“Disaster Package Added to Jobs Bill”
A 1.5-billion dollar bipartisan disaster package has been added to the American Workers, State, and Business Relief Act which could be voted on in the Senate yet this week. The addition is based on legislation introduced earlier by Senate Ag Committee Chair Blanche Lincoln and Senator Thad Cochran. The package, if passed, will provide assistance for farmers affected by heavy rains, floods and other weather-related disasters.
The legislation would provides an estimated 1.1-billion dollars in supplemental payments to producers who suffered crop losses in counties declared “primary” disaster areas by USDA. The payments would bridge the gap until 2009 Supplemental Revenue Assistance Program payments are issued next fall.
Also included is 150-million to assist specialty crop producers, 75-million in emergency loans to poultry producers, 50-million in assistance for livestock producers, 25-million in aquaculture assistance and 42-million to aid first handlers of cottonseed.
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“Poultry Welfare Guidelines Updated”
The National Chicken Council made changes in its animal welfare guidelines and audit checklist. That’s the industry-standard program for assessing animal welfare programs and practices in broiler and broiler-breeder operations. The revisions were recommended by a task force of industry veterinarians and other experts and approved by the NCC executive committee and board of directors.
The revisions place a greater emphasis on corporate commitment to animal welfare, including a requirement that senior management must sign off on their company’s animal welfare program. It also calls for each department of the company handling live animals to have a person in charge of promoting adherence to the Guidelines and each department must have a disaster response and recovery plan. Also, employees must be trained and retrained every year and each company must review their program every two years.
Principles stated in the document are: 1/ Poultry raised for food should be cared for in ways that prevent or minimize fear, pain, stress and suffering. 2/ Guidelines for welfare should balance scientific knowledge and professional judgment with consideration of ethical and societal values. 3/ It is the welfare of the chickens themselves that is foremost, not how humans might perceive a practice or an environment. and 4/ Poultry should be treated with respect throughout their lives and provided a humane death when processed for food or when they are euthanized for any other reason.
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“NCGA Asks Agriculture to Help Set the Record Straight on Food Inc.”
Before this Sunday’s Oscars – the National Corn Growers Association is calling on its grower members and industry friends to get the truth about the documentary film Food Inc. The movie – which NCGA says is filled with lies, factual inaccuracies and misrepresentations about America’s farmers and food suppliers – is nominated for Best Documentary.
NCGA took language directly from the movie to conduct a fact-checking exercise using recent data from sources like the FDA and USDA – and found several examples where the filmmakers set the truth aside. So they’ve developed a factsheet to arm those in agriculture with credible and truthful information to combat the film’s arguments.
You can find the factsheet online at www dot ncga dot com slash files slash pdf slash FoodIncInformation dot pdf (www.ncga.com/files/pdf/FoodIncInformation.pdf). NCGA encourages you to review the facts before the Oscars are televised this Sunday night and then help spread the information. E-mail your contacts, pen a letter to the editor, send it to local press people or write about it on Facebook – just get the word out.
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“RFA Wants More Funding for Development”
The President’s budget zeroes out funding for the Biomass and Biorefinery Systems Program’s Utilization of Platform Outputs R&D sub program. And it only provided 13-million dollars for the Vehicle Technologies program’s Fuels Technology subprogram. The Renewable Fuels Association says Congress must ensure fuels research programs are fully funded to provide the necessary scientific basis for increasing ethanol blending. The RFA is calling for the full 24-million dollars funding for the Vehicle Technologies program’s Fuels Technology subprogram and for an additional 5-million for the Biomass and Biorefinery Systems R&D subprograms.
Writing to the Chairs and Ranking Members of both the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Energy and Water Development, RFA President Bob Dinneen wrote – continued testing of mid-level ethanol blends and E-85 is absolutely critical if ethanol is to overcome the blend wall that is today limiting market opportunities, and if the statutory obligations for renewable fuel use established by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 are to be met.
Dineen said Congress should – allow America’s ethanol industry to reach its full potential to displace petroleum use in motor vehicles.
