The Farm Bill has been in the news this week. President Bush’s expect veto of the proposed bill came on Wednesday, followed quickly by the House’s 316-108 override on the same day. But as the bill moved to the Senate for their override vote, it was discovered that a 34-page section of the bill had been omitted from the original … Read More
Downer Ban Likely to Take Effect
The USDA has proposed to ban all downer cattle from slaughterhouses in the country, a policy that could take effect before the summer’s end. The move by Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer is an effort to boost public confidence in the safety of the nation’s food supply. The proposal, which could take effect within a few months, follows the largest beef … Read More
NMPF Happy About Farm Bill
National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) applauded the passing of the new negotiated Farm Bill in the House and the Senate this week. The bill contains a package of programs that improves farm policy and benefits dairy producers according to NMPF, who also has a summary of the Farm Bill’s dairy-related provisions. The House passed the Food, Conservation and Energy Act … Read More
Farm Bill Reaches Final Stages
Lawmakers have hammered out a final agreement on the Farm Bill, but many insiders are saying that President Bush will veto the effort. “This bill increases subsidies to farmers at a time of record farm income,” Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer said. The negotiators “have done a disservice to taxpayers.” The speedy reaction from the executive branch put the spotlight on … Read More
Baytril Approved
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of Baytril® 100 (enrofloxacin) in dairy replacement heifers less than 20 months of age. Baytril 100 is a powerful, fast-acting antimicrobial for first-line treatment of BRD that beef cattle producers and bovine veterinarians have relied on for more than a decade. This lifesaving antimicrobial kills all three major BRD-causing bacteria … Read More
Another Two Week Extension
Another extension has been granted to the current Farm Bill – this time for two weeks. Lawmakers are grappling with several key issues, among them a stalemate with President Bush. There were signs the bill could become an issue in the presidential campaign. The Republican presidential nominee-in-waiting, Arizona Sen. John McCain, announced in Des Moines that he would veto the … Read More
Farm Bill Update
The Farm Bill extension went down to the wire before President Bush signed another one-week extension that expires May 2. Lawmakers were able to reach a tentative agreement today that legislative aides will work this weekend to hammer out before the new deadline. An intense series of closed-door bargaining sessions over how to pay for the five-year, roughly $280 billion … Read More
NMPF Files Petition
The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) has filed a joint citizen petition with the American Meat Institute and the National Meat Association that in urges the USDA to ensure that all nonambulatory, or downer, cattle, are kept out of the human food supply. NMPF jointly filed, with the American Meat Institute and the National Meat Association, a citizen petition that … Read More
Bush Calls for One Year Extension
President Bush has asked Congress to pass a one-year extension of the 2002 Farm Bill as the expiration of the bill’s one-week extension looms. The White House proposal would erase hopes in Congress of large increases in funding for nutrition programs like food stamps and in land stewardship. Some farm lobbyists say a bill cannot pass without rewarding those popular … Read More
New Zealand Excited About Milk's Potential
Scientists and lawmakers in New Zealand are excited about the potential of milk, saying the country is only scraping the surface of milk’s potential. The Government’s $700 million Fast Forward investment into science and innovation, announced last month, would make research possible. “I have no doubt that some very smart scientists will also find ways to crack milk into a … Read More