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State and USDA agreement creates new Ag Water Quality Certification Program

View Memorandum of Understanding (pdf)

Sen. Franken’s Staff Farm Bill Outreach Tour (pdf)

As the U.S. Senate begins work on the 2012 Farm Bill, key members of Sen. Al Franken's staff will hold a Farm Bill Outreach Tour in communities across Minnesota to update farmers, ranchers and agricultural officials on the status of the Farm Bill and to hear their concerns.  Sen. Franken will use the input he receives from these meetings during the upcoming Senate debate to ensure Minnesota’s interests are reflected in the bill. 

The meetings will be led by Senator Franken’s Minnesota Agriculture Advisor Al Juhnke.  They are free and open to the public.

U.S. Pork Trade and Export Update (Jan. 4, 2012)

• January - September Export Statistics
• Clarification on Export Data Usage
• Japan Asks to Join TPP Trade Talks
• Pork Leadership Institute Travels to Mexico
• US Officials Travel to China to Discuss SPS Issues
• Russian SPS Barries Unresolved as it Moves Towards WTO Membership
• WTO Rules Against MCOOL
• NPPC Attends Meetings in Switzerland
• South Korean President Signs US-Korea FTA Into Law
• Occupy Groups Threaten West Coast Ports
• USMEF-Mexico Updates Export Guidelines
• Philippines Situation Improving but Slow
• Panama Export Guidelines

Minnesota Board of Animal Health Animal Bytes January Newsletter 2012

Board of Animal Health Hosts Foreign Animal Disease Workshops

County officials in Minnesota have been hosting workshops geared towards agricultural emergency preparedness.  Veterinarians and farmers are welcomed to attend to learn more about how Minnesota would respond to a devastating livestock disease, such as foot-and-mouth disease.  The workshops are free and include lunch. MORE

High Court Tosses California ‘Downer’ Law

WASHINGTON, Jan. 23, 2012 – In a unanimous decision issued today, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a California law that bans the processing of all non-ambulatory animals, including hogs. NPPC hailed the ruling.

The California Legislature approved the law in 2008 after a video was released by animal activists, showing non-ambulatory, or “downed,” cows at a California beef packing plant being dragged and prodded to enter the processing line. The statute prohibited the buying, selling, or receiving of non-ambulatory animals, the processing, butchering or selling of meat or products from non-ambulatory animals for human consumption and the holding of non-ambulatory animals without taking immediate action to humanely euthanize them.[As part of its efforts to address Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, or “mad cow” disease, the U.S. Department of Agriculture already forbids the slaughter of “downed” cattle.]

The National Meat Association (NMA) challenged the law, and a federal district court judge in California blocked it. But the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco in 2010 overturned the lower court ruling. NMA appealed the case to the Supreme Court, arguing that the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) pre-empts the California law.

The high court agreed with NMA, ruling that the FMIA “expressly pre-empts” the California law’s application to federally inspected swine slaughterhouses. It reversed the Ninth Circuit decision and sent the case back to that court “for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.”

“The Supreme Court’s ruling affirms the supremacy of the Federal Meat Inspection Act and USDA’s role in regulating meat process plants,” said NPPC President Doug Wolf, a hog farmer from Lancaster, Wis. “It also recognized that non-ambulatory hogs with proper recovery time and veterinary oversight do not need to be condemned immediately in all cases.”

NPPC, which along with the American Association of Swine Veterinarians and the National Farmers Union filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the case, argued that the California law would create an animal health risk and criminalizes the work of federal slaughterhouse inspectors. The organization also has pointed out that the state law could have prevented from being shipped to California meat processed in another state that did not adhere to the statute’s ban.

“Non-ambulatory hogs that are allowed to recover pose no food-safety risk to the public,” Wolf said. “Such pigs are inspected by USDA inspectors and veterinarians regarding their fitness for processing and entering the human food supply, and strong regulatory safeguards for humane treatment in the processing of animals already exist.”

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SENATE AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE

HOLDS FIRST OF FOUR FARM BILL HEARINGS

The U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Wednesday held the first of four Farm Bill hearings: “Energy and Economic Growth for Rural America.” The hearing, building on the 12 held in 2011, centered on rural growth, bio-based manufacturing and Farm Bill energy plans. Calling it a “jobs bill,” Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., said it is imperative that Congress pass a 2012 Farm Bill. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who was a witness at the hearing, was urged by committee members to oppose President Obama’s proposal to cut $8 billion from the crop insurance program to fund the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments (SURE) Program. Vilsack testified that agricultural research is not getting the attention it deserves, citing President Obama’s proposal to increase competitively awarded research grants through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. To read testimonies and watch the hearing, click here.

