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A publication of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture
NASDA COMMENTS ON CAFO GUIDANCE
SIGN-UP ANNOUNCED FOR CROP DISASTER PROGRAM
CFTC AMENDS AG TRADE OPTION RULES
State News--RAIL SERVICE NOW AVAILABLE TO LA. SUGARCANE GROWERS
State News--MARYLAND TO SHIP PORK, THOROUGHBRED HORSES TO SOUTH KOREA
State News--JOB OPPORTUNITIES--ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
What's New on the NASDA Website
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NASDA MEMBERS PARTICIPATE IN SEATTLE WTO MINISTERIAL Members of NASDA completed an intense week of World Trade Organization (WTO) activities in Seattle, Washington, today. NASDA President and Director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture Fred Dailey and the Chairman of NASDA's International Trade Committee and the Secretary of the Delaware Department of Agriculture, Jack Tarburton, led a delegation of NASDA members which included Secretary Ben Brancel (Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, & Consumer Protection); Director Merlyn Carlson (Nebraska Department of Agriculture); Commissioner Susan Combs (Texas Department of Agriculture); Commissioner Bob Crawford (Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services); Commissioner Gene Hugoson (Minnesota Department of Agriculture); Secretary Jim Jesernig (Washington Department of Agriculture); Commissioner Roger Johnson (North Dakota Department of Agriculture); Secretary Patty Judge (Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship); Secretary Bill Lyons (California Department of Food & Agriculture); Director Ralph Peck (Montana Department of Agriculture); Director Pat Takasugi (Idaho Department of Agriculture); Secretary Phil Ward (Oregon Department of Agriculture); and Mike Williams (representing the Director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture, Joe Hampton) advocating on behalf of the state departments of agriculture and U.S. farmers. They succeeded in making their presence known in Seattle and the United States through participation in meetings and radio, print, and television press opportunities. On Wednesday afternoon, Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman and the Special U.S. Trade Representative for Agriculture, Peter Scher, briefed agricultural interest groups on the U.S. agenda and the progress of the WTO negotiations. The presentation was part of a program sponsored by the Seattle Round Agriculture Committee of which NASDA is a member. On Thursday, NASDA members met USDA Under Secretaries Mike Dunn, Gus Schumacher, and Richard Rominger to discuss in detail the ongoing negotiations and the possible impact on U.S. agriculture. The conference was a unique opportunity to meet simultaneously with three high-level USDA officials. Under Secretary Mike Dunn stressed that, "We need to amplify the message of trade to our constituencies." In light of the protests that occurred throughout the week, Dunn referenced the need to communicate the positive message of trade. Dunn further noted that trade and the WTO are now under the microscope of the constituencies of the state departments of agriculture and that we need to now more than ever 'amplify' a simple and straight forward positive trade message. Under Secretary Gus Schumacher informed NASDA members that the term "multifunctionality" would not be used in a final trade agenda. Multifunctionality with respect to trade and agriculture is an concept in which agriculture serves certain social objectives such as employment, the environment, and rural development that preclude farm goods from being treated like other goods under WTO rules. What exactly constitutes "multifunctionality" is debatable, thus controversial, because it is not easily nor simply defined. By negotiating the removal of the term "multifunctionality," the U.S. has lessened the likelihood that the European Union (EU) can justify unfair trade protectionism by stating the United States or other countries are not adhering to "multifunctionality." On Wednesday, Singapore's Trade Minister George Yeo started work on formulating text that would set out the framework for the farm talks. Both USDA officials and the U.S. Trade Representative, Charlene Barshefsky, believe that an agenda will be completed by December 3. However, before a complete document can be agreed upon, delegates must negotiate and agree upon key issues such as market access for farm goods, export subsidies, domestic support, and improvements in WTO rules and disciplines applicable to farm trade. Although there are many areas of contention within the text indicating continued disagreement, Special U.S. Trade Representative for Agriculture, Peter Scher, noted in his speech late Wednesday afternoon that the draft document has promise to serve as the basis for a possible compromise agreement on the future of farm talks. The importance of the participation of NASDA's members into the WTO negotiations is underscored by the fact that the food and agricultural reforms begun in the Uruguay Round largely come to a halt next year. As the WTO reviews and considers modification of agricultural trade policies which will seriously impact the way the world trades in the next millennium, it is important that the concerns of U.S. agriculture are taken into consideration. (Contact: Patrick Atagi) NASDA COMMENTS ON CAFO GUIDANCE NASDA and a coalition of agricultural organizations have submitted comments on the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Draft Guidance Manual to implement the USDA/EPA Unified Strategy for Animal Feeding Operations. The manual is intended to provide guidance to EPA and state permitting authorities in establishing National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits for concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). Under