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Cattlemen's Capitol Concerns

HAY MAKER

Well-known member
Cattlemen's Capitol Concerns



May 11, 2006



The Cattlemen’s Capitol Concerns (CCC) is a weekly report from Washington, D.C., giving an up-to-date summary of top policy initiatives concerning the cattle industry; direct from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA).



Peru to Resume Trade: Peru announced May 5 that it will resume trade of specified U.S. beef products, including imports of U.S. fresh and frozen boneless beef, stomachs, kidneys and livers. All beef (including boneless, bone-in and offal) will be eligible for export to Peru with an export certificate dated May 31, 2006 or later. According to the terms of trade between the U.S. and Peru, all federally inspected establishments are eligible to export to Peru. Visit http://www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations_&_policies/Peru_Requirements/index.asp for more information.



Peru ceased trade of U.S. beef products following the December 23, 2003 discovery of BSE in Washington state. However, specific dates for resumption of beef trade with the United States were established during Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations with Peru. The United States and Peru concluded FTA negotiations on December 7, 2005, but the Government of Peru and the U.S. Congress must still ratify the FTA agreement.



Death Tax: Hundreds of ranchers and farmers across the nation participated in this week’s Cattle Call to Kill the Death Tax, May 9. NCBA’s Manager of Grassroots Communications Jenni Beck says an overwhelming response from farm broadcasters, trade media and calls from ranchers across the countryside helped accomplish our goal of making our industry heard as one strong voice for full and permanent repeal.



The ultimate success, however, will come when the Senate votes and – hopefully – finally passes legislation to permanently repeal the devastating Death Tax. A vote was expected before Memorial Day recess, but with issues related to fuel prices, energy policy, immigration, and health care taking over the Senate agenda, a vote on Death Tax could come later in June. If that’s the case, ranchers will have a great opportunity to talk to Senators in their home states over the May 27-June 4 Congressional recess. Now is not the time to let up! We need to keep letting Senators know that the Death Tax must go!



Producers can continue to send letters to their Senators though our Cap Wiz web site at http://capwiz.com/beefusa. Also, visit our special Death Tax web resource at http://hill.beef.org/tax for more information and tools to use as part of this effort.



The Death Tax Hurts Real, Working People: Robert Farnam, a rancher in Etna, Calif., tells his Death Tax story. (For more personal real-life stories, visit http://hill.beef.org/tax.)



“We have now lost over 5,000 acres due to the Death Tax. My family was born, raised and died on this ranch for six generations. This heritage was ruined due to the Death Tax and losing over half of our ranch. The ranch is now only large enough to sustain one family, and so my parents run the ranch and the rest of us have no connection to the ranch that has been in our family for six generations. When my parents pass away, we will likely have to sell the remaining acreage to pay for the estate tax...This tax has also ruined some of the most pristine wildlife areas in the country, because ranchers have no other choice than to sell some of their land. Farm and ranch land that is sold is usually developed into homes or commercial buildings. Our land was very productive and included a major wildlife corridor for elk and deer to move from the high country to the low country, but now the only things that migrate down it are gas consuming cars. Losing this ranch and family business has torn my family apart and has left scars etched on our souls.”



Farm Bill Field Hearings: The House Ag Committee hosted a pair of public field hearings this week on 2007 Farm Bill development. On May 8, NCBA member and Colorado cattle producer Tom Compton testified in Greeley, Col., and on May 9, NCBA member and Texas cattle producer Dale Smith testified in San Angelo, Texas.



Among the key points within both Frasier’s and Smith’s testimonies:



· Development of the 2007 Farm bill should focus on agriculture - not other extraneous issues - and on improving existing titles of the Farm Bill.

· Private-public initiatives are far more effective than government mandates.

· Working on the land each day, cattle producers understand how to manage land, water, and other natural resources.

· Enhancing international market access for agriculture producers must be a top priority.

· Conservation programs keep working landscapes in working hands. We should work toward increase the efficiency and funding for these programs.

Goodlatte Announces Farm Bill Feedback Form: In related news, House Ag Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte announced an online Farm Bill Feedback Form (http://www.agriculture.house.gov/inside/feedbackform.html) and encourages ag producers who are unable to speak up at one of the field hearings to share their feedback on this web form. Goodlatte says lawmakers want to know how the 2002 Farm Bill policies have impacted producers’ businesses and what producers want to see in future farm policy. The information provided via this web form will be submitted to each member of the House Committee on Agriculture.



