News from July 21

U.S. REPRESENTATIVES CONCERNED WITH GIPSA PROPOSAL

     Members of a U.S. House agriculture subcommittee expressed deep concern with USDA’s proposed rule on livestock and poultry contracts and marketing arrangements. The regulation would limit pork producers’ options in selling pigs to processors, according to the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC).
      U.S. Reps. David Scott (D-GA) and Randy Neugebauer (R-TX), the chairman and ranking member, respectively, of the House Agriculture Committee’s Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Subcommittee, said during a hearing yesterday they are troubled the proposed rule amending the Packers & Stockyards Act (PSA) goes beyond the congressional intent of the 2008 Farm Bill. The legislation authorized USDA’s Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) to issue rules clarifying certain provisions of PSA and implementing new ones related to capital investments, arbitration and poultry contracts.
     House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D-MN), who attended the hearing, and other subcommittee members also voiced concerns with the broad scope of the rule and its likely adverse effects on the livestock and poultry industries. One panel member said the rule would put livestock producers in his district out of business. Some lawmakers who participated in crafting the 2008 Farm Bill pointed out Congress chose not to act on some proposals now included in the GIPSA rule because they would disrupt the U.S. livestock industry.
     "Several of the rule’s provisions go further than what was required by the Farm Bill," said NPPC President Sam Carney. "NPPC believes the proposed rule is overly broad and very vague, with many terms not well defined. As written, it appears the rule would have a negative effect on the ability of pork producers to enter into arrangements to produce hogs under contracts and to sell hogs through marketing arrangements."
     Panel members also expressed concern that GIPSA – so far – has refused to extend for the "most significant regulation on livestock markets in nearly 100 years" the 60-day period for submitting comments on the rule. The current deadline is August 23.
     NPPC, in a July 6 letter to GIPSA Administrator J. Dudley Butler, requested a 120-day extension of the comment period. It said the scope of the proposed rule and the lack of an adequate economic analysis of its impact on the livestock industry warrant an extension.
     Last week, 22 members of the House Agriculture Committee signed a letter to U.S. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack requesting an extension of the comment period for 120 days past an August 27 "workshop" on competition in the livestock industry in Ft. Collins, CO.
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News from July 20

WEATHER SERVING UP A TRIPLE THREAT TO KANSAS LIVESTOCK

 

     Extreme temperatures coupled with high humidity and low wind speeds have led to losses of feedyard cattle in parts of the state. This hot weather pattern started July 16 and is forecast to last through the middle of this week, according to the USDA Agricultural Research Service.     

     Management strategies for dealing with extreme heat in feedyards are limited. Research has shown the most effective practices include providing adequate shade, spraying with water, careful monitoring and proper feeding and watering. Discuss specific alternatives with your veterinarian and nutritionist to develop a strategy for your operation.

     Overnight lows higher than 74 degrees do not allow cattle to adequately cool, requiring heightened observation and possibly intervention the following day. Livestock heat stress forecast maps are produced daily through a partnership of the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center and the National Weather Service. More information on heat stress forecasts and tips for managing such emergencies can be found by clicking here.   

     USDA’s livestock indemnity program (LIP) can compensate producers for animals lost during extreme weather events, including heat. LIP will pay on a per head basis for losses exceeding an established baseline loss percentage. For non-adult beef cattle over 800 lbs., the baseline death loss percent is 1.1% and the payment rate is $654.60 per head. For cattle between 400 and 799 lbs., the program will pay on losses over 1.9% at a rate of $432.59 per head. Cattle under 400 lbs. will be compensated at $302.58 per head over 2.7%. Producers will be required to notify the county Farm Service Agency office that maintains their farm records within 30 days of the loss and then file an application for payment by January 30, 2011. A producer must have an adjusted gross non-farm income of $500,000 or less on their tax return to qualify for payments. The program is capped at $100,000 per producer. Documentation of inventory and livestock losses will be necessary as part of the application process.   

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News from July 19

 

MONFORT, HITCH, McDONALD GO INTO FEEDERS HALL OF FAME

 

     The late Kenneth Monfort and H.C. “Ladd” Hitch were inducted into the Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame earlier this month. In addition, retired Texas Cattle Feeders Association (TCFA) Executive Vice President Richard McDonald was presented the first “Industry Leadership Award” by the Hall of Fame. All of the awards were presented during a July 8 banquet in Denver.       

     Monfort helped revolutionize the cattle feeding industry by building a processing plant in feedyard country and inventing boxed beef. He and his father, Warren, expanded their feeding period through the winter to make beef available year-round.

     Hitch played a key role in the success and growth of family-owned Hitch Enterprises. He built the Henry C. Hitch Feedlot in 1953 on the family’s Guymon ranch headquarters. Through his leadership and vision, Hitch grew the company’s feeding business to three commercial feedyards with a one-time capacity of more than 150,000 head. He was one of the first feedyard owners to install large concrete silo pits.

     The leadership award is presented to an industry advocate who has been key to the success of the cattle feeding business. McDonald fulfilled this role through his work at TCFA from 1974 to 2006. He was instrumental in helping pass a number of tax relief measures for ranchers and feeders.

     Monfort, Hitch and McDonald are the second class of inductees into the Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame. Recipients are featured in the virtual Hall of Fame at http://www.cattlefeeders.org/.  

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News from July 16

 

CONGRESS EXAMINES ANTIBIOTIC USE IN LIVESTOCK

 

     Hearings were held this week in the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on the use of antibiotics in food-producing animals and its impact on human health. The focus was on the Food and Drug Administration’s recent draft guidance on the judicious use of antibiotics in livestock and the “Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act,” a bill that would restrict antibiotic use in animal agriculture.

     NCBA Chief Veterinarian Elizabeth Parker continues to tell Congress and regulators antimicrobial resistance is a multi-faceted and complex issue that can’t be addressed by singling out the livestock industry. To date, she said there is no conclusive scientific evidence indicating the judicious use of antibiotics in cattle contributes to antimicrobial resistance in humans.

     A non-scientific ban on antibiotics in Europe actually led to increased animal disease and greater use of therapeutic antibiotics, with no demonstrable improvement in human antibiotic resistance patterns. During this week’s hearing, University of Minnesota Associate Professor of Epidemiology Randall Singer testified it’s better to prevent disease in the first place than treat animals after they become sick. Several Republican members of the subcommittee reiterated this line of reasoning. 

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News from July 15

PROPOSED DUST STANDARD WOULD HAMPER CRITICAL INDUSTRIES

 

     The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officially is considering more strict regulation of coarse particulate matter, or dust. According to NCBA, draft EPA policy proposes to create a dust standard twice as stringent as the current threshold. NCBA Chief Environmental Counsel Tamara Thies said this would make it virtually impossible for many critical U.S. industries, including agriculture, to comply and continue to do business.

     “All of us certainly want healthy air for our communities, but this is nothing more than the everyday dust kicked up by a car driving down a dirt road, and it has long been found to be of no health concern at ambient levels,” said Thies.

     High dust levels in arid climates make it difficult for many critical western states industries to meet the current standard. In some areas, “no-till” days already have been proposed for agriculture. Thies said the proposed standard could lead to farmers being fined for typical activities like driving a tractor down a dirt road or tilling a field.

     NCBA reports the existing particulate matter standard was set conservatively low based on flawed health studies. EPA has acknowledged the current standard was based on a desire to be cautious and not on clear evidence it was necessary to protect against adverse public health effects.

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