News Update

News Update
Oct. 14, 2005

Arkansas Designated Disaster Area

Deputy Agriculture Secretary Chuck Conner today announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated all 75 counties in Arkansas as primary natural disaster areas due to drought and extremely high temperatures that have continued since May 1, according to a USDA release.

“The lack of precipitation and heat has devastated farmers, ranchers and others in Arkansas,” Conner stated in the release. “These funds offer many producers the helping hand to keep their businesses operational.”

Qualified farm operators in designated counties are eligible for low-interest emergency (EM) loans from the Farm Service Agency (FSA), provided eligibility requirements are met. Farmers have eight months from the date of the declaration (Oct. 13) to apply for the loans to help cover part of their actual losses.

USDA has also made other programs available to assist farmers and ranchers, including the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP), Federal Crop Insurance and the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP).

Interested farmers may contact their local USDA centers for further information or visit http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov.

More Countries Ban Brazilian Beef

The European Union (EU) and Argentina have joined a number of growing nations that have banned beef from parts of Brazil due to the country’s discovery of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) earlier this week, meatingplace.com reported.

According to the site, the EU has banned all livestock, meat or byproducts (harvested after Sept. 30) from three Brazilian states, including Mato Grasso do Sul, Parana and Sao Paulo. The ban could affect more than $400 million worth of annual beef sales, the article stated. In addition, Argentina has banned product from Mato Grasso do Sul.

As of yesterday, the country’s agriculture officials had identified 140 head of infected cattle in Eldorado, a municipality in the southern part of Mato Grasso do Sul.

Farm Bill Tour Continues

USDA has announced additional stops on the nationwide farm bill listening tour. The public is invited to attend and offer comments on farm bill policy.

The following forums will be hosted by Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns:

• Oct. 18, Moultrie, Ga., 2 p.m.-5 p.m. (EDT), Sunbelt Ag Expo Morton Building
• Oct. 24, Greeley, Colo., 2 p.m.-5 p.m. (MDT), Island Grove Park Exhibition Building

The following forums will be hosted by Deputy Secretary Chuck Conner:

• Oct. 14, Little Rock, Ark., noon-3 p.m. (CDT), Arkansas State Fair, Arkansas Building (next to equestrian center)
• Oct. 19, Greensboro, N.C., 10 a.m.-1 p.m. (EDT), Small Farms Conference

The following are scheduled specialty farm bill forums:

• Oct. 7, Elkins, W.Va., 10 a.m.-1 p.m. (EDT), Elkins Middle School
• Oct. 11, Bangor, Maine, 3 p.m.-6 pm. (EDT), Richard E. Dyke Center
• Oct. 14, Narragansett, R.I., 9 a.m.-noon (EDT), Coastal Institute, University of Rhode Island
• Oct. 14, Baltimore, Md., 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (EDT), Enoch Pratt Public Library, Wheeler Auditorium
• Oct. 15, Harrington, Del., 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (EDT), Delaware State Fair Grounds
• Oct. 18, Detroit, Mich., 9 a.m.-noon (CDT), Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center
• Oct. 19, Miami, Fla., 1:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. (EDT), Miami-Dade College
• Oct. 25, Manchester, N.H., 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (EDT), Center of New Hampshire
• Oct. 26, South Burlington, Vt., 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (EDT), Doubletree Hotel
• Oct. 25, Portland, Ore., 1 p.m.-4 p.m. (PDT), Portland State Office Building
• Oct. 28, Boston, Mass., 10 a.m.-1 p.m. (EDT), Boston Public Library
• Nov 1, Austin, Texas, time and venue TBD
• Nov. 2, Atlanta, Ga., 9 a.m.-noon (EDT), Atlanta Community Food Bank
• Nov. 12, Kona, Hawaii, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. (HST), Sheraton Keauhou Hotel
• Nov. 16, New Brunswick, N.J., 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (EDT), venue TBD

The public is also welcome to submit their comments online at www.usda.gov/farmbill.

— compiled by Crystal Albers, Angus Productions Inc.