the Unified Strategy and guidance, states are expected to begin a five-year Phase I permit program in January 2000 for most CAFOs. A key component of the permit program is the requirement to develop and implement "Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans." The coalition raised a number of concerns questioning EPA's authority to impose a number of new provisions regarding the permitting of CAFOs. Some of the issues addressed in the comments include: (1) requirements for nutrient management plans; (2) agricultural stormwater exemptions; (3) land application of manure; and (4) expansion of the NPDES permit system. The group stressed that voluntary, incentive-based programs are already underway in the states, have been successful in addressing water quality concerns. Earlier this year, NASDA filed separate comments on the Unified Strategy, which addressed many of these issues. Those comments also called for EPA to allow flexibility to recognize "functionally equivalent" state programs, and emphasized the need for state technical and resource assistance. NASDA and the coalition are planning to meet with EPA officials in the coming weeks to reiterate concerns with the guidance document. Copies of coalition's comments and NASDA's earlier letter are posted on the NASDA website. (Contact: Charlie Ingram) SIGN-UP ANNOUNCED FOR CROP DISASTER PROGRAM USDA Secretary Dan Glickman recently announced that farmers who have suffered severe crop losses due to natural disasters can begin to sign-up for cash grants starting December 13, 1999. To be eligible, farmers must have lost at least thirty-five percent of 1999 crops because of natural disasters. The deadline to file applications is February 25, 2000. The FY2000 Agriculture Appropriations bill provided $1.2 billion for the Crop Disaster Program. Eligible farmers will receive an advance payment equal to thirty-five percent of their projected total payment as soon as their application is approved. Participants will receive their final payment after all applications have been received and approved. Additional information is available from local USDA Service Centers or Farm Service Agency (FSA) local offices. (Contact: Charlie Ingram) CFTC AMENDS AG TRADE OPTION RULES The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced this week that it is amending its rules for agricultural trade options (ATOs) to make them simpler and more flexible for users by permitting cash settlement. Agricultural trade options are off-exchange options on specified domestic agricultural commodities offered to producers, processors, or merchandisers in connection with their business. Under prior rules, an agricultural trade option, if exercised, had to result in physical delivery of the underlying commodity. The amended cash settlement provisions will give producers greater flexibility. The Commission is also streamlining the registration requirements for agricultural trade option merchants and their sales agents. Finally, the CFTC is simplifying required disclosure statements and reducing overall reporting and recordkeeping requirements. The final rule will become effective in sixty days. (Contact: Charlie Ingram) ON THE HILL ~~Congress Adjourns for the Year~~After passing the final appropriations package before Thanksgiving, Congress has adjourned for the year. Both the House and Senate will reconvene January 24, 2000, for the second session of the 106th Congress. The State of the Union address is scheduled for January 27th. ~~Lugar Seeks Review of Food Safety Funds~~Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) has asked the General Accounting Office (GAO) to examine and report on the allocation and utilization of federal food safety resources. Lugar noted the federal government spends more than $1 billion annually to ensure the U.S. has the safest food supply in the world and said the study would help Congress identify areas where these funds can be used more effectively to prevent foodborne illness. Sens. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) also signed the letter. The senators asked GAO to determine the level of federal food safety resources allocated to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and how the resources were utilized. They also requested a report on the amount of resources state governments spend on food safety inspections and activities. ~~Senate Designate Biotechnology Month~~Before adjourning for the year, the Senate adopted a resolution designating January 2000 as National Biotechnology Month. The measure was introduced by Sen. Rod Grams (R-Minn.) and highlights the benefits of agricultural biotechnology, such as providing farmers with additional tools to control pests and employ environmentally friendly farming techniques. ~~Agriculture Antitrust Bill Introduced~~Sens. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) and Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) recently introduced legislation to ensure that antitrust laws in agriculture are properly enforced. The measure would create a position within the Antitrust Divisions of the Justice Department to enforce U.S. antitrust laws with respect to food and agriculture sectors. Lugar has held two hearings this year on the impact of agribusiness concentration on producers and consumers. ~~Lawmakers Demand Lamb Imports Relief~~Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Mont.) and other western lawmakers this week called on President Clinton to offer real relief to U.S. sheep producers and protect them from unfair foreign trade. In a letter to Clinton, the lawmakers said the administration had failed to provide promised domestic assistance following a finding by the International Trade Commission (ITC) that lamb imports from Australia and New Zealand have been undercutting the domestic sheep industry. Burns and his colleagues also asked