Supermarket News confirms that supermarket retailers were ready when mandatory nutrition labeling for ground or chopped meat and poultry products, and popular cuts of meat, went into effect on March 1. Some retailers were ready with on-pack labels for ground and chopped product and with Point of Sale materials for the other USDA-designated cuts of meat.

John Gerlach, meat buyer and supervisor for the three-unit independent Fitzgerald’s Foods, says – we got our scales system set to provide the NutriFacts panels, but we ran into a little trouble with the size, and getting all the required information on it. Gerlach admitted it was a challenge to pull it all together, but it serves customers who want the information.

Before the new rule, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association conducted pilot studies in which labels on fresh beef contained micro-nutrients as well as other nutrients. In each case, significant sales increases were recorded and customers said they appreciated the informative labeling.

Courtesy: NAFB News

National Farmers Union and the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association are in full support of the USDA Agriculture Marketing Service’s proposed amendment to expand beef checkoff contracting authority under the Beef Promotion and Research Order. The proposed amendment will change the current date requirement so that organizations otherwise qualified could be eligible to contract with the Beef Promotion Operating Committee for the implementation and conduct of beef checkoff programs if the organizations have been active and operating for at least two years.

Current language in the Order requires the BPOC to contract with organizations, which qualify as “established, national non-profit, industry-governed organizations that were active and ongoing before Congress passed the Beef Act.”  While the law itself does not define criteria for “national, non-profit, industry-governed organizations” the order states that these organizations must be governed by a board of directors representing the cattle or beef industry on a national basis and that the groups were active and ongoing prior to enactment of the Act by Congress.

USCA President Jon Wooster says his organization will be filing comments supporting the proposed change and he encourages all cattle groups to do so as well. A 60-day public comment period on the proposed amendment closes on May 2, 2012.

Courtesy: NAFB News

The American Farm Bureau Federation is supporting two measures to the pending transportation bill that would make certain farm vehicles exempt from federal motor vehicle regulations that are appropriately aimed at the long-haul trucking industry. The first amendment, introduced by Senator Jeff Merkley and co-sponsored by Senators Patrick Toomey and Roy Blunt, would provide an exemption for farm trucks. Farm Bureau points out regulation – is based solely on weight limits, even a one-ton pickup truck pulling a trailer could be subject to the long-haul regulations.

AFBF President Bob Stallman says, – the amendment is important because some states exempt farm vehicles while others do not. Under the current situation, merely the act of crossing state lines can trigger conflicting requirements for some farmers who are doing nothing more than hauling their own crop, perhaps to market.

The second Farm Bureau-supported amendment would exempt certain farm truck drivers from regulations on maximum driving and on-duty times during harvest and planting seasons. Sponsored by Senators Amy Klobuchar and Pat Roberts, the amendment would apply to drivers transporting agricultural commodities within 100 miles of the farm that produced them or those carrying farm supplies for agricultural purposes within 100 miles of the wholesale or retail distribution point.

Courtesy: NAFB News

The U.S. Senate did not pass the Stabenow amendment extending key biofuel tax incentives, such as the Cellulosic Biofuels Producer Tax Credit, the Accelerated Depreciation Allowance for Cellulosic Biofuel Plant Property, and the Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Tax Credit available to blender pumps and other ethanol fueling infrastructure. The final vote was 49-49.

Both the National Biodiesel Board and the Advanced Ethanol Council expressed their disappointment. AEC Executive Director Brooke Coleman says – the Senate missed an opportunity to put to bed the pressing need to extend expiring tax incentives for cellulosic biofuels and other sources of domestically produced clean energy. At the same time Anne Steckel, vice president of federal affairs for NBB says – it’s also a missed opportunity for Congress to do something about these oil price spikes by diversifying our fuel supplies and reducing our exposure to the global petroleum markets.

Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Bob Dinneen believes – every member of Congress agrees that America needs to reduce its reliance on imported oil and create jobs here at home. These tax incentives would help accomplish both of those goals. It is widely held that the lack of policy certainty is driving clean energy investment overseas and putting the United States behind the eight ball when it comes to clean energy development.

Courtesy: NAFB News

2012 marks the 25th anniversary of Farm Safety 4 Just Kids.  The organization has promoted farm safety to more than 6-million people through local programs and education since 1987. FS4JK has a network of more than 120 chapters across the United States and Canada that offer farm safety presentations on a local level.

Marilyn Adams founded the non-profit organization in 1987 after the death of her 11-year-old son in a gravity flow grain wagon accident. Its mission is to promote a safe farm environment to prevent health hazards, injuries and fatalities to children and youth. What started as a tribute to her son has touched nearly 6 million people so far.

Adams says – I didn’t really know what to expect when I started FS4JK. The organization has grown and evolved so much in the past 25 years. It’s exciting to think about what lies ahead for the farm safety movement. FS4JK focuses on prevention through education. Education Director Shari Burgus says – our goal is to teach the next generation of farmers to be safe. The entire industry depends on it.

Courtesy: NAFB News

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will publish in the Federal Register a comprehensive rule forBovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, or BSE. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Associate Director of Legislative Affairs Kent Bacus says – NCBA has been pushing for this rule since the first case of BSE was detected in the United Stated in December 2003. This has been a long time coming.

According to Baucus, this proposed rule will show the United States is willing to talk the talk and walk the walk with regard to following international standards developed by the World Organization for Animal Health. He says – it is important for the U.S. government to take all necessary steps to properly address risks related to BSE by adopting this proposed comprehensive rule.

Baucus adds, – it is very difficult for the United States to demand our trading partners follow OIE standards when we are not here at home. The comprehensive BSE rule will change that and will solidify the United States’ commitment to basing our trade relationships on internationally-recognized, science-based standards. Comments on the proposed rule must be submitted within 60 days, once published.

Courtesy: NAFB News

After all was said and done, amendments to the transportation bill dealing with the Keystone XL pipeline project, offshore oil and gas production and EPA regulations failed muster in the U.S. Senate on Thursday. Nebraska Senator Mike Johanns found himself in the minority, voting on these issues. Each amendment fell short of the required 60 votes.

The Keystone amendment, of which Johanns is a cosponsor would use Congress’ Constitutional authority to oversee foreign commerce to approve the Keystone XL project, allowing pipeline construction to begin immediately outside of Nebraska. Nebraska would continue to have all the time it needs to complete its route selection. Johanns also voted to support an amendment to expand offshore oil and gas production areas.

The Senator said – we need an all-of-the-above energy policy. Energy independence is one of the most pressing economic and national security issues facing our country. It makes no more sense to lock up our natural resources than it does to increase our dependence on oil from unfriendly sources.

Courtesy: NAFB News