Associations

CCA Pleased With Creation Of WTO Panel To Rule On mCOOL

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:16:24 GMT

The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) is pleased that the World Trade Organization (WTO) agreed to Canada's request for the creation of a Dispute Settlement Panel to rule on the United States’ (U.S.) mandatory Country-of-Origin Labelling (mCOOL) law.

KLA: Parkinson Proclaims Today As Thank A Farmer Day

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:45:17 GMT

Gov. Mark Parkinson has issued a proclamation declaring today as “Thank a Farmer Day” in Kansas. With Thanksgiving approaching, Parkinson reminded Kansas residents to remember all that farmers and ranchers provide.

Jolley: Five Minutes With Jim Hodges, President, American Meat Institute Foundation

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:33:22 GMT

Weigh the newspaper and magazine coverage and you might think the meat industry has little concern about food safety issues.

KLA: Agency Officials Get A Look At Phosphorus Reduction Technology

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:26:13 GMT

KLA hosted more than 75 state and federal officials yesterday on a tour of a new system that reduces the level of phosphorus in wastewater. Officials viewed the system, known as Phred, in operation at a southwest Kansas feedyard.

AFBF Statement Regarding Delay Of Climate Change Legislation

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:58:46 GMT

"We applaud the decision by Senate leadership to delay consideration of climate change legislation until the spring of 2010.

FDA Modernization Act Passes HELP Committee

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:20:08 GMT

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee today passed S. 510, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food Safety Modernization Act, by a voice vote.

R-CALF: 40 Groups Disagree With USDA's Latest BSE Court Submission

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:50:31 GMT

Yes, the ball is still in play – although a distant memory for some – with regard to the litigation filed in 2007 by R-CALF USA and 10 other plaintiffs against the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) decision to allow into the U.S. older Canadian cattle born after March 1, 1999, and beef from Canadian cattle of all ages.

KLA: Ranchers Reaching Out To Consumers With Accurate Information

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:59:06 GMT

Individual livestock producers are standing up for their businesses this week by telling positive stories about food production.

AMI: USDA - U.S. Hunger Rate Highest In Nearly Two Decades

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:06:35 GMT

The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Economic Research Service yesterday released its annual report “Household Food Security in the United States,” which found that 13 million more American households had trouble putting food on the table in 2008 than they did in 2007.

NCGA: Good Weather Helps Corn Harvest Progress in Some Areas

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:57:35 GMT

Favorable harvest conditions across the Midwest over the past two weeks allowed growers to make considerable harvest progress – even at night – bringing in more than a quarter of the crop since the beginning of November.

NCBA Leaders To Address Key Issues As NCBA's Cattlemen To Cattlemen Goes Live December 1

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:07:40 GMT

Addressing issues important to all beef producers, four National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) leaders will take live questions from viewers Tuesday, Dec. 1 on NCBA’s Cattlemen to Cattlemen.

USMEF: September Pork Exports Regain Momentum, Beef Exports Struggling

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:12:19 GMT

September pork plus pork variety meat exports reached nearly 154,000 metric tons (339.5 million pounds) valued at $347.8 million, the highest volume since April 2009, according to statistics released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation.

DOJ, USDA Schedule 2010 Market Competition Workshops

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:14:43 GMT

The Department of Justice and USDA have announced dates and locations for a series of public workshops exploring competition and market regulatory issues in agriculture.

KLA: Industry Has Made Remarkable Progress In Beef Safety

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:26:02 GMT

A report from the American Meat Institute Foundation (AMIF) indicates the prevalence of E. coli O157:H7 and infections stemming from the bacteria have declined dramatically. Since 2000, E. coli incidence in fresh ground beef products has declined 45% to less than .5%.

AFBF: Classic Thanksgiving Dinner Cost Declines For 2009

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:58:25 GMT

Menu items for a classic Thanksgiving dinner including turkey, stuffing, cranberries, pumpkin pie and all the basic trimmings dropped 4 percent in price this year, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.

NCF: Students Encouraged To Apply For Beef Industry Scholarships

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:44:29 GMT

Applications are now being accepted for the 2010-2011 Beef Industry Scholarship program, sponsored by the CME Group and presented by the National Cattlemen’s Foundation. All entries must be postmarked by Dec. 1, 2009.

