Dr. Elisabeth Hagen has been appointed as Under Secretary for Food Safety of the USDA by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
“There is no higher priority at USDA than ensuring that Americans have access to a safe and healthy food supply, and Dr. Hagen’s background as the Chief Medical Officer and senior executive within USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service will enable her to successfully lead the effort to develop and execute the agency’s scientific and public health agenda, and continue to build the coordination with public health partners at federal, state, and local level needed to achieve the objectives of President Obama’s Food Safety Working Group.”
Biographical information on Dr. Elisabeth Hagen:
Prior to her nomination as Under Secretary for Food Safety, Dr. Elisabeth Hagen served as the USDA’s Chief Medical Officer a senior executive at USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, where she played a key role in developing and executing the agency’s scientific and public health agendas. Before joining the federal government in 2006, Hagen taught and practiced medicine in both the private and academic sectors, most recently in Washington, DC. She holds a M.D. from Harvard Medical School, and a B.S. from Saint Joseph’s University. Dr. Hagen completed her specialty medical training at the University of Texas Southwestern and the University of Pennsylvania, and is board certified in infectious diseases. In addition to several hospital and university appointments, her experience includes research and publications and infectious diseases and providing medical care to underserved populations. She is married and lives with her husband and two young children in Northern Virginia.
No new news to dairy producers across the country: the industry is being hit hard by historically low prices. In this edition of the Milking Parlor, we listen in to part of the news conference Secretary of Ag Tom Vilsack and Assistant Attorney General Christine Varney held during a recent joint USDA-Department of Justice hearing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Vilsack pointed out that, in the last 10 years, the dairy industry has gone from 111,000 dairy farms to fewer than 65,000… and it’s not because producers got more efficient. He wants to get to the bottom of what is devastating the dairy industry. Varney says they’re looking at what role the markets, such as the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, are playing in the price declines. But she’s not prejudging at this point and wants the hearings to run their course and show what the problem really could be. Vilsack added that, despite some reports, they don’t have a hidden agenda of reformulating the law regarding cooperatives… they just want to make sure producers are treated fairly, and rural America again becomes a great place where people want to live and work.
To subscribe to the Milking Parlor podcast, click here. Listen to or download this episode in the player below.
Posted: June 27, 2010 at 5:00 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
Hundreds of dairy farmers attended a workshop Friday in Madison, Wisconsin on competition in the dairy industry held jointly by the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Justice.
“This is the third session of these joint workshops which, from our perspective, have been and should continue to be a major success and an important example of government collaboration,” said Assistant Attorney General Christine Varney, opening the event with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “We know that dairy farmers are concerned about a lack of choices for buyers, about the way that their milk is priced, and about a year of dispiriting returns for their labors. It is my hope that today’s conversations will allow us to bring attention and clarity to these issues, and help us to think hard about the role that the Department of Justice and the Department of Agriculture can play in promoting the health and competitiveness of dairy markets in these economic times.”
Panels at the workshop featured representatives from Congress, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, dairy producing states, industry organizations and farmers themselves. Both of Wisconsin’s U.S. senators attended the event. Senator Russ Feingold says he worked to ensure there was adequate time allotted for the public to participate and raise their concerns directly with administration officials. “These workshops are incredibly important because these officials are getting out of Washington and hearing directly from the family farmers, cheese makers and others whose lives and livelihoods have been impacted by consolidation within the dairy industry,” Feingold said. “I am particularly pleased the administration followed my suggestion to have two public comment sessions.”
The Chicago Mercantile Exchange and its role in price volatility was the target of several complaints at the hearing. Sen. Herb Kohl emphasized the need to make sure dairy pricing is transparent and expressed concerns about potential market manipulation. “The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has reported that the volume of cheese traded in Chicago generally represented less than 1 percent of all cheese produced in the U.S.,” said Kohl. “This is a situation where the tail, controlled by a few traders in Chicago, can wag the dog of the market for milk across the country. At a time when Americans’ trust in financial markets is low, relying on a market that can be easily manipulated should worry all of us. I call on CFTC and the CME to strongly monitor the spot cheese market. We must have market transparency that ensures a fair price for farmers.”
