USDA ALTERS PLAN TO REOPEN BEEF TRADE

On February 9, USDA Secretary Michael Johanns announced an alteration in the March 7 rule reopening the US-Canadian beef trade. Import of Canadian beef products from cattle aged 30 months and over will be delayed. However, resuming the importation of live cattle under 30 months of age is anticipated to begin as scheduled on March 7. The press release is online at the USDA Newsroom at www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usdahome. In response, at least five bills have been introduced in Congress to stop the rule from taking effect until further precautions can be taken, including a “resolution of disapproval” by a number of Senators from rural states. The US House Agriculture Committee plans to conduct an oversight hearing on March 1. Also, seven state Attorneys General - from Connecticut, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, and West Virginia - filed legal opinions and friend-of-the-court briefs on February 18 in support of the R-CALF lawsuit, which was filed in federal court in January to stop the rule from being enacted. 

USDA ASSESSMENT OF CANADIAN FEED BAN RELEASED

The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced on February 25 that it has concluded its assessment of Canada’s ruminant-to-ruminant feed ban and the associated inspection program. They found that Canada’s compliance with its programs is strong and stated that the animal and public health measures enacted in Canada to prevent BSE provide appropriate protection to US livestock and beef consumers. US safeguards, both existing and in the new USDA rules, provide additional protection. The APHIS report is at www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/issues/bse/bse.html.

DEFINITIONS COMPETE REGARDING AGRICULTURE TRADE WITH CUBA

On February 22, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of Treasury announced that regulations regarding agricultural exports to Cuba have been amended to define “payment of cash in advance.” It means that payment must be received by the seller prior to the shipment leaving the U.S. The OFAC statement is at www.treas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/actions/20050222.shtml, and the rule will go into effect March 24. Conversely, many US Senators, including US Agriculture Committee Chairman Saxby Chambliss (R-Georgia), expressed concern that the rule will further obstruct agricultural trade with Cuba. Bipartisan legislation has been introduced addressing the same issue. S 328 defines “payment of cash in advance” to mean that payment must be received by the seller prior to the buyer taking physical possession of the goods. Other provisions in the bill authorize a general license for US agricultural producers to travel to Cuba for business purposes, remove restrictions to enable buyers in Cuba to make direct payments to US banks, expedite the process to issue temporary visas to Cuban agriculture officials to come to the US for product inspection, and protect US trademarks.

REFUGEE RURAL INITIATIVE EXPANDING

The Institute for Social and Economic Development (ISED) is expanding the reach of the Refugee Rural Initiative (RRI) by making its information available to state and local agencies tasked with assisting refugees. The RRI began in 2003 as a pilot project with refugee services agencies in California, Maine, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio, Oregon, and Wisconsin, and is administered through the Office of Refugee Resettlement, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The objective is to assist refugees in establishing agricultural careers as growers, producers and operators of value-added food production. ISED provides technical assistance to participants and facilitates collaboration between ORR and USDA. General information is found at www.ised.org/Consulting/Refugees.asp. For more details about the RRI, please contact danielkrotz@alltel.net or 870-423-7237.

NCSL SPRING FORUM SCHEDULED FOR APRIL IN WASHINGTON, D.C.