NCGA: Prices Rise As USDA Revises Yield Estimates

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:00:50 GMT

While the USDA revised previous estimates down by 1.3 bushels per acre, corn yields will still set a record high if they achieve the 162.9 bushel per acre projection. In light of this revised estimate, the projected total corn production also fell 1 percent from last month to 12.9 billion bushels.

NCBA Urges EPA To Reject Regulation Based On Flawed Science

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:36:24 GMT

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) submitted comments to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in opposition to flawed science behind EPA’s review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for Particulate Matter (PM).

NCBA: Thousands To Convene At Cattle Industry Event In San Antonio

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:15:15 GMT

More than 5,000 people involved in the cattle industry are expected to attend the 2010 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show to be held in San Antonio, Texas Jan. 25-30.

Beef Cattle Reproductive Strategies Workshop Slated For Jan. 28-29 In Conjunction With NCBA Meeting

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:53:03 GMT

The Beef Reproduction Task Force and the National Cattlemen´s Beef Association is teaming up to offer the Applied Reproductive Strategies in Beef Cattle Workshop at the 2010 Cattle Industry Convention in San Antonio Jan. 28-29, 2010.

KLA: Reward Offered In Phillips County Cattle Theft

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:21:52 GMT

KLA member Melvin Schooler has reported 10 cows and calves stolen from a pasture northeast of Logan in Phillips County . The cattle all are Angus, with the cows branded dot over lazy S on the left hip.

NCGA Pushes For Responsible & Responsive Watershed Legislation

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:50:45 GMT

The Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Water and Wildlife held a hearing to consider legislation affecting the Chesapeake Bay and Gulf of Mexico

AMI: Boyle Defends Food Safety Progress On Good Morning America

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:35:31 GMT

The meat industry has made great strides over the past decade in reducing E. coli-related illnesses, says AMI President and CEO J. Patrick Boyle, who appeared on “Good Morning America” today.

KLA: NCBA Urges EPA To Use Sound Science

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:57:32 GMT

NCBA is criticizing flawed and inconclusive science in an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter (i.e. dust). The study was done as part of a required review of the coarse particulate matter standards.

Cattlemen's Capitol Concerns: Estate Tax, Climate Change

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:37:36 GMT

Arthur Uhl, member of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) and chairman of NCBA's Tax and Credit Committee, testified on Wednesday at a U.S. House of Representatives Small Business Committee hearing on the estate tax.

KLA: Kansas Producers Attend Advocacy Training

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:24:39 GMT

Farmers and ranchers from across Kansas gathered this week in Topeka for an in-depth training on how to be advocates for agriculture. Ten industry leaders representing KLA participated in the two-day event.

Cornbelt Update

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:42:55 GMT

Cornbelt Update is a weekly summary of news from Extension, government, and other attributable sources, focused on marketing, farm management, and other issues that are of interest to Midwestern farm owners and operators.

KLA: Roberts Will Discuss How Industry Is Responding To Extreme Challenges

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:41:14 GMT

Livestock producers need a national organization to protect their interests more than ever. New NCBA Chief Executive Officer Forrest Roberts will describe challenges facing the industry during his presentation December 4 at the KLA Convention.

R-CALF: Comments Urge USTR To Address Global Market Distortions

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:13:48 GMT

In comments filed Tuesday with the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), R-CALF USA laid out how the world marketplace for cattle and beef is one of the most grossly distorted markets of any sector, and how the inability to achieve any semblance of balance between disparate tariffs, subsidies and sanitary/phytosanitary (SPS) standards has wreaked havoc upon, and threatens to destroy, the U.S. live cattle industry, which historically has been the single largest segment of U.S. agriculture and which also provides the economic cornerstones for most rural communities across the United States.

TSCRA: Cattle Raisers Urge Congress To Pass Estate Tax Reform

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:20:32 GMT

The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) sent letters to members of Congress this week urging them to pass H.R. 3905, the Estate Tax Relief Act of 2009.

NCBA Member Testifies During Congressional Estate Tax Hearing

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:05:38 GMT

Arthur Uhl, member of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and chairman of NCBA’s Tax and Credit Committee, testified today during a U.S. House of Representatives Small Business Committee hearing on the estate tax. Uhl, a rancher, cattle producer and attorney from San Antonio, Texas, highlighted the need for swift reform of this burdensome tax—considered one of the leading causes of the breakup of multi-generation family farms and ranches.

AFBF Urges House To Oppose Health Care Bill

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:06:46 GMT

American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman today urged all members of the House “to stand with our nation’s farmers and ranchers and oppose H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act.”

