California
Poultry Federation Headline News
Edited by Mark Looker
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Modesto, CA 95356 (209) 576-6355
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Editor's Note: We'll be taking a break next week to celebrate the winter holidays. CPF Headline News will return in two weeks, on Jan. 3, 2007. Until then, we wish all our readers Happy Holidays!
Thursday, Dec. 21, 2006
Broiler numbers continue to shrink - - Chicken
companies set fewer broiler eggs in incubators and placed fewer chicks on farms.
U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS)
reported that commercial hatcheries in the 19 largest broiler-producing states
set 211 million eggs in incubators during the week ending December 16, 2006.
This was down two percent from the number of eggs set the corresponding week one
year earlier. Average hatchability for chicks hatched during the week was 83
percent. Chicks from eggs set this week will be sent to farms during the first
week of January 2007. This means that the efforts of U.S. poultry processors to
reduce the surplus of chicken meat on the market will continue into 2007.NASS
also reported that broiler growers in the 19-state region placed 172 million
chicks for meat production during the week ending December 16, 2006. Placements
were down two percent from the comparable week one year earlier. Cumulative
placements from January 1, 2006 through December 16, 2006 were 8.61 billion –
down one percent from the same period in 2005. Dec. 21, 2006 USDA Press
Release
Poultry Stocks in Cold Storage Slump -- Total frozen poultry supplies at the end of November were down 20% from the previous month, and 16% below last year, according to the USDA's latest report on agricultural products in cold storage. At 693 million pounds, total stocks of chicken were down 26.2 million pounds from the previous month, and down 21% from last year. Frozen egg stocks were up 5% on the month at 17.1 million pounds. At 209 million pounds, total pounds of turkey in freezers were down 48% from last month and up 15 million pounds from last year. Dec. 21, 2006 AgReport.com
More people move to Valley. Population growth here
outpaces the state average. - - Fresno County's population grew at the
fastest clip in three years during the year ending July 1, rising to nearly 1
million, according to state estimates released Wednesday. Growth in the
central San Joaquin Valley continued to outpace the state average. All five
counties in the region were among the 15 fastest-growing counties — growing by
41,301 to 1.88 million, according to new data from the state Department of
Finance. Cheap housing — the magnet pulling residents from the coast to inland
California — is still playing a role, despite the real estate slowdown, said
Sean Snaith, an economist for University of the Pacific in Stockton.
<more>
Dec. 21, 2006 Fresno Bee
Valley residents are last, best hope against urban
sprawl - - Three opposing forces are on a collision course to determine
the future of valley residents. One has in the past proven irresistible, the
other increasingly viable, and the third, in a surprise turnabout, is growing
feebler almost by the day. The three forces, in order of potency, are urban
sprawl, conservation and agriculture. Even though it dominates the valley's
economic environment, agriculture appears to have a bleak future. Given the
ascendant value of farmland that can be converted to urban and residential
uses, and encroachment from homes, automobiles, businesses and schools, the
rising cost and increasing scarcity of water, and an ever-more-complex lexicon
of environmental rules and regulations, farmers hardly can be blamed for
selling out. And most of them are aware that many major players in the global
game of agribusiness already have ceded victory to foreign food products,
despite the lessons we should have learned from our dependence on foreign oil.
<more> Dec. 21, 2006 Modesto Bee Community Column
Dec. 31 deadline looms for irrigators to join
watershed coalition - - Dec. 31, 2006 is the deadline for those who own
irrigated land to join a watershed coalition as part of the Irrigated Lands
Program or face the prospect of paying considerable costs as an individual
participant. Producers who miss the Dec. 31 signup deadline may be required to complete a
report of waste discharge and perform individual water sampling of their
irrigation and/or storm runoff. Growers can learn more
about their options by visiting the “Frequently Asked Questions” section of
Central Valley Regional Quality Control Board website
http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/centralvalley/programs/irrigated_lands/index.html#GeneralInfo.
A critical question for each grower is, “Who is a discharger?” Growers can
learn more on that subject by visiting the water board website at
http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/centralvalley/programs/irrigated_lands/irr-lands-disch-fact-sheet.pdf.
New Congress less friendly to trade pacts. Farmers could benefit if accords with Panama, South Korea approved. - - California farmers could reap modest benefits in a new trade agreement with Panama, if it survives a Congress where free trade will be more suspect than ever. The clock is literally ticking. This week, U.S. and Panamanian officials agreed on a trade package following 21/2 years of talks. The presumed winners will include California's wine, nut and tree fruit producers, who would immediately gain tariff-free access to Panama's 3.1 million consumers. "Expanding access to the Panamanian market and increasing our two-way trade will strengthen our economic ties and promote stability in the Western Hemisphere," Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns declared. <more> Dec. 21, 2006 Fresno Bee
CALIFORNIA
POULTRY INDUSTRY CALENDAR OF EVENTS March 12-13, 2007 Winter Board Meeting & Legislative Day Sacramento Hyatt Regency (916) 443-1234
March 12 - Board Meeting 12-5; Legislative Reception 6 p.m.
March 13 - Legislative Day Breakfast
July 9-10, 2007 Summer Board Meeting Shell Beach July 9-10, 2007 The Cliffs Resort, Shell Beach (805) 773-5000
Monday July 9 - Golf 9:30 a.m., Evening Reception and Dinner 6 p.m.
Tuesday July 10 - Board Meeting 9 a.m.
September 20-21, 2007 Monterey Annual Meeting & Conference Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa (831) 646-1700
September 20 - Annual Meeting & Banquet
September 21 - Conference 8 a.m.-Noon
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Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2006
Bush links minimum wage to tax break - - President
Bush endorsed one of the Democrats' top priorities for the new Congress, a
$2.10-an-hour minimum wage increase - and on a faster timetable than they
have proposed. But his support comes with a catch. Bush said at a Wednesday
news conference that any pay hike should be accompanied by tax and
regulatory relief for small businesses, potentially a tough sell for
Democrats, who are about to reassume control of the House and Senate.
<more> Dec. 20, 2006 AP
Health tax among options. Governor signals he
might look at a levy if it's proposed to aid the uninsured. - - Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger said Monday that his plan for reforming California's
health care system will not include new taxes, but he did not rule out
considering legislative proposals that do. "I'm not telling you now what I
would or would not consider," the Republican governor told reporters at a
Los Angeles hospital when he was asked whether he would approve a solution
that included a tax increase. The governor is scheduled to release a plan
for dealing with the 6.5 million Californians who do not have health
insurance when he makes his State of the State speech Jan. 9. The cost of
insuring everyone could run into billions of dollars. The question dividing
policymakers is how those costs would be distributed among individuals,
employers, the government, medical providers and insurers.
<more>
Dec. 20, 2006 Sacramento Bee
Farms may cut habitat renewal over E. coli fears
- - The recent scares over deadly bacteria in California produce may
hurt farm programs aimed at restoring wildlife habitat and cutting water
pollution. Such environmental programs could be at odds with "clean farming
techniques" promoted by food processors. Those techniques encourage growers
to remove grassy areas that are planted to reduce erosion and trap
pesticides before they reach waterways. The practices also discourage
habitat zones that might attract animals that carry bacteria like E. coli or
salmonella. Some farmers say they must opt out of wildlife habitat and
water-quality programs: If they don't follow processor guidelines, they
won't be able to sell their crops. "The processors have been putting some
pressure on growers for the past couple of years over vegetated corridors
because of worries that they may be sources of animal contamination," said
John Anderson, a Yolo County farmer who grows native grass seed for use in
restoration projects.
<more> Dec. 20, 2006 SF Chronicle
Cool-Water Wash for Eggs Can Help Prevent Microbial Contamination - - Using cooler water to wash shell eggs during a second washing can help cool them quicker. This reduces the potential of foodborne pathogen growth both inside the eggs and on the eggshell surface, according to scientists with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS). ARS food technologists Deana Jones and Michael Musgrove in the agency's Egg Safety and Quality Research Unit at Athens, Ga.--working with Auburn University colleagues A. Brooke Caudill and Patricia A. Curtis--looked at the frequency of Salmonella, Campylobacter, Listeria and other bacteria in eggs commercially washed in cool water. Their findings have been reported in the Journal of Food Safety. <more> Dec. 20, 2006 ARS Press Release
Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2006
Foster Farms' Foster Imposters® Inspire Fowl Play
- - Foster Farms, the premium poultry brand in the Western United
States, today launches two new web sites devoted to their infamous
advertising icons, The Foster Imposters. The new media campaign features
online games, 3D animation and a MySpace page and is designed with families
in mind. Proprietary company research found that an increasing number of
moms mention playing online games as a daily activity; high scoring players
will be able to download Foster Farms product coupons. They've tried to dupe
moms and doctors, yoga students and now …MySpace friends? The Foster
Imposters, two out-of-state, junk food-eating chickens who repeatedly
attempt to impersonate always natural, always fresh, locally-grown Foster
Farms birds, are back and more playful than ever online. Today marks the
launch of two new Web spaces devoted to the rascally pair:
www.TheFosterImposters.com
and
www.myspace.com/thefosterimposters.
<more> Dec. 19, 2006 Foster Farms Press Release
NCBA joins legal battle against EPA dust rules
- - The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Monday joined the
American Farm Bureau Federation and National Pork Producers Council in
filing a petition with the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of
Columbia against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) rule
issued in October on particulate matter, which covers such things as dust.
Jay Truitt, Vice President of Governmental Relations for NCBA, told
Brownfield the EPA rule on particulate matter, officially a revision of the
Clean Air Act National Ambient Air Quality Standards, has the potential to
make basic agricultural activities illegal. "This is the day that we've all
be talking about for quite some time," Truitt said. "That just being
involved in agriculture, potentially, creates an environment where you're
breaking the law.”
<more> Dec. 19, 2006 Brownfield Ag News
Green laws no slam-dunk in new Congress.
Environmentalists project success now that Democrats control both chambers.
But a push for stronger rules could scramble partisan loyalty. - - Steps
to curb global warming. Tougher fuel economy standards for automobiles.
Repeal of massive tax breaks for the oil industry. Environmentalists are
busy these days crafting their holiday wish-list, giddy about the prospects
for success in the new Democratic-controlled Congress. But industry groups
are gearing up to fight, and their forces may include more than the usual
Republican allies. "We're confident that there are plenty of Democrats who
know and understand us," said Charles Drevna of the National Petrochemical &
Refiners Assn. Drevna's confidence is probably well-placed. The politics
surrounding environmental issues have proved hard to predict, largely
because the potential economic impact of stronger regulation tends to
scramble partisan loyalties. Democrats from auto-making states, for example,
have fought efforts to mandate stricter miles-per-gallon rules for vehicles.
These crosscurrents could cause the push for an aggressive environmental
agenda to become an object lesson on the limits of what can actually be
achieved in the Congress that will convene in January.
<more> Dec. 119, 2006 LA Times
Ag inspectors stew under authority of homeland
security - - Low morale plagues border inspectors shielding the country
from potentially catastrophic pests and diseases, a new survey concludes.
Many agricultural inspectors say their work has suffered since they were
forced out of the Agriculture Department. Now wearing Customs and Border
Protection uniforms, the agricultural specialists find little to praise in
the new agency. "Nothing is going well," many of the inspectors believe, the
Government Accountability Office said in a report issued Friday. Sixty-four
percent of the agricultural border inspectors polled for the GAO report said
they don't think homeland security managers respect their work.
<more> Dec. 19, 2006 Fresno Bee
Johnson's son predicts full recovery for South
Dakota senator - - There's good news about U.S. Senator Tim Johnson
(D-SD), who suffered a stroke-like event last week. Johnson's son Brandon
told the Argus Leader Monday he's confident his father will return to work
and that there’s no reason to believe his dad will make anything but a full
recovery. Brandon Johnson, a Sioux Falls attorney, said his father’s
generally good health is one reason doctors have an upbeat prognosis. The
younger Johnson also said former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle and
current Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid have been frequent visitors to his
father’s bedside. Barb Johnson also said South Dakota leaders from both
sides of the aisle had pulled together to support her husband. She also said
cards and letters had poured in from across South Dakota, and that they now
covered the walls of her husband's hospital room. Senator Johnson remains in
critical but stable condition at George Washington University Hospital. He
underwent surgery for an intracranial bleed on December 13th. Dec. 19,
2006 Brownfield Ag News
French bird flu scare evaporates - - Veterinary experts in France say 4,000 chickens on a north-eastern farm did not die of bird flu. The chickens probably suffocated when a ventilation problem caused overheating in the chicken shed at Sarrey, in the Haute-Marne region, the experts said. The authorities carried out tests on Monday, fearing bird flu after the mysterious mass deaths of chickens. The farmer said his flock of 7,000 chickens appeared healthy on Saturday morning, but by evening 4,000 had died. The cause of death is still being investigated. France is the biggest poultry producer in Western Europe. <more> Dec. 19, 2006 BBC News
Monday, Dec. 18, 2006
Chicken companies trimming production - -
Since late October, chicken companies have been setting fewer eggs in
incubators, which will mean a decrease in chicken production down the road.
“I think that has to do with an oversupply of chickens right at the moment
and companies realizing that they need to do something to get supply and
demand back in line,” said Dr. Michael Lacy, head of the Poultry Science
Department at the University of Georgia.
<more> Dec. 18, 2006 Brownfield Ag News
Fire writes the final chapter for the world's
largest egg ranch - - Egg kingpin Julius Goldman founded the world's
largest egg ranch here in Southern California, ruffling a few feathers along
the way. At its peak in the 1970s and '80s, Egg City produced 2 million eggs
a day, laid by 3.5 million hens. It also exuded a major stink that offended
noses in much of Ventura County. Earlier this month, the Shekell fire near
Moorpark ravaged 13,600 acres, destroying five houses as well as the large
egg factory, which had been abandoned since 1996. Almost since it opened in
1961, the agricultural landmark had been imperiled by fires and Newcastle
disease; rattled by high winds and earthquakes; and attacked literally by
vandals and figuratively by lawyers. Finally, development henpecked it into
oblivion. But in Egg City's glory days, it was emblematic of the San
Fernando Valley's moment in the sun as a great agricultural power, bringing
400 jobs to the area.
<more> Dec. 18, 2006 LA Times
PETA Objects To Felons Processing Poultry - -
An animal protection organization has raised objections to convicted felons
being used to process chickens at a south Georgia poultry plant whose
workforce was decimated by a crackdown on illegal immigrants working there.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said Wednesday that it is
concerned that criminals with violent pasts could be among the workers being
bused from a probation center.
<more> Dec. 18, 2006 AP
Valley farmers glean $2.1 billion in federal aid. Lawmakers jockey for seats on ag panels that control flow of funds.- - Farmers from Sacramento to Bakersfield reaped more than $2.1billion in federal crop subsidies over the past decade, a new report shows. That may help explain why the region's representatives are scrambling to control the spigot. Even as reformers castigate the flow of farm money, San Joaquin Valley lawmakers are positioning themselves to direct where it goes next. "The hot committee to be on is agriculture," said Rep. Dennis Cardoza, D-Merced. <more> Dec. 18, 2006 Fresno Bee
Friday, Dec. 15, 2006
The System Is the Problem. Immigration Laws Trap
Those Who Comply and Those Who Don't - - At dawn on Tuesday more than a
thousand Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents descended on six plants
owned by Swift & Co., one of the country's largest meat processors. Some 1,300
workers were arrested, and operations at all six slaughterhouses were
suspended. Seen in one light, the raids were perfectly justified. Both
employer and employees were breaking the law. It's a law that's being violated
on a massive scale from coast to coast, and the public is increasingly upset
about it. The only catch: Swift has been trying for years to comply with our
poorly conceived immigration laws, coping as best it could with an impossible
situation. Like a driver who finally goes through a broken traffic light, the
company and its workers aren't the problem -- the system is. Both Swift and
its employees -- who bore the brunt of the punishment -- are caught in an
economic bind far bigger than themselves. Meat processing is dirty and
dangerous. Fewer and fewer members of the increasingly educated American
workforce are interested in the jobs.
<more> Dec. 15, 2006 Washington Post
US To Allow Imports Of China Processed Chicken
--U.S. Department of Agriculture Undersecretary for Food Safety Richard
Raymond said Thursday that he assured China this week that the U.S. is moving
to grant China’s request to export processed poultry to the U.S. Raymond, who
returned Wednesday from meetings in Beijing this week, told Dow Jones
Newswires in an interview that because China will be required to cook the
poultry as part of processing, there is no danger to U.S. consumers from bird
flu. China has suffered outbreaks of the highly pathogenic and deadly strain
of H5N1 “Asian“ bird flu that has infected humans, but it has never been found
in the U.S. Raymond said Chinese officials pressed him on U.S. progress in
changing import restrictions and he assured them work was being done on a
proposed federal rule.
<more> Dec. 15, 2006 Dow Jones
Poultry Litter Heats Chicken House - - It's a
poultry growers dream -- a furnace that uses the farm's own poultry litter to
heat chicken houses. Dr. Tom Costello, an engineer with the University of
Arkansas, has teamed up with Lynndale Systems Inc. of Harrison and built the
prototype for such a furnace. Costello is using it at the university's broiler
research farm in Savoy. On Thursday, Costello and his team demonstrated the
poultry-litter biomass furnace to a dozen or so industry representatives.
Poultry litter is a combination of poultry waste and bedding such as rice
hulls or wood chips.
<more> Dec. 15, 2006 The Morning News, Arkansas
AFBF, NPPC file court petition against EPA dust
rules - - The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) and National Pork
Producers Council (NPPC) filed a petition Friday with the U.S. Circuit Court
of Appeals for the District of Columbia. The groups asked the court to review
the rules issued by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in October on
particulate matter, rules that didn’t specifically exempt agriculture. A
preamble to the EPA rules said there's no scientific evidence to suggest
agriculture should be subject to the regulations, which cover such things as
dust. And EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson has said repeatedly the rules
aren’t meant to apply to agriculture. But Danielle Quist, AFBF Assistant
General Counsel for Public Policy, told Brownfield the legal action is, in
part, a response to the EPA's preamble to the rules on particulate matter.
"That is part of the issue here, is that the preamble fairly clearly states
that agriculture is not a source of the health effects the rule intends to
regulate," Quist said. "Nonetheless, despite what's said in the preamble, the
rule does not exempt agricultural sources from regulation."