The purpose of the workshop was to gather testimony from dairy industry representatives, which will be taken back to Washington and discussed by the two departments to determine what, if anything, can be done to address producer concerns.
The Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today the agenda and panelists for the June 25 workshop examining competition in the dairy industry. The joint public workshop will build on the knowledge and experience of industry stakeholders, including farmers, processors, cooperative leaders and academics. This is the third in a series of five workshops intended to promote dialogue among interested parties and foster learning with respect to competition and regulatory issues in agriculture.
The workshop will be held in the Wisconsin Union Theater at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, 800 Langdon Street, Madison, Wis. Attendance is free and open to the public. The general public and media interested in attending the Wisconsin workshop should register here.
The workshop will begin with opening remarks and a roundtable discussion including U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division Christine Varney. Wisconsin Senators Herb Kohl and Russell Feingold; Representatives Ron Kind, Steve Kagen and Tammy Baldwin; Governor Jim Doyle; and Agriculture Secretary Rod Nilsestuen have all tentatively accepted invitations to join the roundtable discussion.
The workshop will continue with a session entitled, “Farmer Presentation of Issues,” as well as panels on “Trends in the Dairy Industry,” “Market Consolidation” and “Market Transparency.” There will also be two hours dedicated to public testimony, one immediately prior to lunch and the other at the end of the day.
Additional information, including submitted public comments and transcripts for past workshops can be found at the Antitrust Division’s agriculture workshop website. While no streaming webcast will be available, transcripts and video will be available for this workshop at a later date on the Antitrust Division’s website. Individuals seeking more information on the workshops should contact agriculturalworkshops@usdoj.gov.
Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell hailed news yesterday that the Pennsylvania Milk Marketing Board will change its method of calculating over-order premium payment obligations on milk produced, processed and sold in the state.
The Governor said the June 2 decision–which comes amidst one of the longest, most trying economic environments for dairy producers in generations–would translate into approximately $6.7 million more being paid to the state’s milk producers.
“Pennsylvania’s 7,400 dairy farm families are hurting financially and this decision will help alleviate some of that pain by ensuring these producers receive what’s fair and what’s rightfully owed to them,” said Governor Rendell. “As one of the few states with the ability to affect pricing, Pennsylvania is taking decisive action to help its dairy producers.
Under the Milk Marketing Board’s ruling, a milk processor who purchases milk from both Pennsylvania and out-of-state dairy farmers will be required to pay the entire over-order premium on the Pennsylvania milk.
Under the existing system, the amount paid to producers is reduced by the ratio of milk purchased from Pennsylvania producers compared to the total purchase amount. For instance, if half of the milk a processor purchased is from Pennsylvania, the over-order premium obligation to those farmers is reduced by half.
Under the new calculation, the over-order premium would be paid on 100 percent of the Pennsylvania milk as long as the processor sold that much milk at wholesale in Pennsylvania. This is because the mandatory minimum price for every gallon of milk sold in Pennsylvania includes an amount to cover these payments, which is approximately $0.25 per gallon.
The decision was the result of a joint petition filed by Governor Rendell, Agriculture Secretary Russell C. Redding, and the Pennsylvania Milk Marketing Board staff following discussions on how the state could bolster the dairy industry during a period of historically low milk prices.
The Governor said the General Assembly could provide further relief to dairy farmers by acting on the remaining recommendations the Milk Marketing Board outlined to improve the financial stability of Pennsylvania’s dairy farms.
Those recommendations include two changes to the Milk Marketing Law in order to track milk that is produced and sold at retail in Pennsylvania, but that is processed or sold at wholesale out-of-state. Presently, the state cannot track such milk for the purpose of assessing the over-order premiums.
