|
A publication of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture NASDA ANNOUNCES NEW REPRESENTATIVES ON HOMELAND SECURITY PANEL HOUSE SMALL BUSINESS PANEL REVIEWS 2007 FARM BILL EPA OFFERS ENVIRONMENTAL ASSISTANCE GRANT FOR LIVESTOCK OPERATORS CANADA REQUESTS WTO PANEL ON U.S. AGRICULTURAL SUBSIDIES State News--OFFICE OF AGRICULTURAL LAW ENFORCEMENT RECEIVES STATE ACCREDITATION State News--EDWARDS SELECTED TO HEAD PESTICIDE ENFORCEMENT _________________________________________________________Past Issues What's New on the NASDA Website
NASDA's 2007 Farm Bill Recommendations NASDA's Midyear Meeting Documents NASDA's Trade Shows: USFES; AFF; IFE
|
_____________________________________________________________________ REGIONAL MEETINGS DEADLINES APPROACHING Meeting and hotel information is available for the SASDA, WASDA, and MASDA meetings. The hotel group deadlines are coming up soon, so check out the websites at http://www.nasda.org/sasda/, http://www.nasda.org/wasda2007, and http://www.nasda.org/masda/. SASDA 2007 registration ends June 11 and WASDA 2007 ends July 1. NASDA 2007 EVENT--SIGN UP BY JULY 23 The Washington State Department of Agriculture has organized four suites at the Seattle Mariners game on Tuesday, Sept. 25th. If you wish to attend, you must RSVP because seating is limited. Please sign up before July 23rd by going to the NASDA 2007 website, http://www.nasda.org/nasda2007/. The cost for the event is included in the meeting registration fee. _____________________________________________________________________ NASDA ANNOUNCES NEW REPRESENTATIVES ON HOMELAND SECURITY PANEL NASDA President Valoria Loveland has announced new state representatives to the administration's Food and Agriculture Sector Government Coordinating Council (GCC). The council provides input and works with USDA, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other federal agencies to plan, coordinate and implement homeland security policies related to food and agriculture. Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Gene Hugoson and Vermont Agriculture Secretary Roger Allbee will represent NASDA and the state departments of agriculture on the council. South Dakota Agriculture Secretary Bill Even will serve as an alternate representative. The Food and Agriculture Sector Coordinating Council was organized in March 2004 by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under a presidential directive. The council represents the full spectrum of the nation's food production system from "farm to fork." The Government Coordinating Council (GCC) consists of federal, state, and local governments. In addition to the NASDA representatives, the council includes two NASDA affiliates the National Association of State Animal Health Officials, and the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO). Specific tasks for the councils include: (1) identifying key policy issues; (2) identifying gaps and/or needs in programs and activities; (3) communicating and sharing critical information; and (4) leveraging resources between government and industry. (Contact: Charlie Ingram) TWO SUBCOMMITTEES FORWARD FARM BILL RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE HOUSE AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE; MORE MARKUPS SCHEDULED Last week, the House Agriculture Subcommittees on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture and on Specialty Crops, Rural Development, and Foreign Agriculture approved proposals for the farm bill titles under their jurisdictions. Congressman Dennis Cardoza (D-Calif.) is the chairman of the Horticulture and Organic Agriculture Subcommittee and Congressman Mike McIntyre (D-N.C.) is the chairman of the Specialty Crops, Rural Development, and Foreign Agriculture. The subcommittees considered discussion drafts outlining proposals under each of their jurisdictions and approved several amendments by voice vote. Copies of the discussion drafts and the amendments approved by the subcommittees are available online at http://agriculture.house.gov/inside/2007FarmBill.html. The discussion draft considered by the Subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture expands the specialty crop block grant program; doubles the amount of USDA purchases of fruits and vegetables for use in school lunch and other feeding programs; extends the honey marketing loan program; funds USDA's cost-share program for organic producers seeking certification; expands the Farmers' Market Promotion Program; provides USDA authority to include good handling practices and other measures to ensure food safety in marketing orders for specialty crops; and establishes new tools and programs to address plant pests and diseases, among several provisions. It also restores to the USDA the responsibility for border inspection of imported agricultural products. The expansion of the specialty crop block grant program includes funding levels from CCC based on the contingency reserve: $20,000,000 in FY08; $25,000,000 in FY09; $30,000,000 in FY10; $35,000,000 in FY11; and $55,000,000 in FY12. The Subcommittee on Specialty Crops, Rural Development, and Foreign Agriculture approved by voice vote discussion drafts outlining the Rural Development title as well as the peanut and sugar programs. Specialty crops under this subcommittee are defined as sugar, peanuts, and tobacco. The subcommittee discussion draft reauthorizes the peanut program, extending the direct payment, counter-cyclical payment, and marketing loan provisions contained in the 2002 farm bill. The draft increases the loan rate from $355 per ton to $375 per ton and lowers payment acres from 85 percent of base acres to 74 percent. The current sugar program would be extended until 2012, including the non-recourse loan program and the authority for marketing allotments. The draft requires that the Secretary of Agriculture continue