September 24, 2012
This week’s issue of the AgNews Update is sponsored by The NC Growers Association (NCGA), a non-profit cooperative that consists of approximately 750 North Carolina growermembers who grow a wide variety of diversified crops from flowers, turfgrass, and Christmas trees to tobacco, cucumbers and sweet potatoes. NCGA provides its members a labor force
via the H-2a program, which is a legal guestworker program, authorized by the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986. H-2a enables farmers to secure a legal and adequate
labor force that is available and capable of assisting with the seasonal/temporary manual labor associated with some agricultural crops. In order to utilize the H-2a program, growers must
certify with USDOL they have first engage in independent positive recruitment of US workers through the local employment security commission, word of mouth with other growers and by
placing ads in newspapers and on the radio, as well as soliciting the return of any former, qualified workers.
Washington NEWS
Farm Bill Will Wait: House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said
that the House will work on the Farm Bill after the election. Boehner
said that there are not enough votes to pass the House Ag
Committee’s bill. While the bill cuts $35 billion from the deficit over 10
years, conservatives are reticent because of the $900 billion plus
cost, and liberals are concerned over the $16 billion in cuts to the
food stamp program. A discharge petition to force the bill to the floor
for a vote has been circulating and needs 218 signatures. As of
Friday, Sept. 14, 56 House members have signed the petition. U.S.
Reps. Walter B. Jones (N.C.-3), Larry Kissell (N.C.-8), Mike McIntyre
(N.C.-7), and Heath Shuler (N.C.-11) signed the petition. U.S. Rep.
Renee Ellmers (N.C.-2) signed the petition but later withdrew her
name saying that she will continue to work with Ag Committee and
House leaders to move the legislative process forward.
Congress Passes Pesticide Registration Improvement Act: The
House and Senate last week both passed a reauthorization of the
Pesticide Registration Improvement Act (PRIA), renewing the
authority for EPA to partially fund its pesticide registration activities
through maintenance fees.
Hagan Introduces Bill to Reduce Unnecessary Regulations on
Farmers: U.S. Senators Kay Hagan (D-NC) and Mike Crapo (R-ID)
introduced legislation that would eliminate a costly and redundant
EPA regulation on pesticides. A bipartisan group of Senators
cosponsored the Restoring Effective Environmental Protection
(REEP) Act. "This issue is not about whether pesticides should be
regulated," said Hagan. "The REEP Act is about eliminating a
redundant regulation that provides little or no environmental or public
health benefits.” According to Senator Crapo, EPA’s cost analysis
estimates the new permitting requirements will cost more than $50
million a year, as well as at least one million hours to process. For
more than 30 years, the EPA regulates pesticide applications under
the Federal Insecticide,Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).
According to EPA, a new pesticide must undergo over 100 different
tests to characterize its potential risks. A court decision forced EPA
to begin requiring Clean Water Act permits for certain applications of
pesticides in or near water, which went into effect on November 1,
2011. The REEP Act (S. 3605) includes identical language to a
House bill (H.R. 872), which clarifies that CWApermits are not
required for pesticide applications in or near water. In 2011, H.R.
872 was passed by the House with bipartisan support and approved
by the Senate Ag Committee by voice vote.
U.S. Rep. Howard Coble Honored for Work: The National
Federation of Independent Business, the nation’s leading small
business association, named U.S. Rep. Howard Coble (N.C.-6) a
Guardian of Small Business for his outstanding voting record on
behalf of America’s small-business owners in the 112th Congress.
Coble was also recognized for his work on behalf of agriculture with a
congressional award known as the "Friend of Farm Bureau” given by
the American Farm Bureau.
Kissell Awarded Friend of Farm Bureau Award: Rep. Larry Kissell
(N.C.-8) has been awarded the American Farm Bureau Federation’s
Friend of the Farm Bureau award for the second consecutive
congressional term. Kissell, recognized nationally for his continued
support of farmers and agriculture and his leadership on rural issues
in Congress, was presented the award by Union County farmer
Sarah Dietrich and Richmond County farmer Betty Wilson on behalf
of the North Carolina Farm Bureau.
Ellmers Receives Tax Fighter Award: Congresswoman Renee
Ellmers (N.C.-2) received the Tax Fighter Award from the National
Tax-Limitation Committee for her congressional work on behalf of
America's Taxpayers.