Source: Pennsylvania Office of the Governor
Congratulations to the dairy farmers who have been newly appointed by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to the National Fluid Milk Processor Promotion Board. All appointees will serve three-year terms effective July 1, 2010.
Newly appointed National Fluid Milk Processor Promotion Board members are: Tunde E. Balazs, New York (Region 1); Nick Mysoré, Texas (Region 10); Henry F. Michon, California (Region 13); and Brian P. Linney, Washington (At-Large Processor.)
Reappointed to serve second terms are: Charles L. Gaither, Jr., North Carolina (Region 4); James B. Green, Minnesota (Region 7); and Teresa E. Webb, New Jersey (At-Large Processor.)
The 20 member board’s goal is to strengthen the position of fluid milk in the marketplace and to maintain and expand uses for fluid milk products. The mandatory program is funded through a 20-cent per hundredweight assessment on fluid milk products processed and marketed commercially in the 48 contiguous States and the District of Columbia. Processors who process and market 3 million pounds or less per month, excluding those fluid milk products delivered to the residence of a consumer, are exempt from assessments. USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service has oversight of the board.
The board is authorized by the Fluid Milk Promotion Act of 1990, as amended. The Secretary selected the appointees from nominations submitted by eligible processor organizations.
National dairy organizations, dairy companies and cooperatives in Wisconsin commended and thanked Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle for vetoing legislation that would have authorized the sale of raw milk at dairy farms. National Milk Producers Federation and the International Dairy Foods Association. Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association, the Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Association (WVMA) and the Dairy Business Association applauded Governor Doyle’s decision.
Federal law prohibits the interstate sale of raw milk, but allows states individual discretion to regulate raw milk sales within their borders. Several states in recent years have loosened restrictions on the sales and marketing of raw milk, even as the product has been repeatedly linked to serious illnesses from coast to coast.
“Many other state dairy organizations in Wisconsin, along with the health professional community, made a major effort in the past week to provide some badly-needed perspective on the potentially deadly consequences if the state were to have passed this bill,” said Jerry Kozak, President and CEO of NMPF. “On behalf of the national dairy producer sector, we appreciate the statement that Gov. Doyle is making by vetoing this bill.”
Connie Tipton, President and CEO of IDFAas noted that while raw milk represents less than 1% of fluid milk consumption, it causes over 70% of the food borne illness outbreaks in dairy. According to the Centers for Disease Control, before pasteurization was widely instituted in the 1920s, disease outbreaks from raw milk were the No. 1 food safety concern in the country.
“Governor Doyle has looked at the science, listened to health professionals and acknowledged a dairy industry all solidly opposed to this bill. We’re breathing a sigh of relief today,” said John Umhoefer, executive director of the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association.
“This legislation represented a step backward in assuring safe food for America’s dinner tables,” Umhoefer said. The dairy industry has through the decades used tools in microbiology and processing technology to improve the safe production and handling of dairy foods. “Governor Doyle cast his vote today for safe, wholesome dairy foods and for the families of Wisconsin,” Umhoefer said.
“Permitting raw milk sales would have jeopardized Wisconsin’s high standards for food safety,” said Dr. Philip Johnson, WVMA president. “Those standards are vital to protecting public health and maintaining consumer confidence in Wisconsin’s dairy industry.”
In order to prevent serious disease outbreaks, only pasteurized milk and milk products should be sold for human consumption. The simple, yet vitally important process of pasteurization kills bacteria and makes milk safe.
“Veterinarians will continue to contribute to the debate about raw milk consumption as part of a stakeholder workgroup at the state Department of Agriculture,” said Dr. Johnson. “We have an obligation to ensure that the science behind raw milk is properly considered.”
“Governor Doyle listened to Wisconsin’s health care professionals…and he deserves a thank you for taking a courageous stand by vetoing the proposed commercial sale of raw milk,” said Jerry Meissner, President of the Dairy Business Association (DBA).
