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FARM Bill Finally Passed,COOL is Coming

PORKER

Well-known member
12/14/2007 1:14:00 PM


NFU: Senate Passes Farm Bill Good For Rural America


WASHINGTON (Dec. 14, 2007) - National Farmers Union hailed the farm bill passed by the Senate today as a significant step forward to benefit all Americans.

"The Senate farm bill includes record investments in nutrition, conservation, renewable energy and specialty crop programs while maintaining a strong safety net for producers when prices fall," NFU President Tom Buis said. "A strong safety net is vital to a successful farm bill. Past experience has taught us that any farm bill will work during good price years but is really needed during times of low prices. The Senate farm bill will see farmers through the good and the bad."

The Senate bill includes many of NFU's top farm bill priorities such as creation of a standing disaster assistance program to aid producers affected by devastating weather conditions. "Farmers and ranchers across the country, unfortunately, are going to be affected by natural disasters. A permanent disaster program will provide the certainty they need when a disaster strikes," Buis said.

NFU played a key role in reaching compromise agreements between groups representing both sides of two of the bill's provisions - interstate shipment of meat and implementation of mandatory country of origin labeling (COOL). "Small producers will be able to ship their high- quality products across state lines and finally, after repeated delays, consumers will know the origin of the food products they purchase," Buis said.

The Senate-passed bill includes a livestock competition title, including a ban on packer ownership, establishment of an Office of Special Council and voluntary arbitration.

Buis commended the Senate for moving the farm bill forward in the legislative process. However, a House-Senate conference still needs to meet and work out the two bills' differences before a farm bill can be signed into law.

"The farm bill expired nearly three months ago and the winter wheat crop is already in the ground. Producers need certainty for the coming year. I urge the House and Senate to appoint conferees quickly and pass a conference report soon, so the bill will arrive at the President's desk early in 2008," Buis said.
 

PORKER

Well-known member
Voted in By a Landslide

The Senate on Friday approved the farm bill by a margin of 79 to 14.
The bill now goes to conference before heading to the president's desk.

The farm bill was hailed as bipartisan by Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND), Senate Ag Committee member and one of the bill's original co-sponsors.

"This bill makes major investments in America's food and energy security -- and does so without adding one cent to our nation's deficit," Conrad said Friday.
The Bill will require meats,peanuts, fish and other fresh produce foods to be labeled with their country of origin starting next year, a priority for Western and Midwestern ranchers who compete with Canadian and other oversea's beef and pork. Recordkeeping from field to fork to prove birth, raising, processing, or seeded ,grown, and processed in the USA will earn a USDA label of origin on every package at every retailer's sales shelf. Records must be kept to prove origin verification.
 

rkaiser

Well-known member
Since we follow the Americans on every other issue, maybe we can get Canadian Cool up and running by about 2025. :roll:
 

Big Muddy rancher

Well-known member
PORKER said:
Voted in By a Landslide

The Senate on Friday approved the farm bill by a margin of 79 to 14.
The bill now goes to conference before heading to the president's desk.

The farm bill was hailed as bipartisan by Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND), Senate Ag Committee member and one of the bill's original co-sponsors.

"This bill makes major investments in America's food and energy security -- and does so without adding one cent to our nation's deficit," Conrad said Friday.
The Bill will require meats,peanuts, fish and other fresh produce foods to be labeled with their country of origin starting next year, a priority for Western and Midwestern ranchers who compete with Canadian and other oversea's beef and pork. Recordkeeping from field to fork to prove birth, raising, processing, or seeded ,grown, and processed in the USA will earn a USDA label of origin on every package at every retailer's sales shelf. Records must be kept to prove origin verification.



Did that say records needed to be kept? From field to fork? Won't that require traceback?
 

Sandhusker

Well-known member
Big Muddy rancher said:
PORKER said:
Voted in By a Landslide

The Senate on Friday approved the farm bill by a margin of 79 to 14.
The bill now goes to conference before heading to the president's desk.

The farm bill was hailed as bipartisan by Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND), Senate Ag Committee member and one of the bill's original co-sponsors.

"This bill makes major investments in America's food and energy security -- and does so without adding one cent to our nation's deficit," Conrad said Friday.
The Bill will require meats,peanuts, fish and other fresh produce foods to be labeled with their country of origin starting next year, a priority for Western and Midwestern ranchers who compete with Canadian and other oversea's beef and pork. Recordkeeping from field to fork to prove birth, raising, processing, or seeded ,grown, and processed in the USA will earn a USDA label of origin on every package at every retailer's sales shelf. Records must be kept to prove origin verification.



Did that say records needed to be kept? From field to fork? Won't that require traceback?

Why would a producer need to keep any records? If it doesn't have a "M" or "CAN" brand, it's US. How much simpler can you get?
 

