News Update
June 18, 2009

Animal Welfare Regulations Would Impact Ohio’s Agriculture Industry

The implementation of animal welfare legislation similar to what passed in California would have a profound economic impact on Ohio’s ag industry, said an Ohio State University (OSU) ag economist. Luther Tweeten, professor emeritus of ag trade and policy in the Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics, said that efforts by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) to push legislation in Ohio similar to California’s Proposition 2 would result in decreased production and lost jobs, specifically within Ohio’s laying hen industry, which the animal welfare legislation would specifically target.

California’s Proposition 2, passed last year, mandates that as of Jan. 1, 2015, it shall be a misdemeanor for any person to confine a pregnant pig, calf raised for veal or egg-laying hen in a manner not allowing the animal to turn around freely, stand up, lie down and fully extend its limbs.

“Our consumers wouldn’t experience a lot of loss because they could buy eggs as cheaply from other states as they currently can from Ohio, and there would be no change in animal welfare because the eggs would be produced under the current practices elsewhere,” Tweeten said. “It just makes Ohio worse off from an economic standpoint.”

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ohio ranks second in the nation in both laying hen and egg production, with a combined estimated value of more than $650 million in 2008. In 2007, Ohio supplied nearly 8% of the nation’s eggs.

If Proposition 2-type legislation were to pass in Ohio, Tweeten estimates that Ohio poultry producers would likely see a 20% increase in costs for larger cages, a 26% increase in costs for raising hens in barns, and a 45% increase in costs for free-range poultry production. In addition, he suggests that nearly 8,000 jobs in the poultry industry alone would be lost.

“Diminished animal agriculture means diminished crop production in Ohio. Less demand for livestock means less demand for corn and soybeans,” Tweeten said. “The poultry industry consumes more corn and soybean meal than any other livestock enterprise. It’s big business.”

Tweeten stressed that consumer education is important to understanding the tradeoffs between animal welfare regulations and the effects such regulations would have on Ohio’s agriculture industry and overall economic situation.

“Anybody would like more freedom and more room, but you have to understand that the animal welfare issues from a scientific standpoint aren’t really clear. When we measure all of the factors that go into stress, researchers can’t seem to find that confinement has a big effect on the performance of the animal,” Tweeten said. “So the arguments have gone from a scientific objective standpoint to an ethical viewpoint. From that perspective, however, you have to be aware of the tradeoffs between ethics and objectivity.”

Tweeten has outlined his research in the document, “The Economics of Animal Welfare Regulations Proposed for Ohio.” To learn more, contact Luther Tweeten 614-247-8417 or tweeten.1@osu.edu.

— Adapted from release by Candace Pollock, OSU News and Media Relations

Cattlemen Speak Out on Clean Water Act Land Grab

The Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee passed S. 787, the Clean Water Restoration Act (CWRA) out of committee today on a party-line vote, bringing the country one step closer to the largest federal land grab in our history, according to a news release by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA). 

The bill was amended at the markup by Senators Baucus, Klobuchar and Boxer. According to NCBA, the amendment is a smoke screen that allegedly takes care of agricultural concerns by exempting prior-converted croplands from federal jurisdiction. Cattle are generally not grazed on prior-converted croplands, so this amendment does nothing to mitigate the potential damage to livestock production from this legislation. The amendment is a diversion from the real issue, which is the removal of the word “navigable” from the definition of waters.

Under current law, the federal government has jurisdiction over “navigable waters of the United States.” However, by removing the word “navigable” from the definition, the CWRA would expand federal regulatory control to unprecedented levels, essentially putting stock tanks, drainage ditches, any puddle or water feature found on family farms and ranches — potentially even groundwater — under the regulatory strong-arm of the federal government. 

The NCBA and Public Lands Council (PLC) strongly oppose this legislation as it infringes on private property rights and limits state partnerships and flexibility. 

The NCBA release quotes several cattle producers in asking the Senate to stop this legislation should it come up for a full Senate vote.

For the full release, including producer comments, click here.

EPA Announces Public Health Emergency in Libby, Mont.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson today announced the agency has determined that a public health emergency exists at the Libby asbestos site in northwest Montana. Over the past years, hundreds of asbestos-related disease cases have been documented in this small community, which covers the towns of Libby and Troy.

The announcement was made June 17 at a joint press conference with Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and U.S. Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester.

This is the first time EPA has made a determination under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) that conditions at a site constitute a public health emergency.

For the full release provided by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, click here.

Angus Journal Offers Online Bonus

Along with the articles published in the June 2009 Angus Journal, Angus Productions Inc. (API) has posted several online bonus features to www.angusjournal.com. Appearing this month are:

• We Care; We’re Capable — Remember two key messages when talking to consumers
  
• Grain Prices Affect Entire Livestock Production Cycle — Response to feed costs is limited by biological timelines.
  
• Common Ground — Environmentalists, cattle producers join forces to battle weeds
  
• Consumer Focus — Summertime tips for properly purchasing, storing and cooking ground beef.
  
• New Products — New products, services for cattlemen
  
• Research — The latest research updates pertaining to the cattle industry
  
• Cookin’ It Up — Grilling tips, wallet-friendly steak cuts and a marinade recipe

June Extra e-Mails Soon

The June edition of the Angus Beef Bulletin Extra is scheduled to e-mail Saturday. If you don’t receive the Extra, learn more about the free electronic newsletter and subscribe at www.angusbeefbulletin.com/extra/2009/may09/about.html or e-mail your request to be signed up to bulletinextra@angusbeefbulletin.com.

Amprolium Now Allowed in USDA Natural Beef and Never Ever 3 Programs

According to recently released standards by the USDA, producers raising cattle for natural and Never Ever 3 (NE3) programs can use CORID® (amprolium) for the prevention and treatment of coccidiosis when used according to the label.

Joe Dedrickson, associate director, Merial Veterinary Services, says that allowing the use of coccidiostats in natural programs by the USDA reinforces the importance of preventing this costly disease.

“Cattle can’t fight coccidiosis on their own,” he says. “By adding CORID to their animal health program, natural beef and NE3 producers can help prevent coccidiosis before the damage is done, or treat it if signs of the disease are seen.”

Coccidiosis is a costly disease for several reasons. First, the disease can affect calves from all environments and geographies, and the prevalence of infection can be up to 100% in calves. Coccidiosis is a stress-induced disease that is difficult to diagnose. In fact, 95% of all cases are subclinical and are never diagnosed. If visible signs do occur, it is not until three to eight weeks after the initial infection. By then, much of the damage has already been done.

“It is estimated that coccidiosis costs the cattle industries more than $100 million every year,” Dedrickson says. “Some of those losses come from the 2 million to 3 million cattle treated for clinical coccidiosis each year — one in five of which will end up dying. Unfortunately, most of the production losses often go unnoticed.”

For more information, please see www.merial.com.

— Adapted from release provided by Merial.

— Compiled by Shauna Rose Hermel, editor, Angus Productions Inc.