Policy Priorities for Livestock Markets

Jamie JohansenAg Group, Auctions, Audio, legislation, Livestock, LMA, NAFB

Livestock Marketing Association (LMA) is the voice for local livestock auction markets on state and federal legislative and regulatory issues. They brought that voice to NAFB’s Trade Talk to bring to light key ag policy issues relevant to the livestock marketing sector. Chelsea Good, Vice President of Government and Industry Affairs, said the Packers and Stockyards Act is the main … Read More

FDA Accepting Comments on GFI #213

Lizzy SchultzAg Group, Animal Health, Antibiotics, FDA, legislation, Veterinary

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that the agency is entering the next phase of efforts to mitigate antimicrobial resistance through Guidance for Industry #213 (GFI #213), which will, once fully implemented, limit the use of medically important antibiotics to therapeutic-only use under the oversight of a veterinarian. The FDA has announced that it is shifting its … Read More

NMPF Endorses Legislation Exempting Farms from RCRA

Lizzy SchultzAg Group, Agribusiness, Aquaculture, Dairy, dairy farming, environment, EPA, Government, legislation, National Milk, Policy

The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) has expressed support for new bipartisan legislation introduced in the House of Representatives that clarifies the exemption of dairy farms and other livestock producers from being subject to the Resource Conversation and Recovery Act (RCRA). RCRA was enacted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1976 to set forth a framework for the … Read More

AFIA Welcomes New Leadership At DC Meeting

Lizzy SchultzAFIA, Ag Group, Company Announcement, Feed, legislation, Policy

Members of the American Feed Industry Association’s (AFIA) Board of Directors met in Washington, D.C. last week to discuss current policy issues affecting the animal food industry, including the cumbersome Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). The group attended a legislative briefing at the U.S. Capitol Building during the trip, and board members promoted AFIA positions on proposed legislation for GMO … Read More

NPPC Granted Motion In Trademark Lawsuit

Lizzy SchultzAg Group, Animal Activists, legislation, NPPC, Pork, Pork Checkoff

This week, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia Circuit granted the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC)’s motion to intervene in the lawsuit brought by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) over the sale of the Pork. The Other White Meat trademarks. The decision comes two weeks after USDA’s … Read More

Lawsuit Filed Against Animal Rights Initiative

Lizzy SchultzAg Group, Animal Activists, Animal Welfare, consumer, Eggs, Farm Policy, Farming, legislation, Livestock, Policy, Protect the Harvest

Massachusetts farmer James Dunn and local anti-poverty activist Diane Sullivan have joined together in a lawsuit asking Massachusetts courts to toss a proposed 2016 animal rights petition. Proposed Initiative Petition No. 15-11 would create strict new regulations on farmers and place new restrictions on interstate commerce, and experts have warned that the proposed rules will actually harm animals, while driving … Read More

Obama Uses Antiquities Act to Lock Off 1.8 Million Acres

Jamie JohansenAg Group, Conservation, Land, legislation, Public Lands Council

The Public Lands Council (PLC) is once again less than impressed with how President Obama has improperly leveraged the Antiquities Act of 1906 to lock up millions of acres of the American West. In a press release touting the designation of Sand to Snow National Monument, Mojave Trails National Monument, and Castle Mountains National Monument – a total of 1.8 … Read More

House Ag Committee Holds Hearing On #WOTUS

Lizzy SchultzAg Group, Beef, environment, EPA, Government, legislation, NCBA, Water

The House of Representatives Agriculture Committee held a hearing today regarding the impacts of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) actions on the rural economy. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy was the hearing’s sole witness. The hearing showed a continued broad opposition to the controversial “Waters of the United States” Rule (WOTUS), which already is faced with a number of legal challenges … Read More

Omnibus Provisions To Impact Horse Industry

Lizzy SchultzAg Group, American Horse Council, Animal Health, Animal Welfare, APHIS, environment, Equine, Horse Protection Act, Horse Slaughter, legislation, Policy

The American Horse Council has announced that the Omnibus Appropriations Bill recently passed by Congress, which will fund government agencies and programs until the end of the fiscal year, September 30, 2016, contains several provisions that will directly impact the horse industry and industry professionals. A major provision includes reforms to the H-2B Temporary Non-Agriculture Worker Program, making the program … Read More

Judge Rules to Decrease Wild Horse Population

Lizzy SchultzAnimal Activists, Animal Welfare, Equine, legislation, Livestock, Public Lands Council

A Washington, DC judge took the side of American livestock producers this week with the rejection of unsupported claims from animal rights activists that the United States Forest Service(USFS) Wild Horse Management Plan would threaten the health and well-being of the wild horse population in the Modoc National Forest of Northeastern California. The management plan seeks to reduce the population … Read More