Wisconsin’s cooperatives commended Governor Jim Doyle for his decision to veto SB 434, the legislation that would permit the on-farm sale of unpasteurized milk.
“Governor Doyle followed the wise counsel of both public health officials and the vast majority of Wisconsin’s $26.5 billion dairy industry when he decided to veto the legislation that would permit the on-farm sale of unpasteurized milk,” said Bill Oemichen, Cooperative Network president and CEO. “Cooperative Network has consistently stated our concern about the dangerous potential impact on public health and the image of the dairy industry in America’s Dairyland that could result from this legislation, and we thank Governor Doyle for his thoughtful decision.”
According to the American Public Health Association, states that permit the sale of unpasteurized dairy products have nearly three times the risk of having unpasteurized product-related outbreaks and nearly twice the risk of having outbreak-associated illnesses. Ninety percent of Wisconsin’s milk is made into cheese and 90 percent of that cheese is sold out of state, so consumer trust in the Wisconsin “brand” is essential for the Wisconsin dairy industry to prosper.
“If the Legislature attempts to override the veto, we strongly encourage all legislators to vote to sustain this veto,” said Oemichen.
Cooperative Network serves more than 600 Wisconsin and Minnesota member-cooperatives by providing government relations, education, marketing, and technical services for a wide variety of cooperatives including farm supply, health, dairy marketing, consumer, financial, livestock marketing, telecommunications, electric, housing, insurance, worker-owned cooperatives, and more.
Posted: May 20, 2010 at 11:10 am
By Cindy Zimmerman
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that the second meeting of the Dairy Industry Advisory Committee will be June 3-4 at USDA headquarters in Washington, D.C., in room 104-A of the Jamie L. Whitten Building. The meeting is open to the public.
The purpose of the meeting is to discuss farm milk price volatility and dairy farmer profitability, review current USDA programs and federal dairy policy, hear proposals from dairy industry groups and hear comments from the public.
The public can submit written comments for the committee’s consideration and find additional information on the committee website.
Posted: May 12, 2010 at 7:53 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
The Dairy Price Stabilization Act was introduced on the House floor today by Congressman Jim Costa (D-Fresno) and co-sponsors Peter Welch (D-VT), Joe Courtney (D-CT), Rick Larsen (D-WA), and John B. Larson (D-CT).
Costa says the bill promotes market stability and individual dairy farmers’ ability to grow their own business. “While periods of boom and bust are not new to the dairy industry, our dairy families cannot afford another year of low milk checks that don’t even cover the cost of production,” said Costa. “The dairy price crisis is devastating our local economy and ability to create and sustain jobs. This bill will help the dairy industry get back on track and curb the milk price volatility that is driving dairy farmers in the Valley and our nation out of business”
Watch Costa introduce the bill here via YouTube:
The Dairy Price Stabilization Act would help stabilize dairy prices by better aligning supply and demand. Under the program, individual dairies would have the choice of either maintaining their current production level (plus an allowable year-over-year growth rate based on market indications) or expanding their production and increasing their share of the market.
Dairies choosing to increase their market share would pay a fee during the first year of expansion which is paid out to their fellow dairy farmers who are maintaining their current share of the market. This creates a rational system that allows the market to absorb increases in production by providing a tangible financial incentive for most dairies to manage their production growth.
The structure of the bill is based on unbiased economic analysis and modeling conducted in the past 18 months. Both the growth rate and market access fee would be determined based on market indicators including feed costs which are the largest cost factor for producers in states like California. A producer board of directors would be established to advise the Secretary of Agriculture on any necessary adjustments to program operations. The bill empowers farmers by allowing them to vote on whether to enact the program and, three years after it commences, to vote on whether to continue it.
More congratulations are due to Colorado dairyman Les Hardesty, for being elected chairman of the U.S. Dairy Export Council. Hardesty will fill the seat made vacant by Tom Camerlo’s unexpected passing last fall.
