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7/23/2006
South Dakota
Cattlemen's Association: General News Trichomoniasis Rules Effective Today: Dr. Sam Holland, State Veterarian, states this waiver will hopefully allow producers who are able to hold on to calves and feed them while marketing some of the mother cows to take advantage of a broader market and hopefully increased value. Holland says these South Dakota origin cows, especially in the drought area, present extremely low trichomoniasis disease risk. This rule waiver provides response to industry needs in times of drought crisis, yet maintained good animal health requirements. The rule is waived through December 31, 2006.
Area Producers Invited to Town Hall Meeting on Drought A Sioux Falls T.V. Station will broadcast live from Highmore on Monday, as part of a Town Hall Meeting on drought. KSFY-TV will bring it’s cameras to Highmore Livestock Monday evening for an event that will feature Governor Mike Rounds and several other state officials who are working on drought relief for producers. The Governor’s Press Secretary, Mark Johnston, says people are being invited to come to the meeting to ask their questions about the on-going drought and to offer some input or suggestions to our state’s leaders. Johnston says the Governor will likely offer a status update to those attending on the drought conditions, the state’s response to fires and producer needs and will bring up several other topics, as well. Johnston says everyone is invited to attend the Town Hall meeting to talk about the major impact the drought is making on the state’s producers. KSFY’s Mitch Krebs says the program will be called “Dakota Drought-A Town Hall Meeting” and the hour-long program will be broadcast live on KSFY starting at seven p.m.
URGENT CALL TO ACTION: Horse Processing Ban Continues to Gain Momentum - Call Congress Today! Over the past several weeks, we've seen Representative John Sweeney's (R-NY) H.R. 503, American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, gaining momentum in Congress. Next week, the U.S. House will be holding two separate hearings on this bill. On Tuesday, July 25, the House Energy and Commerce Committee is holding its hearing, and the House Agriculture Committee will hold a hearing on Thursday, July 27. In addition, it now seems clear that H.R. 503 will come up for debate and a vote by the full House on Thursday, September 7, following the August Congressional recess. Now that we have a better sense for how this dangerous bill is going to move, we MUST make it clear to our leaders in Congress that this type of legislation is unacceptable. Please get your friends, neighbors and fellow-producers involved, and help us get as many calls and letters to Congress as possible, emphasizing the rights of horse owners to manage their animals as they see fit and explaining the harm that will inevitably follow if this regulated and humane management tool is denied to America's horse owners! As we prepare for next week's hearings, please focus your calls on Representatives serving on the House Agriculture and Energy & Commerce Committees. Based on prior votes on this issue, we encourage you to contact Rep. Herseth by calling 202-225-2801. In addition, you can visit http://capwiz.com/beefusa to send a letter urging a NO on H.R. 503. Leading up to the hearings, please work to contact as many of the members listed below as possible. A concise set of key messages is also available.
KEY MESSAGES on Rep. John Sweeney's H.R. 503, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act
Summary of Policy Actions at the 2006 Cattle Industry Summer Conference On behalf of the entire NCBA staff, thanks to those of you who made the trip to Reno and participated with your fellow producers in the 2006 Summer Conference. A lot of important issues were discussed at the various committee meetings and forums, and several important policy actions were taken by the policy and joint committees and the Board of Directors. Below is a quick summary of the 11 interim resolutions, directives and recommendations that were approved by the Board of Directors. Please remember all measures that passed at last week's Board of Directors meeting will be considered interim policy until the 2007 Annual Convention in Nashville. Also, please keep in mind that only those RESOLUTIONS that passed this summer and are approved by the full membership following next winter's annual meeting will be printed in the next NCBA Policy Book. The directives and recommendations will be treated as internal NCBA policy. While they do certainly direct NCBA's actions, they will not be posted to the internet or printed for public consumption. Agriculture Policy (AP) approved the following actions:
International Markets (IM) approved the following actions:
Property Rights and Environmental Management (PR/EM) approved the following action:
Product Enhancement (PR/EN) approved the following actions: A resolution instructing NCBA to work to secure a permanent commitment of annual funding for specific research by the National Beef Cattle Evaluation Consortium including research on data management, database preservation, DNA inclusion in genetic evaluation, application of multi-breed capacities for genetic evaluation programs, enhancement of the scope of international evaluation, and development of new traits for evaluation, new methods to enhance accuracy and productivity of evaluations, and user-friendly software.
