm food safety assurance programs. The recommendations also urge Congress to include provisions in the Farm Bill to allow interstate shipment of state-inspected meat and poultry products. The committee document is posted on NASDA's website in the "Members' Only" section. The Wednesday conference call will provide NASDA members with one last chance for review and comment on the final document and make any necessary improvements before it is distributed to Congress, the administration, and others. (Contact: Charlie Ingram) NASDA COMMITTEES TO DISCUSS FARM BILL NASDA's Rural Development & Financial Security Committee, chaired by Roger Johnson, commissioner of the North Dakota Department of Agriculture, and NASDA's Marketing & International Trade Committee, chaired by Sheldon Jones, director of the Arizona Department of Agriculture, will discuss the remaining pieces of their respective farm bill proposals next week. NASDA's six policy committees have already completed major sections of NASDA's 2002 Farm Policy Initiative document, with work taking place earlier this year in Washington, D.C.; Chicago, Illinois; and Las Cruces, New Mexico. The Marketing & International Trade and Rural Development & Financial Security Committees have approved recommendations on a wide spectrum of issues including a financial safety net, dairy, farm viability, a counter-cyclical program, trade, and sanitary and phytosanitary issues. Work still remains on issues such as seasonal/guestworker labor, rail and river transportation, energy, fair markets, promotion activities, value added processing, and structural change. Committee members should have received a fax from their respective committee chairs with the issues that will be discussed on the conference calls. The Rural Development & Financial Security Committee conference call will take place on August 29, Wednesday, 11:00 a.m. (EDT). The Marketing & International Trade Committee conference call will occur on Thursday, August 30, 2:30 p.m. (EDT). The goal is to have a final document ready by the end of August. Final committee recommendations will then be incorporated into the overall "NASDA 2002 Farm Policy Initiative" document, which will then be sent to all members before the NASDA Annual Meeting in Burlington, Vermont, next month. NASDA has been working on its "2002 Farm Policy Initiative" document for more than two years. (Contact: Patrick Atagi) NORTH DAKOTA AND SOUTH CAROLINA GUIDES RELEASED The NASDA Research Foundation, working along with the National Center for Agricultural Law Research and Information (NCALRI) at the University of Arkansas Law Center, released two new agricultural guides this week entitled STATE ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS AFFECTING NORTH DAKOTA (SOUTH CAROLINA) AGRICULTURE. A separate, updated guide on federal legislation affecting agriculture is also available. The guides are designed to help farmers, ranchers, landowners, and their consultants understand the effect environmental laws have on agricultural operations. The guides contain useful tips about state and federal statutes and a list of agencies and organizations to contact for additional information. The 18 state and federal guides completed to date are located on NASDA's website at http://www.nasda.org/. To access the guides, go to "Foundation" and click on "State-by-State Environmental Guides Affecting Agriculture." The guide is available in PDF format. (Contact: Tom Sommer) SPECIALTY CROP COMMITTEE MEMBERS SOUGHT Nominations are being sought for an official from a state department of agriculture to serve on an industry advisory committee on fruits and vegetables. The committee will comprise 20 members who will advise USDA on a myriad of issues faced by the fruit and vegetable industry and offer the Secretary of Agriculture advice on how USDA can tailor its programs to meet the fruit and vegetable industry's needs. The exchange of views and information between the industry and government is intended to improve understanding of the effect of USDA programs on the industry, and to contribute to those programs' effective and efficient administration. The committee is being established under the authority of the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (Public Law 92-463). The Secretary of Agriculture will appoint representatives of the nation's fruit and vegetable industry to serve two-year terms, including six individuals representing fresh fruit and vegetable growers or shippers, four fresh fruit and vegetable wholesalers, two brokers, two retailers, two fruit and vegetable processors, two foodservice suppliers, one official from a state department of agriculture, and one trade association representative. Written nominations must be received on or before Sept. 20 and should be sent to Robert C. Keeney, Deputy Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service, Fruit and Vegetable Programs, USDA Room 2077 South Building, P.O. Box 96456, Washington, D.C. 20090-6456; faxed to 202/720-0016; or e-mailed to robert.keeney@usda.gov. Committee members will elect the chairperson and vice-chairperson who will each serve one two-year term. As deputy administrator of the AMS' Fruit and Vegetable Programs, Keeney will serve as the committee's executive secretary. Details appeared in the Aug. 21 Federal Register. (Contact: Patrick Atagi) IOWA LAUNCHES WATER QUALITY PROGRAM WITH USDA At the Iowa State Fair last week, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Patty Judge and USDA Secretary Ann M. Veneman signed an agreement on a new $40 million Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) to enhance water quality in 37 counties in North Central Iowa. The Iowa CREP is a local, state, federal, and private partnership that provides incentives to farmers to voluntarily establish buffers, filters, and wetlands for water quality improvement. The program is designed to reduce the movement of nitrates, agricultural chemicals, and soil from croplands to streams and rivers as well as improve wildlife habitats. The total cost of the program is expected to reach $40 million over 15 years--$31 million will come from USDA, $7 million from