<more> Dec. 15, 2006 Brownfield Ag News
Thursday, Dec. 14, 2006
Johanns: Costly corn squeezing farmers - -
Soaring corn prices are squeezing meat and milk producers, but consumers will
not necessarily see higher prices at the grocery checkout, Agriculture
Secretary Mike Johanns said in an interview Thursday. Costly corn has made it
more expensive to feed cows, chickens and pigs. Demand for ethanol, a fuel
made from corn, has pushed the price of corn above $3 a bushel, the highest
level in more than a decade. That is bound to have an impact on farms and
ranches, Johanns said. "My best projection is that for a couple of years here,
you are going to have a tug-and-pull between various industries," Johanns told
The Associated Press. Chicken companies are hoping to pass at least some of
the high feed costs onto shoppers, despite resistance from supermarkets and
fast-food chains, said Richard Lobb, spokesman for the National Chicken
Council. "It's very competitive - we don't have the kind of captive market
that some interests do," Lobb said. "We have to compete with pork and beef,
for example. If they're not going up, it's hard to raise chicken prices."
Lower chicken prices, disruptions in the global market from bird flu and
higher fuel and feed costs made for a tough year in the chicken industry.
<more> Dec. 14, 2006 AP
N Korea: Developing Poultry Vaccine Against H5N1
Bird Flu --North Korea has claimed it developed a poultry vaccine against
the deadly H5N1 type of bird flu and is inoculating chicken as part of
stepped-up efforts to prevent the disease following outbreaks in South Korea.
“The production of H5N1 vaccine locally developed recently in our country is
increased and the compulsory vaccination of it to whole poultry flocks is
being done,“ said Ri Kyong Gun, director of the North’s Veterinary and
Anti-Epidemic Department, in an interview with AP Television News in
Pyongyang. Ri didn’t provide further details, such as when the vaccine was
developed and how effective it is.
<more> Dec. 14, 2006 AP
Health plan aims to cut costs, insure all - -
In another sign that healthcare will return as a major issue when Democrats
take over Congress next month, a prominent Democratic senator unveiled an
ambitious proposal Wednesday to provide medical insurance for all Americans
while reining in costs. The plan by Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon came a month
after the health insurance industry offered its comprehensive proposal as
politicians and the business community show new willingness to tackle a
subject that has been off-limits since the mid-1990s collapse of President
Clinton's sweeping healthcare reform package. Wyden, considered liberal on
social issues and moderate on economic policy, combined elements of Democratic
and Republican ideas in his plan. It would guarantee coverage for all,
including nearly 47 million uninsured — a Democratic objective. But it would
also limit employers' exposure to relentless cost increases and encourage
workers to shop for cost-effective insurance plans — GOP goals.
<more> Dec. 14, 2006 LA Times
State Senate Democrats propose health coverage for
uninsured workers. State senators propose a levy on employers and employees to
cover most uninsured - - A month before Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is set
to unveil a plan to make healthcare more affordable and accessible, Senate
Democrats proposed Tuesday taxing both workers and employers to cover an
estimated 4.2 million of 6 million uninsured Californians. The plan, announced
by Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata (D-Oakland), would mandate that workers
have health insurance and require every employer, even those with a single
part-time employee, to offer health insurance or pay a percentage of their
payroll to a state agency that would negotiate for affordable coverage.
Workers would also contribute through a payroll deduction, much as they help
fund unemployment and state disability insurance. Illegal workers who get paid
under the table and the unemployed would not be covered under Perata's plan.
Nor would it affect employees who already get health benefits through their
jobs.
<more> Dec. 14, 2006 LA Times
GOP sets Senate ag panel line-up, loses key staffer to USDA - - The Republican membership of the Senate Ag Committee is now set, and features some familiar faces, along with a couple of newcomers. New to the Senate Ag Committee are South Dakota’s John Thune and South Carolina’s Lindsay Graham. Saxby Chambliss of Georgia remains the ranking Republican on the Senate ag panel. He’s joined by returning members Dick Lugar of Indiana, Thad Cochran of Mississippi, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Pat Roberts of Kansas, Norm Coleman of Minnesota, Mike Crapo of Idaho, and Chuck Grassley of Iowa. The Democrats haven’t firmed up their line-up on the Senate Ag Committee yet, though it’s certain Iowa’s Tom Harkin will return as Chairman. <more> Dec. 14, 2006 Brownfield Ag News
Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2006
Meat Firms Give USDA an Earful on 'Natural'
Label- - The U.S. Department of Agriculture is considering a new
definition of "natural foods," at least when it comes to meat and poultry.
At a public meeting, the agency heard from critics who say that for meat
labels, a "natural" claim should only be allowed when meats don't contain
any additives or preservatives. The USDA heard from meat processors and food
companies at a public meeting. They are pushing for stricter guidelines,
hoping to gain marketing advantage. Critics say the proposed definition
change will likely be too broad, and won't help consumers, who may have no
idea that chickens injected with saline solution and other preservatives can
be labeled "natural.
<more> Dec. 13, 2006 NPR
U.S. Raids 6 Meat Plants in Identity Theft Case
- - In simultaneous dawn raids, federal immigration agents swept into
six Swift & Company meatpacking plants in six states yesterday, rounding up
hundreds of immigrant workers in what the agents described as a vast
criminal investigation of identity theft. More than 1,000 agents from
Immigration and Customs Enforcement appeared at 6 a.m. at the Swift plants
with warrants to search for illegal immigrants. Inside, agents separated
American citizens from immigrants, interviewing all the foreign workers and
taking hundreds away in buses to immigration detention centers. In a new
enforcement tactic, federal officials said they planned to bring criminal
charges against some of the immigrants accused of using stolen identities.
They said the raids were tied to complaints from United States citizens who
discovered that their names were being used by Swift plant workers.
<more> Dec. 13, 2006 NY Times
Merced County motorsports park approved over ag
objections - - Riverside Motorsports Park moved from plan to reality
early Wednesday morning when the Merced County Board of Supervisors approved
the raceway complex in a series of votes that spanned eight and half hours.
With Supervisors Deidre Kelsey and John Pedrozo dissenting on two key votes,
plans for the 1,200-acre racing venue earned just enough support to move
forward. The board's 2:30 a.m. decision followed hours of emotional public
testimony from raceway supporters and opponents, and nearly four years of
countywide debate over a project that many say will set the course for the
county's development for decades to come. While racetrack supporters hailed
the decision as an economic boon for the county, opponents called the
project's approval an assault on both the environment and local agriculture.
<more> Dec. 13, 2006 Merced Sun-Star
Lettuce implicated in Taco Bell outbreak - - Lettuce was the most likely source of an outbreak of E. coli linked to Taco Bell, federal health officials said Wednesday. Taco Bell had said contaminated green onions were responsible for the cases of food poisoning — 71 confirmed cases of E. coli in five states, primarily New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, as of Wednesday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Follow-up government testing, however, failed to confirm that. Interviews with patients and other work led them to believe that lettuce was the probable culprit, health officials said. "That I would say is the most likely vehicle. I would warn we are not done with the investigation," Dr. Christopher Braden, a medical epidemiologist with the CDC, told reporters. <more> Dec. 13, 2006 AP
Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2006
Large CAF air permit deadline is Friday, Dec. 15
- - California Poultry Federation members are reminded that the
deadline for submitting “Large CAF” permit applications to the San Joaquin
Valley Air Pollution Control District is Friday Dec. 15, 2006. This applies
to operators of poultry ranches located in Kern, Kings, Tulare, Fresno,
Madera, Merced, Stanislaus and San Joaquin Counties that will have more than
650,000 chickens or 100,000 turkeys onsite at any one time. The Air
District considers the “site” to be all contiguous and commonly owned
property. Operators of sites that have previously received permits from the
District must only submit the completed Large CAF Mitigation Measures
application form, along with a check for the $60 application filing fee.
This form is used to select the air emission mitigation measures the
operator is committing to implement. The mitigation measures are described
in District Rule 4570. In addition to the Large CAF application form,
operators of ranches that have not previously been permitted must also
submit the initial permit application form, the animal information form, and
the application forms for any miscellaneous equipment at the site (such as
emergency engines). The $60 filing fee must accompany each permit
application. Rule 4570 and the application forms are available on the
District website at www.valleyair.org and the District small business assistance office
can help with questions (559) 230-5888.
Farm Organizations Resolve to Continue Fight
Against Misuse of Superfund -- Farmers for Clean Air & Water, a broad
coalition of the nation's leading farm organizations, today expressed
disappointment that a bipartisan bill to protect the nation's farmers and
ranchers against inappropriate, damaging lawsuits was not included in
legislation cleared in the final days of the 109th Congress. The bill would
have clarified that the severe liability provisions of the 1980 Superfund
law designed to clean up abandoned industrial waste sites like Love Canal
should not be used to penalize the nation's farmers for the animal manure on
their farms. "Though the effort fell short in the final days before
adjournment, the coalition's member organizations appreciate the strong
support of 192 cosponsors in the House of Representatives and 36 in the
Senate for this rapidly building effort to protect farmers and ranchers from
attempts to misapply CERCLA and EPCRA to manure," the coalition said in a
statement.
<more> Dec. 12, 2006 Farmers for Clean Air & Water Press Release
Dan Walters: Workers' comp clash will resume
- - You heard almost nothing about it during the campaign, but workers'
compensation -- the very contentious system that deals with job-related
illnesses and injuries -- was a powerful factor in the duel between Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and his Democratic challenger, Phil Angelides.
Workers' comp, as it's called, was the single most important issue for the
business interests that backed Schwarzenegger's re-election and for many
groups, such as labor unions, that wanted Angelides to prevail. The reason
is simple: lots of money. Employers are paying about $15 billion a year less
for workers' compensation coverage because of the systemic overhaul that
Schwarzenegger pushed through the Legislature during the first weeks of his
new governorship, when his popularity and political clout were very high.
<more>
Dec. 12, 2006 Sacramento Bee
Six Swift plants shut down in immigration raids
- - Six Swift & Company meat processing plants are shut down today as
officials from the U.S. Office of Homeland Security’s Immigration and
Customs Enforcement division raided the facilities. Reports are the action
is the result of a year-long investigation into the theft of identification
and Social Security numbers which were allegedly used to secure employment
at the company.
<more> Dec. 12, 2006 Brownfield Ag News
U.S. Poultry Experts Ready for Bird Flu --
The dreaded avian influenza outbreak has yet to strike the U.S., but here in
one of the nation's leading poultry producing regions they talk as if it
already has. Poultry farmers boast of the latest extermination foams and
decontamination trucks waiting to be dispatched to infected sites. A chicken
lobbying group, the Georgia Poultry Federation, talks of the volley of press
releases it has prepared to remind American consumers that cooked chicken
and eggs are still safe to eat. A state veterinarian even notes that
Georgia's agricultural response team, which would be in charge of
quarantines in an outbreak, is rethinking its method of disposing of
infected carcasses. Incineration is preferred to mass burial, Stan Crane
told a room full of poultry experts Tuesday at a bird flu briefing.
<more> Dec. 12, 2006 AP
Outbreaks Reveal Food Safety Net's Holes. Produce
Growers Balk At Calls for Regulation - - First it was spinach. Then
tomatoes. Now possibly green onions. Over the past three months, fresh
produce has been the culprit in one episode of food-borne illness after
another, the latest an E. coli outbreak that appears to be linked to green
onions served at Taco Bell restaurants in the Northeast. More than 60 people
have been sickened in that outbreak. The patchwork of federal and state
regulations that is supposed to ensure food safety has become less effective
as the nation's produce supply has grown increasingly industrial. Three
months after the spinach scare, there is no agreement on what should be done
to reduce health risks from the nation's fruits and vegetables even as each
episode of illness has heightened a sense of urgency.
<more> Dec. 11, 2006 Washington Post
South Korea Starts Poultry Cull After Fresh Bird
Flu Outbreak --South Korea has started killing hundreds of thousands of
poultry after a fresh outbreak of bird flu that was very likely the deadly
H5N1 strain, officials said Tuesday. The Agriculture Ministry confirmed
Monday the outbreak at a quail farm in Gimje, some 262 kilometers south of
Seoul, was the H5 strain and most likely the N1 type, although that hasn’t
yet been confirmed. South Korea recently saw two outbreaks of the H5N1 virus
of bird flu at chicken farms, and killed over 770,000 chickens to try to
prevent the spread of the virus. The new outbreak site was some 18
kilometers south of the first outbreak site in the same province, the
ministry said.
<more> Dec. 12, 2006
Big brother watches flocks online - - Poultry farmers are using the latest ultra mobile computers to play big brother on their flocks and allow Northern Ireland's biggest poultry company to count its chickens. Recording is second nature to most poultry farmers. The daily round of chores often includes jotting down feed consumption and growth rates on the back of an envelope. Chicken farmers though are now going down the hi-tech route. Enter the latest generation of ultra-mobile computers which are being used to streamline one of Northern Ireland's biggest poultry operations. Armed with a feed bucket in one hand and a new slimline PC in the other, the modern flock owner can connect to the web while tending his flock. <more> Dec. 12, 2006 BBC News
Friday, Dec. 8, 2006
poultry
industry against the introduction of any potentially harmful poultry
diseases. With the threat of avian influenza continuing to grab
headlines across the world, state veterinarian Dr. Richard Breitmeyer, along
with USDA Area Veterinarian in Charge Dr. Keith Varner outlined the steps
their agencies are taking to prevent the introduction of AI and other
poultry diseases. “We are working closely together with USDA and many other
state and federal agencies to make sure that all steps are being taken to
prevent this disease,” said Breitmeyer. “At the same time, we are preparing
contingency plans for swift and coordinated action should highly pathogenic
avian influenza appear in California, whether it be a commercial flock, wild
birds or backyard flocks.”
<more>
Dec. 7, 2006
Mushrooms Have a Future in Fighting a Fowl Parasite
- - Wide use of a mushroom extract to protect poultry against a major
parasitic disease is now closer, thanks to an Agricultural Research Service (ARS)
scientist and her South Korean colleagues. The researchers--led by
immunologist Hyun Lillehoj at the ARS Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory in
Beltsville, Md.--developed a technique for controlling coccidiosis, which
costs the world's poultry industry billions of dollars in losses annually. The
new method is the subject of a patent application. It introduces mushroom
lectins to birds via injection into developing embryos, or through drinking
water. Once administered, the lectins spur a protective reaction against the
disease in the gut.
<more>
Dec. 8, 2006 ARS Press Release
Valley projects are left hanging. Congress leaves
funding in question with desertion of fiscal year 2007 bills - - A lot of
San Joaquin Valley work is going down the drain when Congress walks off the
field Friday. In a big punt, Republican leaders are giving up on most fiscal
2007 funding bills. It's a political maneuver, putting a bigger burden on
Democrats next year. Locally, it's leaving collateral damage. For now, funding
for a Fresno-area vocational training center is being abandoned along with the
bills. A Modesto agricultural museum likewise loses out. Research dollars to
fight sudden oak death and grape diseases in California wither.
<more>
Dec. 7, 2006 Fresno Bee
Oxnard farm may be linked to E. coli cases - -
Green onions suspected of sickening Taco Bell customers in six states have
been traced to one of Ventura County's largest vegetable growers, but
authorities said Thursday it was too early to blame anyone for the outbreak.
Taco Bell Corp. voluntarily removed green onions from its restaurants
Wednesday after discovering that the "vast majority" of at least 58 people who
suffered E. coli food poisoning in the last week, mostly in New Jersey and New
York, had eaten at a Taco Bell, federal officials said Thursday. No one has
died, but 48 people have been hospitalized with kidney failure or other
problems caused by the bacteria. Taco Bell said its preliminary testing had
found a strain of E. coli in its green onions, although it is awaiting
confirmation from more accurate tests. An official with Oxnard-based Boskovich
Farms, which has been growing vegetables for nearly a century, said there was
only a tentative link between the E. coli outbreak and the farm's produce.
Federal and state health officials said Thursday that it was premature to
blame green onions, Boskovich Farms or the processor, Ready Pac Produce. They
said there was no official evidence implicating any particular food.
<more> Dec. 8, 2006 LA Times
Conflicting San Joaquin River plans. Lawmakers pushing vastly different ways to resolve fish-agriculture dispute. - - Turbulence surrounding the San Joaquin River continues, complicating efforts to resolve a long-running conflict pitting fish against farmers. Several lawmakers on Wednesday introduced an ambitious bill to restore the river. Another maneuvered aggressively Tuesday with a competing plan. No one can predict how the next Congress will shake out. "We owe it to my water folks to try to pass this," said Rep. George Radanovich, R-Mariposa. Radanovich and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., have set out one approach by formally introducing a consensus San Joaquin River restoration bill. It has a total estimated federal price tag of $490 million, and depends on some $100 million in additional state funds. <more> Dec. 8, 2006 Sacramento Bee
Thursday, Dec. 7, 2006
Minnesota’s Peterson Named Chairman of House Ag
Committee - - Today the House Democratic Caucus selected Congressman
Collin C. Peterson of Minnesota at the Chairman of the House Committee on
Agriculture for the 110th Congress. "I am honored to have this opportunity to
serve the great agricultural producers of our country," Peterson said. "There
is a lot of work to be done, and I look forward to joining my dedicated
colleagues on the Committee to give agriculture producers and all rural
Americans a voice in Congress." One of the major responsibilities that the
Agriculture Committee will address in 2007 is the reauthorization of farm
programs in the Farm Bill. The Farm Bill authorizes commodity support,
agricultural trade, marketing, food assistance, and rural development policies
over several years. The current farm bill was written in 2002, and many of the
provisions in that bill will expire in September of 2007. Congressman Peterson
represents the seventh district of Minnesota, a primarily rural and
agricultural district reaching from the Canadian border almost to the Iowa
state line along Minnesota's border with North and South Dakota. Dec. 7,
2006 Rep. Peterson Press Release
Less U.S. chicken ahead, says USDA forecast - -
U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service
(NASS) reported that poultry companies in the 19 largest broiler-producing
states set 211 million eggs in incubators during the week ending December 2,
2006. The number of eggs set was approximately two percent fewer than the
number of eggs set the corresponding week one year earlier. This decline
extends the consistent decrease in the number of broiler eggs set in
incubations that started during the week ending October 21, 2006. Several
major broiler companies have announced cuts in processing-plant output to
reduce the amount of chicken on the market and boost chicken prices. High feed
costs, coupled with a decrease in domestic and export demand, have put
downward pressure on company profitability. In addition, NASS reported that
broiler growers in the 19-state weekly program placed 168 million chicks for
meat production during the week ending December 2, 2006. Placements were down
two percent from the comparable week a year earlier. Cumulative placements
from January 1, 2006 through December 2, 2006 were 8.27 billion – down one
percent from the same period in 2005. Dec.7 , 2006 MeatNews.com
Avian flu vaccine developed for poultry -- U.S.
scientists say they've developed the first egg-injected vaccine to protect
chickens against the avian influenza virus. An Auburn University veterinary
professor, Haroldo Toro, and researchers at Vaxin Inc. of Birmingham, Ala.,
say the vaccine would provide 100 percent protection once an outbreak's
specific viral strain is identified. "We have proven the principle, which is
the major step in leading to commercially produced vaccine that could be vital
to the poultry industry," Toro said. "When an outbreak occurs, we would
determine the strain and quickly create a vaccine within three months
specifically for it."