MCDONALD’S WANTS PORK SUPPLIERS

TO PHASE OUT GESTATION STALLS

McDonald’s announced Monday it wants its U.S. pork suppliers to phase out the use of gestation stalls for sows. The fast food restaurant asked suppliers to submit by May plans on how they will phase out the use of gestation stalls. After review, McDonald’s will determine the next steps. NPPC offered to assist McDonald’s in its assessment of current sow housing. In a statement issued Monday, NPPC said McDonald’s decision represented an opportunity for the pork industry to respond to its consumers. It also reiterated the industry’s position that the marketplace, rather than Congress, should inform decisions on production practices. NPPC also pointed out that the American Veterinary Medical Association supports the use of individual sow housing and group housing as appropriate for ensuring the well-being of sows. To read NPPC’s statement, click here.

SLAUGHTER DEMANDS FOOD COMPANIES,

RESTAURANTS DISCLOSE ANTIBIOTIC POLICIES

Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-N.Y., Thursday sent a letter to 60 of the nation’s largest food companies and retailers, including Walmart, Safeway, Kroger, McDonald's, Tyson Foods and Cargill, demanding information on their policies on the use of antibiotics in the production of the meat they sell. In addition to surrendering antibiotic policies, Slaughter is demanding the companies release the percentage of meat produced with and without antibiotics and information on any restrictions on antibiotic use. Companies have until June 15 to respond. Slaughter is the lead sponsor of H.R.965, the “Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act of 2011” (PAMTA), which would drastically limit the use of medically important antibiotics in animal agriculture. Under the bill, such antibiotics could not be used to prevent or control diseases in livestock. NPPC opposes the legislation.

U.S., CANADA MEET FOR HIGH-LEVEL CONSULTATION ON TPP

The United States and Canada this week met for a senior-level bilateral consultation to address the inclusion of Canada in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade negotiations. The meeting marked one of several bilateral consultations held between the United States and Canada since the Canadian Prime Minister’s announcement in November 2011of interest in joining TPP. In the meeting, U.S. officials expressed stakeholder concerns over issues, including comprehensive market access, investment, intellectual property rights, insurance and telecommunications. NPPC opposes Canada’s participation in the TPP because of its large subsidies to the Canadian pork industry. These subsidies, which have negatively affected the U.S. pork industry, are in violation of World Trade Organization rules and a U.S. countervailing duty law. According to analysis by Iowa State University economist Dermot Hayes, within 10 years of the implementation of Canada’s new Ontario Risk Management Program, which offers income supplementation to Canadian pork producers, U.S. pork production value could decrease by $162 million, and 1,300 U.S. jobs may be eliminated. Until Canada removes these subsidies, NPPC cannot support that country’s inclusion in the TPP. The United States and Canadian governments will hold working-level meetings on TPP beginning March 19 in Washington, D.C.

CHINESE VICE PRESIDENT XI VISITS U.S., DISCUSSES AG TRADE

Chinese Vice President Xi this week traveled to the United States for a five-day visit. Xi is expected to assume the role of president in 2013, making his visit an important marker for future U.S.-China relations. On Tuesday, President Obama welcomed Xi to the White House, where the two met to discuss various issues, including trade and human rights concerns. The leaders released a 20-item joint statement at the conclusion of the meeting in which China agreed to work to facilitate fairer trade with the United States. On Wednesday, Xi traveled to Iowa to connect with members of the state’s booming agricultural industry, which is closely linked to China’s. Xi attended a state dinner hosted by Iowa Governor Terry Branstad and other officials in Des Moines, and on Thursday he helped launch the first U.S.-China Agriculture Symposium. Also on Wednesday, the Iowa Pork Producers Association co-sponsored a banquet at the Iowa Capitol to honor Vice President Xi. Since Xi first visited Iowa in 1985, Iowa’s agricultural exports to China have increased by around 1,300 percent, according to Branstad. China represents an important export market for the U.S. pork industry. In 2011, China was the third largest volume market and fourth largest value market for U.S. pork exports, with exports to China totaling 375,245 metric tons (MT) valued at $713 million. While China is currently 98 percent self-sufficient in pork production, even a small increase in U.S. exports would greatly benefit producers, according to NPPC. If China decides to import just an additional 1 percent of its total pork consumption, it could mean an additional 500,000 MT of U.S. pork exports valued at $1 billion and the creation of 13,000 direct pork industry jobs, according to analysis by Iowa State University economist Dermot Hayes.

WHAT’S AHEAD

CONGRESS TO TAKE RECESS; NO CAPITAL UPDATE NEXT WEEK

The Senate and House will take a recess next week for Presidents’ Day. Capital Update will not be issued next week but will come out again March 3.

For questions, comments and suggestions or to unsubscribe, contact: Dave Warner, Director of Communications, NPPC, at 202-347-3600.

To read previous issues of Capital Update, visit NPPC’s Web site at www.nppc.org.  Follow NPPC on Twitter, view NPPC’s Facebook page, and keep up to date with Hogs on the Hill.  

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