Chandler Goule Named NFU VP Of Govt. Relations

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:58:04 GMT

National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson announced today the organization has named Chandler Goule it's Vice President of Government Relations.

KLA: Constitutional Amendment Would Protect Ohio Farm Animals, Consumers

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:17:58 GMT

Ohio voters will decide today whether to adopt a constitutional amendment that would create a 13-member Livestock Care Standards Board. Issue 2 was drafted by an Ohio agricultural coalition in response to threats from the HSUS to dictate how food animals are housed and handled through legislation and/or other ballot measures.

NCGA: Southeast Asian Feedmillers Plan To Increase U.S. Feed Ingredients Usage

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:16:35 GMT

The U.S. Grains Council invited key technical staff from Southeast Asia’s major feedmilling companies currently utilizing U.S. corn and co-products to travel to the United States last week for a five-day educational program at the Northern Crops Institute in North Dakota.

American Veal Association Statement On USDA Action At Bushways Packing Plant

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:03:30 GMT

The following statement is attributed to Chip Lines-Burgess, President of the American Veal Association (AVA).

NCBA: Cattlemen Urge EPA Not To Regulate Agriculture Out Of Business

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:45:45 GMT

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) criticized flawed and inconclusive science in an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for Particulate Matter (i.e. dust).

KLA: Estate Tax Bill Would Increase Exemption, Reduce Rates

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:59:37 GMT

Kansas Congressman Jerry Moran is co-sponsoring estate tax legislation that would increase the amount of an estate exempt from the tax and reduce the maximum tax rate.

AMI: National Hot Dog & Sausage Council Applauds New York Jets QB Mark Sanchez's Good Deed

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:25:50 GMT

The National Hot Dog & Sausage Council today applauded Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez for his donation of 1,000 hot dogs and hamburgers, along with buns and rolls, to the Community Soup Kitchen in Morristown, N.J. but expressed regret that he had to apologize for acting on an all-American impulse: eating a hot dog at a ball game.

R-CALF: Stop The Hemorrhaging In U.S. Live Cattle Industry

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:18:54 GMT

R-CALF USA directors, officers and committee chairs, as well as many of its affiliate organizations, jointly sent a letter today to President Obama, Vice President Biden, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Attorney General Eric Holder and congressional leaders that describes the U.S. cattle industry as being in an acute crisis.

American Meat Institute Elects New Officers

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:41:28 GMT

AMI today elected the six officers that will guide the organization through the next year. The election was held at AMI’s Annual Business Meeting during the Worldwide Food Expo, Oct. 28-31, at McCormick Place in Chicago, Ill.

Cattle Update: EPA Greenhouse Gas Registry Delayed

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:33:26 GMT

An amendment introduced by Iowa Congressman Tom Latham (R-District 4) to delay, for one year, any Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule to require mandatory reporting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from manure management systems recently passed.

KLA: CWT Reaches Herd Retirement, Milk Reduction Goal

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:38:47 GMT

Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) announced earlier this week it tentatively has accepted 154 bids in the fourth herd retirement conducted in the last 12 months. The 26,412 cows and 517 million pounds of milk accepted in this round, combined with CWT’s three previous herd retirements since December 2008.

NFU: Climate Change Benefits Outweigh Costs

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:32:05 GMT

National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson today said the organization is committed to see climate change legislation address the unique role America's family farmers and ranchers can play when it comes to combating global climate change.

NMA: Mucklow Receives Hall Of Fame Recognition

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:48:11 GMT

At an awards dinner yesterday in Chicago, IL, National Meat Association Director Emeritus Rosemary Mucklow was inducted into the Meat Industry Hall of Fame as part of its inaugural induction ceremony.

Meat Industry Hall Of Fame Inducts Its First Group Of Charter Members

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:11:48 GMT

It’s official: The 21 industry legends elected in June as the Class of 2009 are now Charter Members of the MEAT INDUSTRY HALL OF FAME.

KLA: Environmental Provisions To Protect Livestock Industry Passed

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:17:39 GMT

NCBA has succeeded in getting two important environmental provisions included in the Fiscal Year 2010 Department of Interior/Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) appropriations bill. Both amendments pertain to the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions and were approved for inclusion during a conference committee meeting last night.