Hardesty is the third elected chairman in the organization’s history, following Elwood Kirkpatrick (1995-2004) and Tom Camerlo (2004-2009). Paul Rovey has served as interim chairman since Camerlo’s passing.
Hardesty milks 700 cows on the Painted Prairie Dairy in Greeley, Colo., and also owns the smaller showcase Cozy Cow Dairy educational facility. Hardesty is chairman of the Mountain Area Region of Dairy Farmers of America and of the National Dairy Council, and serves on the board of National Milk Producers Federation and United Dairy Industry Association. He has been an active member of the USDEC board for the last seven years.
“USDEC is a great organization managed by quality people with incredible support from the membership,” Hardesty said. “As incoming chair, I have an opportunity to continue the tradition of helping influence how U.S. dairy reaches our worldwide customers and consumers.”
He will preside over the 94-member organization, which is made up of U.S. dairy producers, proprietary processors and cooperatives, ingredient suppliers, export traders and industry affiliates. The group is focused on market development, resolving market access barriers and advancing the industry’s trade policy goals, supported by the dairy check-off, U.S. Department of Agriculture funding and membership dues.
Congressman Bill Owens from New York State has announced his appointment to the House Committee on Agriculture.
He will join colleagues on the panel that has general jurisdiction over federal agriculture policy and oversight of various federal agencies.
“Upstate N.Y. agriculture is a major driver of our entire state’s economy, and now our region has a larger role in the decision making process,” Owens said. “As we continue to work our way out of the recession, we need to provide every opportunity to our farming community and small business owners to succeed.”
In his first few months in office, Owens has fought tirelessly for local agriculture interests. In January, he pressed U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk to protect Upstate dairy from the negative effects a U.S.-New Zealand trade agreement would have on the industry. Owens also fought to keep the Market Access Program (MAP) funded at its highest level to help local dairy farmers and wine producers continue to play a large role in local economic development.
Owens is currently working with Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack’s office to address the financial challenges that many farms face as a result of the recession by ensuring access to credit through the USDA Farm Service Agency’s loan guarantees and direct loans.
“As the largest segment of agriculture in New York, dairy is critical to the Upstate economy, with approximately 6,800 farms across the state. Nationwide, New York ranks third in milk production. These dairy farms are essential to their local economies and share a commitment to producing safe, nutritious and affordable products,” said Owens.
Last Month, Owens reintroduced a previous effort by former Congressman John McHugh to allow Upstate New York maple syrup producers greater access to federal resources for maple research, education, and promotion.
“The more opportunity we provide for our local agriculture leaders and small business owners, the better chance our community has at a complete economic recovery,” said Owens. “We have an abundance of untapped maple trees and providing resources for our maple producers to expand their operations will benefit our entire area.”
Source: Congressman Bill Owens
The Food and Drug Administration’s director of food safety is leaving the agency for an academic post, the FDA said Monday.
Stephen Sundlof, who has been with the FDA 16 years, will join the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, according to a statement from the FDA.
A veterinarian and research scientist by training, Dr. Sundlof became director of the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition in January 2008. That was partly because his background in toxicology was relevant to emerging food-safety issues, such as the increase in antimicrobial resistance in food-borne bacteria and “mad cow” disease, which was linked to the consumption of some European beef products.
The deputy director of regulatory affairs at the food-safety center, Michael Landa, will become its acting chief.
The food center has been beset with safety crises in recent years including melamine-contaminated milk products from China and several outbreaks of salmonella in produce. In early 2009, the FDA was criticized for reacting too slowly to salmonella found in U.S.-produced peanut butter, which was linked to several deaths and led to recalls of more than 30 million pounds of peanut butter and more than 100 products around the country.
In the wake of these problems, some consumer advocates and members of Congress have called for a separate food-safety agency that would combine the oversight authority of the FDA’s food section and the Department of Agriculture.