Tax and Credit (T) approved the following actions:
Producer Education (PE) approved the following action:
NCBA Statement Regarding Ongoing USDA
BSE Surveillance Program "The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has just announced it will transition to an ongoing BSE surveillance program. NCBA believes this move is scientifically justified, and it reflects an appropriate level of testing for a country with an extremely low risk of BSE. "The new level of BSE surveillance is rigorous and exceeds international guidelines by 10 times. In addition, our food supply remains safe from BSE thanks to extensive protective measures already in place. "America's beef producers are eager to provide the world's consumers with high quality, safe U.S. beef. As Secretary Johanns stated, bBSE surveillance is not a food safety program.' This announcement is expected and should not affect resumption of trade since human health is protected by interlocking safeguards, specifically removal of material that would most likely carry the BSE agent (such as brain and spinal cord). "The scientific analysis of USDA's enhanced surveillance program found the disease to be extremely rare, occurring at a rate of less than one case per one million adult cattle. This analysis is the strongest evidence yet that the BSE risk in this country is exceptionally low. The program far exceeded expectations, testing an average of 1,000 cattle per day - primarily older animals that are at greater risk for the disease. The International Review Team recommended the enhanced surveillance program for a 12 to 18 month period to determine BSE prevalence in the United States. Now, 25 months later, the program has tested more than 759,000 cattle and only identified two cases. "We know BSE is extremely rare in the United States. With our multiple safeguards in place to protect all beef, experts agree we are doing all the right things to protect the food supply and cattle, and that the disease is headed toward full eradication. "The livelihood of cattle producers depends on delivering safe and wholesome food to dinner tables around the world and to our own families every day. USDA's announcement today provides even further assurance that we're doing just that."
Changes to Canada's Bluetongue Policy OTTAWA, July 10, 2006 - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has revised its import policy, based on an updated scientific risk analysis, to eliminate current bluetongue-related control measures for cattle, sheep and other ruminants imported from the United States. Bluetongue can affect wild and domestic ruminant animals but does not pose any human health risk. CFIA animal health experts have determined that the potential for bluetongue to spread in Canada, both in livestock and wildlife, is very limited. The insect that spreads the disease is not present in eastern Canada and has been shown to have a poor capacity to spread the disease in western Canada. Furthermore, climatic conditions limit potential transmission to only a short period each year, within a restricted geographic region. As a precaution, the CFIA will enhance its bluetongue surveillance, moving from triennial to annual monitoring. This activity, coupled with ongoing research and risk assessments, is intended to provide ongoing confirmation that risks to Canadian livestock and wildlife remain very low. The CFIA's import controls are designed to effectively mitigate the risks posed by foreign animal diseases. These measures are reviewed periodically to ensure that they reflect the most current scientific information, remain effective and do not impose unwarranted trade restrictions. In line with this approach, Canada has reviewed and revised its bluetongue import controls for animals from the United States several times as more has been learned about the disease and the relevant risk factors present in Canada. Changes to the policy were developed in consultation with a range of stakeholders, including provincial governments, animal health experts and industry. Regulatory processes needed to bring the revised policy into effect will be completed in the coming months. In the interim, the CFIA will continue to work closely with implicated sectors, particularly breeding animals and livestock genetics, to develop strategies aimed at engaging trading partners and maintaining current market access.
Western Ranchers Join Lawsuit To Defend
Grazing Regs Washington, D.C. (July 21, 2006) – The Public Lands Council (PLC), an organization of public lands ranchers throughout the West, has joined in a lawsuit to help defend the final grazing regulations issued by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The PLC represents the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, the American Sheep Industry and the Association of National Grasslands. “The new regulations stabilize the climate for operating ranches on BLM lands by encouraging good stewardship of those lands,” says PLC Executive Director Jeff Eisenberg. “In developing these final rules, the BLM has restored the balance between resource conservation and range management. These are policies PLC and its members are willing to protect with their hard earned dollars.” Upon publication on July 12, the Western Watersheds Project immediately filed a lawsuit in federal district court in Idaho to block the regulations. A second suit was also filed by the National Wildlife Federation, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Idaho Conservation League, and the Idaho Wildlife Federation. PLC has retained Bill Thomas of the law firm Best Best & Kreiger to represent the ranchers’ views in this matter. Each side has the opportunity to make arguments at a preliminary injunction hearing scheduled for July 28 in Boise, Idaho. Eisenberg says the American people will benefit from PLC’s efforts to defend the new rules because of the countless ways ranchers work to help protect the land and the environment where they graze livestock. “Ranchers fund and maintain range improvements, protect water resources, and install and repair fencing. These enhancements help to sustain wildlife habitat on the open range,” explains Eisenberg. “Ranchers are often the only human presence on the vast federal lands, and are they are first to detect new weed infestations and identify areas at risk for wildfires.” Public lands ranchers serve as land managers and conservationists of 235 million acres of public land, and also control 107 million acres of private land. Protecting the ranching industry and the rural way of life also protects hundreds of millions of acres of private land from development and fragmentation. This helps to maintain open space, natural habitat, and quality of the American West. “Those who attack grazing fail to recognize the social and environmental benefits ranchers provide to the West,” says Eisenberg. “The BLM grazing regulations will help ranchers maintain a stable business climate and stay on the land, while mutually benefiting the environment and the American public.”
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