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| HOUSE
PASSES ELECTION-YEAR FARM BILL (YahooNews.com, 5/14) -- By
a strong, veto-proof majority, the House passed a $290 billion farm bill
with increased subsidies for farmers and food stamps for the poor amid
rising grocery prices while sprinkling in pet projects that lawmakers
can take home to voters this election year. The 318-106 vote for the five-year
bill gave supporters 28 more than they need to override a promised veto
from President Bush, who has complained the measure is too expensive and
generous to farmers now enjoying record earnings. "A bloated, earmark-laden
bill," his agriculture secretary said after the vote.
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S. KOREA TO DELAY RESUMPTION OF U.S. BEEF IMPORTS (Meatingplace.com, 5/14) -- Amid mounting public pressure, Seoul said it will delay resumption of U.S. beef imports.Under a new trade protocol, South Korea was slated on Thursday to fully resume quarantine inspections of U.S. beef for the first time in four years. "We are disappointed as we understand Korea is planning to announce tomorrow a temporary delay in implementing the protocol agreed to April 18th," Gretchen Hamel, spokewoman for the U.S. Trade Representative's office, told Meatingplace.com. Protests from a public still not totally convinced about the safety of U.S. beef and opposition parties demanding the deal be re-negotiatied are apparently giving government officials the jitters. Even President Lee Myung-bak has admitted the government failed to educate the public on the beef deal and the safety of U.S. beef. Nevertheless, U.S. officials expect the deal to be fully implemented. AUSTRALIAN AG DEPARTMENT SLASHES BUDGET (Brownfield Network, 5/13) -- Australia’s Department of Agriculture has cut their total budget by 25%, in anticipation of lower drought relief payment to farmers. However, according to Dow Jones Newswires, the department does say that production could still be short of expectations if there isn’t timely rainfall. Rabobank notes that dry weather has delayed the planting of many crops in eastern Australia, including the winter wheat crop. Australia has seen significant wheat crop loss in the past two years due to drought, going as low as 13 million tons in 2007. There aren’t any official production estimates out yet, but general market sentiment has this year’s Australian wheat crop at 23 million to 27 million tons. However, that is if the precipitation comes as needed. CANADA IMPORTING
MORE U.S. PORK AMID WOES (Meatingplace.com, 5/14) -- While Canada's
pork industry struggles to sustain itself amid rising feed costs, shrinking
inventory, declining hog slaughter and fleeing producers, the country's
strong currency is resulting, ironically, in increased imports of pork
from the United States. According to a report by USDA's Foreign Agricultural
Service, U.S. pork sales to Canada rose 20 percent to 164,334 metric tons
in 2007, compared with 137,302 metric tons in 2006. Most of the load consisted
of fresh or chilled pork cuts, including back ribs and U.S. prepared pork
including pre-packaged sausages. |
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| CONGRESS
SHOWING MORE UNDERSTANDING OF BAD CONSEQUENCES OF HORSE SLAUGHTER BAN,
LMA MEMBERS (Livestock Marketing Association, 5/12) -- Members
of Congress showed a growing understanding of the unintended consequences
of the closing of America’s three horse slaughter plants, according
to participants in Livestock Marketing Association’s fourth annual
Washington, D.C. Fly-In. Since a series of legislative and judicial actions
closed the three plants, LMA President Jim Santomaso said the industry
is seeing “more and more reports of abandoned horses, and of horses
turned out and left to starve, because owners can’t afford their
upkeep, or have the means to properly dispose of them.” During April and May, HSUS investigators visited auctions in Maryland, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Texas and videotaped downer cows at each stop — animals left to suffer for hours and in one instance overnight. MDA has clear regulations governing the humane treatment of livestock at auction markets and each licensed market is provided a copy of the rules and protocols that they are required to follow. MDA has taken action to strengthen its penalties against anyone who violates state animal health laws and regulations. House Bill 227, proposed by MDA and passed by the 2008 General Assembly, gives the Maryland secretary of agriculture the authority to issue fines of up to $10,000 in cases where these laws and regulations are broken. In addition, MDA is currently reviewing its livestock market and dealer regulations to determine what actions are needed to strengthen them. USDA:
RED MEAT PRODUCTION TO DECLINE, PRICES TO RISE IN 2009 (Meatingplace.com,
5/12) -- Tighter supplies of cattle will force beef production
to decline in 2009, and pork production will decline due to reduced farrowings
later this year and next year, USDA said Friday in its latest World Agriculture
Supply and Demands Estimates.Beef production in 2009 is forecast at 26.5
billion pounds, compared with 26.8 billion pounds in 2008. Pork production
in 2009 is forecast at 22.9 billion pounds, compared with 23.5 billion
pounds in 2008. Total red meat production in 2009 is expected to reach
49.8 billion pounds, down from 50.6 billion pounds in 2008. To view the
entire report, go to: http://www.usda.gov/oce/commodity/wasde/latest.pdf
The 300 people arrested
represent almost one-third of the plant's 968 workers, and federal officials
said the number of arrests could increase. The number is three times as
many as were arrested in a raid 18 months ago at the Swift plant in Marshalltown. Davis was sentenced
by County Judge Gary Washburn of Broken Bow after the initial judge on
the case, Rock County Judge August Schuman of Bassett, recused himself.
Schuman and two brothers have been under investigation since the Boyd
County Sheriff's Office allegedly found about 100 dead cattle in March
on a farm near Anoka, Neb., that is operated by the Schumans. |
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Prepared by Melissa Schneider,
Paige One Promotions,
1017 E. 35th St., Scottsbluff, NE 69361. Email: maschneider@nlpa.org. |