Rep. McIntyre Answers Question on Farm Bill: U.S. Rep. Mike
McIntyre (N.C.-7) says, “I am committed to fighting for a Farm Bill for
our farmers and rural communities in southeastern North Carolina
and have asked House of Representatives leadership to schedule a
vote.” In a recent video McIntyre responds to the question, “Can we
provide certainty to our farmers and rural communities?”
Immigration NEWS
E-Verify Reauthorized by Congress: The E-Verify program
received a nod from Congress when it passed a bill to reauthorize
the program through Sept. 30, 2015. Although the program is
voluntary, nine states mandate its use to verify employment
eligibility. President Obama still has to sign the bill.
Animal Activism NEWS
Hillshire, Atlantic Premium Brands Move to Eliminate Crates:
Hillshire Brands, owner of Hillshire Farms, Ballpark, Jimmy Dean,
and State Fair meat brands, announced that it will eliminate gestation
crates from its pork supply chain and “intends to have this solution in
place by the end of 2022,” said Hillshire in its statement. Atlantic
Premium Brands Ltd. announced plans to do the same. The
Northbrook, Ill.-based company is a national pork distributor,
supplying major retail grocery chains including Walmart, HEB,
Kroger, Costco, Win Dixie, Sam’s Club, Safeway, and SUPERVALU.
Charity Gives HSUS Another “D”: The Humane Society of the
United States received a “D” grade from CharityWatch, a national,
independent charity watchdog. This is the second year HSUS has
received a “D” rating. The group wrote that HSUS spends minimal
amounts of its budget on programs and large amounts on
fundraising.
Business NEWS
NCDOT to Conduct Analysis of 1-95 Toll Project: N.C. Secretary
of Transportation Gene Conti announced that a new economic
analysis of tolling on I- 95 has been ordered and will be released next
spring. The Fayetteville Observer reported that the study comes in
the wake of public opposition this spring and cites the work of
political officials for the latest shift in policy. Also this year, the N.C.
General Assembly passed a bill calling for an economic impact study
of these tolls. Under original proposals by the Perdue Administration
and NCDOT, a new pilot program to expand I-95 would require new
tolls along the highway to pay for 90 percent of the $4.4 billion
project. In February, U.S. Rep. Renee Ellmers (N.C.-2) wrote a letter
to the Federal Highway Administration calling for an economic impact
study before implementing the pilot project. In March, Ellmers
introduced H.R. 4174, the No Tolls in North Carolina Act of 2012, to
prohibit any tolls along I-95. U.S Reps. G.K. Butterfield (N.C.-1),
Walter B. Jones (N.C.-3), Larry Kissell (N.C.-8), Patrick McHenry
(N.C.-10), and Mike McIntyre (N.C.-7) signed on as cosponsors. In
May, Butterfield introduced H.R. 5713, the Talk Before You Toll Act
of 2012, which would require DOT and the Federal Highway
Administration to consider public comment from North Carolinians
before any project could be authorized to collect tolls along the
highway. U.S. Reps. Jones, Kissell, McIntyre, Brad Miller (N.C.-13),
and Melvin Watt (N.C.-12) signed on as cosponsors.
Animal Pharmaceutical Manufacturer to Expand: Piedmont
Pharmaceuticals LLC, a privately-held pharmaceutical development
company that focuses on animal health products, will expand its
operations in Guilford County. The company plans to create 14 jobs
and invest $279,000 over the next three years in Greensboro. The
project was made possible in part by an $88,000 grant from the One
North Carolina Fund. Piedmont Pharmaceuticals, headquartered in
Greensboro, specializes in parasitology and drug delivery
technologies.
Commissioners Approve Sanderson Farms Plant: After hearing
from an environmental expert, Nash County commissioners voted
5-2 to approve the proposed Sanderson Farms poultry plant. Steve
Wing, an associate professor of epidemiology with UNC-CH, said
that arsenic and antibiotics used at the plant could potentially
pollute the environment. A week earlier the board of
commissioners approved an incentives package for Sanderson
Farms. Sanderson Farms said that construction is still on hold until
market conditions improve.
Grants Available for WNC Farmers: WNC AgOptions, a program of
N.C. Cooperative Extension and WNC Communities, is accepting
applications for the 2013 grant cycle. With support from the N.C.
