News Update
September 16, 2008

Schumann to Speak on State of Breed Associations

American Angus Association^® chief executive officer (CEO) Bryce Schumann will represent the Angus breed on an educational panel at the 2008 World Beef Expo Sept. 26. Schumann will participate in the discussion, “What Role Will Breed Associations Have in the Future of the Beef Industry?”

The panel discussion will begin at 3 p.m., in the sale arena at the Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis. Other panelists are representatives of the Hereford and Simmental breeds.

“It is an honor to represent the Angus breed on this panel, especially in such challenging times in the beef business,” Schumann says. “More and more seedstock and commercial producers will be looking to breed associations for expanded services, and it is vital to continually grow and enhance programs for beef producers.”

The educational session is sponsored by the Wisconsin Cattlemen’s Association, Wisconsin Cattlewomen’s Association, Bobcat Plus, and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture Trade & Consumer Protection division.

A Roll of Victory (ROV) Angus Show begins at 8 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, also at the World Beef Expo.

— Release provided by the American Angus Association

Cattlemen Argue that Dust Should Not be Regulated Under Clean Air Act

The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments today on the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s (NCBA) appeal of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) rule to regulate dust under the Clean Air Act.

“NCBA supports dust control measures, and our producers carry them out every day of the year,” explains Tamara Thies, chief environmental counsel for NCBA. “But this rule would require an unattainable level of dust control, which could force producers to sell cattle to comply.”

Enforcing the standard of dust regulation would mean that activities ranging from soil tilling, cattle movements, driving on unpaved roads, and planting and harvesting crops would all be affected.

“This could be devastating for America’s cattle producers,” Thies says. “NCBA filed an appeal on their behalf to fight against burdensome and undue government regulations.”

EPA released a final rule on regulating particles in the air under the Clean Air Act in October 2006, which says that states should focus on regulating dust in urban areas instead of rural areas.  However, agricultural dust is nevertheless subject to regulation under the final rule.

Every five years, the EPA is required to review scientific studies associated with pollutants regulated under the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) of the Clean Air Act to determine if the pollutant is regulated appropriately. Dust has been included as a pollutant, despite the fact that the NAAQS is a health-based standard. In order to regulate a pollutant under NAAQS, scientific studies must show that the pollutant causes adverse health effects.  There is no scientific evidence that dust causes adverse health effects that would justify inclusion in these standards.

— Release provided by NCBA

Buy-in Waiver for Disaster Assistance Due Today

U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Farm Service Agency (FSA) will allow producers who would otherwise be ineligible for the new disaster assistance programs to become eligible by paying a fee as required by the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 (the 2008 Act).

The 2008 Act requires producers who wish to participate in the new disaster programs to have crop insurance or non-insured crop disaster assistance (NAP) coverage for the land for which assistance is being requested, and for all farms in all counties in which they have an interest. Since the 2008 Act was enacted after the application periods had closed for those programs, producers who did not have such coverage could not comply with this requirement in order to be eligible for the new disaster programs. However, the 2008 Act authorizes a waiver that allows producers to pay a fee, called a “buy-in” fee, to be eligible for this new disaster assistance.

Every producer whose crops, including grazinglands, are not fully covered by crop insurance or NAP may take advantage of this one-time opportunity. The buy-in fee is due no later than Sept. 16, 90 days after the date of enactment, as required by the 2008 Act. Those who miss this opportunity will not be eligible for disaster assistance. Producers are also reminded that the payment of the applicable buy-in fee does not afford the producer crop insurance or NAP coverage; it only affords eligibility for the 2008 disaster programs.

Producers who meet the definition of “Socially Disadvantaged, Limited Resource,” or “Beginning Farmer or Rancher,” do not have to meet the Risk Management Purchase Requirement, and, therefore, are not required to pay the buy-in fee.

The buy-in fee for 2008 eligibility only for either the catastrophic risk protection insurance (CAT) or NAP is $100 per crop, but not more than $300 per producer per administrative county, or $900 total per producer for all counties less any previously paid fees for CAT and/or NAP. Producers can contact their local administrative FSA County Office to file the application for waiver and pay the applicable fees.

The applicable buy-in form must be completed and applicable fees paid by today, Sept. 16. Payment of the applicable fees will allow the producer to be eligible for benefits for losses under Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments (SURE) Program, Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP), Tree Assistance Program (TAP), and Emergency Assistance Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP).

 Sign-up for these programs is not expected to take place until this winter. For more information, please see http://www.usda.gov or http://www.fsa.usda.gov for more information.

— compiled by Mathew Elliott, assistant editor, Angus Productions Inc.