the state of Iowa, and $2 million from the Lake Panorama Watershed Association. The program provides for voluntary agreements with farmers to convert cropland along watercourses to grasses, trees, and other vegetation in return for annual rental payments "As concerned citizens, we are aware of the seriousness of protecting and improving our water quality," Secretary Judge said. "This initiative is a great opportunity for us to improve water quality here in Iowa." (Contact: Tom Sommer) PESTICIDE BRIEFS ~~Draft Guidance Issued for Pesticide Spray Drift~~EPA has issued a draft pesticide registration notice (PRN) that would provide guidance to registrants on product labeling statements for controlling spray (and dust) drift from application sites. The PRN also describes the agency's policy on spray drift and proposed plans for implementing these statements on product labels. Comments on the proposal are due by November 20, 2001, and the agency is expecting a heavy volume of comments. The new draft label statement would read "Do not allow spray or dust drift to contact people, animals, and certain sensitive sites, including structures people occupy at any time, and the associated property, parks and recreation areas, non-target crops, aquatic, wetland areas, woodlands, pastures, and rangelands." EPA said the agency does not intend for its new guidance to conflict with or supersede more stringent restrictions by states which are currently on product labels. The draft guidance has been long in the making. In 1990, the pesticide industry initiated the Spray Drift Task Force and the national Coalition on Drift Minimization. The groups have been working with EPA to update and improve drift reduction training and education. The draft PRN is available on EPA's website at http://www.epa.gov/pesticides. ~~ EPA Website Offers Database on Section 18s~~The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed a searchable database that provides access to information about Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) Section 18 Emergency Exemptions. Under FIFRA Section 18, EPA may grant permission to states and federal agencies to use a pesticide for an unregistered use for a limited time if EPA determines that emergency conditions exist. Users may search the database by site (the crop being treated with the pesticide), chemical, the applicant, or by a specific date or date range. EPA provides the following information in the database: the pesticide, the site, the pest problem creating the emergency, the state or federal agency that applied for the exemption, the date of the application, and EPA's response. For established tolerances, EPA also provides the tolerance expiration date and related Federal Register publication date for the related tolerance. The agency updates the Emergency Exemption database every two weeks. The Section 18 Web page is available at http://www.epa.gov/opprd001/section18/. ~~Diazinon Product Use and Cancellation Published~~On August 1, EPA published in the Federal Register the "Notice of Receipt of Cancellation Requests and Amendments" for the insecticide diazinon. It states that eight registrants have requested that registrations for end-use products for all indoor and certain agricultural uses be canceled. Retail sale of existing stocks of products labeled for indoor uses listed in this notice, except mushroom houses, will not be lawful after December 31, 2002. Retail sale of existing stocks labeled for canceled agricultural uses or outdoor non-agricultural uses will be allowed until one year after issuance of the final cancellation order. On July 19, EPA published a final cancellation order for diazinon. The agency received comments from growers, trade associations, and other interested parties requesting that EPA continue to permit the use of diazinon products on certain agricultural crops that had been proposed for cancellation. The July 19 notice stated that the use of diazinon on spinach, strawberries, and tomatoes will continue because there appears to be a nationwide need for the use of diazinon on these crops. Several specific needs for diazinon on crops in specific states that were identified may be addressed through "special local needs" registrations issued by those states. Detailed information is available on EPA's website at www.epa.gov/fedrgstr and at http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/op/diazinon.htm. (Contact: Charlie Ingram) FOOD SAFETY BRIEFS ~~Microbiological Committee To Hold Public Meeting~~The National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) is holding a public meeting September 17 to 20 in Washington, D.C., to discuss a variety of food safety issues. The committee will discuss Salmonella performance standards for meat and poultry products; Escherichia coli 0157:H7 in blade-tenderized, non-intact beef; and will review the Codex Alimentarius Commission's draft guidelines for the Validation of Food Hygiene Control Measures. The group will also begin a scientific assessment on the appropriate warming temperatures for controlling pathogens and toxins and introduce the scientific basis for establishing safety-based "use by" date labeling for refrigerated, ready-to-eat foods. Additional meeting information can be obtained by contacting USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) at 202/690-6620. ~~Consumer Group Seeks Investigation on Irradiation Labeling~~Public Citizen and the Center for Food Safety have asked the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate meat processors that advertise food irradiation as "pasteurization" and irradiated food products as "pasteurized." The consumer group filed false advertising complaints with the FTC, claiming that five food irradiation suppliers use "cold pasteurization" or "electronic pasteurization" to describe the process by which food is treated with ionizing radiation. Consumer groups have said using these terms is misleading. USDA and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are currently seeking comments on a proposed rulemaking on labeling for irradiated foods. ~~Guidance Issued for Egg Labeling Rules~~The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently published a guidance document for regulations on safe handling of shell eggs and refrigeration requirements. FDA issued a final rule in December 2000. The regulation requires that all shell eggs that have not been specifically processed to destroy all live Salmonellae before distribution to consumers, must include a safe handling label. The rule also requires retail establishments to refrigerate shell eggs promptly when they are received and to store the eggs at 45 degrees or cooler. A copy of the guidance document is available on the Internet at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/eggsguid.html. ~~Food Safety Education Campaign Begins~~The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) are joining with the restaurant and food service industry to launch the seventh annual National Food Safety Education Month in September. This year's theme is "Be Cool Chill Out! Refrigerate Promptly." The goal of the campaign is to educate the public about safe food preparation. A planning guide and other information for organizing educational activities and events are available from the Internet at http://www.foodsafety.gov/september. (Contact: Charlie Ingram) USDA NEWS ~~Kalamath Basin Payments to Farmers~~USDA announced this week that payments to eligible landowners and producers will soon begin under the $20 million Klamath Basin Water Conservation Program. These payments by USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation, are estimated to range from $90 to $110 per eligible acre. The program is limited to certain eligible irrigated landowners and producers in the Klamath Basin, which is located in parts of Klamath County, Oregon, and Siskiyou and Modoc Counties, California. The payments will be distributed to eligible owners and operators who did not receive certain expected deliveries of irrigation water within the Klamath Basin, during the past crop year and who agree to promote water conservation methods on their lands in the future. Owners and operators may elect the water conservation measures that best fit their operations. The exact level of payment will be determined after signup concludes and will be based on program demand. USDA plans to fully allocate and distribute the entire $20 million to all eligible landowners and producers soon after the signup concludes. USDA will detail a sign up process upon receipt of recipient information from local irrigation districts. The sign-up process will then be conducted at local USDA Service Centers. Owners and operators must agree to payment shares and return signed forms to the county office in order to receive payment. For additional information on the Klamath Basin Water Conservation Program, contact Ilka Gray at 202/690-0794 or e-mail at ilka_gray@wdc.udsa.gov ~~New Lam Market Reports Announced~~The administration announced the introduction of two new lamb market news reports and one revised report to replace or complement existing reports currently issued as part of the Livestock Mandatory Reporting Program. These reports are expected to improve public access to mandatory information by permitting USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) to publish a greater volume of collected data on a more consistent basis in a manner that protects the confidentiality of reported transactions. In some of the more thinly traded market sectors, AMS has been unable to publish collected daily data on a routine basis because the publication of such data might have revealed the identity or actions of individual reporting entities. The LMR program requires the reporting of market information by packers who have annually slaughtered an average of 125,000 cattle or 100,000 swine over the most recent five calendar-year period, or have annually slaughtered or processed an average of 75,000 lambs over the most recent five calendar-year period. Importers who have annually imported an average of 5,000 metric tons of lamb meat products over the most recent five calendar-year period are also subject to mandatory reporting requirements. Among the new reports being launched are two new market news reports on lamb meat and one revised market news report that is designed to replace existing reports on lamb carcasses and negotiated sales of boxed lamb. ~~Standard for Scrapie Control and Eradication Established~~USDA has established a list of states that conduct effective state scrapie control programs consistent with USDA regulations and has established new interstate movement, identification, and indemnity requirements for sheep and goats. All 50 states have agreed to abide by the new regulations. In addition to setting the standards for effective state scrapie control programs and listing the states which meet those standards, this final rule will require identification of mature sheep, breeding sheep, and breeding goats moving interstate and will reinstate an indemnity program for certain sheep and goats affected by scrapie. Producers who move sheep and goats in interstate commerce should contact their local USDA Veterinary Services office to have tag numbers assigned. Additional information on the USDA scrapie program may be found at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/scrapie/ The compliance date for all requirements to identify animals that are not scrapie-positive animals, suspect animals, high-risk animals, exposed animals, or animals from an infected or source flock is Nov. 19. The compliance date for all requirements for the identification of commercial whitefaced breeding sheep under 18 months of age and commercial breeding goats is Feb. 19, 2002. This rule is published in the Aug. 21 Federal Register and becomes effective on Sept. 20. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) documents published in the Federal Register and related information, including the names of organizations and individuals who have commented on APHIS dockets, are available on the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/webrepor.html. (Contact: Patrick Atagi) STATE NEWS JOHNSON, GABRIEL BACK BEEF COOPERATIVE'S VALUE-ADDED VENTURE The leading agriculture officials in North Dakota and South Dakota have voiced strong support for Dakota Beef Cooperative's plan to acquire a Nebraska-based meat slaughter and packaging company over five years. "This project has been in the making for five years," said South Dakota Secretary of Agriculture Larry Gabriel, who joined the press conference by telephone. "It has been carefully weighed in terms of costs, benefits and risks. I am sure it will work." "This isn't something new and untried," said North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson. "Elkhorn Valley Packing Co. is already a successful operation. The project developers are building on our strength of efficiently producing high quality beef cattle by joining it to a proven beef processing and marketing company." Johnson hosted the press conference August 22 at which the cooperative announced its proposal. Gabriel joined the conference by telephone. "The proposal utilizes source identification and quality verification to guarantee our customers that they are getting the very best in beef products," Johnson said. "This is especially important in these times when our overseas competitors are plagued with disease and quality problems." Johnson said there is no reason why Dakota beef should not dominate the premium market. "We can become the trusted provider of the finest beef in the world," he said. Gabriel praised the project as an example of regional economic development. "I don't think that either North Dakota or South Dakota could go it alone on a project of this magnitude," he said. "Working together, however, we can generate increased business and profits for the producer/owners in both states, thus benefiting the entire region." (Contact: Patrice Eblen, 701/328-4757) ILLINOIS STATE FAIR PROVIDES NEW OPPORTUNITIES TO IL AG The week of August 13 was a banner week for Illinois agriculture as the Illinois Department of Agriculture hosted the Illinois State Fair, providing a venue for Governor George H. Ryan to sign historic value-added legislation, ink an agreement with USDA to expand the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), and announce export awards. Ryan signed AgriFIRST, a first-ever program to provide grants and technical assistance to value-added agriculture projects, on Ag Day at the Illinois State Fair. The $3 million grant program will provide funding for feasibility studies, marketing plans, business plans and technical assistance to farmer-owned coops, producer owned processing facilities and other ventures that add value to the crops and livestock raised in Illinois. Illinois Director of Agriculture Joe Hampton told a crowd assembled to witness the signing of the historic legislation that AgriFIRST funds will "greatly expand the demand for Illinois agricultural products and will ensure that Illinois keeps its competitive edge in providing quality food products to our neighbors and around the world." AgriFIRST will provide two grant programs. Technical assistance grants for new or expanding agribusinesses will be awarded for up to 75 percent of the project for a maximum of $25,000. Feasibility studies will be funded up to 50 percent of the cost of the study. Application for AgriFIRST funding is open to any project that will result in the enhancement of value-added agricultural products. Also on Ag Day, Ryan signed an agreement with USDA to expand the state's CREP to the entire Illinois River watershed, providing for an additional 32,000 acres of land to be enrolled in the successful river basin protection and restoration initiative. Illinois entered into an agreement with USDA in 1998, as part of a 15-year, $459 million Illinois River CREP, which focused initially on 100,000 acres of the most erodible land in 29 counties along the middle Illinois River, the Peoria Lake section of the river, and tributaries including the Lower Fox, Kankakee, Vermilion, Spoon, Mackinaw, and Lower Sangamon. In 1999, the LaMoine River watershed in west-central Illinois was added to the program, and CREP was again expanded in 2000 to add eligible lands in the upper portion of the Sangamon River in central Illinois, as well as the watersheds of Aux Sable Creek and the Mazon River in northeastern Illinois. The agreement signed August 14 expands the Illinois CREP to the entire Illinois River watershed, including lands in 46 counties allowing another 32,000 acres in the program resulting in a USDA commitment of $78 million in federal funding to the Illinois program during the next 15 years. Twelve Illinois companies, institutions and organizations were recognized for outstanding accomplishments in the export of Illinois goods and services worldwide as part of the Governor's Export Awards. The awards were announced at "International Night," an event designed to call attention to the state's role in the global trade arena. Among this year's honorees are Mid-America International Agri-Trade Council (MIATCO) and U.S. Soy. MIATCO is a nonprofit organization that promotes the export of food and agricultural products. MIATCO was created in 1969 and has developed an internationally acclaimed Branded Program that raised $530,868 in matching funds for Illinois agriculture companies. MIATCO works closely with 12 Midwestern state agriculture promotion agencies, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, state regional trade groups, and international organizations to help benefit the agricultural sector of the Midwest. Due to MIATCO's efforts, 32 new jobs were created in Illinois and the company has realized a return-on-investment of $146 for each promotional dollar it spent. U.S. Soy produces traditional soybean products that are grown by Illinois farmers. U.S. Soy focuses on exporting to the Pacific Rim and Europe. U.S. Soy has been in business for three years. U.S. Soy, which attributes two-thirds of the company's sales to exports, works closely with the Illinois Department of Agriculture, Illinois Crop Improvement Association, the University of Illinois, and the International Soy Program to help increase the production and exportation non-GMO soybeans. (Contact: Amy Bradford, 217/558-4500) |
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