A publication of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture
This Week
Activity on Farm Bill and Ag Funding Package Picks Up
USDA Veterinary Services Reduces Staff at Two US-Canada Border Ports
ND: Goehring Says Agritourism Holds Promise for Farmers, Rural Community
OR: Record High Ag Sales Boost Oregon County Economics
VA:Governor McDonnell Announces First Direct Shipments of Virginia Cattle to Canada
For More Information
Please contact a member of the NASDA Farm Policy Staff:
Bob Ehart
Amy Hendrickson
Nathan Bowen
Amanda Bryant
April 17, 2012
News from Washington:
Activity on Farm Bill and Ag Funding Package Picks Up
With Congress back from a two-week recess, legislative activity on the Farm Bill is ramping up in the Senate, while the House Agriculture Committee is poised to markup a proposal to satisfy the reconciliation instructions contained in the House Budget Resolution.
On the Senate side, the Senate Ag Committee is still expected to hold a markup by the end of April. Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) has been working with ranking member Pat Roberts (R-KS) to produce a bipartisan mark and has reportedly joined him in opposing target price increases for commodities. The committee members will likely preview the draft privately and their initial reaction will determine how soon it will be released but may be "as early as late next week" according to an update on Friday from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC).
While the House Agriculture Committee will likely wait to initiate action on the Farm Bill until after the Senate Agriculture Committee has acted, the House committee will move this week on a package of funding cuts to satisfy reconciliation requirements of the House-passed budget. The top of the list for additional cuts is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. In reference to the reconciliation process, House Ag Committee Ranking member Collin Peterson (D-MN) said in an interview with the Hagstrom Report that he would tell other Democratic members to "just vote against it" and "not cause any trouble" since the House budget resolution will not have an impact without the Senate passing a budget resolution. In addition, Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) commissioned a report on crop insurance from the General Accountability Office (GAO) that showed the government could save $1 billion per year. The report, released last week, was criticized by fellow Republican and committee Chairman Frank Lucas (R-OK) who told the Oklahoma Farm Report, "this proposal would discourage participation in the crop insurance program and as a result endanger its integrity."
The Senate is working on a bill with a $23 billion cut over 10 years while the House will likely be working with at least a $33 billion cut. Peterson said that if both bills passed their respective chambers, those funding amounts would be "conferenceable." (Contact: Nathan Bowen, By: Kenton Kirkpatrick)
USDA Veterinary Services Reduces Staff at Two US-Canada Border Ports
Effective April 4, 2012, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS) ended full-time staffing of Veterinary Medical Officers at the International Falls, MN and Baudette, MN border ports. Import services can be arranged with Veterinary Services (VS) on a limited, as-needed, and by appointment only basis. Such arrangements should be made at least 2 weeks in advance by calling the VS Minnesota Area Office at (651) 290-3691. Importers arranging VS services will be responsible for full payment of all estimated import-related service prior to the shipment's arrival. More information can be found here. (Contact: Amy Hendrickson; By: Kenton Kirkpatrick)
News from the States:
North Dakota: Goehring Says Agritourism Holds Promise for Farmers, Rural Community
Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring says agritourism holds promise for additional income to farmers and ranchers, while giving agriculture a powerful tool for telling its story.
"Agritourism activities can put much-needed dollars into farmers' pockets, extra income that can be crucial some years," Goehring said. "At the same time, agritourism builds bridges between our rural and urban communities, helping city dwellers better understand what farmers and ranchers do and how agriculture affects all of us."
Goehring encouraged farmers and ranchers and agricultural organizations to sign up for the first North Dakota Agritourism Workshop on April 23rd. For more information, click here.
Oregon: Record High Ag Sales Boost Oregon County Economics
Oregon farmers, ranchers, and fishers enjoyed a record setting year in 2011 according to newly released statistics that show 34 of the state's 36 counties increasing agricultural sales last year. In general, it appears that agriculture has bounced back much more strongly than other sectors of Oregon's economy. All regions of the state can claim that 2011 was a better year for agricultural sales.
According to statistics released this week by Oregon State University, the state's total agricultural sales for 2011 increased 19.1 percent to a record high $5.2 billion, eclipsing the previous high of $4.9 billion set in 2008.
"You won't find many Oregon industries that can say they grew by 19 percent last year," says Oregon Department of Agriculture Director Katy Coba. "This growth comes on the heels of some challenging times and down years, but generally, 2011 was a great year for our producers." For more information, click here.
Virginia: Governor McDonnell Announces First Direct Shipments of Virginia Cattle to Canada
Governor Bob McDonnell, traveling on a trade and marketing mission to Canada, announced new export sales of Virginia beef cattle into Canada last week. The new export business opens the door for Virginia producers to sell directly to beef cattle operators in eastern Canada without having to ship to middlemen in other states first, thus enhancing income opportunities for Virginia farms.
The new beef cattle exports to Canada follow the recently announced deal for Virginia's first direct exports of dairy cattle to Russia in January. These deals, along with the Commonwealth's aggressive new international agricultural marketing efforts, are helping solidify Virginia's reputation as a supplier of high quality livestock genetics in the global marketplace.
Five shipments are part of the new export deal to Canada, with several loads having crossed the border last week. At current market prices, the value of each shipment of cattle is in excess of $75,000. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, for every $1.00 in agricultural exports another $1.40 is generated via in-state activities such as shipping, processing, storing, and financing. For more information, click here. To read a release by VDACS Commissioner Matthew J. Lohr, click here.