<more> Dec. 7, 2006 UPI
East San Joaquin Water Quality Coalition annual meetings set for next week - - The East San Joaquin Water Quality Coalition (ESJWQC) is holding its second annual meetings next week to review 2006 monitoring results and water quality problems likely associated with agriculture. Topics Include: • Surprising results of a coalition-funded E.coli study designed to identify sources of numerous detections of the bacteria in local waterways. • Information on new requirements of coalition members. • Information on management practices to mitigate farm runoff found in local waterways. Meeting Locations:
• Tuesday; December 12; 1-3 pm, Merced County Agricultural Commissioners office, 2139 Wardrobe Avenue, Merced
• Wednesday, December 13, 10 am -12 pm; Stanislaus Agricultural Center, 3800 Cornucopia Way, Modesto, (lunch provided to those who RSVP: 209-522-7278)
• Thursday, December 14, 10 am -12 pm; Madera County Farm Bureau, 1102 S. Pine Street, Madera, (lunch provided to those who RSVP: 559-674-8871) Dec.7, 2006 ESJWCQC Press Release
Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2006
CPF hosts Thursday biosecurity seminar in Modesto - - The California Poultry Federation will host a biosecurity seminar Thursday in Modesto. The session will include presentations on:
Dr. Richard Breitmeyer, CDFA state veterinarian, will
update the audience on the state’s latest AI prevention and detection
efforts. He will be joined by USDA Area Veterinarian in Charge Dr. Kevin
Varner and UC Davis Veterinarian Dr. Carol Cardona who will provide
information on federal and state AI education and outreach programs.
Registration is $15 and includes lunch and materials. Registration forms can
also be downloaded from the CPF website at
http://www.cpif.org/Biosecurity/Seminars/Biosecurity%20Seminar%20FlyerA.pdf.
The seminar will be held at the Stanislaus County Agricultural Center, 3800
Cornucopia Way, Modesto, and begins with 8:30 a.m. registration.
Natural: What's actually in the word? - -The
Minnesota-based maker of Spam wants to freshen up the word "natural" on meat
and poultry labels. At the very least, Hormel Foods Corp. is reheating a
controversy. The company wants tighter, more uniform labeling rules, and
suggested that some firms may "manipulate exceptions" to the current
requirements. Other companies could oppose stricter guidelines. Potentially,
producers, processors and consumers may all have to adjust to new meanings
for a seemingly simple word. "We certainly agree there needs to be more
clarity when it comes to use of the word 'natural,' " said Bill Mattos,
president of the Modesto-based California Poultry Federation. "The rules may
need to be updated; they certainly don't need to be loosened." On Tuesday,
the Agriculture Department's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced it
would begin reconsidering the rules governing use of the word "natural." The
current rules were set in 1982, prompting Hormel and Agriculture Department
officials to wonder whether they needed updating in light of new technology.
<more>
Dec. 6, 2006 Sacramento Bee
State pushes to revise workers' comp process. New
rules are proposed to penalize insurers that unfairly delay or deny medical
- - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration is preparing to punish
insurance companies that wrongly delay or deny medical care for workers hurt
on the job. Acknowledging growing complaints from workers, the state said
new rules were necessary to ensure that workers were not unfairly refused
drugs, surgery and other medical procedures that their doctors recommended.
"An unfair delay or denial in medical treatment is probably the worst thing
you can do to an injured worker," said Carrie Nevans, acting administrative
director of the state Division of Workers' Compensation. "The issue of
medical treatment affects 100% of the people in the system." The changes
come more than two years after the governor and Legislature heeded the calls
from businesses and overhauled the workers' comp system.
<more> Dec. 6, 2006 LA Times
Grassley continues fight against EPA rule on
agriculture dust - - Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, is continuing his
efforts to block the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating
agriculture dust — this time offering an amendment to the Agriculture
Appropriations bill. “This is about the future. The rule is setting a bad
precedent for agriculture,” Grassley said in a statement. The amendment,
introduced Tuesday, has been endorsed by 13 of the nation’s largest
agriculture groups, including the National Chicken Council and the National
Turkey Federation. In October, Grassley hosted EPA Administrator Stephen
Johnson at farm in Perry to watch a soybean field harvested so he could see
how the process stirs up dust. A steady rain prevented the demonstration,
but the senator said it didn’t wash away concerns that the dust proposal
could lead to lawsuits against farmers.
<more> Dec. 6, 2006 AP
Chicken Recipe: Preheat, Stuff With Junk Science-
- Big news this week from Consumer Reports, the toaster-testing periodical
that occasionally masquerades as a reliable source of food-safety advice: If
you serve chicken medium-rare, someone might get sick. Whew. Thank goodness
we subscribe. Consumer Reports has previously issued baseless warnings about
genetically modified foods and acrylamide. Its claim that pregnant women
should stop eating all canned tuna was a high watermark of public health
irresponsibility. And now the magazine is trying to scare Americans about
bacteria in uncooked chicken, a phenomenon which every competent chef
(including "chef mom") already understands. It's called hand-washing. Check
it out. It wipes out bird flu too.
<more> Dec. 6, 2006 Consumerfreedom.com
Bird flu virus 'still smoldering,' U.S. expert
says - - A year ago, headlines were screaming about a looming disaster:
the rapid spread of bird flu across two-thirds of the globe. The H5N1 strain
of the virus was killing more than half its human victims. Experts were
urging the government to stockpile medicine and experimental vaccines. That
worldwide pandemic hasn't yet materialized, and bird flu has been out of the
headlines for a while. But we may be in for another round of news. Last week
South Korea announced two new outbreaks in poultry. And Dr. Timothy Uyeki of
the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said he's bracing for
another surge in human infections. "When the temperature drops and the
humidity drops, that's when you start seeing more poultry outbreaks. And
when you see poultry outbreaks, that's when you see human cases." "It's
still smoldering," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, who heads U.S. scientific efforts
to combat bird flu. "What it hasn't done, much to our relief, is to become
more virulent or better able to transmit from person to person."
<more> Dec. 6, 2006 CNN
Using
Comparative Genomics to Manage Marek's Disease - - The genetic code for
a virulent strain of Marek's disease virus was cracked a few years ago. Now,
to determine how best to cripple it and other infectious strains,
Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists are working to decipher the
genomes of several nonvirulent Marek's disease (MDV) vaccine strains.
Microbiologists Stephen Spatz at the ARS Southeast Poultry Research
Laboratory in Athens, Ga., and Robert Silva at the ARS Avian Disease and
Oncology Laboratory in East Lansing, Mich., have teamed up to compare
nonvirulent MDV strains used in vaccines.
<more> Dec. 6, 2006 ARS Press Release
Bush
renews ag disaster aid veto threat - - The White House Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) on Tuesday issued a "Statement of Administration
Policy" on the Senate Agriculture Appropriations bill, a measure that, among
other things, includes an ag disaster aid provision that will total at least
$4 billion, and could grow to nearly $5 billion. The OMB statement repeated
an earlier threat by President Bush to veto the ag spending measure if the
ag disaster aid provision is included in the final bill. According to the
OMB statement, "The Administration strongly opposes the Senate's
agricultural assistance proposal, the cost of which could exceed $4
billion." The OMB policy statement goes on to cite a laundry list of reasons
the measure is unacceptable, noting half the disaster aid isn't directly
tied to production losses and pointing out the 2002 farm bill was designed
to prevent the kind of ad hoc disaster assistance program included in the ag
spending measure.
<more> Dec. 6, 2006 Brownfield Ag News
Taco Bell pulls green onions after food scare - - Fast food chain Taco Bell said on Wednesday it has stopped serving green onions at its roughly 5,800 restaurants following a recent outbreak of the foodborne E. coli bacteria that caused it to temporarily close nine restaurants. Taco Bell, a unit of Yum Brands Inc. said preliminary tests showed three samples of green onions were found to be "presumptive positive" for the E. coli 0157:H7 strain. Tests were not yet conclusive, the company said. That strain of E. coli causes an estimated 73,000 cases of infection and 60 deaths in the United States each year. <more> Dec. 6, 2006 Reuters
Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2006
CPF Open House is today - -
The doors to the California Poultry Federation’s new office will swing open
wide on Tuesday, Dec. 5, when the CPF hosts an Open House from 4 p.m. until
7 p.m. “We’re very proud of our new office,” said CPF President Bill
Mattos. “This move allowed us to become a much more efficient operation by
significantly upgrading our internal communications systems such as our
computer network and phone system. We want to share our pride with our
members and friends and extend an invitation to them to join us for a fun
evening.” The CPF office is located at 4640 Spyres Way, Suite 4, off of
Bangs Avenue in north Modesto. Those planning to attend are asked to RSVP to
Sandy Pohl at (209) 576-6355 or email
Sandy@cpif.org
CPF hosts Dec. 7 biosecurity seminar in Modesto - - There is still time to sign up for a Dec. 7 biosecurity seminar hosted by the CPF in Modesto. The session will include presentations on:
Dr. Richard Breitmeyer, CDFA state veterinarian, will
update the audience on the state’s latest AI prevention and detection
efforts. He will be joined by USDA Area Veterinarian in Charge Dr. Kevin
Varner and UC Davis Veterinarian Dr. Carol Cardona who will provide
information on federal and state AI education and outreach programs.
Registration is $15 and includes lunch and materials. Registration forms can
also be downloaded from the CPF website at
http://www.cpif.org/Biosecurity/Seminars/Biosecurity%20Seminar%20FlyerA.pdf.
The seminar will be held at the Stanislaus County Agricultural Center, 3800
Cornucopia Way, Modesto, and begins with 8:30 a.m. registration.
USDA disputes claim that U.S. chicken unsafe
- - Eighty-three percent of chicken sold in U.S. grocery stores may contain
bacteria that cause foodborne illnesses, a consumer group said on Monday, 34
percentage points higher than the rate it found three years ago. Critics,
however, said the study by Consumer Reports suffered from flaws that
included an unreliably small number of samples. A U.S. Agriculture
Department spokesman called the report "junk science." Consumer Reports said
tests on 525 chickens -- including samples from leading brands Perdue,
Pilgrim's Pride Inc. and Tyson Foods Inc. -- showed most of the poultry had
campylobacter or salmonella, two of the leading causes of food-borne
diseases. A test conducted in 2003 showed 49 percent of the birds had at
least one of the bacteria The National Chicken Council said the report
contained nothing new and "greatly exaggerated" the rate of bacteria in raw
chicken. "Consumer Reports says what every cook already knows, that fresh
poultry may carry naturally occurring bacteria and should be properly
handled and cooked," said spokesman Richard Lobb.
<more> Dec. 5, 2006 Reuters
Scientists criticize bird flu search - -
Birds from Latin America — not from the north — are most likely to bring
deadly bird flu to the main U.S., researchers said Monday, suggesting the
government might miss the H5N1 virus because biologists have been looking in
the wrong direction. The United States' $29 million bird flu surveillance
program has focused heavily on migratory birds flying from Asia to Alaska,
where researchers this year collected tens of thousands of samples from wild
birds nesting on frozen tundra before making their way south. Those birds
present a much lower risk than migratory birds that make their way north
from South America through Central America and Mexico, where controls on
imported poultry are not as tough as in the U.S. and Canada, according to
findings in the latest Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
<more> Dec. 5, 2006
Pilgrim's Pride buying Gold Kist - - Poultry
producer Pilgrim's Pride Corp. won its pursuit of the reluctant Gold Kist
Inc., saying Monday its rival had accepted a sweetened $21 per share buyout
offer worth $1.1 billion. There could be job cuts in corporate positions
after the deal closes. The combined company will be the world's leading
chicken company in terms of production and the third-largest U.S. meat
protein company by revenue, according to the companies. They say the
combination will help Pilgrim's Pride compete better in the U.S. and abroad.
It would employ 56,000 people. The offer is $1 per share higher than
Pilgrim's Pride's initial offer, first announced in August. Atlanta-based
Gold Kist had initially said it wanted to remain on its own, but by last
Wednesday, Gold Kist shareholders had tendered 34.1 million shares, or 67
percent of the company's stock to Pilgrim's Pride under its $20 a share
offer.
<more> Dec. 4, 2006 AP
FSIS public meeting Dec. 12 will help define
“natural” label - - The U.S. USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)
today announced a public meeting to discuss a petition to establish a
definition for the voluntary claim “natural” and to gather comments on
conditions under which the claim should be allowed to be used on the labels
of meat and poultry products. The public meeting will be held on Tuesday,
Dec. 12, 2006, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., in the south end of the USDA
cafeteria, South Agriculture Building, 1400 Independence Ave, SW.,
Washington, D.C. Pre-registration for the meeting is recommended. To
pre-register, please go to FSIS’ Web site at
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News/Meetings_&_Events/. The petition is available for viewing on FSIS’ Web
site at www.fsis.usda.gov. Dec. 4, 2006 FSIS Press Release
Florez, Parra to butt heads again. Longtime
rivals likely to clash over fallout from E. coli outbreak, senator's efforts
to expand air district board -- Kern County's state legislators elected
Nov. 7 haven't even been sworn in yet, but sparks are already flying between
two of them. The long-running feud between the county's two Democratic
lawmakers, Sen. Dean Florez of Shafter and Assemblywoman Nicole Parra of
Hanford, shows no signs of abating as they approach today's first meeting of
the new two-year session. As the county's legislative delegation was asked
last week about plans for bills they will sponsor, Parra and Florez clashed
over at least two issues that are important to their rural Central Valley
districts.
<more> Dec. 4, 2006 Bakersfield Californian
UC Cooperative Extension holds California Farm Succession Conference in 2007 - - Avoiding the pitfalls that can be associated with passing the family farm down to younger generations and keeping farmland in agricultural production are the goals of a comprehensive conference offered by the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE), to be held in two parts at the Hilton Hotel-Arden West, 2200 Harvard St., Sacramento. The first session of the conference is from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 12, and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 13. After the first session, the participants will take home what they've learned, hold a family meeting, collect information and come back for the second session with everything they need to write a succession plan. The second session is from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, March 16, and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 17. "Discussions will cover such issues as bringing in new partners, selling or giving the farm to heirs, and what to do if no heirs want the farm," said UCCE farm advisor Deborah Giraud, the conference coordinator. "By the end of the program, the participants will have a succession plan drafted that is well on its way to completion." <more> Dec. 4, 2006 UC ANR Press Release
Friday, Dec. 1, 2006
Tasker wins USDA OK to market anti-pathogen
chicken plucker product - - Tasker Products Corp. of Danbury, Conn., has
received approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to market an
anti-pathogen application for use in the picker-rails of poultry processing,
officials report. This is Tasker's second application to receive consent by
the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the USDA to begin
commercialization. The picker process, which removes feathers from the body,
wing, hock and neck of poultry, can be a breeding ground for cross
contamination of bacteria, officials say. Tasker's applications are designed
to reduce or eliminate salmonella typhimurium, listeria monocytogenes,
staphylococcus aureus, E coli, shewanella putrfaciens, and pseudomonas
flourescens.
<more> Dec. 1, 2006 Mass High Tech
Environmental attorney to staff Senate
Environmental Committee - - Environmental attorney Erik Olson will be
named general counsel for the incoming Democratic majority staff of the
Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, according to the
environmental publication Greenwire. Olson, who directs the Natural
Resources Defense Council's advocacy center, would serve under EPW Committee
Chairwoman Barbara Boxer during the 110th Congress. Boxer takes the gavel in
January as the panel's first woman chair. To date, Boxer's only other
official committee hire is Bettina Poirier, the first woman to be the EPW
Committee's staff director. Poirier is a longtime Boxer aide who previously
served as minority counsel to the House Energy and Commerce Committee under
Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.) Before moving to Capitol Hill, Poirier worked
for all eight years of the Clinton administration as a deputy assistant
general counsel for pollution control in the Agriculture Department. Olson
joined NRDC in 1991 after stints at the National Wildlife Federation and
U.S. EPA's Office of General Counsel. At NRDC, he has focused on public
health issues such as drinking water, pesticides, toxics and food safety.
Olson co-chaired NRDC's Hurricane Katrina "response team" and also led a
coalition of environmental groups that worked on cleanup after the 2005
storm." Dec. 1, 2006 Greenwire
South Korea to expand mass cull to curb bird flu
- - South Korea is to cull hundreds of thousands more chickens after its
first bird flu outbreak for three years spread to a second poultry farm,
officials said. Quarantine officials had originally begun culling poultry
within 500 meters of the two infection sites on the outskirts of Iksan city,
230 kilometers (140 miles) south of Seoul. But the agriculture ministry
decided at an emergency meeting Thursday to slaughter all poultry within
three kilometers after the potentially deadly H5N1 virus was detected
Tuesday at a second farm.
<more> Dec. 1, 2006 AFP
Large CAF air permit deadline is Dec. 15- - -
California Poultry Federation members are reminded that the deadline for
submitting “Large CAF” permit applications to the San Joaquin Valley Air
Pollution Control District is Friday Dec. 15, 2006. This applies to
operators of poultry ranches located in Kern, Kings, Tulare, Fresno, Madera,
Merced, Stanislaus and San Joaquin Counties that will have more than 650,000
chickens or 100,000 turkeys onsite at any one time. The Air District
considers the “site” to be all contiguous and commonly owned property.