Big Muddy rancher

Well-known member
Sandhusker said:
Big Muddy rancher said:
PORKER said:
Voted in By a Landslide

The Senate on Friday approved the farm bill by a margin of 79 to 14.
The bill now goes to conference before heading to the president's desk.

The farm bill was hailed as bipartisan by Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND), Senate Ag Committee member and one of the bill's original co-sponsors.

"This bill makes major investments in America's food and energy security -- and does so without adding one cent to our nation's deficit," Conrad said Friday.
The Bill will require meats,peanuts, fish and other fresh produce foods to be labeled with their country of origin starting next year, a priority for Western and Midwestern ranchers who compete with Canadian and other oversea's beef and pork. Recordkeeping from field to fork to prove birth, raising, processing, or seeded ,grown, and processed in the USA will earn a USDA label of origin on every package at every retailer's sales shelf. Records must be kept to prove origin verification.



Did that say records needed to be kept? From field to fork? Won't that require traceback?

Why would a producer need to keep any records? If it doesn't have a "M" or "CAN" brand, it's US. How much simpler can you get?


From Field to Fork Sandhusker. Looks to me like they want to tell the consumer WHO's field not what Countries field.
 

PORKER

Well-known member
Men , here is where the problem begins ,All of this mixing of animal meats and produce needs some kind of records at the retail store to prove Country of Origin. The Retailer is the ONE getting a BIG $$$$$ fine if the product is mis-labeled as to origin. Records with seperation of product is going to be the norm.
 

Sandhusker

Well-known member
BMR, "From Field to Fork Sandhusker. Looks to me like they want to tell the consumer WHO's field not what Countries field."

There never has been a large "field to fork" program proposed that would allow the customer to know what individual ranch the beef came from. Even the NAIS stops at the packer. The "C" in COOL stands for "Country".

I don't see how a system that allows the customer to ID where their steak was calved brings any value. 99% of consumers couldn't tell an Angus from a Holstein and can't even pronounce Chianina. Like they're going to care whether their beef came from Jigs in Kansas or me in Nebraska?
 

Sandhusker

Well-known member
PORKER said:
Men , here is where the problem begins ,All of this mixing of animal meats and produce needs some kind of records at the retail store to prove Country of Origin. The Retailer is the ONE getting a BIG $$$$$ fine if the product is mis-labeled as to origin. Records with seperation of product is going to be the norm.

How can that be much of a problem? We know the packers can segregate cattle from different countries and keep the beef seperate because they have to keep Canadian beef seperate from US for Korea now and they're doing it. Any beef that is shipped here has country of origin on the box. Basicaly, the only new equipment needed to pass country of origin information down to a retailer is a copier and a roll of tape - copy the information you already have and tape it to the box. The retailer might have to buy a file cabinet.
 

Tex

Well-known member
One of the problems I see with allowing packers to have records that go to the farm is the fact that they have already used geographical differences in order to differentiate and then discriminate against producers.

If they ever have that ability with cattle, they will say they have a "legitimate business justification" in order to discriminate against producers, not based on the product itself, but based on the place where it came from.

Packers work real hard to keep from having their packing plant information on the label of their products. They do this so consumers can not trace back to them the problems with recalls and the such.

The USDA has allowed this to happen to a greater and greater extent.

Can you imagine where they would process some animals, make processing mistakes, and then blame it on the producer with traceback?
 

PORKER

Well-known member
USDA never thought COOL would pass. They wrote the rules so BAD and Stupid that It was almost impossible to do COOL Recordkeeping. Then other meats like turkey were left out. Remember CON agri's peanut butter fiasico ,They were bringing in imported peanuts and mixing them with US. Peanuts and they called it PeterPan . Even the fairys got sick . No traceback, no origin! Processors ,importers ,wholesalers ,and retailers don't want anyone to know.
 

Tex

Well-known member
PORKER said:
USDA never thought COOL would pass. They wrote the rules so BAD and Stupid that It was almost impossible to do COOL Recordkeeping. Then other meats like turkey were left out. Remember CON agri's peanut butter fiasico ,They were bringing in imported peanuts and mixing them with US. Peanuts and they called it PeterPan . Even the fairys got sick . No traceback, no origin! Processors ,importers ,wholesalers ,and retailers don't want anyone to know.

The USDA has a very poor history of enforcing any provisions that might hurt giant agribusiness. They will not enforce rules, or write them if they might be helpful to producers but might hurt the existing agribusiness interests who have their lobbyists sitting in on committee hearings and then using campaign donations to tweak what they are asking for from lawmakers.

The USDA lawyers (JoAnn Waterfield is a perfect example) are out for big agribusiness and participate in the revolving door corruption in Washington D.C. that big processor and agribusiness interests who bribe politicians.
 

