News Update
August 21, 2013
NFU Responds to Canadian
Request for WTO to Review COOL
National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson responded Aug. 20 to the press release issued by the Canadian government asking for a new World Trade Organization (WTO) review of country-of-origin labeling (COOL):
“The issues raised by the Canadian government to the WTO are issues between two sovereign countries. While Canada has the right to seek a determination on whether the United States’ action is consistent with the U.S. obligations, NFU and our allies have long believed that the revised regulations are, in fact, consistent with WTO obligations.
“It is important to remember that the WTO process is separate from the pending court litigation regarding COOL. The lawsuit brought forward by the packers, processors and foreign interests challenges the May 23 final USDA rule. As we have said before, we believe there is no merit in the court litigation and have intervened to defend the regulations, which are supported by producers and consumers.”
AFBF’s Stallman: ‘Time for Congress to Get Things Done’
Farm Bureau is working hard to “Bring the Heat” during the August congressional recess, so members of Congress know they need to get things done when they return to Washington, according to American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) President Bob Stallman.
“The farm bill is at the very top of the list of things Congress needs to get done,” Stallman said in remarks presented at IDEAg Dakotafest. “We have to keep the heat on Congress to get a five-year farm bill done this year. It’s premature to even be talking about an extension” of the 2008 legislation, Stallman emphasized.
Although some in Washington have expressed skepticism regarding the speed at which lawmakers will need to act in order to complete a farm bill, Stallman was upbeat.
“There is plenty of time in this Congress to pass a five-year farm bill. We have to stay focused on getting it done,” he said. Calling a proposed one-year extension of the current farm bill “a cop-out,” Stallman urged farmers and ranchers to keep sending Congress the message that agriculture needs a new, five-year farm bill — nothing less.
In addition, policy reforms — such as a larger role for crop insurance as part of the farm safety net, more equity across crops grown and increased support for fruit and vegetable growers — that have been proposed in the new legislation are not possible if the current farm bill is extended.
Further, a new farm bill would help Congress get the nation’s fiscal house in order by saving about $20 billion compared to the 2008 law.
“Everyone who eats needs a farm bill. Please tell your senators and House members to get the job done,” Stallman concluded. For more information, please view the full release here.
K-State’s Beef Stocker Field Day is Sept. 26
Presentations on beef stocker economics to environmental impact to cattle health and more are planned for Kansas State University’s (K-State) 2013 Beef Stocker Field Day Sept. 26.
The day begins with registration at 9:30 a.m. and the program at 10:15 a.m. at K-State’s Beef Stocker Unit located on West Marlatt Ave. on the west side of Manhattan.
The program features industry and university speakers from Nebraska, Oklahoma and Kansas, as well as a producer panel discussion. Presentations include: The 30,000-Foot View: What’s in Store for the Stocker Program; How Can Your Stocker Operation Fit; Receiving Health Programs — Are They the Same as Five Years Ago; Environmental Impacts on Beef Stocker Health and Wellness; Carry-Over Effects of Stocker Cattle Systems on Feedlot Performance and Carcass Characteristics; and Producer Panel: Do Flint Hills Stocking Rates Still Apply?
The fee to attend, which includes all presentations, a barbecue brisket lunch and the Cutting Bull’s Lament, featuring prairie oysters and Call Hall ice cream to wrap up the day, is $25 if paid by Sept. 15 or $35 if paid at the door. More information, including online registration, is available at Upcoming Beef Events. More information is also available by contacting Lois Schreiner at lschrein@ksu.edu or 785-532-1267.
MU Class Offers Students a Global View of Agriculture
A University of Missouri (MU) class lets students learn firsthand about agriculture in other parts of the world.
For more than a decade Leon Schumacher, professor of agricultural systems management in MU’s College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, has led students on overseas trips to experience agriculture abroad.
“We took a trip to Germany in 2002 and since then every year we have taken a group of students to another country,” Schumacher says. “We went to several countries, but we’ve settled into a three-year rotation of Germany, Brazil and England.”
Two groups totaling about 50 students traveled to Germany this spring.
“We meet several times prior to the trip to discuss different topics,” Schumacher says. “There is some language training that goes along with that, as well as trying to get them ready for what they’ll see when they get there.”
This year’s trips to Germany included tours of factories that make John Deere tractors and Lexion combines, and visits to farms, where students could talk with producers about farming in Germany.
German farms tend to be much smaller than American farms, and often several farmers will pool funds to buy expensive equipment, Schumacher says. Typical farm crops in Germany include hops, barley, canola and sugar beets.
Cultural experiences included a visit to a museum that gave an overview of life in East Germany before the fall of the Berlin Wall, which happened before these students were born. They also toured several World War II sites and the BMW museum, and visited with agricultural engineers at the University of Munich. For more information, please view the full release here.
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