Operators of sites that have previously received permits from the District
must only submit the completed Large CAF Mitigation Measures application
form, along with a check for the $60 application filing fee. This form is
used to select the air emission mitigation measures the operator is
committing to implement. The mitigation measures are described in District
Rule 4570. In addition to the Large CAF application form, operators of
ranches that have not previously been permitted must also submit the initial
permit application form, the animal information form, and the application
forms for any miscellaneous equipment at the site (such as emergency
engines). The $60 filing fee must accompany each permit application. Rule
4570 and the application forms are available on the District website at
www.valleyair.org and the District small business assistance office can help
with questions (559) 230-5888. Nov. 27, 2006 CPF Press Release
CPF Open House set for Tuesday Dec. 5- -
The doors to the California Poultry Federation’s new office will swing open
wide on Tuesday, Dec. 5, when the CPF hosts an Open House from 4 p.m. until
7 p.m. Flyers are being mailed out this week to all CPF members and
supporters. “We’re very proud of our new office,” said CPF President Bill
Mattos. “This move allowed us to become a much more efficient operation by
significantly upgrading our internal communications systems such as our
computer network and phone system. We want to share our pride with our
members and friends and extend an invitation to them to join us for a fun
evening.” The CPF office is located at 4640 Spyres Way, Suite 4, off of
Bangs Avenue in north Modesto. Those planning to attend are asked to RSVP to
Sandy Pohl at (209) 576-6355 or email
Sandy@cpif.org
CPF hosts Dec. 7 biosecurity seminar in Modesto - - There is still time to sign up for a Dec. 7 biosecurity seminar hosted by the CPF in Modesto. The session will include presentations on:
Dr. Richard Breitmeyer, CDFA state veterinarian, will
update the audience on the state’s latest AI prevention and detection
efforts. He will be joined by USDA Area Veterinarian in Charge Dr. Kevin
Varner and UC Davis Veterinarian Dr. Carol Cardona who will provide
information on federal and state AI education and outreach programs.
Registration is $15 and includes lunch and materials. Registration forms can
also be downloaded from the CPF website at
http://www.cpif.org/Biosecurity/Seminars/Biosecurity%20Seminar%20FlyerA.pdf.
The seminar will be held at the Stanislaus County Agricultural Center, 3800
Cornucopia Way, Modesto, and begins with 8:30 a.m. registration.
(Editor's Note: CPF Headline News has been experiencing technical difficulties with its delivery system for the past several days. We hope the technical problems have been resolved and apologize for any inconvenience to our subscribers.)
Thursday, Nov. 30, 2006
Tyson Sees Higher Prices For Poultry, Beef, Pork
Items - - Tyson Foods Inc. (TSN), the world's largest meat processor,
Wednesday forecast higher prices for beef, chicken and pork as grain costs
climb. "All three species will see supply reductions to get (an) immediate
increase in price" to offset feed costs, a company executive told an
investors' conference in New York. "You're already seeing that in publicly
reported markets," James Lochner, senior group vice president for fresh
meats and margin optimization, said at a J.P. Morgan Securities-sponsored
conference, which was Webcast. Lochner tied soaring corn to competition
between livestock feeders and ethanol producers for the grain. "As fuel
competes for feed we will see an increase in prices," he said.
<more> Nov. 29, 2006 Cattle Network.com
Gold Kist Shareholders Back Takeover Bid,
Pilgrim's Pride Says -- Pilgrim's Pride Corp., the nation's
second-largest poultry producer, said Thursday that its hostile bid for Gold
Kist Inc. is supported by owners of most of the rival's shares. Pilgrim's
Pride said Gold Kist shareholders tendered 34.2 million shares or 67 percent
of the company's stock in support of Pilgrim's Pride's $1 billion offer --
$20 per share -- by the end of Wednesday. Gold Kist shares rose 27 cents to
close at $19.81 on the Nasdaq Stock Market, while shares of Pilgrim's Pride
gained 74 cents, or 3 percent, to $25.52 on the New York Stock Exchange.
Pilgrim's Pride announced in August it would bid for Gold Kist, the nation's
No. 3 poultry company, and it began the tender offer in September. Gold Kist
has said it wants to remain an independent company and has taken legal
action to ward off the bid. Pittsburg-based Pilgrim's Pride said it extended
its tender offer to buy all outstanding shares of Gold Kist until Dec. 27.
<more> Nov. 30, 2006 AP
Move to
create new state Public Health agency reflects shift in attitude - -
At first blush, it looks
like just another bureaucratic shuffle. It isn't. In fact, the move to carve
out a new state Department of Public Health reflects a shift in California's
attitude toward fighting disease and confronting health
emergencies--including those prompted by terrorism and fears of epidemics,
such as avian flu. The department is patterned in part after the kind of
agency that all 58 counties and three cities--Berkeley, Pasadena, Long
Beach--already have, by law. It will be run by a medical doctor known as the
state's public health officer--the state's "Top Doc" or "Papa Doc," as the
position already is being dubbed--and it will have more than 3,000
employees. Above all, it represents a dramatic cleavage in the state's
bureaucracy.
<more> Nov. 30, 2006 Capitol Weekly
S. Korea slaughters dogs and pigs to battle AI
outbreak -- Unaware of his fate, a two-year-old dachshund barked while
chained to his dingy, wooden house, as South Korea slaughtered hundreds of
dogs and pigs in efforts to stem the spread of the deadly H5N1 strain of
bird flu. The dog's owner, Im Soon-duck -- like many villagers -- was more
concerned about losing her three pigs than the dog, which was a present from
her daughter in Seoul. "We, people in rural areas, depend on pigs and cows
for our living," Im said. The government is to compensate farmers for their
lost livestock, but the exact amounts weren't yet known. Quarantine
officials on Tuesday began slaughtering pigs and dogs although international
health experts have questioned the necessity of killing non-poultry species
to curtail bird flu's spread.
<more> Nov. 29, 2006 AP
China looks to phase out live poultry markets
- - China has begun looking to phase out live poultry markets as part of
plans to fight bird flu more effectively, according to a government
document. The document, released by the State Council, the nation's cabinet,
calls for a ban on any new live poultry markets and urges current ones to be
moved out of high density population areas. In China, as elsewhere
throughout Asia, live chicken markets are popular as locals prefer to buy
the freshest meat, however they are regarded as dangerous incubators of bird
flu and other diseases. "Rectifying and regulating the order of live poultry
markets and strengthening market supervision are important measures in
effectively controlling the occurrence and spread of the bird flu," the
document said.
<more> Nov. 29, 2006 AFP
Experts urge extra billion dollars to fight bird
flu - - World donors must extend around an extra billion dollars to
fight bird flu as the deadly virus spreads to ill-prepared countries in
Africa and the Middle East, experts said. UN avian influenza coordinator
David Nabarro and World Bank economist Olga Jonas said the funding
requirements would be addressed at the fourth global conference on the virus
being held in Mali from December 6 to 8. They said another 986 million to
1.3 billion dollars is needed over the next two to three years, in addition
to 1.9 billion agreed by donors at the last conference held in January in
Beijing. Of the extra funding, 566 million dollars must go to Africa alone,
the experts told reporters on a conference call.
<more> Nov. 30, 2006 AFP
U.S. Poultry Slaughter Volume Falls - -
Poultry certified wholesome within October 2006 (ready-to-cook weight) came
in at 3.77 billion pounds, up 5% from the quantity certified in October
2005, reveals the latest USDA sector report. September 2006 revised
certified total at 3.40 billion pounds, was down 4% from September 2005. The
September revision represented a gain of 3.26 million pounds from a month
ago's preliminary pounds certified. The preliminary total live weight of
poultry inspected during October 2006 was 5.09 billion pounds, up 6% from
4.80 billion pounds a year ago. Young chickens inspected totaled 4.32
billion pounds, up 5% from October 2005. Mature chickens, at 69.7 million
pounds, were up 5% from last year. Turkey inspections totaled 684 million
pounds, up 12% from a year ago.
<more>
Nov. 30, 2006 AgReport.com
EPA to focus on urban air quality rather than
agriculture - - In a meeting with the Agriculture Air Quality Task Force
on Tuesday, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns told the group that the
Environmental Protection Agency would be concentrating its air quality
efforts in areas other than agriculture. “I am very pleased to tell you that
EPA has clarified its position on the regulation of agricultural particulate
matter,” Johanns said. “On the basis of science, EPA is encouraging states
to focus their control programs on urban and industrial issues, rather than
agricultural issues.” Johanns also pledged the USDA’s full cooperation.
Pointing out that the USDA has already added extra scientists in the air
quality area and has increased its research in the areas of ammonia
emissions from livestock operations, odor from waste lagoons and dust from
field work. “Farmers and ranchers are affected everyday by air quality
issues and regulations written to protect the environment and public
health,” Johanns said. Nov. 29, 2006 Brownfield Ag News
Court Hears Global Warming Case. Justices to
Decide Challenge on Greenhouse Gas Emissions - - The Supreme Court
yesterday cautiously confronted for the first time the issue of global
warming, hearing a challenge to the Bush administration's refusal to
regulate emissions of greenhouse gases in new vehicles. Twelve states, led
by Massachusetts and joined by the District of Columbia, are objecting to
the Environmental Protection Agency's decision to decline to issue emissions
standards for new cars and trucks. They and the environmental organizations
that support them say the standards should be the first step in a broader
effort to reduce carbon dioxide and other gases that they say are harming
the atmosphere and leading to global warming and rising sea levels. But they
faced a court sometimes skeptical about whether the remedy they seek would
make much difference in the long run, and whether they can even show they
are facing the kind of imminent harm that is required before they can press
their case. "I mean," asked Justice Antonin Scalia, "when is the predicted
cataclysm?"
<more> Nov. 30, 2006 Washington Post
Large CAF air permit deadline is Dec. 15- - -
California Poultry Federation members are reminded that the deadline for
submitting “Large CAF” permit applications to the San Joaquin Valley Air
Pollution Control District is Friday Dec. 15, 2006. This applies to
operators of poultry ranches located in Kern, Kings, Tulare, Fresno, Madera,
Merced, Stanislaus and San Joaquin Counties that will have more than 650,000
chickens or 100,000 turkeys onsite at any one time. The Air District
considers the “site” to be all contiguous and commonly owned property.
Operators of sites that have previously received permits from the District
must only submit the completed Large CAF Mitigation Measures application
form, along with a check for the $60 application filing fee. This form is
used to select the air emission mitigation measures the operator is
committing to implement. The mitigation measures are described in District
Rule 4570. In addition to the Large CAF application form, operators of
ranches that have not previously been permitted must also submit the initial
permit application form, the animal information form, and the application
forms for any miscellaneous equipment at the site (such as emergency
engines). The $60 filing fee must accompany each permit application. Rule
4570 and the application forms are available on the District website at
www.valleyair.org and the District small business assistance office can help
with questions (559) 230-5888. Nov. 27, 2006 CPF Press Release
CPF Open House set for Tuesday Dec. 5- -
The doors to the California Poultry Federation’s new office will swing open
wide on Tuesday, Dec. 5, when the CPF hosts an Open House from 4 p.m. until
7 p.m. Flyers are being mailed out this week to all CPF members and
supporters. “We’re very proud of our new office,” said CPF President Bill
Mattos. “This move allowed us to become a much more efficient operation by
significantly upgrading our internal communications systems such as our
computer network and phone system. We want to share our pride with our
members and friends and extend an invitation to them to join us for a fun
evening.” The CPF office is located at 4640 Spyres Way, Suite 4, off of
Bangs Avenue in north Modesto. Those planning to attend are asked to RSVP to
Sandy Pohl at (209) 576-6355 or email
Sandy@cpif.org
CPF hosts Dec. 7 biosecurity seminar in Modesto - - There is still time to sign up for a Dec. 7 biosecurity seminar hosted by the CPF in Modesto. The session will include presentations on:
Dr. Richard Breitmeyer, CDFA state veterinarian, will
update the audience on the state’s latest AI prevention and detection
efforts. He will be joined by USDA Area Veterinarian in Charge Dr. Kevin
Varner and UC Davis Veterinarian Dr. Carol Cardona who will provide
information on federal and state AI education and outreach programs.
Registration is $15 and includes lunch and materials. Registration forms can
also be downloaded from the CPF website at
http://www.cpif.org/Biosecurity/Seminars/Biosecurity%20Seminar%20FlyerA.pdf.
The seminar will be held at the Stanislaus County Agricultural Center, 3800
Cornucopia Way, Modesto, and begins with 8:30 a.m. registration.
Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2006
Large CAF air permit deadline is Dec. 15- - -
California Poultry Federation members are reminded that the deadline for
submitting “Large CAF” permit applications to the San Joaquin Valley Air
Pollution Control District is Friday Dec. 15, 2006. This applies to
operators of poultry ranches located in Kern, Kings, Tulare, Fresno, Madera,
Merced, Stanislaus and San Joaquin Counties that will have more than 650,000
chickens or 100,000 turkeys onsite at any one time. The Air District
considers the “site” to be all contiguous and commonly owned property.
Operators of sites that have previously received permits from the District
must only submit the completed Large CAF Mitigation Measures application
form, along with a check for the $60 application filing fee. This form is
used to select the air emission mitigation measures the operator is
committing to implement. The mitigation measures are described in District
Rule 4570. In addition to the Large CAF application form, operators of
ranches that have not previously been permitted must also submit the initial
permit application form, the animal information form, and the application
forms for any miscellaneous equipment at the site (such as emergency
engines). The $60 filing fee must accompany each permit application. Rule
4570 and the application forms are available on the District website at
www.valleyair.org and the District small business assistance office can help
with questions (559) 230-5888. Nov. 27, 2006 CPF Press Release
CPF Open House set for Tuesday Dec. 5- -
The doors to the California Poultry Federation’s new office will swing open
wide on Tuesday, Dec. 5, when the CPF hosts an Open House from 4 p.m. until
7 p.m. Flyers are being mailed out this week to all CPF members and
supporters. “We’re very proud of our new office,” said CPF President Bill
Mattos. “This move allowed us to become a much more efficient operation by
significantly upgrading our internal communications systems such as our
computer network and phone system. We want to share our pride with our
members and friends and extend an invitation to them to join us for a fun
evening.” The CPF office is located at 4640 Spyres Way, Suite 4, off of
Bangs Avenue in north Modesto. Those planning to attend are asked to RSVP to
Sandy Pohl at (209) 576-6355 or email
Sandy@cpif.org
CPF hosts Dec. 7 biosecurity seminar in Modesto - - There is still time to sign up for a Dec. 7 biosecurity seminar hosted by the CPF in Modesto. The session will include presentations on:
Dr. Richard Breitmeyer, CDFA state veterinarian, will
update the audience on the state’s latest AI prevention and detection
efforts. He will be joined by USDA Area Veterinarian in Charge Dr. Kevin
Varner and UC Davis Veterinarian Dr. Carol Cardona who will provide
information on federal and state AI education and outreach programs.
Registration is $15 and includes lunch and materials. Registration forms can
also be downloaded from the CPF website at
http://www.cpif.org/Biosecurity/Seminars/Biosecurity%20Seminar%20FlyerA.pdf.
The seminar will be held at the Stanislaus County Agricultural Center, 3800
Cornucopia Way, Modesto, and begins with 8:30 a.m. registration.
Several CPF members named to NCC committees -
- The National Chicken Council has announced its committee assignments for
2007. Several CPF members are among those named, including: Growout
Committee, Bruce Porter, Foster Farms; Poultry Health Committee, Dr. Charles
Corsiglia, Foster Farms; Human Resource Committee, Tim Walsh, Foster Farms;
Marketing Committee Greta Janz, Foster Farms and Britt Mills, The Interflex
Group. Nov. 27, 2006 NCC Newsletter
OSHA issues new guidance document for Avian
Influenza - - The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
has published a new safety and health guidance document intended for
employers and employees in addressing the occupational hazards associated
with avian influenza and exposure to infected birds. The new document
updates the guidance on avian influenza issued by OSHA in 2004. The
document provides separate recommendations for poultry employees, those who
handle other animals, laboratory employees, healthcare personnel, food
handlers, travelers, and U.S. employees stationed abroad. The primary focus
of the guidance document is on proper hygiene, including use of gloves and
hand washing, as well as respiratory protection for those who work with
infected animals or individuals. The guidance also includes links to
helpful Web sites containing additional information. The document also
includes a list of technical articles and resources, including a history of
flu pandemics; symptoms and outcomes of various strains of the avian flu; a
summary of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service bird importation
regulations; and details on the transmission of the virus. A copy of the
76-page document is available in English and Spanish at www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_AvianFlu/avian_flu_guidance_english.pdf
and www.osha.gov/ OshDoc/data_AvianFlu/avian_flu_guidance_spanish.pdf
Nov. 27, 2006 NCC Newsletter
New
bird flu outbreak as South Korea slaughters poultry - - Authorities in
South Korea have slaughtered tens of thousands of chickens in an effort to
control an outbreak of deadly bird flu, even as new cases were reported
elsewhere in the country. The agriculture ministry has already culled 81,000
poultry and other animals since a highly contagious strain of the H5N1 virus
was detected Saturday near the southern city of Iksan. Health officials have
confirmed that the outbreak, the country's first for three years, was caused
by the H5N1 strain of avian influenza, which can also be deadly for humans.
<more> Nov. 27, 2006 AFP
Are wild turkeys illegal immigrants? - -
Benjamin Franklin referred to the wild turkey as a "true Native American,"
one that has rebounded in recent years, "restoring a natural heritage to our
forests." But it turns out that the saga of wild turkeys in California is
not so simple. Some biologists say the wild turkey is an invader. Others say
it is a long-lost gobbler, repatriating lands it occupied in the Pleistocene
Era. There is also disagreement on the impact of wild turkeys. These
impressive birds are eating expensive grapes off vines in Sonoma County and
occupying back yards in Berkeley. Some ecologists fear they are decimating
salamanders and displacing native quail in their hunt for acorns. As
Californians prepare to dine on a plump domesticated turkey, there is a
bubbling backlash against their wild cousins.