to operate the program at no cost to the federal government by avoiding forfeitures of sugar. This week a markup is scheduled for June 14 for the Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, Nutrition, and Forestry with the next mark up scheduled June 19 for the Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management. The full committee will mark up the 2007 farm bill the week of June 25. (Contact: Jennifer Yezak) HOUSE SMALL BUSINESS PANEL REVIEWS 2007 FARM BILL The House Small Business Committee held a hearing on June 7 to discuss the 2007 farm bill. The hearing marked the first time the committee has reviewed farm bill legislation and how it impacts small business and rural economies. NASDA submitted written testimony for the hearing that focused on market competition, small business and the need to allow interstate meat sales. NASDA's statement emphasized that small processors and businesses are denied opportunities to compete in the national marketplace while 34 foreign countries are allowed to ship and sell their meat and poultry products anywhere in the United States. During the hearing, Committee Chairwoman Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.) discussed economic impacts that rural farmers and small businesses face due to fluctuating market prices, lack of rain, and increases in energy rates. Agricultural organizations who testified included former Congressman Glenn English of National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), Tom Buis of the National Farmers Union (NFU), Mike Noonan of the Oregon Wheat Growers League (OWGL), and Mark Schwiebert of the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA). Other issues brought to attention at the hearing were global warming and what small business and rural farmers could do to help combat this issue. (Contact: Charlie Ingram or Martin Sewick) EPA OFFERS ENVIRONMENTAL ASSISTANCE GRANT FOR LIVESTOCK OPERATORS The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is requesting applications from organizations for a $7.9 million grant to provide technical assistance to livestock operators, including animal feeding operations, for the prevention of water discharges and reduction of air emissions. The grant recipient will provide livestock operations with two types of technical assistance at no cost to the operator: (1) comprehensive assessments of water and air quality environmental challenges and recommendations for strategies to mitigate these challenges; and (2) development or review of the facility's nutrient management plan. All livestock operations are eligible to receive assistance from the grant recipient. According to EPA, there are an estimated 1.3 million farms holding livestock in the United States. Approximately 238,000 of these farms are considered animal feeding operations. These operations generate more than 500 million tons of animal waste annually and continually face the challenge of how best to manage these wastes in a manner that minimizes adverse impacts on the environment. This project will assist livestock operations by ensuring that farmers are aware of environmental impacts from their facilities and understand how best to address them. The deadline for grant applications is July 19, 2007. More information about the grant solicitation is available at http://www.epa.gov/npdes/afo. (Contact: Charlie Ingram) CANADA REQUESTS WTO PANEL ON U.S. AGRICULTURAL SUBSIDIES Canadian Minister of International Trade David Emerson and Canadian Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board Chuck Strahl announced last week in a news release that the Government of Canada has requested that a World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement panel be established on the issue of U.S. agricultural subsidies. "We remain concerned that the U.S. is providing agricultural subsidies in breach of its WTO commitments," said Emerson. "Requesting a dispute settlement panel reinforces our efforts in the Doha negotiations toward reducing trade-distorting U.S. subsidies." "We are standing up for Canadian farmers by taking this concrete action against harmful U.S. agricultural subsidies," said Strahl. "The drafting of the next farm bill over the coming weeks and months is an opportunity for the U.S. to ensure that its subsidy programs comply with its WTO obligations." It is Canada's view that U.S. subsidies exceeded its WTO commitments in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, and 2005. Under WTO rules, the U.S. can provide up to $19.1 billion annually in trade-distorting agricultural subsidies. Most of these subsidies emanate from farm bill programs and are provided to a wide range of agricultural products, including, but not limited to, corn, wheat, soybeans, pulses and sugar. It is also Canada's view that, contrary to WTO rules, the U.S. provides export credit guarantees that subsidize the exportation of certain agricultural products. On January 8, 2007, Canada requested consultations with the U.S. on this matter. Eight other WTO members (the European Union, Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Uruguay and Thailand) joined the consultations as third parties. The WTO consultations, held on February 7, 2007, did not resolve the issue. In its consultations, Canada raised concerns that U.S. corn subsidies were causing, or threatening to cause, serious prejudice to Canadian corn growers by significantly suppressing Canadian prices. Canada has chosen not to include this element in the current request for a WTO Panel. However, their case on Total Aggregate Measurement of Support (AMS) includes the same programs, and the subsidies paid out to U.S. corn farmers under these programs, that were at issue in the WTO consultations on serious prejudice. Canada retains the right to seek a WTO panel on serious prejudice on corn at a later date. Further information can