pork producers

Pork Producers Take on D.C. for Fall Fly-in

Dan Farm Bill, Legislative, National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), Regulation

More than 100 pork producers from around the country attended the National Pork Producers Council’s (NPPC) Spring Legislative Action Conference last week in Washington, D.C. The biannual fly-in featured a variety of speakers, a media briefing and NPPC’s widely popular congressional “Baconfest” reception in the Great Hall of the Library of Congress. NPPC President Scott Hays kicked off the event by sharing …

off act

Anti-Checkoff Amendment Filed in the Senate

Dan Beef, Cattle, Legislative, Marketing, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), Regulation

Back in February of this year, the Opportunities for Fairness in Farming (OFF) Act was introduced in the U.S. Senate. Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Mike Lee (R-UT) led a bipartisan effort to reform agricultural checkoff programs. The Act would make checkoff programs more responsive to the farmers who are required to contribute to them. Efforts are currently underway to put …

aphis

APHIS Finalizes Changes to Import Regulations for Horses

Dan Agri-Business, Equine, Exports/Imports, Legislative, Regulation, This Land of Ours, USDA-APHIS

The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is finalizing amendments to its import regulations for horses. These amendments will better align our regulations with international standards and allow more flexibility for permitted imports, while continuing to mitigate the risk of bringing equine diseases into the United States. The regulations also provide APHIS with …

sugar

Kildee’s Request for Farm Bill Sugar Policy

Dan Farm Bill, Legislative, Regulation, Specialty Crops, Sugar

If it’s not broken, don’t fix it. That’s the resounding message from Michigan Congressman Dan Kildee (D-MI-08) when it comes to the nation’s sugar policy. “We have a system right now that ensures that domestically grown sugar is sold into the markets before we allow for competition to come from offshore. This kind of protection allows American sugar growers to …

vehicle

More Senators Support AM in Every Vehicle Act

Dan Agri-Business, Legislative, Regulation

More than a quarter of the Senate has now signed on to a bill to protect AM radio. The Senate’s AM in Every Vehicle Act, S1669, continues to gain momentum with an additional eight senators signing on as cosponsors before the August break. That brings it to 27 cosponsors, including 14 Republicans, 12 Democrats, and one Independent. Senator Kevin Cramer …

child nutrition

USDA Publishes Child Nutrition Program Integrity Final Rule

Dan Agri-Business, Legislative, Regulation, This Land of Ours

Ensuring the integrity of child nutrition programs. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Wednesday published a final rule on program integrity to ensure that child nutrition programs are properly operated and managed to protect federal funds and taxpayer dollars. The final rule impacts the National School Lunch …

EATS Act

Two Sides of the EATS Act

Dan Agri-Business, Legislative, Regulation

Things are heating up over the EATS Act. Supporters of the bill say the Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression (EATS) Act would prevent states from regulating farmers and ranchers nationwide. “The EATS Act does two things. First, it prohibits the states, like California, from passing a law that would impact production practices in other states. And then in the event that …

horse protection

USDA Proposal to Strengthen Horse Protection Act

Dan Agri-Business, Equine, Legislative, Livestock, Regulation, This Land of Ours, USDA-APHIS

A proposed rule to strengthen horse protection. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) seeks public input on a proposed rule to strengthen Horse Protection Act (HPA) requirements. Announced last week, the proposed changes aim to eliminate horse soring, a practice that gives horse owners and trainers an unfair advantage in …

mcool

Bill Introduced to Reinstate MCOOL

Dan Beef, Cattle, Legislative, Marketing, Regulation

U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-SD) introduced the Beef Origin Labeling Accountability Act to bring clarity and to reinstate Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (MCOOL) for beef products. “Consumers don’t know where their beef comes from,” Johnson says. “It could be South Dakota, Brazil, or Canada. U.S. producers raise better beef, and they’re not getting credit for it.” The act will …

rural veterinary

Groups Applaud First Senate Veterinary Medicine Caucus

Dan Beef, Cattle, Dairy, Legislative, Livestock, Regulation

The U.S. Senate has established a Veterinary Medicine Caucus for the first time ever. The caucus will focus on increasing awareness toward veterinary-related matters in Congress, educating lawmakers and their staffs about the challenges facing the profession, and advancing the legislation that benefits the veterinary community. The bipartisan caucus will be led by Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). …