<more> Nov. 27, 12006 Modesto Bee Editorial
Ecology and Sustainability Master’s Program Added at CSU Stanislaus for 2006-07 -- As the population in the San Joaquin Valley continues to boom, concerns about issues associated with conservation of the region’s environment are expected increase right along with new development. Coming up with solutions to resolve the conflicts between growth and the environment will provide plenty of content for the new Master of Science and Professional Science Master’s Degree program in Ecology and Sustainability that started this fall at California State University, Stanislaus. Concentrations in the program, the first of its kind in the 23-campus California State University system, are offered in ecological conservation and ecological economics. <more> Nov. 27, 2006 CSU Stanislaus Press Release
Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2006
NTF Chairman Presents President Bush with "Flyer"
The National Thanksgiving Turkey - - President George W. Bush and
National Turkey Federation (NTF) Chairman Mike Briggs continued a
59-year-old holiday tradition today when Briggs presented the president with
the National
Thanksgiving
Turkey in a White House Rose Garden ceremony. Briggs gave Bush “Flyer,” a
20-week-old, 36-pound tom. Visitors to the White House Web site voted on the
name for the National Thanksgiving Turkey and its alternate, “Fryer.” The
National Thanksgiving Turkey presentation has become an annual ritual in the
nation’s capital, signaling the unofficial beginning of the holiday season
and providing the president an opportunity to reflect publicly on the
meaning of Thanksgiving. The National Thanksgiving Turkey and its
National Bird Pardoned - - President Bush pardons the National Thanksgiving Turkey as NTF Chairman Mike Briggs, right and Lynn Nutt, Willow Brook’s director of live operations, look on. NTF Photo
alternate were raised outside Monett, Mo., under the supervision of Briggs, president of Willow Brook Foods, headquartered in Springfield, Mo. Briggs delegated the day-to-day responsibilities of raising the birds to Lynn Nutt, Willow Brook’s director of live operations. “Flyer” was raised using normal feeding and other production techniques. The one exception is that the bird was provided increased interaction with people so that he would be prepared for his roles at the White House ceremony and then at Disneyland. Nov. 22, 2006 NTF Press Release
CPF sets record straight on turkey raising in
letter to editor of San Francisco Chronicle- - California turkeys Dear
Editor: I read with interest the column by C.W Nevius ("Thanksgiving with
pedigree -- at $10 a pound," Nov. 19). It's true that the Heritage birds are
getting a lot of interest this year, and Californians are buying a variety
of turkey as always. However, Nevius has his facts wrong regarding the way
turkeys are raised and fed in California. First, all turkeys, including free
range and fresh, natural birds, are never raised in cages. California
turkeys are never fed hormones or preservatives. Every California turkey
grows in large barns with plenty of room to move around. Please look at our
Web site, www.cpif.org, for a virtual tour
of a turkey barn. I urge you and your readers to per- use the Web site for
information about California turkeys, including free range, Heritage and our
popular fresh brands. If you have questions regarding the preparation of
your bird, phone the Fresh Poultry Hotline 888-822-4004. BILL MATTOS,
president California Poultry Federation Modesto. Nov. 22, 2006 SF
Chronicle
Corn for ethanol demand driving prices higher
- - An insatiable demand for corn for ethanol production combined with
projected record exports is likely to drive U.S. corn stocks-to-use ratio
down to 10 percent this season. The last two times that happened, prices
soared. CBOT corn futures peaked at $5.545 per bushel in July 1996 when the
stocks-to-use ratio fell to 5 percent. When the 2003/04 stocks/use ratio
fell to 9.4 percent, it produced a high of $3.3525 in April 2004. The
15-year stocks-to-use ratio average is 15 percent. According to Dennis
Morrison, trading and transportation manager for Integrated Grain and
Milling, Fresno, Calif., there will be many “dramatic forces” in the grain
and protein meal markets during the 2006/07 crop marketing year. Morrison
made his observations in a grain and protein meal outlook for the 25th
Agribusiness Management Conference held recently in Fresno.
<more> Nov. 22, 2006 Western Farm Press
Recycling chickens. Farmers turn to composting
amid collapsed spent-hen market - - When Jim Stauffer of Petaluma saw a
chicken crawling out of a mound of compost like the living dead, he knew
something had changed at the egg farm next door. "We called them zombie
chickens," Stauffer said. "Some of them crawled right up out of the ground.
They'd get out and stagger around." What changed was the method used to get
rid of "spent hens," which are chickens that no longer produce eggs. And the
change isn't just in Petaluma; it's throughout the country. The market for
spent-hen meat has collapsed. Since May, there isn't a California facility
willing to take them. That means finding a way to dispose of more than a
half-million spent hens a year - and that's just in the Sonoma County area,
mostly around Petaluma, where chickens and eggs have been an agricultural
staple for a century. As a last resort, many farmers have turned to killing
the chickens and using them to make piles of compost.
<more> Nov. 22, 2006 Santa Rosa Press Democrat
DA plays chicken ... and blinks. Hanford has less
to crow about: Two birds evicted. - - Publicity surrounding the
near-nabbing of a rooster near the Kings County District Attorney's Office
last week apparently ruffled a few feathers among county administrators. The
rooster made the news Friday after a Lemoore man picked up what he thought
was an abandoned bird wandering around the government center in Hanford.
Sheriff's deputies stopped him from taking the rooster, which belongs to
District Attorney Ron Calhoun and has been an unofficial office pet for the
DA's staff. But this week, the rooster is being removed from county
property, as is a hen that has lived outside the DA's office for several
years.
<more> Nov. 22, 2006 Fresno Bee
Food safety efforts on rise. Growers talk about
extra measures taken to ensure healthiness. - - Baloian Farms in Fresno
this year began routinely testing leaf lettuce a day or two before harvest
to determine whether there was any harmful E. coli present. The company also
tests water it uses for irrigation.Those actions — recounted Tuesday by
Baloian produce salesman Jeremy Lane — were sparked by heightened concerns
after a series of food safety scares in recent months. Lane spoke at a forum
on food safety that drew about 100 people, including farmers such as Tom
Willey, a grower of organic vegetables in Madera County. Willey told his
customers in a recent newsletter about some added food safety precautions he
is taking.
<more> Nov. 22, 2006 Fresno Bee
Residents can 'make or break' Thanksgiving Day air quality. Unique situation calls for cooperation from the public in five Valley counties - - Without good cooperation from residents, air quality Thursday may end up being unhealthy for the general public in five counties in the San Joaquin Valley. Therefore, residents of Stanislaus, Merced, Fresno, Tulare and the valley portion of Kern counties are being asked to voluntarily refrain from using fireplaces and woodstoves on Thanksgiving Day to help improve local air quality. A weather trough expected to move into northern California on Thursday may help disperse pollutants and thereby lead to better air quality. The trough, however, may not create enough dispersion in the affected Valley counties to offset emissions from increased holiday traffic and residential burning. "This is a unique situation, because it falls right on Thanksgiving Day, when wood smoke emissions typically elevate," said Jaime Holt, the Valley Air District's public information administrator. "If folks burn a lot of wood, then we could see very poor air quality in these areas. Valley residents truly can make or break our air quality this Thanksgiving." Voluntary curtailments have been issued for the five counties on Friday, as well. No mandatory curtailments have been issued in the Valley for Thursday or Friday. Saturday's wood-burning status will be available by 4 p.m. Friday. The wood-burning status and daily air-quality forecast are provided in English and Spanish toll-free at 1-800 SMOG INFO (1-800-766-4463) and atwww.valleyair.org. Nov. 22, 2006 Air District Press Release
Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2006
Turkey producers have a lot to gobble about this
year - - It's not uncommon to find free turkey giveaways in grocery
stores during the holiday season, and this year, there'll be plenty of birds
to go around for everyone, California poultry farmers say. "It will be a
good year for consumers," said Bill Mattos, president of the California
Poultry Federation. "They're going to see turkeys all over the place. It's
also a pretty good year for producers. Prices are good this year again. The
industry as a whole hasn't overproduced, which is good." Mattos said he
expects 2006's turkey production in California will be similar to last
year--about 16 million head, up from 14.9 million in 2005 and 15.7 million
in 2004. The average price received by producers also remains strong--about
45 cents per pound this year, compared to 43 cents in 2005 and 41 cents in
2004.
<more> Nov. 20, 2006 Ag Alert
Thanksgiving with pedigree -- at $10 a pound
- - When you sit down for Thanksgiving this year, take a moment to consider
your turkey. How well do you know it, really? Do you know where it was
raised? Did you watch your bird when it was roaming free on an Internet
video hookup? Do you know who its ancestors were? No? You mean you invited a
total stranger to Thanksgiving dinner? If this concerns you, we have the
answer. A small flock of exclusive birds, called "Heritage Turkeys,'' is
making an impact on Thanksgiving for serious foodies. These birds are not
just free range, drug free and organically grown. These birds have papers,
going all the way back to Christopher Columbus. They are farm-raised,
naturally inseminated and have their own reality TV show on the Internet.
They are also -- and proponents are a little touchy about this -- expensive.
Prices at the few spots in the Bay Area that carry them range from $5.99 to
$7.99 a pound, but Bon Appetit magazine, which gives Heritage turkeys the
coveted "best bird'' this year, says they may run "up to $10 a pound.'' And
the Heritage Web site, heritagefoodsusa.com, says turkeys ordered on their
Internet site can cost up to $209. That's right, we may be entering the era
of the $200 Thanksgiving turkey. What would dear old Mom say?
<more> Nov. 18, 2006 SF Chronicle
Sale of Butterball turkey business not expected
to change Thanksgiving icon - - When it comes time to talk turkey,
generations of Thanksgiving chefs — confused, stressed and downright
helpless in the face of their big, frozen bird — have turned to Butterball's
Turkey Talk-Line for help. This year isn't any different. At least, that's
what Keith Shoemaker wants you to think. "They better not notice anything
different," said Shoemaker, president and chief executive officer of
Butterball LLC. "I told the staff I want this to be absolutely, positively
seamless for the customer for the holiday period. I don't want them to think
that anything's happened." But for Butterball, which sold its first turkey
in 1954, a lot has happened since last Thanksgiving. ConAgra Foods (CAG),
the Omaha-based leader in packaged foods, sold the iconic brand and its
turkey business to privately held Carolina Turkeys in October for $325
million. Carolina, once the nation's fourth-largest turkey producer,
suddenly was No. 1, with 20% of the market.
<more> Nov. 21, 2006 AP
Testing Poultry Litter for No-Till Farming -
- Peter Kleinman plans to take his research on the road this fall. Every
month or so, the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) soil scientist will
leave the rolling valleys of Pennsylvania dairy country for corn, crabs and
chicken--hallmarks of the Delmarva Peninsula. The 5,950-square-mile
peninsula encompasses parts of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. There,
Kleinman will investigate an experimental method of injecting chicken litter
into the soil to keep this natural fertilizer from running off into the
Chesapeake Bay.
<more> Nov. 20, 2006 ARS Press Release
State GOP concedes last contest; no seats
switched parties - - Republican Assemblywoman Lynn Daucher conceded
victory to Orange County Supervisor Lou Correa on Monday in the hard-fought
34th Senate District race after Correa's lead widened to 1,300 votes. "I
think it looks like Lou is going to have more votes, and I'll certainly be
calling him," Daucher said in a telephone interview while on vacation in
Tennessee. "I hope that he'll be a fine representative of the 34th
District." Both she and Senate Republican leader Dick Ackerman said the
margin of victory was too large to request a recount. Correa, who has
previously served in the Assembly, did not return a call for comment Monday.
With the decision, no legislative district changed party hands in this
election. Had the GOP pulled out the win, Republicans would have picked up a
seat and trailed Democrats 24-16 in the upper house.
<more>
Nov. 21, 2006 Sacramento Bee
Gasoline prices see abnormal rise - - Tighter supplies and refinery work send the state's per-gallon retail cost 3.1 cents higher. As travelers prepare to hit the road for Thanksgiving, the trip is getting more expensive: Gasoline prices increased during the last week in most of the country, led by California and the other West Coast states, a federal report showed Monday. Refinery maintenance and tight supplies drove the uncharacteristic mid-November surge as the price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in California rose 3.1 cents to $2.495, the third straight weekly increase, according to the Energy Department's weekly survey of filling stations. The price was 4.2 cents higher than in the same period in 2005. Motorists in the Pacific Northwest were hit even harder, however, driving West Coast prices up 3.5 cents as a whole to $2.473 a gallon, up 4 cents from the previous year. <more> Nov. 21, 2006 LA Times
Friday, Nov. 17, 2006
Checks of migratory birds show no avian flu in U.S.
- - A multimillion dollar national effort to screen North American migratory
birds for potentially deadly strains of avian influenza has so far come up
empty -- and if the United States is lucky, things will stay that way. In
California, thousands of pintail and mallard ducks have been trapped, banded
and subjected to the indignity of a medical swabbing of their most private
parts in search of the H5N1 strain of bird flu. So far, nothing but negatives.
The bird screening program is an unusual partnership that has recruited help
from wildlife biologists in a spectrum of state and federal agencies ranging
from the California Department of Fish and Game to the U.S. Geological Survey.
At the urging of the Bush administration, Congress appropriated $29 million
for the avian flu surveillance program this year. In California, Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger and the state Legislature added $1 million to the $700,000 from
the federal program to screen birds in the state. On Thursday, representatives
from four government agencies demonstrated the screening technique in front of
a gaggle of reporters and television cameras in the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area,
a 16,000-acre reserve straddling Interstate 80 between Sacramento and Davis.
<more> Nov. 17, 2006 SF Chronicle
FSIS issues verification instructions for changes
in poultry labels - - Instructions for verifying that establishments have
revised their package labeling were issued this week by the Food Safety and
Inspection Service (FSIS). Notice 75-06, "Verification Instructions for
Changes in Label Requirements for Uncooked and Raw, Frozen, Breaded, Boneless
Poultry Products," provides information for inspection program personnel to
use for verifying that establishments that produce certain uncooked and raw,
breaded, boneless poultry products - that did not previously have labels in
compliance with agency labeling guidelines dated April 20, 2006 - have revised
labels to be in compliance. FSIS inspection program personnel are to verify
that these establishments have new labeling along with adequate validation to
support the cooking instructions they include on the labels applied to
products. The notice is not to be implemented until Dec. 1, 2006. To review
the notice in its entirety, go to
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/FSISNotices/75-06.pdf. Nov. 17,
2006 American Meat Institute Press Release
Valley legislators support Hoyer. Maryland
congressman is voted majority leader despite Pelosi's stance.- - The
election of a new House majority leader Thursday was a pronounced — but risky
— victory for San Joaquin Valley Democrats.Maryland Democrat Steny Hoyer
prevailed in a 149-86 vote over Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania, the Iraq war
opponent who had the support of Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco — the new
speaker of the House. When Merced Rep. Dennis Cardoza stood up to nominate
Hoyer, he was endorsing a longtime ally. He was also directly challenging the
next House speaker, in a race where votes could prove costly. "I've known him
and watched him for years," Cardoza said of Hoyer, and "as a moderate, I want
to have someone I can go to, who will help with my district."
<more>
Nov. 17, 2006 Fresno Bee
Landmark Bill Passes Targeting Animal Rights
Terrorism - - On Nov. 13, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the
Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, which strengthens laws dealing with criminal
acts against animal enterprises, including farms, meat processors and animal
research facilities. The bill, which provides much needed enhancements to the
Animal Enterprise Protection Act of 1992, is expected to be signed by the
President. The Animal Agriculture Alliance (Alliance) is thrilled at the
legislature's recognition that the dedicated people who devote their lives to
providing food for the nation deserve the protection that this law provides.
<more> Nov. 17, 2006 Alliance Press Release
Scientists Want More Ethanol Research - - To ensure there's enough corn to
fuel humans as well as vehicles, scientists are urging more research into
boosting corn yields and improving ethanol production. Many key issues related
to expanding the nation's ethanol industry aren't being studied under current
government programs, said Kenneth G. Cassman, director of the Nebraska Center
for Energy Sciences at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. "It's the core
issue to ensuring that we don't come up short in food supply, and don't have
high consumer prices, and can still maintain expansion of the ethanol
industry," he said.
<more>
Nov. 17, 2006 AP
State Water Board names new chief - - The State
Water Resources Control Board has named Tom Howard as its acting executive
director. He replaces Celeste Cantu, who will become the general mangier at
the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority in Riverside. Howard has worked for
the water board for 22 years, most recently as chief deputy director. Nov.
17, 2006 State Water Board
First-of-season fireplace ban issued in Fresno and Kern counties - - The season's first fireplace and woodstove ban has been issued for Fresno and the Valley portion of Kern counties due to expected poor air quality. The daylong mandatory curtailment will be in effect from midnight Friday through at least midnight Saturday. The curtailment applies to burning wood, pellets and manufactured firelogs and is the first ban of this season. The Check Before You Burn program, which runs Nov. 1 through Feb. 28, aims to reduce fall and wintertime air pollution in the San Joaquin Valley. Mandatory curtailments are issued on a countywide basis when air quality is expected to be unhealthy for the general public, or an Air Quality Index that exceeds 150. Violations can result in fines. A high-pressure system is causing stagnant air and poor dispersion, which can lead to particulates building up, making air quality poor. The air-quality forecast for Saturday is 152 in both Fresno and Kern. "If residents comply with the ban and refrain from burning, we could see an AQI closer to the high 130s or low 140s in these counties, instead of air quality that's unhealthy for the general population," said Shawn Ferreria, a meteorologist for the Valley Air District. Nov. 17, 2006 Air District Press Release
Thursday, Nov. 16, 2006
So who are you calling bird brain? Chatter of
chickens proves they are brighter than we thought - - Why did the
chicken cross the road? To impress scientists with its grasp of
"representational signaling", according to research published today that
suggests that hens are not bird brains after all. A brighter view of the
common chicken emerges in the journal Biology Letters, in which Dr Chris
Evans and his wife Linda reveal that the birds have a far more sophisticated
communication system than traditionally thought.
<more> Nov. 16, 2006 London Telegraph
Poultry processor sued over expansion. Activists:
Pollution controls not provided - - Foster Farms violated federal clean
air standards by expanding two Fresno County chicken facilities without
providing required pollution controls, environmentalists said in a federal
lawsuit filed Wednesday. The lawsuit against Foster Farms and the San
Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District claims the expanded plans
would release harmful emissions from decomposing manure, feed and the
chickens' digestive systems into the region's already notoriously smoggy
air. "This is a gigantic company that should and can meet its responsibility
to reduce air pollution in the valley," said Avinash Kar, an attorney with
the Center on Race, Poverty and the Environment. "The air district shouldn't
allow them to get away with not complying with its rules." The lawsuit,
brought by the San Francisco-based center on behalf of the Association of
Irritated Residents, accuses the pollution control district of violating the
Clean Air Act by not requiring Foster Farms to pay to offset the cost of
future pollution.
<more> Nov. 16, 2006 AP
Pelosi makes history as female speaker - -
Democrats embraced Rep. Nancy Pelosi as the first woman House speaker in
history on Thursday, then quickly snubbed her, selecting Steny Hoyer of
Maryland as majority leader against her wishes. "Let the healing begin,"
Pelosi, D-Calif., said after Hoyer had eased past her preferred candidate,
Rep. John Murtha, a prominent opponent of the war in Iraq. The secret-ballot
vote for Hoyer was 149-86. She was chosen by acclamation. Added Hoyer, a
25-year veteran of Congress: "The Republicans need to know, the president
needs to know and the country needs to know our caucus is unified today."