USDA Releases 2007 Farm Bill Theme Paper: Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns released a risk management analysis paper this week, the first in a series of papers intended to provide factual information and continue the national discussion about best policy approaches in preparation for the 2007 Farm Bill. The analysis paper on risk management released May 8 is the first such analysis paper based on the more than 4,000 comments received orally and in writing during 52 USDA Farm Bill Forums across the nation. The risk management paper is available at: http://www.usda.gov.



Progress Continues With Key Asian Markets:



· Japan: USDA recently conducted its own review of U.S. beef processing facilities as requested by Japanese officials and should be providing a report of its findings very soon. This step will be followed by teams of Japanese officials visiting U.S. beef processing facilities in the coming weeks to finalize their own audits. Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is scheduled to visit the United States in late June, and industry and government insiders suggest an announcement regarding beef trade could be made at that time.

· South Korea: Beginning this week, four teams of Korean officials are visiting 36 U.S. beef processing facilities that have applied to ship U.S. beef to South Korea. Media reports quote Korean officials saying they intend to put measures in place that will allow U.S. beef to be sold locally beginning in early June pending final government approval. The resumption of beef trade with South Korea will be imperative in furthering negotiations with South Korea on a U.S.-South Korea Free Trade Agreement.

· China: NCBA participated in a trade briefing on May 10 where U.S. trade officials discussed recent progress made regarding trade with China. The Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT) concluded April 11 that China would reopen its market to U.S. beef exports. It was agreed that the two countries would begin technical protocol discussions to outline what would be required to open the market. These discussions will begin this weekend, May 12-14.



Superfund: Cattlemen continue to urge support for H.R. 4341 in the House of Representatives. This legislation will clarify that manure is not considered a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant under the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA/Superfund regulations). This bill now has 148 co-sponsors with 6 new cosponsors signed on since last week! They are Reps. Charlie Melancon (D-La.), Devin Nunes (R-Cal.), Thomas Reynolds (R-N.Y.), John Shimkus (R-Ill.), Bobby Jindal (R-La.), and John Hostettler (R-Ind.).



Visit http://capwiz.com/beefusa to see a full list of co-sponsors. If your Representative is not yet listed, send a message to them asking them to sign on!



Appropriations: The House Appropriations Committee passed the Fiscal Year 2007 Agriculture Appropriations Bill May 9, sending the bill to the House floor for consideration. A vote by the full House is expected next week. The Committee also passed the Interior Appropriations Bill May 10 and it is due to be considered by the full House also next week.



Roadless Area Issues: The Roadless Area Conservation National Advisory Committee met this week, May 8-9 in Washington. The group was recently assembled by USDA and U.S. Forest Service to provide advice and recommendations to Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns on implementing the State Petitions for Inventoried Roadless Area Management Rule adopted by USDA last May. Jeff Eisenberg, NCBA’s federal lands director and executive director of the Public Lands Council (PLC) is the representative for the ranching industry on this 13-member advisory group. NCBA members who have concerns about roadless areas in their states should be working with their Governors’ offices to affect the petitions from those states. They can also contact Jeff in NCBA’s Washington office (202-347-0228 or [email protected]) with questions or input into the process.



BSE Surveillance: USDA’s Enhanced BSE Surveillance Program continues to test targeted animals identified as most likely to have the disease. Since June 1, 2004, the program has tested 708,811 cattle and has found only two confirmed cases, evidence that our safeguards are working and the prevalence of BSE in the United States is extremely low. Testing 268,500 animals can detect BSE at a rate of 1 in 10 million adult cattle at a 99 percent confidence level.
 

Econ101

Well-known member
I see in their capital concerns that the NCBA counts bogus bse tests that were proven not to catch bse as bse test totals. If they are going to go with numbers like that, why trust them on anything?
 

mrj

Well-known member
Econ101 said:
I see in their capital concerns that the NCBA counts bogus bse tests that were proven not to catch bse as bse test totals. If they are going to go with numbers like that, why trust them on anything?


What, other than your "word", do you offer to back that statement?


MRJ
 

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