the president to establish a new program for domestic sheep producers because current programs do not provide sufficient assistance. (Contact: Charlie Ingram) FOOD SAFETY BRIEFS ~~FSIS Outlines Rules for Enforcement Actions~~USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is amending its rules of practice that apply to agency enforcement actions. FSIS is defining each type of enforcement action that it may take, the conditions under which it is likely to take each of these actions, and the procedures it will follow in doing so. The final rule is part of the agency's ongoing effort to consolidate and streamline meat and poultry product inspection regulations. Enforcement action that FSIS may find necessary to take if inspection requirements are not met include refusing to grant an application for inspection; slowing or stopping production lines; not allowing a product to be shipped; rejecting equipment or facilities; or refusing to allow the processing of specifically identified products. The agency can also refuse to apply the mark of inspection to products; suspend inspection; withdraw inspection; or refuse to approve markings, labels, or containers. Appeals will continue to be processed based on existing regulations, in which persons filing an appeal go through the "chain of command." However, FSIS plans to propose changes to the appeals process separately at a later date. ~~E. Coli Testing Expanded For Other Products~~The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is requiring establishments that slaughter sheep, goats, horses, mules, ducks, geese, and guineas to sample and test carcasses for generic E. Coli. The rule expands the Pathogen Reduction and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system and testing requirements already applied to establishments that slaughter cattle, swine, chickens, and turkeys. Specifically, FSIS is requiring that sheep, goat, and equine establishments be sampled at the same frequency now required for cattle--one test per 300 carcasses. Duck, geese, and guineas establishments are to be sampled at the same frequency required for turkeys, which is one test per 3,000 carcasses. The final rule will become effective January 25, 2000. ~~Canadian Equivalence Proposal Released~~FSIS is making available a paper prepared by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) that describes its new Modernized Poultry Inspection Program (MPIP) for chicken, turkey, and fowl slaughter inspection in Canadian establishments which process poultry including those that export to the U.S. The Canadian government has formally requested that the U.S. consider its modernized proposal to pilot-test a revised slaughter system. A determination of equivalence will be necessary before any Canadian MPIP establishment can export its poultry to the U.S. FSIS is seeking public comment on the Canadian proposal before making any equivalence decisions or taking any action on the MPIP document. Comments are due by January 28, 2000. Additional information is available by faxing requests to 202-720-5704. ~~CAST Issues Crop Biotechnology Paper~~The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) released a new issue paper, "Application of Biotechnology to Crops: Benefits and Risks," at the World Trade Organization (WTO) ministerial in Seattle this week. The paper is a summary of recent scientific developments in modern biotechnology and discusses the potential benefits and risks when these are applied to agricultural crops. The report cites how biotech crops with improved traits, such as additional vitamin A and iron in rice, can confer nutritional benefits to millions of people who suffer from malnutrition. It also concludes that further risk management research should include monitoring of the effects of new transgenic crops on non-target species, such as birds and butterflies. Copies of the paper are available from the Internet at http://www.cast-science.org/. (Contact: Charlie Ingram) PESTICIDE BRIEFS ~~EPA Releases Health Assessment for Propetamphos~~The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a revised health effects assessment for the organophosphate (OP) insecticide propetamphos. Propetamphos is used to control ants, carpet beetles, cockroaches, crickets, earwigs, spiders, and dry wood termites. According to EPA's assessment, several worker and residential risks are of concern. The revised health assessment will be used as part of the agency's methodology in estimating the overall risk assessment for the pesticide under the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA). ~~Risk Assessment for Dimethoate Issued~~EPA has issued a summary describing the uses and risks of the organophosphate (OP) pesticide Dimethoate. The agency will hold a technical briefing on the pesticide on December 14, 1999. The briefing will describe the data and methodology involved in the assessment and will start a public comment period on risk management ideas. Dimethoate is a general use chemical used on a variety of field and orchard agricultural crops, ornamentals, rights-of-way, farm premises and equipment, sewage treatment, and food processing plants. ~~Field Testing for Genetically Modified Pesticide~~EPA announced this week a receipt from the University of Maryland of a notification of intent to conduct small-scale field testing of a genetically modified "Metarhizium" strain. The modified strain would improve the suppression of "cabbage loopers" from infesting cabbage plants. EPA is seeking public comment because the application may be of regional and national significance and may help develop alternatives to traditional pesticides to protect human health and the environment. Additional information is available from EPA's website at http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/, select biopesticides, then FR Notice. (Contact: Charlie Ingram) USDA