News Update
June 27, 2014
BIF Symposium Coverage
Provided by Angus Journal
If you missed the annual 2014 Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) symposium or would like to review something you learned, you can visit www.BIFconference.com. The Angus Journal provided full coverage of the annual meeting and research symposium. Visit the site’s “Newsroom” for summaries, PowerPoint presentations, proceedings papers, audio, video and additional references provided by speakers. Visit the “Awards” page for announcements and photos of winners of awards and scholarships presented during the event. The “Photos” page will feature photo galleries from the meeting and the postsymposium tour.
Association to Host Boot Camp in Columbia, Mo., July 14-15
Cattle producers are invited to attend the next Cattlemen’s Boot Camp, hosted by the American Angus Association and the University of Missouri–Columbia, and sponsored in part by the Angus Foundation. The Boot Camp, set for July 14-15, will provide leading information on topics ranging from forage management, expected progeny difference (EPD) technologies and reproduction to carcass value and selection tools to increase value in your herd.
Registration for the Boot Camp is just $75, which covers meals, materials, speakers and parking. Interested participants can view the full schedule and register online by clicking www.angusonline.org/event/bootcampmain.aspx or by printing and mailing the registration form to the American Angus Association Events & Education Department by June 27. Late registrations and walk-ins are not allowed.
Rooms have been reserved at the Hampton Inn. Reserve yours today by calling 573-214-2222 and asking for the American Angus Association Rate.
We hope to see you at the Boot Camp on July 14-15 at the Animal Science Research Center building in Columbia. You will find we’ve planned an educational program with a broad subject base for all cattle producers.
For more information contact Ashley Mitchell at amitchell@angus.org or call 816-383-5149 with questions. To view the event schedule, view the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events here.
Broad Industry Coalition Asks Congress to Prevent WTO Non-Compliance on COOL
In an effort to prevent billions of dollars in retaliatory tariffs against the United States, a broad coalition of industries is urging Congress to take action on the U.S. country-of-origin Labeling (COOL) dispute with Canada and Mexico. The newly formed coalition has sent a letter to the leaders of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees asking Congress to take action directing the Secretary of Agriculture to suspend indefinitely the revised COOL rule if it is found to be in violation of U.S. international trade obligations.
Canada and Mexico challenged the revised COOL rule for muscle cuts of meat in the World Trade Organization (WTO) shortly after the USDA issued the revised rule, arguing that COOL has a trade-distorting impact by reducing the value and number of cattle and hogs shipped to the U.S. market, thus violating the WTO Technical Barriers to Trade Agreement.
“Together Canada, Mexico and the United States make up one of the most competitive and successful regional economic platforms in the world,” said Jodi Bond, vice president for the Americas at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “The disruption of that partnership by WTO noncompliance would have a devastating economic impact on industries including food production, agriculture and manufacturing.”
A WTO dispute-settlement panel is expected to issue in late July its final report to the parties on whether the COOL rule is WTO compliant. Canada and Mexico have indicated they will seek to retaliate against the United States if it is found noncompliant.
“If Congress fails to ensure that U.S. COOL requirements comply with our international obligations, U.S. jobs and manufacturing will be put at risk,” said Linda Dempsey, vice president of international economic affairs at the National Association of Manufacturers. “The United States helped create the WTO to ensure that all countries play by the rules; U.S. leadership in complying with our own obligations is critical to the United States’ ability to address effectively unfair and WTO-violative trade barriers by our trading partners around the world.”
The WTO in November 2011 ruled against a previous version of the COOL rule, finding that it treated imported livestock less favorably than U.S. livestock (particularly in the labeling of beef and pork muscle cuts), and did not meet its objective to provide complete information to consumers on the origin of meat products. The international trade body gave the United States until May 23, 2013, to bring the rule into WTO compliance. It is that revised rule on which the WTO will rule and that the coalition is seeking to suspend.
Canada released a list of products they would seek retaliatory tariffs against, tariffs that would harm all members of the coalition and create severe economic hardship to the U.S. economy. Canada’s list of possible commodities can be found here.
Kansas Ag Alliance Asks State Leaders
To Help Defeat EPA Plan
Groups belonging to the Kansas Agricultural Alliance (KAA) are calling on the state’s congressional delegation, Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback and Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt to join forces against a federal proposal that would place additional burdens on farmers, ranchers and rural businesses. The proposed Waters of the U.S. rule, according to KAA leadership, would infringe on state sovereignty by expanding federal jurisdiction over ponds and ditches in Kansas.
Through broad definitions of the terms “tributary” and “adjacent waters” contained in the proposal, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Corps of Engineers (the Corps) are effectively claiming all waters as federal. KAA points out, in some cases, the agencies would have regulatory control over dry land through the inclusion of floodplains and riparian areas.
“Under the proposal, permits would be required for routine farming activities like the application of commercial fertilizer or spreading organic compost,” said KAA President Dalton Henry, who is the government affairs specialist for the Kansas Wheat Commission.
KAA analysis of the proposal suggests these additional requirements will prevent expansion, conservation practice implementation and other activities that provide benefits to Kansas and its agricultural community. The rule also would require the use of additional Kansas resources as EPA subjects waters, traditionally regulated by the state, to federal quality standards and total maximum daily load requirements.
“While the U.S. Supreme Court has not provided great clarity on the issue, it was clear on one thing: There is a limit to federal jurisdiction,” said Kansas Livestock Association (KLA) Vice President of Legal Affairs Aaron Popelka, the president-elect of KAA. “Kansas does not need EPA and the Corps taking over the central tenets of state and local government.”
KAA members consist of statewide farm, livestock, commodity, cooperative, agri-business and agri-service organizations. Its purpose is to promote the general welfare of agriculture and rural communities within the state and nation, with special emphasis upon legislative activities affecting agriculture, rural areas and cooperative services. KAA members include the Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Association, the Kansas Association of Conservation Districts, the Kansas Association of Ethanol Processors, the Kansas Association of Wheat Growers, the Kansas Cooperative Council, the Kansas Corn Growers Association, Kansas Electric Cooperatives, the Kansas Farm Bureau, the Kansas Grain and Feed Association, the KLA, the Kansas Pork Association, the Kansas Grain Sorghum Producers Association, the Kansas Soybean Association, and the Kansas Veterinary Medical Association.
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