News Update
December 4, 2014
207 Groups Send Letter Urging Congress to Reject Altering COOL in Spending Bill
The United States Cattlemen’s Association (USCA) and 206 other agricultural and rural-based organizations submitted a letter Dec. 2 to U.S. Senators Barbara Mikulski and Richard Shelby, chairwoman and ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, asking committee leaders to reject any effort to repeal or weaken the U.S. country-of-origin labeling (COOL) law in federal spending legislation.
The following statement may be attributed to USCA President Danni Beer:
“As Congress begins crafting a spending bill to fund the government for the remainder of FY (fiscal year) 2015, any effort to modify or repeal COOL as part of such legislation must be opposed. COOL is broadly supported by American consumers and producers. We remain committed to ensuring that the U.S. is able to have a full review of the compliance of its current regulations at the WTO before there is any consideration of what other actions may be appropriate.”
“The effort to weaken or repeal COOL is being led by a group of multi-national organizations [that] do not accurately reflect the American public’s view of COOL. Today’s consumer wants to know more about their food, not less, and the efforts of these groups is in direct conflict with the interests of consumers, as well as many cattle producers.”
“The recent decision by the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to appeal the WTO ruling on COOL means that whether U.S. current regulations and the statute comply with WTO obligations will now be reviewed by the WTO Appellate Body. USCA continues to believe that the actions of the administration in modifying the regulation in 2013 reasonably address the concerns that the appellate body identified previously. There is no need for a consideration of other options before the U.S. has pursued this current appeal. Because of the importance of the current law and regulations to our members, USCA will remain engaged to ensure that the U.S. COOL law is preserved.”
The letter may be found here.
MCA Comments on USDA’s Beef Checkoff Proposal
The Missouri Cattlemen’s Association (MCA) Dec. 3, 2014, submitted comments to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack regarding his proposal to create a beef checkoff on top of the existing program. The new checkoff would function under the Commodity Promotion, Research and Information Act of 1996. The Beef Promotion and Research Act of 1985 governs the current beef checkoff. MCA stated clearly its opposition to the creation of a new beef checkoff under the 1996 Act.
“The Beef Checkoff Program is functioning well under the 1985 Act. The current program is producer driven and producer managed. Increasing government involvement in the beef checkoff is not something cattle producers welcome,” said MCA President Jim McCann. “The secretary’s suggestion for a new beef checkoff under the Commodity Promotion, Research and Information Act of 1996 duplicates, creates inefficiencies, complicates and adds confusion to a highly successful program.”
MCA explains in its comments that the creation and implementation of the Beef Promotion and Research Act of 1985 followed two unsuccessful attempts in the 1970s and 1980s to create a mandatory national beef checkoff. According to MCA’s comments, research preceding the 1985 Act determined that producers wanted a checkoff that was fair, easy to administer, maximized grassroots and state level involvement, and that didn’t create additional bureaucracies. MCA Executive Vice President Mike Deering said the 1985 Act achieves those objectives by making state beef councils, like the Missouri Beef Industry Council, a key component in the national Beef Checkoff Program. Deering said maintaining “producer control” of the checkoff is “essential.”
McCann encourages cattlemen to express opposition to Vilsack’s plan. The deadline for comments is Dec. 10. Click here to submit comments.
For more information, please view the full release here.
Obama Administration Selects Communities to Develop Local Food Projects, Encourage Economic Expansion
On Dec. 3, on behalf of the White House Rural Council, six federal agencies joined to announce 26 communities selected to participate in Local Foods, Local Places, a federal initiative providing technical support to integrate local food systems into community economic action plans. Under this effort, a team of agricultural, transportation, environmental, public health and regional economic experts will work directly with the communities to develop specifically identified local food projects. Project proposals include repurposing vacant land into local food production, developing year-round retail markets for local food products, and establishing food hubs to increase local food supply chains.
USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Affairs Doug O’Brien and Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) Federal Co-Chair Earl Gohl made the announcement in Wheeling, W.V. Wheeling will receive Local Foods, Local Places support to transition the historic and underused Vineyard Hill into a productive regional hub for diversified local food production and value-added products. The officials will also visit Youngstown, Ohio, which will receive Local Foods, Local Places support to reclaim vacant property for local food production.
Delta Regional Authority Federal Co-Chairman Christopher Masingill announced seven communities in four states that will be receiving Local Foods, Local Places technical support in the Delta region via conference call. Projects in these communities will include efforts to create a local food network, establish a regional food innovation center and develop job-training efforts around local food entrepreneurship. A complete list of communities participating in the Local Foods, Local Places Initiative is available on the White House Rural Council website.
For more information, please view the full release here.
Allflex Promotes Scott Holt to New North American Marketing Manager Position
Allflex USA Inc., the global leader in animal identification and traceability systems, has announced the promotion of Scott Holt to the newly created position of North American marketing manager. Holt is transitioning into his new position from his current role as associate national sales manager, which he assumed in 2010 after 10 years as the northwestern regional sales manager for Allflex. In his new role, Holt will remain based in Idaho and will oversee marketing efforts for Allflex’s large-animal business in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
“Scott has built a strong knowledge base on all facets of livestock production and management and developed highly valued partnerships across all sectors that we serve with key distribution, integrator and technology partners,” says Glenn Fischer, Allflex senior vice president. “It is clear that our North American market has become more diverse and unique, and it is with this in mind that we look forward to Scott’s leadership and collaborative style at the helm of our marketing efforts.”
Holt is a graduate of Washington State University majoring in ag business with an emphasis in beef production. He has held positions in ranch management, breed association communications and youth activities, and purebred sales and marketing prior to joining Allflex in 2000. He currently serves as the animal-health committee chair for the Idaho Cattlemen’s Association and is the advisor for the Idaho Junior Hereford Association.
Alliance Awards Sixth Annual College Aggies Online Program Scholarships
December 2, 2014, the Animal Agriculture Alliance announced the results of its sixth annual College Aggies Online (CAO) scholarship competition. The nationwide program helps college students share agriculture’s story and become passionate spokespeople on behalf of the food and fiber industries.
CAO is an online competition open to all college students with an interest in agriculture. Since its launch in 2009, more than 2,500 college students from more than 160 different colleges and universities have registered to compete in the program. The Alliance wishes to thank the 2014 College Aggies Program sponsors, which include Tyson Foods, Inc., the National Pork Producers Council Foundation, Dairy Management Inc. (DMI), Fair Oaks Pig Adventure, Belstra Milling Co. and the United Soybean Board.
Each week, individual participants received assignments, called “Aggies Homework,” which focused on a specific social media platform or a segment of the agriculture community. This fall, CAO participants engaged with the public by utilizing Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram, as well as by writing blog posts. Additionally, industry experts, including agriculture journalists, food bloggers and representatives from several of the protein trade associations hosted webinars or tweet-ups to help educate participants about the pertinent issues facing the industry and how to communicate about those with the public.
Over the course of the competition, students generated 39 blog posts, more than 450 Facebook posts, more than 700 Tweets and more than 600 Instagram posts along with other social media and campus outreach activities.
Members of the Oklahoma State University Dairy Science Club formed the top-scoring club with 107,450 total points. The club will receive $5,000 and a trip for two club representatives to the Alliance’s annual Stakeholders Summit in Kansas City, Mo., to be formally recognized.
For more information, please view the full release here.
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