Last year, the FDA hired food-safety expert Michael Taylor, who had worked at the agency during the 1990s. In January, he was promoted to a newly created position, deputy commissioner for foods. Dr. Sundlof and Dr. Taylor weren’t immediately available for comment.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack’s announcement that $2 million will be made available to dairy, beef, poultry and swine producers to help cut energy-related production costs is a positive step that can produce long-term savings for dairy farmers, according to Richard Clauss, vice chair of the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy and a dairy producer from Hilmar, Calif.
“In these tough economic times, anything we can do to cut energy costs will improve our bottom line and help keep producers in business,” Clauss said. “Today’s announcement is a step forward in making energy evaluations more broadly available to producers.”
The new agriculture energy conservation and efficiency initiative, announced in conjunction with a meeting of the Innovation Center’s Sustainability Council here today, will provide funds for on-farm energy audits in fiscal year 2010 and will cover approximately 1,000 energy evaluations in 29 states. Funding for this initiative is being made available through the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).
“This new energy conservation and efficiency initiative is an example of the kind of support envisioned in the memorandum of understanding between the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy and the USDA,” said Thomas P. Gallagher, CEO of the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy and Dairy Management Inc.™ “It makes good business sense for producers and is good for the environment.”
The first step of the new initiative is funding on-farm energy evaluations that can help producers identify how their operations can become more energy efficient. Producers will select an independent, certified Technical Service Provider who will conduct the audits. Energy savings recommendations identified in the evaluations may be implemented by producers at their discretion. Partial funding may be available from the USDA to assist producers in cost-effective implementation of audit recommendations.
“The energy assessments and management plans provided for in this initiative will give producers tools they can use to reduce on-farm energy costs at a time when they are being squeezed financially,” said Jerry Kozak, president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation. “Producers who choose to take advantage of this program can benefit by identifying measures they can implement to cut on-farm production costs.”
States participating in the initiative are: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
Posted: April 18, 2010 at 8:28 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
Looking ahead to 2012, the House Agriculture Committee will be holding its first farm bill hearing Tuesday in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and the focus will be on federal dairy policy.
The Dairy Policy Action Coalition (DPAC) reports that dairy producers around the surrounding area will be attending the hearing and they are urging all dairy farmers to attend and “show support for positive change.” DPAC vice chairman Daniel Brandt, a producer from Lebanon County, will present testimony for the organization.
Committee chairman Collin Peterson (D-MN) and vice chair Tim Holden (D-PA) will be presiding at the hearing and USDA officials are also expected to present testimony. The hearing begins at 9:30 am at the Farm Show Complex, Harrisburg, PA.
Take a moment to read the recent CEO comment by National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) Jerry Kozak. It contains important information about the future of the dairy product price support program (DPPSP). Read the full column here.
In the 12 years I’ve been CEO of NMPF, we have vigorously defended the function and importance of the price support program. It’s been as essential a focus for NMPF as any other single policy item. In the 2008 Farm Bill, we actually worked to make improvements in it, shifting the focus away from supporting a milk price, and toward supporting key commodity prices.
But at the end of the day, this question remains: is the dairy product price support program the best use of federal resources to establish a safety net to help farmers cope with periods of low prices? Is it effective? I believe, the answer today on both counts, is no. Here are the major reasons why:
1. It reduces total demand for U.S. dairy products and dampens our ability to export, while encouraging more foreign imports into the U.S.
2. It acts as a disincentive to product innovation.
3. It supports dairy farmers all around the world and disadvantages U.S. dairy farmers.
4. It isn’t effectively managed to fulfill its objectives.
5. The price levels it seeks to achieve aren’t relevant to farmers in 2010.
For all of these reasons, what NMPF is now focused upon is a transitional process that shifts the resources previously invested in the dairy product price support program, to the income protection program that I have discussed previously.