Tobacco Trust Fund Commission, WNC AgOptions will award
western N.C. farmers a new round of $3,000 and $6,000 grants
totaling $145,000. WNC AgOptions awards farmers who propose
diversification projects that will help their businesses grow and
succeed. The seed money offsets the risk of trying something new
and gives farmers the chance to demonstrate new farming
techniques and marketing tactics to the agricultural community.
Applications are available at www.wncagoptions.org and at local
Cooperative Extension Centers. Interested applicants should contact
their local extension agents by October 12 to notify them of their
intent to apply. The application postmark deadline is November 16.
Commodity NEWS
Vertical Tillage Provides Significant Return With N.C. Wheat:
North Carolina State Extension Associate Georgia Love has been
testing vertical tillage on wheat yields at the Moore Brothers Farm
near Maxton, N.C. for the past year. The results found that when a
DMI on 40 inches was used yield increased by almost nine bushels
per acre. Yields increased by 11 bushels per acre when a DMI on 20
inches was used. Yields increased by four bushels per acre when a
chisel plow was used. The fields at the farm were marginal with
sandy to very sandy soil. N.C. wheat growers are expected to yield
58 bushels per acre, a 10-bushel drop from last year’s record yield.
In N.C., acreage and total production broke state records at 44.7
million bushels.
CVM Research Finds Antibiotic-Resistant Pathogens Persist in
Antibiotic-Free Pigs: Researchers from NCSU's College of
Veterinary Medicine have found identical strains of antibioticresistant Campylobacter Coli (C. coli) in both antibiotic-free (ABF)
and conventionally raised pigs. This finding may indicate that these
antibiotic-resistant pathogens can persist and thrive in the
environment, regardless of antimicrobial usage by pork producers.
Dr. Siddhartha Thakur, an assistant professor in the CVM
Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, had previously
found that antibiotic-resistant C. coli, a leading cause of foodborne
illness in the U.S., was present in both ABF-certified and
conventionally-raised pigs. The pathogen was present in both groups
in all facilities from breeding to processing. Dr. Thakur, who directs
the Thakur Molecular Epidemiology Laboratory, wanted to determine
whether the C. coli that he found in each group was genetically the
same, in order to see if the presence or absence of antimicrobial
usage had an effect on the pathogen’s genetic makeup. To read the
full article, click here.
Call for End to Antibiotic Overuse: U.S. Rep. Louise Slaughter (DNY), joined more than 150 research physicians and PhD-level
scientists and 50 meat, poultry, and dairy producers in calling on the
Administration and Congress to end the “imprudent” use of antibiotics
in animal agriculture. In their public statement, the scientists said
routine administration of antibiotics to farm and ranch animals is
leading to human diseases that increasingly are resistant to
treatment, which risks human lives and drives up medical costs. They
cited a growing body of evidence linking antibiotic resistance in
Salmonella, Campylobacter, E. coli, and methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections to animal agriculture. A
copy of the scientist and farmer statements can be found here.
USDA NEWS
USDA Announces Change in Release Time of Key Statistical
Reports: The USDA announced that the National Agricultural
Statistics Service (NASS) and World Agricultural Outlook Board
(WAOB) will begin issuing several major USDA statistical reports at
12:00 p.m. EDT beginning in January 2013. The current USDA
release time of 8:30 a.m. EDT will remain in effect until January 1,
2013. USDA statistical reports affected are: World Agricultural Supply
and Demand Estimates, Acreage, Crop Production, Grain Stocks,
Prospective Plantings, and Small Grains Summary. The time for
livestock reports currently released at 3:00 p.m. will not change.
FSIS Clarifies Young Chicken Testing: USDA’s FSIS published a
notice clarifying which young chicken products are included in FSIS’s
carcass-based Salmonella and Campylobacter verification testing
program. Carcasses of “Rock Cornish game hens” (also called
“Cornish game hen”, or “poussin”), “broilers”, “fryers”, and “roasting
chickens” (also called “roasters”), as defined in 9 CFR 381.170(a),
are in the “Young Chicken” product class and are to be sampled.
Other chicken product classes, capon, hen, fowl, baking chicken or
stewing chicken, and cock or rooster, are not subject to FSIS
Salmonella and Campylobacter verification testing.
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