By a vote of 38 to 6, the House Agriculture Committee today approved legislation to effectively repeal country of origin labeling requirements for beef, pork, and chicken. A combination of 68 Democrats and Republicans joined Chairman Michael Conaway (R-TX) in introducing the bipartisan bill that will leave intact the requirements for all other covered commodities. “This bill is a targeted … Read More
House Ag Ready to Repeal COOL
House Agriculture Committee Chairman Michael Conaway (R-TX) held a press conference today to announce legislation to repeal the Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) requirements for beef, pork and chicken. Conaway was joined by a bi-partisan group of representatives from a variety of states including Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA), Rep. David Rouzer (R-NC), Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO), Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-OR), … Read More
Industry Reacts to Final WTO COOL Ruling
In response to the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) fourth and final ruling on Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) for muscle cuts of beef and pork, the COOL Reform Coalition is calling for “immediate congressional intervention” to bring the U.S. into compliance with its trade obligations and avoid the threat of retaliatory action on the part of Mexico and Canada. “We … Read More
WTO Issues Final COOL Ruling Against U.S.
As expected, the World Trade Organization today issued a final ruling against the United States over Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) for livestock and meat products. The final ruling maintained previous conclusions that “the amended COOL measure increases the record-keeping burden for imported livestock entailed by the original COOL measure.” The Appellate Body rejected U.S. arguments that the conclusions were … Read More
Policy Influencers Learn About Antibiotic Use
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) has focused efforts on continuing educational on the use of antibiotics in the cattle industry. On Capitol Hill, staffers gathered to hear from Dr. Guy Loneragan, veterinary epidemiologist and professor of Food Safety and Public Health and at Texas Tech University, as part of NCBA’s “Beef 101” educational series. NCBA also hosted another FDA … Read More
Senators and Ag Interests Promote TPA
Senate Republicans and agriculture industry leaders held a press conference in Washington today to discuss the ways new trade deals could benefit the agriculture community and urge passage of the bipartisan Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) legislation. Senators speaking on behalf of TPA included Republican Conference Chairman John Thune (R-SD), Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS), Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) … Read More
House Passes Regulatory Integrity Protection Act
Yesterday the House passed the H.R. 1732 Regulatory Integrity Protection Act by a vote of 261 to 155 to withdraw the proposed “waters of the United States” rule. Here is a statement by National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) President and Chugwater, Wyoming, cattleman Philip Ellis: “We commend the members of the House on taking this action to protect America’s farmers, … Read More
NFU Urges Reauthorization of Livestock Price Reporting
National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson encouraged Congress to reauthorize the Livestock Mandatory Price Reporting Act in a letter to Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kansas, and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow, D-Michigan, of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry. He also offered suggestions for making the price reporting data a more effective and usable tool for family farmers … Read More
More Aid for Poultry Producers Approved
Poultry and egg producers hit hard by the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N2 infections are getting some help. The federal government’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) granted Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack authority to issue emergency assistance for poultry and egg producers whose flocks were hit with the virus. And the U.S. Senate and House Agriculture Committee leadership called for … Read More
One Quarter of Iowa Layers Hit with HPAI
*UPDATE* Iowa Governor declares state of emergency late Friday as four more probable cases of HPAI announced. New audio added below. Another five probable cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) were reported Thursday in Iowa commercial poultry operations, including an estimated 5.5 million on one farm. “A week ago our announcement was 3.8 million layers, I believe we’re north … Read More