Representatives Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), Jim Costa (D-CA), Steve Womack (R-AR) and Peter Welch (D-VT), today re-introduced legislation called the RFS Reform Act “to reform the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) to help ease concerns created by the ethanol mandate and protect consumers, livestock producers, food manufacturers, retailers, and the U.S. economy.” Livestock and poultry producer organizations are among those supporting the … Read More
Proposal Would Move Meat Inspection to HHS
President Obama’s proposed budget would combine USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other agencies’ efforts into a single agency under Health and Human Services (HHS). The proposal would primarily impact the meat inspection program which would be combined with other food safety responsibilities. On Monday, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack spent much of a … Read More
EPA and Corps Withdraw WOTUS Interpretive Rule
The Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have at least ditched part of the WOTUS rule. The Interpretive Rule Regarding the Applicability of Clean Water Act Section related to the proposed Waters of the United States (WOTUS) was officially withdrawn by EPA and the Corps in a memo last Thursday, January 29. Congress requested asked for … Read More
USDA Shows 1% Increase in Cattle Inventories
The latest numbers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) show that the cattle inventory is up 1 Percent from 2014. NASS says this is the first increase in the U.S. inventory since 2007. Other key findings in the report were: – There are 29.7 million beef cows in the United States as of January 1, … Read More
Lawsuit to Protect Farmer Data Dismissed
Agricultural organizations seeking to block the Environmental Protection Agency from releasing personal information of livestock and poultry farmers and ranchers in response to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests were dealt a blow this week when the federal district court in Minnesota dismissed the lawsuit. The court concluded that no federally permitted livestock or poultry farmer is injured by such … Read More
Food Safety Modernization Act Update at AFBF
Food and Drug Administration Deputy Commissioner Mike Taylor provided an update on the implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) at the American Farm Bureau convention this week in San Diego. Taylor says his agency is focusing on three broad themes in implementing the 2011 law: the farm-to-table approach, practical common standards, and holding imports to the same standards … Read More
Governor Convenes Missouri Beef Industry Summit
Missouri Governor Jay Nixon convened a summit on Monday to discuss opportunities to maximize the potential of Missouri’s beef cattle industry. “It’s really about us as a country, making sure we are living up to our responsibility to feed, fuel and clothe the world,” said Nixon at the Missouri Beef Industry Summit, held at the University of Missouri in Columbia. … Read More
Congress Passes Key Tax Extenders Legislation
The U.S. Senate voted 76 to 16 to pass a tax extenders package that holds key provisions for small businesses such as section 179 expensing and bonus depreciation. The tax extenders package was previously approved in the U.S. House of Representatives and now heads to the White House for approval. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President Bob McCan said this is … Read More
Poultry Industry Perplexed by OSHA Citations
Poultry producers are perplexed by some recent worker safety citations. This news release from the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association says the group, along with the National Chicken Council, take exception to the recent OSHA citation against Wayne Farms for alleged safety violations at its Jack, Alabama, plant involving musculoskeletal disorders and other workplace hazards, pointing out that the complaints … Read More
NCBA Concerned About Dietary Guidelines
The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee met Monday for the last time this year after being included in the spending bill passed by Congress, being instructed to focus its work on nutrient and dietary recommendations “based on sound nutrition science” – as opposed to including sustainability and climate change speculations. The panel provides federal nutrition policy recommendations to the USDA and … Read More