The 14th annual International Food Aid and Development Conference will take place in Kansas City next week. The conference begins Monday, May 7th and continues through the 9th. The theme is – From Harvest to Basket: Weaving Together Agricultural Markets and Food Security. This conference provides a forum to address policy and operational issues related to food aid and development. It also focuses on ways to improve communication and cooperation among government, non-profit charitable and non-governmental organizations and agricultural and transportation industry representatives.

Courtesy: NAFB News

The American Farm Bureau Federation is asking members of Congress to support legislation that would preserve existing U.S. water rights and responsibilities to the Clean Water Act. Farm Bureau says H.R. 4965 reaffirms the longstanding provisions of the Clean Water Act and would prevent the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers from pursuing their proposed guidance and using it as a basis for regulation. Farm Bureau President Bob Stallman says the proposal improperly changes the law of the land – effectively eliminating the term navigable from the Clean Water Act and dramatically expanding the scope of federal jurisdiction under the act. He adds that it virtually eliminates a central precept of the act – which reserves certain waters to the exclusive jurisdiction of the states.

Farm Bureau believes allowing the agencies to pursue the guidance raises three critical considerations: whether the law permits such a major policy shift to be pursued through guidance; whether the agencies are exceeding the authority granted them by Congress; and the impact the policy change would have on the economic health of the agricultural sector. Stallman says implementing such a significant change to the Clean Water Act through guidance is indefensible. Without congressional approval – he says the agencies should not move forward and assert federal regulatory power – especially through an informal guidance document.

Courtesy: NAFB News

Additional ag groups have now weighed in on the farm bill approved by the Senate Agriculture Committee on Thursday. The National Cotton Council says the legislation would provide U.S. cotton producers with risk management tools that can provide support when conditions occur that are beyond grower control. Among other things – NCC Chairman Chuck Coley says the group is grateful that their Stacked Income Protection Plan and modified marketing assistance loan program were included. Both are designed to meet budget challenges and resolve the Brazil WTO case.

United Fresh says the Senate Ag farm bill answers the call of the fresh fruit and vegetable industry to build on the investments made in the 2008 Farm Bill. United Fresh Senior Vice President of Public Policy Robert Guenther says it’s important the committee confirmed that investments in fruit and vegetable producers translate into a healthy industry from field to table while creating job opportunities and improved nutrition for consumers. The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance – of which United Fresh is a member – is also pleased with the committee’s proposed farm bill. They say the measure includes key specialty crop industry priorities such as research, pest and disease mitigation, trade, nutrition and other programs that enhance the ability of producers to be competitive and meet the needs of American consumers.

There are concerns with the measure as well. NCC would like to see the legislation modified before it reaches the Senate floor to ensure program choices that meet the needs of rice and peanut growers are included. The cotton industry also has concerns with provisions regarding new lower payment limits, a significantly lower Adjusted Gross Income eligibility test and changes to the actively engaged in farming provisions used to determine eligibility for revenue and loan programs.

Chuck Hassebrook at the Center for Rural Affairs – on the other hand – applauds those specific changes. He says the Senate Ag Committee has passed a farm bill that for the first time in a generation closes gaping loopholes that have made a mockery of the farm program payment limitation. But Hassebrook would like to see limits applied to uncapped premium subsidies for federal crop insurance. He says crop insurance subsidies are highest when they’re needed least.

While Burger King has pledged to only purchase pork products from producers who don’t use gestation-sow stalls by 2017 Domino’s Pizza shareholders have rejected a resolution proposed by the Humane Society of the United States to require its pork suppliers to stop housing gestating sows in stalls. In fact – 80-percent of shareholders voted against the resolution. The company’s Board of Directors reportedly said the issue should be addressed directly with producers and suppliers – not customers.

The Board’s proxy statement cites statements from the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Association of Swine Veterinarians that indicate there are advantages and disadvantages to both cage-free and caged pork production methods. A Domino’s spokesperson says the company relies on animal experts to determine the best way to raise an animal that’s used for food. But HSUS will try again – the Food Policy Director for HSUS says they will resubmit a resolution to the company next year if it fails to address the gestation crate issue by that time.

USDA has released some additional information on the nation’s fourth case of BSE. The dairy cow was 10 years and seven months old. The animal came from a farm in Tulare County, California. The animal was humanely euthanized after it developed lameness and became recumbent. USDA is stressing that this animal was never presented for slaughter for human consumption, did not enter food supply channels and never presented any risk to human health. The epidemiological investigation will continue and USDA will provide additional information as it becomes available.

The U.S. has a system of three interlocking safeguards against BSE that protects public and animal health. The most important of these safeguards – according to USDA – is the removal of specified risk materials from all animals presented for slaughter in the U.S. The second is a strong feed ban that protects cattle from the disease and the third is the ongoing BSE surveillance program.