NEWS ~~USDA Releases Disaster Grants for Farmworkers~~USDA Secretary Dan Glickman has awarded $20 million in grants to help low-income migrant and seasonal farmworkers who face economic hardship. Glickman said the income of many farmworkers has declined by more than fifty percent because crops in many parts of the country have been devastated by drought, hurricanes, and other disasters. Grants will go to both public and private organizations in Arkansas, California, Florida, New Jersey, Ohio, and Puerto Rico to pay for emergency services including housing, food, transportation, medical care, and rent or mortgage payments. ~~USDA Removes CRP Crop Restrictions~~Commodity Credit Corporation Executive Vice President Keith Kelly recently announced that certain highly erodible land-use restrictions have been removed for Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) participants. The FY2000 Agriculture Appropriations bill rescinded a special CRP highly erodible land provision that applied to participants who entered into CRP contracts after November 1990. The provisions prevented those participants from growing certain crops on land acquired after that date unless that land had a crop history. All state Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices have been instructed to notify CRP participants and suspend enforcement of this provision. ~~Website Launched on Clinton Forest Plan~~USDA's Forest Service (FS) has established a new website for information and updates on development of President Clinton's recent initiative to protect more than 50 million acres of national forests. The Forest Service is currently working on two proposals: a policy to determine management of its roads system and a proposal dealing with roadless areas in national forests. The initiative has generated much controversy in Congress, many lawmakers it say is a federal land grab. The new website is http://www.roadless.fs.fed.us/ and lists a schedule of ongoing national and local public meetings. ~~Proposals Sought for Sheep and Lamb Promotion~~USDA is seeking proposals for a national sheep and lamb promotion, research, and information order. An order would provide for assessments on sales of sheep and lambs and for an industry board to carry out promotion, research, and information programs. These programs are intended to increase demand for sheep and lamb. Similar promotion programs already exist for beef, cotton, dairy products, eggs, fluid milk, honey, limes, mushrooms, soybeans, and pork under commodity specific legislation. Proposals are due by December 23, 1999. Additional information is available from USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) by calling 202-720-1115. ~~Forest Service Proposes Special Use Permit Fees~~USDA's Forest Service (FS) has proposed regulations dealing with recovery of costs to process and monitor special use permits. Special use permits are required for ski resorts, outfitters and guides, recreation residences, radio and television towers, and many other uses of 192 million acres managed by the Forest Service. The agency said it is seeking the proposed fees to improve customer service and decrease a backlog of special use applications. ~~Turkey Lifts Ban on U.S. Cattle~~USDA has announced that Turkey has lifted its three-year embargo on U.S. cattle and will resume importation of livestock effective immediately. Turkish officials banned the importation of U.S. cattle in 1996 after an outbreak of foot and mouth (FMD) disease in that country. In reopening the market, Turkey agreed to a new set of import health requirements which the U.S. livestock industry supports. USDA Undersecretary for Marketing Mike Dunn said that 10,000 to 14,000 cattle are expected to be exported to Turkey over the next year. ~~Deputy Chief Named for State & Private Forestry~~USDA Forest Service Chief Mike Dombeck has appointed Robin Thompson as the Associate Deputy Chief for State and Private Forestry (S&PF). Thompson, who has served in the Forest Service for twenty years, will be responsible for working with private organizations, state agencies, tribal governments, and other federal agencies to assure effective conservation management and promote stewardship of the nation's forests. ~~USDA Approves Satellite Use to Measure Acreage~~Risk Management Agency (RMA) Administrator Ken Ackerman has announced USDA's support for the use of the geographic imaging systems/global positioning system (GIS/GPS) to measure insured acreage. Until now, RMA has only used satellite imaging data that assesses crop damage from natural disaster like Hurricane Floyd. Two companies selling federal crop insurance have already started selected use of the technology and others are investigating its use. Ackerman said wider use of the technology will increase the accuracy of acreage reporting. ~~Restrictions Proposed on Interstate Movement of Sheep and Goats~~USDA is proposing to further restrict the interstate movement of sheep and goats from states that allow unrestricted intrastate movement of animals that pose a high risk of spreading scrapie, a serious neurological disease. The proposed rule would address three major changes: (1) restricting the interstate movement of sheep and goats from states that do not consider scrapie a reportable disease or do not quarantine infected flocks; (2) adding identification requirements for the interstate movement of sheep and goats to allow for a more effective national scrapie surveillance program; and (3) reinstating a scrapie indemnification program for sheep and goats that are euthanized to prevent further spread of the disease. Additional information is available from USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) website at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/webrepor. (Contact: Charlie Ingram) STATE NEWS
RAIL SERVICE NOW AVAILABLE TO LA. SUGARCANE GROWERS |