SCHAFER DISCUSSES FARM BILL IMPLEMENTATION (American Sheep Industry Assn., 6/27) -- During a press conference earlier this week on implementing the new Farm Bill, Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer said the implementation of the new permanent disaster program will likely be later than sooner but Country-of-Origin-Labeling (COOL) is expected to be implemented by the Oct. 1 deadline.

"The permanent disaster program is going to be longer (to implement) because we specifically do not have any expedited authority in the new Farm Bill," Schafer said. "Some of the programs do give us an opportunity to work faster. This one specifically does not. I doubt that we will see that final rule period before we leave the administration here in January."

Schafer commented that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is on "track to see the COOL legislation complete by Oct. 1," but was not sure when the ruling would be posted to the Federal Register. When asked, Schafer disclose that it is likely COOL will go directly to an interim final rule rather than to a proposed rule. Understanding that it will take some time to implement, USDA will be working with retailers and packagers to make sure it is phased in and fully compliant by the end of the six-month grace period.

CONGRESS CALLS ON USDA TO EXPEDITE DOWNER RULE (Scott Shearer, Crop News Weekly, 6/30) -- The fiscal year 2009 ag appropriations bill passed by the House Ag Appropriations Subcommittee contains a provision pressing USDA to expedite the rule governing non-ambulatory cattle – downer cows. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), chairwoman of the House Ag Appropriations Subcommittee, said, “The repeated revelations of cattle abuse occurring at livestock auction sites and slaughterhouses are extremely troublesome. Not only are we again witnessing the inhumane treatment of cows and the illegal slaughtering of downed cows for the food supply, but also the distribution of potentially contaminated meat into the school lunch program.

“USDA must not only publish a proposed rule to close the loophole that allows downer cattle to be slaughtered for the food supply, but they must expedite this rule, so it can be implemented immediately.”

CALIF. BILL THAT WOULD HAVE REQUIRED CAMERAS IN SLAUGHTERHOUSES FAILS (Meatingplace.com, 6/27) -- Legislation in California that would have required surveillance cameras in the state's slaughterhouses was rejected earlier this week by the California Assembly Agriculture Committee, the Press-Enterprise (Riverside, Calif.) reported. State Sen. Dean Florez, who sponsored the bill regarding surveillance cameras, said he would pursue it again next year, according to the Press-Enterprise. San Bernardino County District Attorney Michael Ramos, whose office filed charges in the case against Hallmark, was among its supporters. Critics of the legislation feared videos from slaughterhouses could become public or put California processing plants at a competitive disadvantage to those in other states.

GRASSLEY SENDS ANOTHER LETTER TO SEC. SCHAFER (Brownfield Network, 7/1) -- Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says that while there was good news in the June 30 USDA acreage report that more corn acres have been planted, it doesn’t lessen the needs of livestock producers which is why he’s written another letter to Ag Secretary Ed Schafer asking that CRP acres be released for haying and grazing.

“But the bottom line is the pastures around the state are badly damaged and may not yield the needed forage required for this year through the winter,” said Grassley.

The letter to Secretary Schafer also included a request to allow some CRP acres to be used for crop production, but the Iowa Senator acknowledged that time is running out for farmers to plant soybeans or any other crop this season.

GIPSA NEWS (6/26) --
• GIPSA Alleges Mahan Packing Co., Violated the Packers and Stockyards Act
•Michael E. Julian, dba Cameron Livestock Sales Has Been Assessed a Civil Penalty in the Amount of $4,000

BOOMING BACK-ALLEY SALES FOR US BEEF IN S.KOREA (The Straits Times, 7/2) -- US BEEF returned this week to South Korea for the first time in nine months, but consumers may be hard-pressed finding the one store that is happy to let the public know that it is selling it. No major retailer has put US beef on its shelves due to street protests sparked by fears of mad cow disease and surveys showing that most South Koreans do not feel the product is safe. But down an alley in a working class Seoul neighbourhood, a butcher shop about the size of two compact cars proudly displays US beef in its cramped showcase.

South Korea has seen street protests on nearly every night since early May against a deal to import US beef. Analysts said it may take weeks before US exporters start sending more beef to South Korea, once its third-largest market, due to safety concerns. And it could take years before US beef catches Australia as the top foreign supplier.

EU EASES RESTRICTIONS ON SOUTH AMERICAN MEAT IMPORTS (Meatingplace.com, 7/1) -- The European Union has relaxed restrictions on imports of fresh meat from more regions of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay after experts determined they have met regulations aimed at preventing the spread of animal diseases such as foot and mouth disease. Under the revised terms, the Argentine provinces of Neuquen and Rio Negro can ship various types of meat to the EU; the Brazilian states of Parana and Sao Paolo can export boneless and "matured" beef; and Paraguayan ranchers can export the same products.

