News Update
July 12, 2013
Statement by NCBA President on
House Passage of Farm Bill
The U.S. House of Representatives in a 216-208 vote passed the 2013 Farm Bill (H.R. 2642) July 11. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) President Scott George, a beef and dairy producer from Cody, Wyo., issued the following statement on the passage of the legislation:
“First, we thank House Agriculture Committee Chairman Lucas of Oklahoma, who in this very difficult environment produced a farm bill that passed out of the House and continues the process toward providing farmers and ranchers the certainty they need. Passage of a 2013 Farm Bill is the top priority for NCBA, and today the House took the unprecedented step in separating the nutrition title from the farm bill, and passing a bill that only encompasses agriculture. This step is a major departure from the usual business of agricultural policy, but I am pleased that cattlemen and women are one step closer toward final legislation which not only provides certainty for producers, but also incorporates priorities important to the cattle industry.
“We are very pleased that this legislation includes disaster programs for our producers, which will extend disaster assistance for five years and retroactively covers losses in 2012 and 2013. The legislation authorizes conservation programs important to cattle producers as a tool to leverage private dollars with some federal support to further protect the land and natural resources. It contains language to prevent the United States Department of Agriculture from moving forward on the proposed GIPSA (Grain Inspection, Packers & Stockyards Administration) rule from the 2008 Farm Bill.
“There are also important amendments included in the legislation which rein in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These amendments provide regulatory relief to cattle producers, prevent EPA from releasing producers’ personal information to third parties such as environmental activist groups, and prohibit EPA from regulating forest roads under the Clean Water Act (CWA).
“NCBA appreciates the efforts of Chairman Frank Lucas, Ranking Member Collin Peterson of Minnesota and their committee members who worked in a bipartisan fashion to pass a bill out of the Agriculture Committee. We will continue to work with the House and Senate conferees to ensure the final bill meets the priorities of America’s cattle industry.”
Unprecedented Vote Erodes Historic
Bipartisan Farm Bill Support
National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson issued a statement July 11 following the U.S. House of Representatives’ passage of H.R. 2642, the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013:
“Today’s strictly partisan vote to pass the farm bill apart from the nutrition title undermines the longtime coalition of support for a unified, comprehensive farm bill which has historically been written on a bipartisan basis.
“NFU will continue to do all it can to get a reasonable bill through the conference process. Any final legislation must continue existing permanent law provisions and include meaningful safety-net protections for both family farmers facing difficult times and the food insecure.”
National Grange Statement on the
Passing of the House Farm Bill
National Grange Legislative Director Grace Boatright issued the following statement Thursday afternoon, July 11:
“The Grange is happy that the House finally passed a farm bill, although we have very mixed thoughts about splitting it from the Nutrition Title. This is a giant step in the right direction, but we're still a long way from getting a full five-year farm bill. We believe the Senate will not be very receptive to a farm bill without a Nutrition Title, which includes food stamps, WIC (women, infants and children) and school lunch programs. But more pressing is the issue of time. There are less than three weeks until Congress takes its August recess, making it increasingly more difficult for members to settle this issue before the September 30 deadline. The clock is ticking and the Grange hopes that our legislators on the Hill will be able to reach some sort of agreement soon. If they don’t, American agriculture will continue to struggle.”
Beef — On the Hoof and in the Kitchen to
Highlight Aug. 22 Lampasas Program
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will conduct the multi-county Central Texas Cow-Calf Clinic and Cooking with Beef Boot Camp from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Aug. 22 in Lampasas.
Both programs will be hosted at the Grace Fellowship Church, 2974 U.S. Highway 281. The programs involve the AgriLife Extension offices in Lampasas, Burnet and Llano counties.
RSVP is required by calling the AgriLife Extension office in Lampasas County at 512-556-8271. Individual preregistration is $25 due on arrival.
“This joint program truly should have something for everyone interested in preparing or producing beef,” said Heath Lusty, AgriLife Extension agent in Lampasas County. “One of the morning breakout sessions will feature preparing beef for the family while the other will deal with producing it. Both sessions will come together for an afternoon program on ranch estate planning.”
Topics and speakers for the morning beef production clinic session will include:
- Fall-Winter Health Concerns, Jason Cleere, AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialist, College Station.
- Pasture, Rangeland and Forage Insurance, Bill Thompson, AgriLife Extension economist, San Angelo.
- Grass-Fed Beef and Niche Markets, Rick Machen, AgriLife Extension livestock specialist, Uvalde.
The Boot Camp beef preparation session will include presentations on lean beef, cooking methods, recipe ideas and samples.
Both sessions will conclude with a beef lunch sponsored by the Texas Beef Council prior to the day’s final estate-planning session.
Three Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units — two general, one integrated pest management — will be available to participants with a valid private pesticide applicators license.
For more information, contact Lusty at 512-556-8271 or rhlusty@ag.tamu.edu.
— Release written by Steve Byrns for Texas A&M AgriLife Today.
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