In summary, discontinuing the DPPSP would eventually result in higher milk prices for U.S. dairy farmers. By focusing on indemnifying against poor margins, rather than on a milk price target that is clearly inadequate, we can create a more relevant safety net that allows for quicker price adjustments, reduced imports and greater exports. As a result of our DPPSP, the U.S. has become the world’s balancing plant. As time marches on, so, too, must our approach to helping farmers.
Posted: March 18, 2010 at 7:51 am
By Cindy Zimmerman
The manure really hit the fan in the office of Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm this week as ag groups and meat lovers protested over the governor’s proclamation of Michigan Meatout Day.
The controversy started on Tuesday when the proclamation appeared on the governor’s website calling on the people of Michigan to observe Meatout Day on March 20, which just happens to be National Agriculture Day. Insinuating that a vegetarian or vegan diet is healthier than one that includes meat products, the proclamation concludes, “In observance of this day, I encourage the residents of this state to choose not to eat meat. Eating a healthy diet can be fun. Explore the different recipes that can be created by using fresh ingredients and by having a sense of adventure.”
According to the governor’s press secretary Liz Boyd, “We did not see the proclamation as belittling” to farmers, hunters or meat-eaters. Boyd explained that the governor receives so many requests to make proclamations that she tries to accommodate as many as she can. This one came from the Michigan director of the Great American Meatout, which is sponsored annually by FARM (Farm Animal Rights Movement) and In Defense of Animals (IDA) and backed by other groups like PETA and Mercy for Animals.
In an attempt to placate critics, the governor’s office hastily put together a proclamation making March 20 Michigan Agriculture Day, to recognize all of agriculture in the state, including meat – a proclamation that totally contradicts Meatout Day.
“I urge all Michiganians to join me in recognizing the importance of our agricultural industry, from farm to fork, and to help celebrate this day with meals made with a variety of local Michigan ingredients, including but not limited to meat, vegetables, and dairy products.”
Michigan has a $71 billion agriculture industry with nearly $2.5 billion in the livestock industry, including 21,845 dairy, beef, pork and poultry producers.
A U.S. Senate candidate in Ohio is proposing that dairy products be labeled with their country of origin.
Democrat Lee Fisher, Ohio’s lieutenant governor, says the move will create jobs in the dairy industry and help consumers find quality products.
Fisher cited China’s February recall of 170 tons of milk powder after chemically contaminated milk products from a 2008 scandal that killed at least six children showed up repackaged in several places around China.
Fisher says dairy products are exempt from recent U.S. law that requires certain non-processed food products to be labeled with country of origin labels because many are processed before distribution.
Fisher faces Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner in the May primary to run for the seat of retiring Republican George Voinovich.
New York dairy farmers, dairy industry professionals and concerned consumers will have the opportunity to meet with Christine A. Varney, Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Antitrust Division and U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y. regarding the dairy market situation on Wednesday, March 29 at the Genesee Community College in Batavia, N.Y.
Varney will meet with upstate New York dairy farmers and consumers to explore potential anticompetitive practices in the dairy industry. Varney is the nation’s top antitrust investigator and she is coming to New York following a request by Schumer. The specific areas of focus include excessive market concentration, marketplace transparency and vertical integration in the dairy industry.During the meeting, constituents will be able to make statements and share their concerns with the Assistant Attorney General Varney.
“For too long farmers have been receiving rock-bottom prices for their product, while prices have not dropped commensurately for consumers at the stores,” Schumer said. “It just doesn’t add up and we need DOJ’s help to peel this onion and identify some of the problems plaguing our family dairy farmers and milk consumers. New York’s dairy industry has suffered tremendously in the past few years and, as I travel throughout the state, I’ve heard from constituents who are concerned that the state of competition in New York’s dairy industry may be playing a role. The Department of Justice is doing the right thing by sending the nation’s top antitrust investigator to New York to discuss this vital issues with the people whose livelihoods depend on a fair and competitive market.”