CANADA: INVESTIGATION CONFIRMS AGE OF BSE CASE (CattleNetwork.com, 6/27) -- The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed that the case of BSE announced on June 23, 2008, was a five-year-old Holstein cow from British Columbia. As previously noted, no part of the animal’s carcass entered the human food supply and no risk materials entered the animal feed system. The animal’s age is consistent with previous Canadian cases, which range from 50 months to 192 months of age. It also indicates that this animal was exposed to a very low amount of infective material, probably during its first year of life. As the level of BSE continues to decline, the periodic detection of a small number of cases is fully expected and in line with the experiences of other countries.

SOARING FOOD PRICES TO SPUR AGRICULTURE INVESTMENT (Reuters / Guardian.co.uk, 7/2) -- Soaring food prices will trigger increased investment in agricultural land, notably in eastern Europe, Brazil and Africa where there is plentiful fallow acreage, delegates at a conference said on Wednesday. Rising demand for food as people in emerging economies, such as China, spend more on improving their diet, signalled further increases in food prices, they said.

To underscore the impact of demand, Murray Wise, of Canada's Westchester Group said it would take Australia's entire wheat crop to feed chicks to meet an annualised theoretical additional demand of 1.7 eggs per person per week in China.Hedge fund managers, private equity specialists and investors said rising demand would stimulate various forms of investment in agriculture, such as increased demand for potash and fertiliser equities, and the buying of land.Foreign ownership stakes in farmland in Russia were set to increase to take advantage of huge, unexploited areas of land, delegates said.

HSUS CLAIMS LACK MERIT (National Meat Assn., 6/30) -- The U.S. Humane Society made claims June 25th that non-ambulatory animals may be getting into the food supply, however these allegations were not demonstrated by the investigative results released the society. As part of its press conference, HSUS made insinuations that the animals going into the school lunch program via NMA Member Caviness Beef Packers might possibly be like the handful of unfortunate animals its investigators had video recorded. However, the HSUS President Wayne Pacelle admitted that he had absolutely no evidence to make his statement.

The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer responded to this situation by releasing a statement stating, “On May 20th, I announced a proposed rule to initiate a complete ban on the slaughter of non-ambulatory cattle that go down after initial inspection. I have asked the cattle and beef packing industry to voluntarily abide by this ban, which many are already doing, while the proposed rule is going through its final phases of approval and implementation. I look forward to continuing USDA's work with both the Humane Society and the livestock industry on addressing inhumane handling of animals, and I again thank them for their efforts.”

U.S. HOG INVENTORY UP 6 PERCENT (Pork Alert, 7/1) -- USDA's June Hogs and Pigs Report showed that the June 1 inventory of all hogs and pigs was 67.7 million head, up 6 percent from June 1, 2007. The breeding herd was 6.07 million head, down 1 percent from last year. The market hog inventory came in at 61.6 million head, up 7 percent from 2007.

OKLAHOMA MARKETMAN BOBBY SMITH, 2006 WLAC WINNER DAVID MACEDO, TAKE REINS AT LMA FOR 2008-2010 (Livestock Marketing Assn., 7/2) -- Oklahoman Bobby Smith, who grew up working in the livestock market he now owns and operates, is LMA’s new president for 2008-2010. Smith’s market is the Fairview Sale Barn, Fairview, Okla. He took office during LMA’s recent annual meeting, June 25-27, in Sioux Falls, S.D. Smith, 57, succeeds Jim Santomaso, Sterling, Colo., who becomes chairman of the board.LMA’s new vice president is David Macedo, Tulare, Calif., who moves into that position from LMA’s board of directors. He is the president of Tulare Sales Yard, Inc., a market that’s been in his family for 69 years.

NEBRASKAN MATT LOWERY IS LMA’S 2008 WORLD LIVESTOCK AUCTIONEER CHAMPION (Livestock Marketing Assn., 6/30) -- Matt Lowery won the Livestock Marketing Association’s 45th annual World Livestock Auctioneer Championship, held here June 28 at the Sioux Falls Regional Livestock market. The reserve world champion is Ted Odle, Brush, Colo., and the runner-up world champion is Ty Thompson, Billings, Mont.Lowery, 32, of Burwell, Neb., has been in the contest nine times. He’s won the reserve title twice and been runner-up champion once.

CONGRESS PROPOSES USDA PURCHASE SCHOOL MEAT FROM NAIS REGISTERED PREMISES (Feedstuffs, 6/19) -- Under a provision announced Thursday, the USDA's national school lunch program could be required to buy meat from animals that can be traced back to premises registered in the National Animal Identification System. That was revealed as the House version of the 2009 annual agricultural appropriations bill was unveiled by Rep. Rosa DeLauro, chairwoman of the House agricultural appropriations subcommittee.