KLA: AMI V.P. Says Meatless Monday Campaign Denies Students Freedom Of Choice & Nutrition

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:07:21 GMT

American Meat Institute Senior Vice President for Public Affairs Janet Riley has publicly criticized the Baltimore City Schools’ adoption of the “Meatless Monday” campaign, a program done in association with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Nebraska Beef Industry Summit To Cover Pricing

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:23:41 GMT

Beef production and pricing are atop the agenda for the fourth annual Nebraska Cattlemen Beef Industry Issues Summit.

TSCRA Encourages Texas To Vote For Proposition 11

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:20:42 GMT

The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) encourages all Texans to vote in favor of stronger private property rights by supporting Proposition 11 in the upcoming state constitutional amendment election Monday, Nov. 3.

NCBA Continues To Call For Death Tax Reform

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:38:59 GMT

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is continuing to urge Congress to pass legislation providing additional relief and permanency in the tax code for America’s farmers, ranchers and other small business owners.

TSCRA: Reklaw Man Arrested For Cattle Rustling

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:29:56 GMT

A Reklaw man was arrested by the Rusk Police Department on Friday for stealing five head of cattle from a rancher in Cherokee County and selling them at the Sulphur Springs Livestock Auction.

Beef Safety- From Pasture To Plate

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:17:11 GMT

The Missouri Beef Industry Council recently utilized the $1 per head beef checkoff to present at the Missouri Environmental Health Association's (MEHA) Annual Convention.

NCGA: Yet Another Anti-Ethanol Report Misses The Mark

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:12:50 GMT

An article published today in Science magazine, authored by persistent ethanol critic Tim Searchinger and others, is yet another example of exaggerating the impacts of ethanol production in an effort to bolster our nation’s reliance on fossil fuels, especially imported oil, the National Corn Growers Association said.

AFBF Statement Regarding Introduction Of House Estate Tax Legislation

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 18:56:23 GMT

“The American Farm Bureau Federation supports H.R. 3905, the Estate Tax Relief Act of 2009, introduced yesterday by House Ways and Means Committee members Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-Nev.), Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas), Rep. Artur Davis (D-Ala.) and Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.).

KLA Program To Underscore Need For Livestock Avocacy

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 18:22:57 GMT

A veterinarian who is providing national leadership on the animal care issue, the chief executive officer of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and a U.S. senator from Kansas are among those on the program for the Kansas Livestock Association (KLA) Convention in Wichita.

TSCRA Enourage Texas To Vote For Proposition 11

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:56:29 GMT

Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) President Dave Scott joined Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples, State Representative Frank Corte, the Texas Wildlife Association, and the Texas Association of Realtors at a press conference today to rally Texans to vote for Proposition 11 in the upcoming November state constitutional amendment election. Scott made the following statement:

NCGA: High Yield Estimate Provides Mixed Relief For Wet Fields

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:11:25 GMT

The fact that U.S. farmers are in the process of harvesting one of the largest corn crops in history, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, gives assurance to global end-users that U.S. farmers will meet all domestic and global demands, U.S. Grains Council President and CEO Ken Hobbie said this week.

KLA: Stop Movement Exercise Tests Emergency Response Capabilities

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:52:22 GMT

More than 400 government officials and private industry partners, including KLA, took part in yesterday’s stop livestock movement exercise in Kansas and Oklahoma.

TSCRA: Houston Man & Woman Indicted On Eight Counts Of Cattle Theft

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:46:34 GMT

A Houston man and woman were indicted by a Waller County grand jury on eight counts each of felony theft charges after stealing cattle.

AMI: Meat Industry Urges USDA To Devleop Age Verification Programs For Exports To Taiwan

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:07:38 GMT

The U.S. government should establish an age-verification Quality System Assessment (QSA) Program for Taiwan to ensure an orderly expansion to a full market opening to U.S. beef products, according to a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack that was signed by AMI, the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) and the National Meat Association (NMA).

AFBF: Fuel Costs For Ag To Skyrocket Under House Climate Bill

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:05:38 GMT

A crop and livestock producer from Texas today said cap-and-trade climate change legislation could hike the cost of fuel used for farming to the point that it will have a devastating economic impact on his and similar family-owned businesses.

KLA: Today’s Stop Movement Exercise For A Simulated FMD Outbreak Is Only A Test

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:48:14 GMT

Kansas and Oklahoma are conducting a joint exercise today to test the abilities of federal and state officials to stop livestock movement in the event of a disease outbreak. This is only a test and should not be construed any other way.