be located at http://www.international.gc.ca/index.aspx. The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) is pleased that the Canadian government dropped its allegations of prejudice by U.S. corn. "Corn prices increased significantly in 2006 and have continued to be well above support levels," said NCGA President Ken McCauley. NCGA's release can be located at http://www.ncga.com/. (Contact: Jennifer Yezak) STATE NEWS OFFICE OF AGRICULTURAL LAW ENFORCEMENT RECEIVES STATE ACCREDITATION Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles H. Bronson announced last week that the Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement (AgLaw) has been awarded accredited status by the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation (CFA) at a commission meeting in Stuart, Florida. CFA is based in Orlando, Florida and reviews all aspects of an agency's policies and procedures, management, operations, and support services to determine compliance with 276 recognized standards of excellence. CFA Chairman Chuck Rinehart, chief of the Punta Gorda Police Department, formally presented the certificate of accreditation to Bronson and Colonel Darrell Liford of AgLaw on Wednesday, June 6, 2007, after a successful inspection of AgLaw facilities and interviews with personnel that occurred in April of this year. Undergoing the voluntary state accreditation process provides a law enforcement agency with a "quality assurance review" and encourages intense self-scrutiny, resulting in more efficient and effective daily operations. Becoming accredited by the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation is considered a significant accomplishment, and this status is held in high esteem by the criminal justice community. Once compliance is achieved, accreditation status is awarded for a period of three years, at which point the agency will have to be re-accredited. This forces every accredited agency to establish and maintain standards that represent current professional law enforcement practices, to strive to increase effectiveness and efficiency in the delivery of law enforcement services, to institute practices that reduce liability for the agency and its personnel, and to update systems that make an agency and its personnel accountable to the constituency they serve. "Our Agricultural Officers have always played a vital role in our efforts to reduce plant and animal disease, protect consumers from fraudulent business practices and food safety violations, and the aggressive investigation of arson crimes occurring on wildlands in Florida. Now, by choosing to participate in the formal and thorough peer review by the commission, AgLaw can document to the citizens of Florida that it adheres to the high standards of law enforcement professionalism and is among the finest in the state," Bronson said. The Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement was created in 1992. The new entity consolidated all of the department's law enforcement functions, which resulted in a more efficient use of resources and law enforcement personnel. In 2002, AgLaw Officers received full law enforcement authority. They are responsible for conducting inspections of highway shipments of agricultural, horticultural, aquacultural and livestock commodities, investigations of consumer fraud, and enforcement of criminal and civil violations occurring within state forests or any crimes involving agriculture. A centerpiece of the AgLaw program are the 23 interdiction stations in North Florida that its officers staff to inspect the more than 10 million commercial vehicles that enter or leave the state each year. In recent years, officers have recovered nearly $25 million in drugs, stolen goods and contraband at those locations. Individual seizures have included a $7 million cocaine shipment, $600,000 in stolen medicines, 60 stolen large-screen televisions and a truckload of stolen computer equipment. Designed historically to keep plant and animal pest and diseases out of Florida by inspecting the commercial vehicles that enter or leave the state, the stations are playing an increasingly important role in Florida's homeland security efforts, as officers have detained several truckloads of illegal aliens in addition to the seizure of drugs, stolen goods and other contraband at the stations. (Contact: Cheryl DeGroff-Berry, 850/245-1300) EDWARDS SELECTED TO HEAD PESTICIDE ENFORCEMENT The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) has selected Doug Edwards as the supervisor of enforcement and field operations in its Office of Pesticide Services. Edwards, a two-year veteran of VDACS, took over his new responsibilities May 23. As enforcement supervisor, he will lead a statewide workforce of 11 field inspectors who investigate citizen complaints alleging the misuse of pesticides, and work with industry to seek compliance with state and federal laws, as well as the regulations promulgated by the Virginia Pesticide Control Board. Edwards came to VDACS in 2005 as the program coordinator who managed Worker Protection Standards and product registrations. Prior to that, he worked with the Fresno County California Department of Agriculture for 30 years, and departed as the Deputy Agricultural Commissioner for Fresno County. He has a bachelor's of science degree in entomology from the University of California, Davis, and in California, was licensed in 14 areas of specialization, ranging from Apiary Regulation to Pesticide Enforcement. He is married with two daughters and a grandson, Joshua, and lives in Newport News. "Doug brings a rich history in pesticide enforcement to his new position," said Andres Alvarez, director of the Division of Consumer Protection. "We are excited about the contributions he will make and the ways he will enhance environmental protection in Virginia." (Contact: Elaine J. Lidholm, 804/786-7686) |