PORKER

Well-known member
Corporate Meat & (Your Company's name) Inc.* * * * *I, ________________________, on behalf of the undersigned company (“Supplier”), being duly authorized, hereby agree that Supplier shall provide( Your Company Inc.) with the information described above, including the following: (a) a Country of Origin/Method of Production (CoO/MoP)declaration on every consumer package or a separate record of CoO/MoP with un-packaged,bulk product; and (b) a CoO/MoP declaration on the shipping documents, and direct storedelivery invoice, and Supplier hereby certifies and guarantees that all information so provided shall be complete and accurate. In addition, Supplier shall (1) maintain records necessary to support a verifiable audit trail; (2) indemnify (Your Company) for any fines, penalties and any otherliabilities and costs that (Your Company) may incur arising out of, or related to, or as a result of theCoO/MoP that you provide or fail to provide; (3) segregate all covered commodities; and (4)provide (Your Company) with the results of a third-party audit(s) if so requested._________________________________________________________________________DateCompany name (type or print)By: _____________________________________Its: _____________________________________Title of Authorized Signatory_______________________________ Address: _________________________________COOL Contact (type or print)________________________________________________________________TitleTelephone: (_______) _____________________Appendix A
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EACH CASE/SHIPPING UNIT FOR THE ABOVE PRODUCTS AND THAT THE EXTERIORS OF ALL CASES/SHIPPING UNITS REFLECT (Your Company) PURCHASE ORDER NUMBER AND/OR DIRECT STORE DELIVERY INVOICE NUMBER. WITHIN EACH CASE/SHIPPING UNIT THERE IS A MINIMUM OF TWO PLACARDS PER FIVE NET WEIGHT POUNDS DOCUMENTING THE METHOD OF PRODUCTION AND COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION, (US)
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Senate Completes Farm Bill



Soon after yesterday’s disappointing Senate vote to reject the Tester-Grassley Amendment that would have closed the loophole created in the Pickett vs. Tyson lawsuit, the Senate decided to bring its Farm Bill to a close. And it did.



As a result, the amendment to also close the competitive injury loophole was never offered, nor was the Captive Supply Reform Act.



Nonetheless, and thanks to all of you who have been engaged in this process for nearly the entire year, YOU WON A LOT!



Here’s what we accomplished in the Senate Farm Bill:



· Affirmation of and improvements to mandatory country of origin labeling

· Ban on packer ownership of livestock

· Establishment of a Special Counsel for Agricultural Competition to ensure proper enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act

· Directive fro USDA to define “undue preferences and advantage” within the Packers and Stockyards Act.

· Authorization for interstate shipment of state inspected beef

· Authorization of voluntary arbitration for contract growers




The next step in the process is to retain everything we’ve won through the Farm Bill conference committee that must now merge the House and Senate versions into a single Farm Bill.
 

PORKER

Well-known member
My rated list of the best.
· 1 Affirmation of and improvements to mandatory country of origin labeling which starts in Sept.2008

· 2 Ban on packer ownership of livestock

· 3 Authorization for interstate shipment of state inspected beef and other meats

·4 Authorization of voluntary arbitration for contract growers

· 5 Establishment of a Special Counsel for Agricultural Competition to ensure proper enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act

· 6 Directive fro USDA to define “undue preferences and advantage” within the Packers and Stockyards Act.
 

PORKER

Well-known member
Thune and Johnson say the Senate-passed bill would be good for South Dakota farmers and ranchers. In addition to the new permanent disaster aid program and the limitations on packers owning livestock, the bill also would begin requiring grocery stores to put labels on meat and produce identifying which country produced them.
 

Denny

Well-known member
We have some Bacon in the fridge it say's in big plain letter's Product of Canada I've eaten it and it's good.

On a tight budget Susie Homemaker is still going to buy the least cost product 90% of the time no matter which country it's from.
 

Sandhusker

Well-known member
Denny said:
We have some Bacon in the fridge it say's in big plain letter's Product of Canada I've eaten it and it's good.

On a tight budget Susie Homemaker is still going to buy the least cost product 90% of the time no matter which country it's from.

How then do you account for the growing organic and natural foods markets? That's the fastest growing niche there is.
 

Mike

Well-known member
Denny said:
We have some Bacon in the fridge it say's in big plain letter's Product of Canada I've eaten it and it's good.

On a tight budget Susie Homemaker is still going to buy the least cost product 90% of the time no matter which country it's from.

I agree on her maybe buying the cheapest the FIRST time. But if somehow that brand doesn't pan out the way they wanted, it's on to another brand.

Betcha we never buy pork ribs from Ireland or Denmark again.............. :roll:
 
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