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“Monsanto: A Good Place to Be”
If you are looking for a corporate citizen look no further than Monsanto Company. Monsanto has been named to Corporate Responsibility Magazine’s list of “100 Best Corporate Citizens” for 2010. Monsanto ranks number 31 overall and leads the agricultural products sector on the magazine’s 11th annual ranking of corporate responsibility performance of major U.S. companies.
Jerry Steiner, executive vice president for sustainability & corporate affairs for Monsanto, said, his company is – honored to be recognized for our leadership in such important areas as climate change and employee relations. As an agricultural technology leader, we strive to deliver products that benefit farmers and the global communities they serve, while protecting the environment.
This ranking is one of several accolades recently received by Monsanto, including being named – Company of the Year – by Forbes Magazine and one of FORTUNE Magazine’s – 100 Best Companies to Work For – in 2010.
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“Food for Progress Assistance Announced”
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says USDA will donate more than 145-million dollars in international assistance under the Food for Progress Program in fiscal year 2010. Allocations announced include more than 204-thousand metric tons of U.S. rice, soybean oil, soybeans, soy flour, tallow, vegetable oil, wheat and yellow corn. These commodities will be purchased on the U.S. market and donated to foreign governments, cooperatives and private-voluntary, non-profit or intergovernmental organizations.
In making the announcement, Secretary Vilsack said, – these allocations will benefit more than 3.4 million people in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East by providing access to new opportunities for farmers and rural communities. The program targets developing countries and emerging democracies like Uganda, where the program has helped a Ugandan dairy quadruple its sales in one year, and Honduras, where palm oil farmers were able to launch their own refinement plant.
USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service administers the program, authorized by the Food for Progress Act of 1985.
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“Dollars Released to Improve Electric Service”
USDA Rural Development’s Electric Loan Program will make it possible for more rural residents to enjoy more reliable electricity. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says 29 rural utilities and cooperatives in 16 states have been selected to receive loans and loan guarantees to build and repair more than 5,600 miles of distribution and transmission lines and make system improvements that will benefit more than 55-thousand rural customers.
According to the Secretary, these loans and loan guarantees may be used to expand or improve electric service, support renewable energy efforts and establish energy conservation programs.
For example, the Halifax Electric Membership Corporation in Enfield, North Carolina will receive a 6.5-million dollar loan to provide automated meter reading and repair nearly 70 miles of distribution lines. And in Allison, Iowa, the Butler County Rural Electric Cooperative will receive a 12.7-million dollar loan to upgrade and maintain facilities and repair damage caused by a 2007 ice storm.
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“Training Today’s Youth for Green Jobs”
USDA Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment Harris Sherman will unveil a new green curriculum to train underserved youth to hold jobs in the emerging green economy later this week. It’s a new direction for USDA Forest Service Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers – and USDA says it will expand students’ opportunities and pathways out of poverty through the promotion of public service, sustainable lifestyles and skill development to compete for green jobs.
Sherman will be joined by Idaho First District Congressman Walt Minnick and USDA Forest Service Associate Chief Hank Kashdan for the announcement Friday.
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“Better Potatoes From Research”
Two fungi with very long names (Spongospora subterranea and Colletotrichum coccodes) continue to make it difficult for the potato industry to get their spuds to the marketplace. These fungi often occur together in the same soil, attacking the potato plant’s roots, tubers or stems. Outbreaks can cause yield losses of up to 25-percent and prevent tubers from reaching the sizes needed by the french fry and fast-food industry.
Scientists and collaborators with the Agriculture Research Service are working to overcome the problem by testing five new potato breeding lines that could open the door to new varieties of the crop that resist these problems. These breeding lines had been developed from a wild species from Mexico, Solanum hougasii, and a recent commercial release, Summit Russet. In three years of field trials the potato breeding lines consistently showed fewer disease symptoms.
The potato breeding lines aren’t intended for production. Instead, they’ll be made available as seed for use in breeding programs aimed at developing the first commercial varieties with dual resistance to the fungal diseases.