Hoyer, Murtha and several other Democrats predicted there would be no
lingering effects from the bruising leadership campaign as the party looks
ahead to taking control of the House in January after a dozen years in the
minority.
<more> Nov. 16, 2006 AP
Conservative Democrats seek larger role - -
For a dozen years, the Democratic conservatives known as Blue Dogs have been
baying at the moon, ignored by Republicans and tolerated by their more
liberal Democratic colleagues. Now, these House lawmakers say that is about
to change. Republicans "did not lose their seats to liberal Democrats" in
last week's elections, said Rep. Mike Ross, D-Ark. "Republicans lost their
seats to Blue Dog Democrats." "We'll have a lot to say about what passes and
what doesn't" when the 110th Congress convenes in January with Democrats in
control for the first time in 12 years, said Ross, new communications
director for the caucus. With the addition of nine newly elected freshmen,
the Blue Dogs claim 44 members, nearly 20 percent of the incoming Democratic
majority. They will be led by Rep. Allen Boyd, D-Fla., and include Rep.
Collin Peterson D-Minn., in line to become the next Agriculture Committee
chairman.
<more> Nov. 15, 2006 AP
House `Blue Dogs' barking for their election
reward. The Democratic group wants a conservative fiscal policy passed.-
- They helped propel the Democrats to victory in last week's election, and
now the "Blue Dogs" want their reward: a decidedly conservative fiscal
policy that begins with a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced
budget. The coalition of moderate and conservative House Democrats on
Wednesday introduced nine members who were newly elected to Congress,
bringing its numerical strength to 44. That's more than enough, if all 44
join with the Republican minority in January, to block the initiatives of
the more liberal House leadership headed by Speaker-to-be Nancy Pelosi
(D-San Francisco). For much of the last 12 years, said Rep. Dennis Cardoza
of Atwater, a coalition co-chairman, "it sometimes felt like the Blue Dogs
were barking, but there was no one there to hear them. Clearly that is no
longer the case. We have a new dog pound. Our bark is louder than ever."
<more> Nov. 16, 2006 LA Times
Pombo soon to head home. Representative looks
forward to Tracy return after defeat. - - Annette Pombo wants her
husband home. Because of last week's election, that's right where he's
going. "She's got a list, a long list, of stuff that needs to be done,"
Richard Pombo said with a laugh Wednesday afternoon. For the next six weeks
or so, Pombo still will be formally known as Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Tracy. As
he has for the past 14 years, he will remain the congressman for a district
that now includes parts of San Joaquin County. He'll continue as chairman of
the House Resources Committee, responsible for public lands bills that
retain a sliver of a chance before the 109th Congress adjourns. But with his
defeat by Democrat Jerry McNerney in the Nov. 7 election, Pombo has begun
the transition back to private life. Several of his staffers already have
received job offers. Others are polishing résumés and contemplating life
away from the Capitol Hill adrenaline factory.
<more>
Nov. 16, 2006 Sacramento Bee
Some Americans Lack Food, but USDA Won't Call
Them Hungry - - The U.S. government has vowed that Americans will never
be hungry again. But they may experience "very low food security." Every
year, the Agriculture Department issues a report that measures Americans'
access to food, and it has consistently used the word "hunger" to describe
those who can least afford to put food on the table. But not this year. Mark
Nord, the lead author of the report, said "hungry" is "not a scientifically
accurate term for the specific phenomenon being measured in the food
security survey." Nord, a USDA sociologist, said, "We don't have a measure
of that condition." The USDA said that 12 percent of Americans -- 35 million
people -- could not put food on the table at least part of last year. Eleven
million of them reported going hungry at times. Beginning this year, the
USDA has determined "very low food security" to be a more scientifically
palatable description for that group.
<more> Nov. 16, 2006 Washington Post
Gasoline and diesel production, inventories stabilize; prices climb back up - - California’s 12-week-long streak of gasoline price declines at the pump ended last week with a 7-cent average statewide increase. Diesel prices increased as well - jumping an average of 4 cents across the state. Falling fuel inventories the previous week tightened the market and probably led to the 8-cent increase in the gasoline wholesale (rack) price between November 3 and November 10. But according to the Weekly Fuels Watch Report issued today by the California Energy Commission, gasoline inventories are increasing and wholesale prices are beginning to fall. <more> Nov. 16, 2006 California Energy Commission Press Release
Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2006
Time to order the turkey, says CPF’s Mattos -
- Do you want a frozen or fresh turkey? Free range or heritage? Here is some
information: "'Free range' means turkeys had access to the outdoors," said
Bill Mattos, president of the California Poultry Federation in Modesto. "In
most cases, that means the barn had a door. It doesn't mean the turkey ever
used the door, it just means he had the option." Three brands, Diestel (from
Sonora), Willie Bird (Sonoma) and Branigan's (Woodland), are true free-range
turkeys raised in an open range with a shelter. Besides being true
free-range turkeys, what sets these turkeys apart is that they are kept
longer, so the birds are older and larger, which Mattos said some people
believe gives them a better flavor.
<more> Nov. 15, 2006 Modesto Bee
Thanksgiving dinner to cost a little more this
year - - According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, Thanksgiving
2006 will be a little more expensive than 2005, but it "remains affordable."
The average cost of a turkey dinner with all the trimmings for ten is
estimated at $38.10, up $1.32 from last year. In a statement from the
organization, senior AFBF economist Terry Francl attributed the price
increase for turkey to "both a tighter supply and demand situation at the
producer level as well as the impact of higher energy costs for processing
and transportation" but points out that at this time of year, many retailers
and wholesalers offer specials on turkey and the average price is still less
than a dollar a pound.
<more> Nov. 15, 2006 Brownfield Ag News
USDA helps Americans to be food safe this
Thanksgiving - - The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and
Inspection Service is providing consumers with key recommendations they can
use to help reduce the risk of foodborne illness during the Thanksgiving
holiday. USDA’s new nationwide food safety public education campaign, Be
Food Safe, encourages people to put four easy to remember tips -- Clean,
Separate, Cook and Chill -- into practice in order to be food safe during
the holiday.
<more> Nov. 15, 2006 USDA Press Release
Gene chip test identifies bird flu strains -
- A new "gene chip" test can quickly and cheaply identify different
influenza strains, allowing doctors to easily tell who has H5N1 avian
influenza and who has everyday flu, U.S. researchers said on Monday. They
said their new test, using a gene chip device called an MChip, correctly
identified 21 out of 24 different H5N1 flu strains seen in people, birds and
cats and never gave a false positive, meaning it never indicated an
infection was due to H5N1 when it was not. "This new technology, once
manufactured and distributed, could have the potential to revolutionize the
way laboratories test for influenza," said Dr. Nancy Cox, director of the
influenza division of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
<more> Nov. 15, 2006 Reuters
USDA'S new web-based awareness tool estimates
energy use for animal housing - - Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns
today unveiled a Web-based energy awareness tool designed to help
agricultural producers reduce energy costs related to animal housing. The
"Energy Estimator for Animal Housing" evaluates the energy use and costs
associated with heating, lighting and ventilating poultry, swine and dairy
housing. This is the fourth energy estimator tool USDA has developed as part
of its overall energy strategy to reduce the impacts of high energy costs
and to help develop long-term solutions for producers.
<more> Nov. 15, 2006 USDA Press Release
No turkey from the feds for schools' Thanksgiving
lunches this year - - Schools that get turkey from the Agriculture
Department are having to turn elsewhere this year for Thanksgiving lunches
for students. There's not enough for the lunch program that feeds 29 million
kids. The problem is not a shortage of birds. They're just too skinny. An
unusually hot summer resulted in smaller turkeys. That means supplies are
tight, which means prices are a bit higher.
<more> Nov. 15, 2006 AP
U.S. animal rights groups seek NY foie gras ban
- - Animal rights groups sued New York on Wednesday seeking to ban the
production and sale of foie gras in the state, which is a leading U.S.
supplier of the duck and goose liver delicacy. Four groups filed suit
against the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets at Albany
County Supreme Court, The Humane Society of the United States said. "Animals
should not be kept sick and dying to appease the palates of a few
gourmands," Carter Dillard, director of farm animal litigation for The
Humane Society, said in a statement announcing the suit.
<more> Nov. 15, 2006 Reuters
Arizona's Vote To Ban Sow Crates Worries US Pork
Group- - Arizona voters on Tuesday passed a proposition on the ballot
that prohibits the use of gestation crates in swine production as well as
the use of veal crates to house calves fed for that purpose, which concerns
the National Pork Producer Council, or NPPC, that a similar ban may be
proposed in other states or included in the next Farm Bill. The final tally
of the vote in Arizona was 61.5% in favor of Proposition 204, which will
require that pregnant pigs and calves raised for veal be kept in enclosures
large enough that they can turn around and fully extend their limbs, said
the NPPC in a news release Wednesday. The ban is set to go into effect on
Dec. 31, 2012.
<more> Nov. 15, 2006 Dow Jones
Senate Democrats name ag committee members -
- Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) will lead the Senate Agriculture Committee as
Democrats this week began making committee assignments following their
takeover of the Senate. New faces on the committee will be Sen. Bob Casey of
Pennsylvania, Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, all of
whom are seen as supporters of traditional farm programs. Capitol insiders
say Klobuchar is likely to be a strong supporter of commodity subsidies and
the sugar program. Casey likely will join Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont as
an advocate for continuing the Milk Income Loss Contract Program (MILC.)
Nov. 15, 2006
DPR reports pesticide use data; highly toxic categories down again -- The California Department of Pesticide Regulation today reported a statewide decline in the use of several highly toxic chemicals in 2005, including fumigants and other pesticides of regulatory concern. DPR tentative statistics for 2005 show 194 million pounds applied for all commercial uses, compared to 180 million pounds in 2004. Half of the increase was attributed to sulfur, a natural compound used by organic and conventional growers to combat mold and mildew. Wet weather was a factor for many growers in 2005. At the same time, use of many higher risk chemicals declined, both in pounds applied and acres treated, while use of some reduced-risk compounds increased dramatically. <more> Nov. 15, 2006 DPR Press Release
Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2006
Rising cost of corn may drive up meat prices
warns Tyson - - Tyson Foods Inc., the world's largest meat processor,
warned Monday that rising corn prices could mean U.S. consumers will have to
pay more for chicken, beef and pork next year as it ended its fiscal year
with a third consecutive quarterly loss. The Springdale, Ark.-based company
forecast a return to profitability in the new fiscal year, which started
Oct. 1, as it gets a grip on costs and focuses on more efficient operations.
Its shares rose 4 percent. "The best thing I can say about fiscal 2006 is,
it's over," said Richard Bond, president and chief executive officer.
<more> Nov. 14, 2006 AP
Pilgrim's Pride 4Q, Annual Loss Comes As a
One-Time Charge Comes Home to Roost -- Poultry producer Pilgrim's Pride
Corp. said Tuesday it swung to a loss in the fiscal fourth quarter on lower
revenue and a one-time charge. Net loss of $7.5 million, or 11 cents per
share, compared with a year-ago profit of $74.7 million, or $1.12 per share.
Results include U.S. and foreign tax expenses of 39 cents per share relating
to the repatriation of foreign earnings. Excluding that, net income was
$18.3 million or 28 cents per share. Revenue fell 10 percent to $1.34
billion, from $1.48 billion last year.
<more> Nov. 14, 2006 AP
House OKs bill aimed at animal activists - -
Animal rights advocates who threaten scientists conducting animal research
or companies funding or affiliated with it could be fined and imprisoned
under a bill the House passed Monday and sent to President Bush. Current
federal law makes it illegal for activists to damage animal research
organizations, farms, zoos, pet stores and other similar operations. The
legislation extends those prohibitions to interfering with third-party
organizations such as insurance companies, law firms and investment houses
that do business with so-called animal enterprises. Supporters said the bill
is aimed at protecting people and companies from animal rights terrorists.
<more> Nov. 14, 2006 AP
Lungren seeks No. 3 GOP spot in House. After
party's defeat, he wants a more inclusive House leadership. - - Rep. Dan
Lungren, who earlier this year moved to force elections for all of the
Republican leadership positions in the aftermath of the Jack Abramoff
scandal, is seeking election to head the House Republican Conference. The
Gold River Republican said it's essential that the Republican leadership
adjust rapidly to the fact that the party was ousted from control of the
House in the elections last week. He said he wants to see the assembly of
House Republicans run more democratically, with members given more
opportunities to shape positions on key policy issues. "The next two years
will determine whether we are a two-year minority or a generational
minority," Lungren said in an interview Monday. The conference chair will be
the third-ranking leadership position for Republicans when Congress returns
in January for the start of its 110th two-year session. Ahead of the
conference chair will be the Republican leader and the minority whip.
<more>
Nov. 14, 2006 Sacramento Bee
McNerney arrives in D.C. to take Pombo's seat,
learn ropes. Expresses interest in ag committee seat - - A week ago,
Jerry McNerney was working the BART stops and coffee shops in the East Bay
and San Joaquin County asking people for their vote. On Monday, the
victorious Democrat was in Washington, D.C., shaking hands with the
president, schmoozing with his party's leadership and learning how to be a
congressman. McNerney wants to land a seat on the Energy and Commerce
Committee, where he hopes to put his professional background to good use. He
envisions turning his district into a manufacturing hub for alternative
energy, just as Silicon Valley has been for technology. He also would like
to serve on the agricultural and transportation committees, both important
issues to his constituents back home.
<more> Nov. 14, 2006 SF Chronicle
Pressure Is on Democratic Freshmen - -
Democrats Christopher S. Murphy of Connecticut and Jerry McNerney of
California are facing the first tough decision of their congressional
careers — even before they are sworn in. The freshman Democrats must choose
between Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland and John P. Murtha of Pennsylvania for
House majority leader. Like many of the other newly elected men and women
who will give Democrats a House majority for the first time in a dozen
years, Murphy and McNerney represent an independent brand of politics that
makes it difficult to handicap battles for party leadership jobs and predict
their eventual impact on bills in committee and on the floor. This week, the
freshmen are being ardently wooed by leadership candidates in advance of
Democratic caucus elections scheduled for Nov. 16.
<more> Nov. 14, 2006 NY Times
Environmentalists, Though Winners in the
Election, Warn Against Expecting Vast Changes. Boxer expected to chair
Senate Environment Committee. - - Last week’s election whipsawed the
Congressional committees that are crucial battlegrounds for environmental
and energy legislation. But even many environmentalists believe that an
ambitious new agenda is unlikely. The leadership changes are striking.
Senator Barbara Boxer, Democrat of California, who favors mandatory cuts in
emissions linked to global warming, will become chairwoman of the
Environment and Public Works Committee, replacing Senator James M. Inhofe,
Republican of Oklahoma, who has called the scientific consensus on
human-induced global warming “the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on
mankind.” In the House, Jerry McNerney, a California Democrat and
wind-energy executive, will replace the current chairman of the House
Resources Committee, Representative Richard W. Pombo, a Republican who
fought to open public lands to private interests.
<more> Nov. 14, 2006 NY Times
California's voting gap widened- - The single
most powerful factor in California's politics -- one that underlies its
chronically dysfunctional government -- is the ever-widening division
between Californians as a whole and those who vote. California's population
is growing strongly, and with virtually all of that growth stemming from
immigration and the state's economy continuing to mutate, it has become the
globe's most complex society. Ironically, however, little of that complexity
is reflected in the body politic, as last week's election confirmed anew.
Ever-fewer Californians are voting, creating a widening gap between the
characteristics and priorities of voters and those of the overall
population. The turnout of voters for last week's gubernatorial election hit
an all-time low. Although there are still late absentee and provisional
ballots to be tallied, as few as 7.5 million Californians cast ballots, well
under 50 percent of registration and only a third of the 22.7 million adult
citizens who could vote, if they wished. Whatever the final number turns out
to be, it will be much lower than even the most pessimistic pre-election
forecasts.
<more>
Nov. 14, 2006 Dan Walters Column Sacramento Bee
CPF Open House set for Dec. 5 - - The doors to the California Poultry Federation’s new office will swing open wide on Tuesday, Dec. 5, when the CPF hosts an Open House from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. Flyers are being mailed out this week to all CPF members and supporters. “We’re very proud of our new office,” said CPF President Bill Mattos. “This move allowed us to become a much more efficient operation by significantly upgrading our internal communications systems such as our computer network and phone system. We want to share our pride with our members and friends and extend an invitation to them to join us for a fun evening. ”The CPF office is located at 4640 Spyres Way, Suite 4, off of Bangs Avenue in north Modesto. Those planning to attend are asked to RSVP to Sandy Pohl at (209) 576-6355 or email Sandy@cpif.org
Friday, Nov. 10, 2006
Poultry industry hails agreement on Russia market access issues - - “The
National Chicken Council and the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council are
pleased and supportive that the United States and Russia have reached an
agreement in principle on market access issues so that Russia can move
forward toward joining the World Trade Organization. Successfully
concluding bilateral negotiations on the many difficult trade issues,
especially for certain agricultural products, required a great and dedicated
effort by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. NCC and USAPEEC are
most appreciative of these diligent efforts, especially to secure provisions
that do not jeopardize the U.S. poultry industry’s competitiveness in the
Russian market. Since Russia is the United States’ largest export market
for poultry it is vitally important that Russia’s WTO membership agreement
provide for the fair trade of poultry. USAPEEC and NCC look forward to
continuing to work with the Administration and Congress to assist in
finalizing arrangements so that Russia can, in fact, join the WTO.”
Nov. 10, 2006 NCC and USAPEEC Press Release
Tyson Conference Call Seen As Indicator of Effect
of Grain Prices on Meats -- When meat giant Tyson Foods Inc. reports its
fiscal fourth-quarter earnings Monday, investors, analysts and the
agribusiness community will be listening intently. Of particular interest
will be how soaring corn prices are affecting Tyson, the world's biggest
producer of poultry and beef. As feed prices rose in recent months, Tyson
and other poultry companies announced cutbacks in production, but how much
that has paid off is unclear. Analysts, on average, expect Tyson to report a
loss of 4 cents a share for the quarter and a loss of about 34 cents for the
fiscal year, according to Thomson Financial. "We anticipate few bright spots
within Tyson's (quarterly) segment results, based on weak chicken pricing
trends" along with high input costs for cattle and hogs, said Stifel
Nicolaus analysts Oliver Wood and George Askew.