In an effort to reduce the pressure on struggling dairy farmers, Schumer has repeatedly called on the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission to take a hard look at the dairy industry and identify where the problems lay. In response to Schumer’s urging, the nation’s top antitrust official will be coming to New York State to meet with dairy farmers and consumers to explore this problem.
New York dairy producers and others involved in the industry will be able to participate by submitting a statement to Schumer’s office to be forwarded to Ms. Varney, or delivering a brief 4-5 minute statement at the event.
* To attend, RSVP with your name, email address and phone number to dairymeeting_schumer@schumer.senate.gov no later than March 24th. You must RSVP if you would like to attend the session with Ms. Varney.
* If you wish to speak at the event, include in your RSVP email a brief outline of what you would like to discuss.
* You may also send a written statement to be forwarded to the Department of Justice.For more information please contact: Sarabjit Jagirdar, Email:- htsyndication@hindustantimes.com
Posted: March 12, 2010 at 11:00 am
By Cindy Zimmerman
Easing regulatory hurdles that are impeding exports to Cuba could contribute to recovery in the dairy industry.
That was the main point of testimony presented Thursday before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee of Agriculture by John Wilson, senior vice president of marketing and industry affairs for Dairy Farmers of America, Inc. (DFA).
Speaking in support of the Travel Restriction Reform and Export Enhancement Act (H.R. 4645), Wilson, who also serves on the board of directors for National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), emphasized that facilitating greater U.S. dairy exports to Cuba could be a step in the right direction toward helping the dairy industry regain ground lost during the 2009 dairy crisis.
“U.S. participation in the global dairy market is essential to putting the U.S. dairy industry on firmer footing going forward,” Wilson said. “It is critical that we work to expand opportunities for our dairy exports to allow our dairy producers, as well as their dairy manufacturing partners, to grow and prosper.”
H.R. 4645 seeks to address the most significant issues hindering trade to Cuba under the 2000 Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act (TSREEA). The bill calls for a clarification on the “cash in advance” requirement that – since being redefined by the Office of Foreign Asset Control in 2005 – has added complexity and expense for potential buyers. The bill also calls for the elimination of TSREEA’s “direct banking” provision, which similarly inflates costs and complicates transactions.
“Cuba is a market where we should be a natural preferred seller due to our strong proximity advantages,” Wilson said. “Yet it is clear that we are now among the least-preferred of suppliers given these technical and regulatory impediments to U.S. agricultural sales to Cuba.”
The bill – which was introduced by House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) and Rep. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and is co-sponsored by more than 30 members of Congress – also aims to eliminate restrictions on Americans’ rights to travel to Cuba. Allowing Americans to travel to Cuba would help stimulate demand for and sales of dairy products in that country.
A June 2009 International Trade Commission Updated Study on U.S. Agricultural Sales to Cuba found that fully eliminating financing and travel restrictions on U.S. exports to Cuba would have boosted 2008 dairy sales to Cuba from $13 million to between $39 and $87 million.
Dr. Elisabeth Hagen has been appointed as Under Secretary for Food Safety of the USDA by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
Hundreds of dairy farmers attended a workshop Friday in Madison, Wisconsin on competition in the dairy industry held jointly by the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Justice. 
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that the second meeting of the Dairy Industry Advisory Committee will be June 3-4 at USDA headquarters in Washington, D.C., in room 104-A of the Jamie L. Whitten Building. The meeting is open to the public. 
The 
The manure really hit the fan in the office of Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm this week as ag groups and meat lovers protested over the governor’s proclamation of 
The backlash came fast and furious, from agriculture organizations like 
Easing regulatory hurdles that are impeding exports to Cuba could contribute to recovery in the dairy industry.
“U.S. participation in the global dairy market is essential to putting the U.S. dairy industry on firmer footing going forward,” Wilson said. “It is critical that we work to expand opportunities for our dairy exports to allow our dairy producers, as well as their dairy manufacturing partners, to grow and prosper.”