News Update
May 30, 2014
Cattlemen’s Capstone
Angus cattle producers have a unique stake in the Certified Angus Beef® (CAB®) brand’s ongoing success beyond the farm gate. A new and interactive program, Cattlemen’s Capstone, kicks off July 16-17 with producers joining CAB chefs, meat scientists and marketing experts for an inside view of how the brand adds value to high-quality Angus cattle.
At the CAB Education & Culinary Center, participants will:
- Break down a side of beef with industry-renowned meat scientist Phil Bass.
- Learn about innovative beef cuts, specialty items and cooking techniques.
- Go behind the scenes to see how the brand is marketed to consumers.
- Learn about consumer loyalty to the brand.
Registration is free, including hotel accommodations for two nights and meals, but space is limited. Future seminars are planned as well. For information contact Marilyn Conley at 330-345-2333 ext. 398, email mconley@certifiedangusbeef.com.
Appropriations Committee Approves
the Fiscal Year 2015 Agriculture Bill
The House Appropriations Committee approved May 29 the fiscal year 2015 Agriculture Appropriations bill on a vote of 31-18. The proposed legislation funds important agricultural and food programs and services, including food and medical product safety, animal and plant health programs, rural development and farm services, marketplace oversight, and nutrition programs.
The bill totals $20.9 billion in discretionary funding, which is equal to the fiscal year 2014 enacted level. Including both discretionary and mandatory funding for various nutrition programs, the overall bill totals $142.5 billion.
“This bill invests in the people of this country — in their safety, their livelihoods and their communities — and ensures that our agricultural industries are successful, productive and safe,” House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers said. “In addition, this bill supports nutrition programs that help to make sure our most vulnerable — including children and the elderly — do not go hungry and funds important programs to keep our food and drug supply safe.”
“This bill honors our commitment to rural America and demonstrates to our farmers that they are not forgotten in Washington. From funding rural infrastructure development to implementing programs within the new Farm Bill, this year’s appropriation seeks to address the needs of rural America while holding the line on government spending and regulatory overreach,” Subcommittee Chairman Robert Aderholt said.
For more information, please view the full release here.
NFU Statement on Committee Passage of
House Ag Appropriations Bill
National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson issued the following statement on the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations’ passage of agriculture appropriations legislation:
“Unfortunately, the House Appropriations Committee has chosen to rehash old farm bill fights by defeating two amendments aimed at eliminating a harmful rider that continues to allow abusive market behavior by livestock and poultry processors. This rider only serves the profits of multinational meatpacking companies, to the detriment of family farmers, ranchers and rural America. I encourage conferees to follow the Senate’s lead by removing this misguided provision.
“The committee also cut important funding from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and from farm bill energy and conservation programs, limiting agencies’ ability to implement reforms included in the 2010 Dodd-Frank law and the 2014 Farm Bill. I hope Congress adopts the Senate’s more moderate approach and restores this funding as the bill progresses.”
Noted Economist Finds EPA Analysis of Water Rule Flawed
The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed Clean Water Act rule is rife with errors, lacks transparency and would greatly expand strict federal control over land that was previously not regulated by the federal government, according to a report by economist and University of California–Berkley faculty member David Sunding.
Sunding’s report, Review of 2014 EPA Economic Analysis of Proposed Revised Definition of Waters of the Unites States, raises the blinds on the controversial proposal by detailing how EPA failed to provide a realistic explanation of the scope, costs and benefits of the rule.
The proposed EPA rule represents an expansion of the “Waters of the United States” to include waters such as small, isolated wetlands, ephemeral drains and many ditches. In the proposed rule’s economic analysis, the EPA systematically underestimated the impact on affected communities and businesses, according to the report.
Sunding documents how EPA excluded costs, under-represented jurisdictional areas and used flawed methods to arrive at much lower economic costs of the proposed rule. Sunding’s report also notes that the lack of transparency in the report makes it difficult to understand or replicate EPA’s calculations, examine the agency’s assumptions or understand discrepancies in its results.
Sunding has concluded that the errors in the EPA’s analysis are so extensive as to render it useless for determining the true costs of this proposed rule. His report underscores the need for EPA to withdraw the rule and complete a comprehensive and transparent economic review.
“The EPA’s proposed waters-of-the-U.S. rule is irreparably flawed from an economic standpoint,” said American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman. “The rule is also an end run around Congress and two Supreme Court rulings, and, in their official comments, farmers and ranchers across the national are calling on EPA to ditch the rule.”
For more information, please view the full release here.
Vesicular Stomatitis Detected in Five Horses in Kinney County
Vesicular stomatitis (VS) has been detected in five horses in far Southwest Texas, (in Kinney County, southeast of Del Rio, Texas). The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed the viral infection of the five horses. The horses were tested after the owner observed blistering and swelling on the animals’ muzzles and contacted their veterinary practitioner. Testing at the National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) confirmed the virus as the New Jersey serotype.
VS can cause blisters and sores in the mouth and on the tongue, muzzle, teats or hooves of horses, cattle, swine, sheep, goats, llamas and a number of other animals. Lesions usually will heal in two or three weeks. Because of the contagious nature of VS and its resemblance to other diseases such as foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), animal health officials urge livestock owners and caretakers to report these symptoms to their veterinarian immediately. Most animals recover well with supportive care by a veterinarian, but some lesions can be painful.
The newly identified infected group of horses is currently under quarantine by the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC). Affected and exposed horses will be monitored by regulatory veterinarians until all lesions have healed and a decision is made to release the quarantine (a minimum of 21 days). There is no known exposure to other horses around the state or at any equine events. No other cases of VS have been identified in the immediate area or elsewhere in the state.
Dee Ellis, Texas’ State Veterinarian and TAHC executive director, said, “Livestock owners should use the best means possible to limit exposure of their livestock to insect bites.” It is thought that insects are an important vector in the transmission of VS. Sand flies and black flies likely play a role in the virus transmission, so controlling insects is important. “VS outbreaks are extremely sporadic and years may lapse between cases. The last confirmed case of VS in Texas was in 2009,” Ellis stated.
For more information about VS, visit here.
A USDA APHIS VS fact sheet about is available at www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/animal_health/content/
printable_version/fs_vesicular_stomatitis_2012.pdf.
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