<more> Nov. 10, 2006 AP
Turkey producers enjoying higher prices - -
The nation’s turkey producers have been enjoying strong prices all year. In
fact, from January through August prices were 4 to 7 percent higher than a
year ago. “That price gap between last year and this year has really
expanded over the last six weeks or so,” says Dave Harvey, USDA Economist.
Harvey says that while wholesale turkey prices are 20 percent higher than
last year he does not anticipate supermarkets passing much of that increase
along to consumers this Thanksgiving. Nov. 10, 2006 Brownfield Ag News
Focus on valley,
Demos urged. Cardoza may get ag panel slot as Congress takes up farm bill -
- The Democrats are taking over Capitol Hill, bringing new dangers and
opportunities for the San Joaquin Valley. The valley's most highly ranked
House member — Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Tracy — was defeated. Others are losing
clout. Some are gaining muscle. All remaining must adapt to a new regime.
"We all ought to be valleycrats," Fresno Mayor Alan Autry said Wednesday.
"That's the most important thing." The one-time Hollywood actor, himself a
Republican, deployed the term to describe the centrist-to-conservative
thinking and common agenda many valley legislators share. Farm and water
issues, particularly, often erode party lines. Still, with the Democrats
winning 28 seats to regain control of the House, party identification is the
difference between power and frustration. "We have lost some things," said
Carol Whiteside, president of the Modesto-based Great Valley Center think
tank, "but we have gained some other things." The specific gains include the
prospect — not guaranteed — that at least one valley Democrat will gain a
chairmanship. "I'm
anticipating that I will take a subcommittee on the Agriculture Committee,"
said Rep. Dennis Cardoza, D-Merced.
It's not yet clear which
subcommittee Cardoza might take over. The timing, though, would be apt, as
Congress is poised to write a farm bill next year.
Cardoza and his Democratic
colleague, Rep. Jim Costa of Fresno, also are hoping for greater influence
through the 37-member Blue Dog coalition.
<more> Nov. 10, 2006 Modesto Bee
Environment's gain to be valley's loss? Pombo's
ouster puts San Joaquin River plan progress in doubt - - The "Western
rebellion" that propelled Tracy Republican Rep. Richard Pombo to power has
receded, leaving many of its most important goals unmet and possibly beyond
reach. Democrats will run the House Resources Committee, which Pombo has led
for the past four years. That will mean new priorities for parks, public
lands and Western water. It could mean less attention to a proposed San
Joaquin River restoration in the Central Valley.
The Democratic takeover emboldens the
environmental groups that spent more than $1million to help ensure Tuesday
night's defeat of Pombo by Democrat Jerry McNerney.
It all portends an
intriguing next couple of years in the environmental trenches.
<more> Nov. 10, 2006 Modesto Bee
Villines to take GOP post. Clovis lawmaker to
lead party in Assembly. - - Assembly Republicans ousted their leader
Thursday and replaced him with Mike Villines — a Clovis legislator who is
far to the political right of Gov. Schwarzenegger. The Assembly Republicans
elected Villines on a unanimous vote, ousting George Plescia of San Diego.
Plescia's leadership reign comes to an end after about six months, making it
one of the shortest tenures in recent memory. Villines, who won re-election
to a second term Tuesday, will guide the 32 Republicans in a house dominated
by 48 Democrats.
<more> Nov. 10, 2006 Fresno Bee
Rumsfeld decision should have come sooner, says Nunes - - The White House hurt Republicans in Congress by waiting until after the election to announce that controversial Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld would resign, Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Visalia, said Thursday. "We would have kept the Senate, and maybe the House," Nunes said, if only Rumsfeld — a lightning rod for critics of the Iraq war — had been ousted before the election. "They could have done it even a month ago. It would have had a huge impact. Look at all the races that are a few thousand votes apart." Democrats seem headed for a 232-203 seat majority in the House and 51-49 in the Senate. Nunes, a supporter of the Iraq war as a front in the overall war on terror, complained that Republicans like him campaigning for re-election were "being held accountable" for the war, but had no idea the president was getting ready to dump Rumsfeld, and by implication, change war strategy. <more> Nov. 10, 2006 Fresno Bee
California farm leaders welcome change in Congress - - The 110th Congress will have a decided tilt to the left come Jan. 3, 2007, and California farm leaders think that may bode well for achieving immigration reform that fell short this year. The Nov. 7 election swept Democrats into control of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Rep. Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco is expected to ascend to House speaker, giving California considerable clout. Joel Nelsen, president of the Exeter-based California Citrus Mutual, said while farm groups were disappointed in "a big loss" in the defeat of seven-term Congressman Richard Pombo, the change in power in House means ag groups must rally behind Democrats with agricultural ties to California. "In all honesty, agriculture has an excellent working relationship with Sam Farr and Dennis Cardoza to name two. They have great relationships with the speaker to be. Hopefully that works," Nelsen said. <more> Nov. 9, 2006 Capital Press
Thursday, Nov. 9, 2006
Prices Rise for Soybeans, Corn -- The nation's
soybean crop is on track for its best year ever, and the corn crop is expected
to be the second-best, the Agriculture Department said Thursday. Prices are
continuing to rise, according to the monthly crop report. The soybean price
forecast rose 50 cents from last month, to $5.40 to $6.40 a bushel, and the
corn price forecast rose 40 cents to $2.80 to $3.20 a bushel. Farmers are
likely to plant more acres in corn next year because of vigorous demand for
ethanol, said Keith Collins, chief economist for the department. More than
half the nation's corn surplus is expected to evaporate, according to the
report. "We will not have the stocks to draw down next year like we have this
year," Collins said. "As a result of that, we're going to need substantially
more acreage into corn. And that's what the market is signaling."
<more> Nov. 9, 2006 AP
Election could drive minimum-wage hike. With
momentum on the Democrats' side, they will make a national increase a priority.
- - The first raise in the U.S. minimum wage in a decade has become a very
likely possibility following Tuesday's Democratic election victories and
passage of minimum-wage ballot measures in six states. President Bush
suggested Wednesday that he would agree to a hike in the federal minimum, set
at $5.15 an hour since 1997. This could restore a bit of California's
competitive edge by making its recently passed minimum-wage hike less out of
line with other states. But California lawmakers also might be pressured to
enact legislation that links minimum-wage increases to inflation, following
inclusion of cost-of-living indexing provisions in all six state ballot
measures. Republican legislators and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger have fought
such provisions.
<more> Nov. 9, 2006 LA Times
Levees to get a wave of cash. Passage of $4.1
billion state flood bond will boost repairs, safety. - - The levee system
crisscrossing Sacramento and the Central Valley received the biggest financial
boost in its long and rickety history when California voters said yes to a
$4.1 billion bond measure to strengthen flood control. The huge infusion of
cash should go a long way toward providing more safety to people living behind
levees. And it is expected to bring a greater level of security to the levee
system running through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, where the potential
combination of an earthquake and crumbling levees could threaten the water
supply of millions of Californians. Known as Proposition 1E, the measure was
approved Tuesday by 64 percent of voters statewide. Coupled with another $800
million in flood control dollars that will flow from Proposition 84, a
water-related bond measure, it means nearly $5 billion in state funds will be
available for flood safety work.
<more>
Nov. 9, 2006 Sacramento Bee
With bonds approved, the line for billions forms
- - A day after voters approved the state's largest public construction
effort in four decades, government planners throughout California geared up
for an intense competition to secure money for thousands of long-neglected
projects to bring the state's roads, parks, schools and housing into the 21st
century. Much of the money will be up for grabs through competitive grants and
annual legislative appropriations. The process will pit cities, counties,
schools, nonprofit groups and other private and government entities against
each other in a dash for funds. The flow of applications will begin in the
coming weeks, even before the first of the bonds are sold.
<more> Nov. 9, 2006 LA Times
California Legislature will have same party mix,
different flavor. Many new faces head to Assembly, and Senate may become less
liberal. - - At most a single seat in the 120-member Legislature will
shift party control after Tuesday's vote, but the complexion of the
institution will nonetheless change, as nearly half the Assembly turns over,
and several business-friendly politicians moderate the historically liberal
Senate. No incumbent lawmaker lost in the general election, and only an open
Senate seat in Orange County that had been held by a Democrat might change
party hands. That race is too close to call: Republican Assemblywoman Lynn
Daucher led Democrat Lou Correa by 138 votes Wednesday, with about 12,000
absentee and provisional ballots to be counted. Republican leaders said they
were pleased to hold on to their seats and buck a national trend. Across the
country, the number of Democratic-controlled state legislatures rose from 19
to 23, so that Democrats now control more statehouses than they have since
1994, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
<more> Nov. 9, 2006 LA Times
Pombo among those caught in the anti-Republican
wave - - A perfect storm of anger at Republican incumbents, disaffected
independent voters and campaign missteps led to incumbent Rep. Richard Pombo's
defeat, political experts said Wednesday. The forces that swept out vulnerable
Republicans nationwide Tuesday were particularly poised to upset seven-term
Tracy incumbent Pombo, who got 47 percent of the vote to Democrat Jerry
McNerney's 53 percent. McNerney claimed victory about 1a.m. Wednesday and,
about 12 hours later, Pombo conceded. "I knew going in that I was going to be
a target," he said. "They put together a game plan, and they ran it." The 11th
District seat was the only one in California to change party hands and was one
of at least 28 nationally that gave Democrats control of Congress. Bob
Benedetti, a political scientist at the University of the Pacific in Stockton,
said voters made the race a referendum on how incumbents stood on national
issues.
<more> Nov. 9, 2006 Modesto Bee
Parra's close win stuns observers - - Most
political insiders were not surprised that Democratic Assemblywoman Nicole
Parra won re-election Tuesday, but most were surprised the race was so close.
Parra and her supporters also were frustrated because her Republican opponent,
Danny Gilmore, held a slight lead in the vote count throughout much of the
evening. In complete returns posted by the Secretary of State's office
Wednesday, Parra got just 1,459 votes more than Gilmore in the west valley's
30th Assembly District, winning by a margin of 51.6 percent to 48.4 percent.
<more> Nov.9, 20096 Bakersfield Californian
Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2006
Pombo loses his bid for eighth term - -
Richard Pombo, the seven-term Republican congressman from Tracy who was
hobbled by the Iraq war and criticism over ethics and environmental issues,
lost his bid for an eighth term Tuesday night. With nearly all of the vote
counted, Democrat Jerry McNerney held a 53 percent to 47 percent lead in
California's 11th Congressional District, which includes much of San Joaquin
County and portions of Contra Costa, Alameda and Santa Clara counties.
Though political observers rated the contest a toss-up before Election Day,
a McNerney victory came as a surprise because Republican voters constitute a
plurality in the 11th Congressional District. Two years ago, Pombo defeated
McNerney by 22 percentage points. But since then, a number of controversies
have converged to complicate Pombo's re-election effort.
<more>
Nov. 8, 2006 Sacramento Bee
Dems' control of House could bring California
clout - - Parochially speaking, the Republicans' Capitol Hill loss could
be California's gain. When the 110th Congress is sworn in next January, a
Californian will hold the most powerful position in the House of
Representatives. At least 17 other California House Democrats are likewise
poised by dint of seniority to chair committees or subcommittees. "It's
always great to have people in leadership, from either party, from your
state," noted Rep. Dennis Cardoza, D-Merced. The full impact of Tuesday's
election will unfold over time, as House Democrats adjust to their newfound
majority status. There will be unforeseeable ripple effects, as one change
begets another. "There's a lot of jockeying that's going to happen before
the end of the year," Cardoza said.
<more> Nov. 8, 2006 Fresno Bee
2007 Legislature likely to look similar to 2006
version - - Despite millions of dollars in campaign spending and a flood
of attack ads, the 2007 California Legislature could end up with the same
partisan lineups as the 2006 version. Democrats won 47 of the Assembly's 80
seats and were leading in a 48th district that was too close to call early
Wednesday. Republicans captured at least 32 seats, the number they had going
into the election. In the Senate, where half the seats were on the ballot,
only one seat had a chance of changing hands - the lone district held by
Democrats in heavily Republican Orange County.
<more> Nov. 8, 2006 AP
Senate Ag Chair Denham easily wins re-election
- - Republicans will represent the region in the state Senate, with Jeff
Denham keeping his seat in District 12 and Assemblyman Dave Cogdill becoming
a senator in District 14, according to unofficial election returns. Denham,
who moved from Salinas to Atwater after he won an upset victory in 2002 over
Rusty Areias, was headed for an easy victory in a district that was drawn
for a Democrat and includes portions of five counties. Democratic challenger
George "Wiley" Nickel, a rancher and attorney from Dos Palos, came up short
even though his party has a eight-point registration edge. With 77.3
percent of precincts counted, Denham had 55,138 or 61 percent of the vote,
while Nickel had 35,267 or 39 percent of the vote, according to unofficial
results from the California secretary of state. District 12 includes
portions of Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, Monterey and San Benito counties.
<more> Nov. 8,2006 Modesto Bee
Parra edges Gilmore in tight race for Assembly.
Battle was ugly and expensive, but Kern Co. votes deliver a victory. - -
Two-time Democratic incumbent Nicole Parra inched ahead in her state
Assembly race around midnight and all but declared victory early this
morning in the most tightly contested race for a Valley legislator. She
appeared in danger of losing her seat Tuesday night as her opponent, Danny
Gilmore, clung to a slight lead in the 30th District for several hours. But
Parra zipped ahead as results rolled in from her home county of Kern. Her
confidence was buoyed around 1 a.m. with 96% of the district's precincts
reporting.
<more> Nov. 8, 2006 Fresno Bee
Bakersfield’s McCarthy to succeed Rep. Bill
Thomas in Washington - - Kevin McCarthy nailed the 22nd Congressional
District seat Tuesday. McCarthy scored more than 70 percent of the vote,
according to the state elections Web site. His opponent, Democrat Sharon
Beery of Arroyo Grande, could not immediately be reached for comment.
McCarthy looked relaxed as he strolled into the former Rockin’ Rodeo on
Rosedale Highway, where the Kern County Republican Party hosted its Election
Day bash. He shrugged off the fact he was likely headed to a House led by
Democrats. “I serve in the minority up in Sacramento and I’ve been very
effective with that,” he said.
<more> Nov. 8, 2006 Bakersfield Californian
Galgiani follows in Barbara Matthews footsteps in
Assembly - - Years working behind the scenes paid off for Democrat
Cathleen Galgiani, who won her boss's Assembly seat Tuesday. Galgiani, chief
of staff to Assemblywoman Barbara Matthews, led Tracy financial consultant
Gerry Machado by a margin of 58 percent to 42 percent with 60 percent of the
votes counted. Machado conceded the race at 10:30 p.m., calling Galgiani
from a campaign party at his Merced headquarters. Republicans Tom Berryhill
and Greg Aghazarian appeared set for victories over political novices in
Assembly races to represent the majority of Stanislaus County. Berryhill,
53, a Ceres farmer, routed Democrat James Lex Bufford and Libertarian
Michael Dell'Orto to keep the 25th Assembly District in Republican hands.
Berryhill, leading Bufford 62percent to 33 percent in early returns, will
succeed termed-out Assemblyman Dave Cogdill to represent a district that
stretches from eastern Stanislaus County to Madera along the Sierra
foothills.
<more> Nov. 8, 2006 Modesto Bee
Veteran ag journalist breaks down impact of
elections - - If current election results hold true, not only will
Minnesota’s Collin Peterson assume the chairmanship of the House Ag
Committee, but Iowa’s Tom Harkin will re-claim the chairmanship of the
Senate Ag Committee. Veteran Washington D.C. ag journalist Sara Wyant,
publisher of the Agri-Pulse newsletter, told Brownfield that combination
could have a significant impact on how Congress writes the 2007 farm bill.
“You’ve got two centrist Midwesterners,” she said, “and so I think it brings
a whole different flavor to, kind of, the approach they’re going to take to
the next farm bill.” Still, Wyant pointed out Peterson knows he will have to
work closely with Bob Goodlatte of Virginia, who is expected to continue on
the House Ag Committee as its ranking Republican.
<more> Nov. 8, 2006 Brownfield Ag News
Outlook for California's 2006 turkey crop good.
Heat wave losses low, prices up - - As leaves begin to change colors and
the fall season takes shape throughout the state, visions of a juicy
Thanksgiving turkey on the dinner table are not far off. For California's
turkey producers and hatcheries, the work that goes into producing that
delectable turkey started months ago. California ranks sixth in the nation
in turkey production, according to the latest statistics from the California
Poultry Federation, with 17.3 million turkeys, grossing $158 million in
revenues in 2003. The majority of turkeys are produced in the Central Valley
with Fresno County producing 25.2 percent; Merced 24.2 percent; Kings 18.7
percent; Stanislaus 16.1 percent; and Tulare 14.9 percent. According to Bill
Mattos, president of the California Poultry Federation, the outlook for this
year's holiday season is good. "Demand and supply are a lot tighter, but
prices are up a little bit," Mattos said.
<more> Nov. 6, 2006 Capital Press
Firefighting foam OKd against bird flu. It won
federal approval for use to kill chickens if there is an outbreak in
commercial poultry. - - A foam may be used nationwide to kill commercial
poultry infected with bird flu thanks to a brainstorm by an agricultural
extension agent at the University of Delaware. The foam is a faster way of
controlling the virus and puts fewer workers at risk than the conventional
method of using carbon dioxide. Experts say it will help Delaware's $844
million poultry industry protect workers trying to contain the virus on
infected farms. On Monday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said the
water-based foam, similar to the one used by firefighters, is an acceptable
method of killing poultry. The existing method of gassing the chickens in a
poultry house with carbon dioxide requires 15 people. Only two people are
needed using the foam method. "It was an act of desperation to see what we
might be able to employ not knowing that we can bring this under control,"
said Bud Malone, the UD poultry extension agent who first came up with the
foam idea in 2004 in the midst of an avian flu outbreak in Delaware.
<more> Nov. 7, 2006 Delaware News Journal
Vaccine to protect poultry from avian influenza
being developed - - A scientist with the Ohio Agricultural Research and
Development Center is developing a more effective, cheaper, easier-to-use and
faster-to-produce vaccine to protect poultry from avian influenza. Chang-Won
Lee, a virologist at the OARDC, is developing a live attenuated influenza
vaccine that would give poultry a more cross-protective and longer lasting
immunity against high pathogenic avian flu viruses. Currently the only type of
avian flu immunization tool available to poultry operations is the U.S. is
inactivated vaccines, which is less effective and more costly for poultry
producers. While Lee’s research will directly impact the poultry industry, it
could also help develop fast and effective vaccines to protect humans from the
H5N1 virus, or any other high-pathogenic subtype that might show up in the
future. “The vaccine I’m developing is expected to protect chickens against
the H5 and H7 viruses, but my system can be adapted so that I can work with
other subtypes, such as H3 which is causing serious problems in the turkey
industry, fairly quickly,” Lee said. “And the knowledge we gain in developing
these vaccines for poultry can be applied to creating better vaccines for
humans too.” Nov. 3, 2006 Brownfield Ag News
Tyson Foods Settles
Discrimination Lawsuit for $871,000 -- Tyson Foods Inc., the world's
largest meat producer, said Tuesday it reached a nearly $1 million
settlement with a group of current and former workers who filed a racial
discrimination lawsuit involving actions at the company's Ashland poultry
plant. The agreement
resolves complaints filed in federal court in August 2005 by the U.S. Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission and 13 African American workers who
alleged racial discrimination at the plant.
According to the
settlement, Tyson denies violating any laws, but will designate a corporate
human resources executive to ensure all Ashland employees are trained on
Tyson's anti-discrimination policies, and to handle the company's response
to any discrimination or harassment complaints. The company also will pay
$871,000 collectively to the 13 workers.
<more> Nov. 7, 2006 AP
Election results.
Click here
to
see California election results from the California Secretary of State's
website
Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2006
Santa Monica police, FBI raid homes in probe of
Animal Liberation Front - - Santa Monica police and FBI agents raided the
homes of several controversial animal rights activists this week as part of an
investigation into the underground Animal Liberation Front. Among the targets
were Dr. Jerry Vlasak and his wife, Pamelyn Ferdin, two well-known activists
who regularly protest against Los Angeles animal services officials. They were
not at their Agoura Hills home when police conducted the search. Vlasak said
an officer had to enter through a pet door to get inside. Santa Monica Police
Capt. Alex Padilla said officers served search warrants in Los Angeles,
Ventura and Orange counties on Tuesday. He would not provide details of the
probe beyond saying that it was "an ongoing criminal stalking and conspiracy
investigation involving members of the Animal Liberation Front."
<more>
Nov. 3, 2006 LA Times
Thursday, Nov. 2, 2006
New Bird Flu Virus Replacing Other Strains in
Southern China. U.S.-Chinese team calls for sweeping animal, human surveillance
in H5N1 regions -- A new variant of the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu
virus, the Fujian-like strain, has replaced most other strains across a large
part of southern China since 2005 despite mass poultry vaccinations, according
to researchers at the University of Hong Kong and St. Jude Children’s Research
Hospital in Tennessee. The work was supported in part by the U.S. National
Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of
Health, and the Li Ka Shing Foundation, a Chinese organization that supports
education and medical care.
<more> Nov. 2, 2006 U.S. State Department Press Release
Grocers enter produce-safety debate. Big supermarket chains
tell growers they have six weeks to create rules to avoid E. coli outbreaks.
- - The nation's largest supermarket chains have given produce growers six weeks
to establish new safety rules to prevent deadly E. coli outbreaks. A consortium
that includes the owners of the Vons, Albertsons and Ralphs grocery chains and
Costco Wholesale Corp. says it is alarmed that another episode like the recent
contamination of fresh spinach could hurt its members and their customers. "We
need a timeline to focus energy on taking action immediately," said Ron
Anderson, vice president of produce for Vons owner Safeway Inc. "Obviously there
is a sense of urgency in the mind of the consumer."
<more> Nov. 2, 2005 LA Times
Corn futures sharp upward move poses challenges - - Corn
futures at the Chicago Board of Trade closed sharply higher for the second day
in a row Thursday, and a prominent market analyst told Brownfield whether the
rally can continue simply isn’t clear at this point. But Alan Brugler, President
of Brugler Marketing and Management in Omaha, Nebraska, also said high corn
prices are already having an impact on domestic livestock production, plans to
expand the U.S. ethanol industry and are encouraging corn and soybean plantings
in other countries. Brugler said a combination of factors drove Thursday’s rally
in corn futures. Fundamentally, “FC Stone and Informa both released crop
estimates that were smaller than last month,” said Brugler. “To a degree, that
had been expected, but it does put a premium on old crop inventory, and it makes
those 2007 and 2008 balance sheets look extremely tight.”
<more> Nov. 2, 2006 Brownfield Ag News
Ethanol: Blessing or bane? - - Gary Asay raises
thousands of hogs in this small town near the Mississippi River, and for years
he's had nothing much around him but farmland stretching in every direction.
Now an ethanol plant will be opening just 25 miles to the south in Galva.
Another is coming to Annawan, about 25 miles to the east, and another just 30
miles across the river in Buffalo, Iowa. The town of Fulton, 44 miles to the
north, will be getting a big one, too, leaving Asay to wonder if all those
factories amount to too much too soon: "Anyone who has looked into it is
concerned," he says. "There are too many plants too close together." The
ethanol boom is spreading money around the heartland like so much fertilizer.
Billions of dollars in new government subsidies have touched off a flurry of
private investment at biofuel operations across the Midwest. Tired towns where
opportunity has slipped away for decades now see their salvation in the giant
distilleries that turn corn into alcohol for the gas tank. Almost every rural
hamlet has a plant in its sights, or so it seems. Yet the benefits of ethanol
fall unevenly, and some longtime rural interests stand to lose ground even as
corn farmers and many others gain.
<more> Nov. 2, 2006 Chicago Tribune
As Investors Covet Ethanol, Farmers Resist - -
Farmers do not see fast money very often. But with big profits gushing forth
from ethanol plants, dozens of Wall Street bankers, in loafers and suits, have
been descending on the cornfields of the Midwest promising to make thousands
of farmers rich overnight. Most of them, though, are proving surprisingly
reluctant to cash in. In this sleepy town of Malta Bend, Missouri, for
example, people have lived on the edge of despair for decades, dreaming of a
way to make their corn worth more than $2 a bushel. Seeking a way out, a group
of farmers from here and surrounding communities scoured the state three years
ago to raise the money for a $60 million plant that would turn some of their
corn into ethanol for cars and lift their incomes. When ethanol prices soared
to more than $4 a gallon this summer, the plant became a roaring success. And
that is when the big money types came knocking. New offers — some as high as
$275 million — have rolled in just about every week from an investment bank or
hedge fund seeking to buy the plant. For the farmers, particularly those who
borrowed part of their investment, a sale could have meant a profit of as much
as 10 times what they put in. So far, however, the plant owners have said no.
<more> Nov. 2, 2006 NY Times
Support for Prop. 87 continues to fade. Opposition
leading, in turnaround from July poll -- Despite endorsements from Bill
Clinton and Al Gore, support for Proposition 87, a measure that seeks to tax
oil production to fund alternative fuel development, continues to wane,
according to the latest Field Poll results to be released today. Both the
Democratic former president and vice president in recent weeks have been front
and center on behalf of the Yes on 87 campaign, being featured in television
advertisements and leading rallies such as the one that Clinton appeared in at
San Francisco's civic center on Wednesday. But the latest poll, taken between
Oct. 23 and 30, shows 40 percent of likely voters surveyed said they intend to
vote yes on the measure; 44 percent said they oppose the initiative.
<more> Nov. 2, 2007 SF Chronicle
Dispute over greenhouse-gas law comes down to power play - - Weeks later after signing a landmark global warming bill, after the cameras were off and after California was lauded as a national leader in fighting carbon emissions and Schwarzenegger was praised as the nation's "greenest governor," he issued an executive order that stunned environmentalists who supported the bill. The order, in the view of some in the environmental community and the legislative leaders who negotiated the bill with the governor, sought to weaken the program before it started and to limit the power of the state Air Resources Board. The 11-member board, its members all appointed by the governor but with a reputation of independence, is the nation's premier air-quality enforcer. Its rules often serve as templates for other states, especially in the industrialized Northeast. During negotiations that led up to the passage of the new law, environmentalists sought a dominant role for the ARB. At issue is power: Who will have the top authority over the new law, which is supposed to cut carbon and other emissions by one-fourth by 2020? "Who gets the oversight: Is it the Air Resources Board or the Cal-EPA?" said Alicia Dlugosh, spokeswoman for Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, who denounced Schwarzenegger's executive order. <more> Nov. 2, 2006 Capitol Weekly
Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2006
U.S. poultry output drops in September - -
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics
Service (NASS) reports that the amount of certified wholesome ready-to-cook
poultry produced during September 2006 totaled 3.39 billion pounds -- down
four percent from the amount certified in September 2005. NASS said the
preliminary total live weight of poultry inspected during September 2006 was
4.59 billion pounds, down three percent from 4.71 billion pounds a year ago.
Young chickens inspected totaled 3.93 billion pounds, down three percent
from September 2005. Mature chicken production, at 62.1 million pounds, was
down eight percent from the previous year.
<more> Nov. 1, 2006 MeatNews.com
Workshop covers crop runoff. Reedley event Nov.
16 offers information to protect water quality. - - A workshop
highlighting practical on-farm practices to reduce water quality impacts of
runoff from orchard and vineyard crops will be held at 10 a.m. Nov. 16 at
Moonlight Packing Corp., 17719 E. Huntsman Ave., Reedley. Fresh fruit and
nut producers, crop consultants and commercial applicators can attend the
free workshop, "Management Practices to Keep Farm Inputs out of Farm
Drainage and Irrigation Runoff," which includes lunch. The workshop will
provide information on ways farmers of permanent crops can protect water
from farm drainage, sediment and agricultural chemical runoff.
<more> Nov. 1, 2006 Fresno Bee
New Research Identifies California's Greenhouse
Gas Emissions - - The California Energy Commission today released a new
report which provides estimates of the state's greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions compared over a 15-year period. The report, Inventory of
California Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990 to 2004, provides policy
makers and researchers with the sources of emissions that could dramatically
alter the climate and landscape of California. In 2004, CO2 emissions
represented 84 percent of the state's total greenhouse gas emissions.
Additionally, 81 percent of all CO2 emissions were produced by burning
fossil fuels. The largest sector was transportation - which included
gasoline and jet fuel consumption - at 40.7 percent; electricity generation
(22.2 percent); industrial (20.5 percent); agriculture and forestry (8.3
percent); and other (8.3 percent) rounded out the equation.
<more> Nov. 1, 2006 Energy Commission Press Release
Arizona 'Ground Zero' for Animal 'Rights' in 2006
Campaign - - Amid the battle for control of the U.S. Congress in the
2006 midterm election, the animal "rights" movement is targeting Arizona for
advancing its "destructive" agenda, according to a group that promotes
personal responsibility and consumer choice. "The Grand Canyon State is
Ground Zero for the animal 'rights' movement this year," said David Martosko,
director of research at the Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF), as voters in
Arizona prepare to decide the fate of Proposition 204, the Humane Treatment
of Farm Animals Act, on Tuesday, Nov. 7. The measure states: "A person shall
not tether or confine any pig during pregnancy or any calf raised for veal,
on a farm, for all or the majority of any day, in a manner that prevents
such animal from lying down and fully extending his or her limbs; or turning
around freely."
<more> Nov. 1, 2006 CNSNews.com
Governor's lead grows. His 16-point edge over
Angelides is widest in 20 years - - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has
stretched his lead over Democrat Phil Angelides to 16 percentage points in
the latest Field Poll, the widest margin in two decades for a California
gubernatorial front-runner in the days before a general election. The
Republican governor's 49 percent to 33 percent advantage reflects Angelides'
failure to reduce a double-digit gap in the contest's closing weeks despite
expectations on both sides that he would do so in October. Failing an
extraordinary shift in momentum, Angelides stands to suffer defeat Tuesday
in an election ripe for Democratic victories elsewhere -- and in a state
known for its blue pedigree. The previous Field Poll showed Schwarzenegger
with a 10-point lead in late September, 44 percent to 34 percent.
<more> Nov. 1,2006 Sacramento Bee
Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2006
Bird Flu Strain That Caused Outbreaks Evaded
Vaccine in China -- Scientists have identified more clearly a strain of
bird flu that eluded avian vaccine and may be largely responsible for a
``third wave'' of animal infections in China and other Asian countries over
the past year. The variant, called ``Fujian-like'' virus, has replaced the
other H5N1 flu strains that were circulating in Chinese poultry, scientists
from Hong Kong and the U.S. said in a study to be published this week in the
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Fujian-like strains have
also been found in 22 people infected with H5N1 in China in the past year.
The findings from China may mean that the vaccine being used there doesn't
give broad enough protection, researchers said. More study is needed to
determine why the virus has eluded vaccines in China, where immunizing
poultry is compulsory, while appearing to remain effective in Vietnam, said
Robert Webster, who helped write the study.
<more> Oct. 31, 2006 Bloomberg News
Poultry numbers see decrease - - According
to the United States Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural
Statistics Service certified wholesome, chilled and frozen, ready to eat
poultry during September totaled 3.394 billion pounds, compared to 3.698
billion in August and 3.520 billion for September 2005. For the year to
date, wholesome poultry comes to 31.645 billion pounds, compared to 31.055
billion for January to September 2005. The total chicken slaughter was
721.208 million head, down 10% from the previous month and 5% below last
year; young chickens accounted for the bulk at 711.232 million head. The
turkey slaughter totaled 21.032 million head, 6% less than the month before
and 2% lower than last year.
<more> Oct. 31, 2006 Brownfield Ag News
Chlorate Compound Found to Quell Microbes in Meat
Animals - - A patented compound developed by Agricultural Research
Service (ARS) scientists could help reduce the risk of Salmonella and
Escherichia coli O157:H7 infection from meat or poultry products.
Researchers led by microbiologist Robin Anderson at the ARS Food and Feed
Safety Research Unit (FFSRU) in College Station, Texas, mixed a
chlorate-based compound into livestock feed or water two days before
slaughter. When fed at roughly 0.5 to 5 percent of an animal's diet, this
powder-like additive was very effective in reducing Salmonella and E. coli
O157:H7 in the animal's gastrointestinal tract. To test the chlorate
compound in poultry, FFSRU microbiologist Allen Byrd gave it to more than
200 market-age turkeys and 2,000 broiler chickens 48 hours before they went
to processing. The incidence of Salmonella dropped from 35 percent to zero
in turkeys, and from 37 percent to 2 percent in broilers.
<more> Oct. 31, 2006 ARS Press Release
American Meat Institute, Food Products
Association support USDA’s risk-based meat and poultry inspection concept
- - Shifting to a risk-based inspection system will help improve food
safety by targeting inspection resources at critical junctures during meat
and poultry processing, according to the American Meat Institute (AMI) and
the Food Products Association (FPA). The two groups submitted joint comments
to the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Oct. 27, 2006, in response to a
call for comments following a recent USDA-sponsored public meeting.
<more> Oct. 31, 2006 American Meat Institute Media Release
Poultry Plant Clean Water Award Applicants Sought
- - The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association is accepting applications for
the 2007 Clean Water Award. The award recognizes outstanding water treatment
plant performance in the poultry industry. The winners will be announced at
USPOULTRY's Environmental Management Seminar in Memphis, Tenn., March 7 - 8,
2007. There are two categories for the award: one for full treatment
facilities (those that fully reclamate their wastewater prior to discharge
into a receiving water or final land application system) and one for
pretreatment facilities (those that discharge pretreated effluent to
publicly-owned full treatment facilities). Any USPOULTRY member company is
eligible to submit one nominee in each category. Applications must be
submitted by Dec. 28, 2006. For more information on the Clean Water Award,
contact: John Starkey; vice president environmental programs, U.S. Poultry &
Egg Association, 1530 Cooledge Road, Tucker, Ga. 30084-7303; (770) 493-9401;
Fax: (770) 493-9257; or E-mail jstarkey@poultryegg.org. Oct. 30, 2006
USPOULTRY Press Release
Pombo in a tight contest. Democrats have best
shot in years at GOP seat - - Richard Pombo, clad in a beige polo shirt
and jeans, is leaning back in a folding chair, his trademark ostrich-skin
boots under a table. He's bantering with a reporter and an aide, and appears
at peace. But he really isn't. Pombo, a seven-term Republican congressman,
is in the tightest race he has seen in more than a decade to hold on to his
once-safe seat -- and he knows it. Despite the comments of his Democratic
opponent, Jerry McNerney, and the accumulated evidence of national voter
surveys, Pombo thinks his troubles have nothing to do with Iraq, ethics or
the general state of the nation. "I don't think it has anything to do with
that," Pombo explained in his cluttered campaign office here. "I think it
has to do with the millions of dollars that they've spent trashing me."
<more> Oct. 30, 2006 Sacramento Bee
Salmonella outbreak may have come from produce - - Health officials are trying to trace the source of a salmonella outbreak that has infected people across the country, including North Carolina. The Centers for Disease Control is trying to pinpoint the cause of the salmonella outbreak, but a North Carolina health official says it may have come from produce, possibly large round tomatoes. Nineteen states including North Carolina are tied to the outbreak. A total of 171 people are reported sick and 11 are hospitalized. <more> Oct. 31, 2006 WCNC-TV North Carolina
Friday, Oct. 27, 2006
Bill Lyons Jr. honored with Good Egg award - -
More than 20 years after his father won the Good Egg Award, Bill Lyons Jr. did
the same Thursday morning. Lyons, a Modesto-area farmer and former food and
agriculture secretary for California, received the award from the state poultry
industry at its 44th annual Good Egg Breakfast. "He is a smart, savvy, engaged
leader and businessman who develops consensus in a way we seldom see on both the
political and regulatory fronts," said presenter Bill Mattos, president of the
California Poultry Federation. The award goes to a member or supporter of the
poultry industry, much of it centered in the Northern San Joaquin Valley. Past
winners include then-Gov. Reagan in 1970 and valley politicians. Bill Lyons Sr.,
who died in 2003, won the award in 1984. Bill Lyons Jr. and his family raise
cattle and crops on Mapes Ranch, a large spread southwest of Modesto. He served
as food and agriculture secretary under Gov. Davis from 1999 to 2003.
<more> Oct. 27, 2006 Modesto Bee
USDA announces revised policy on announcing low-path
AI findings- - The USDA and Department of Interior announced today a revised
policy on issuing press release about low pathogenic H5N1. Because these LPAI
H5N1 detections are common and pose no threat to human health , USDA and DOI are
transitioning to a new method of notifying the public. In an effort to maintain
transparency, USDA and DOI will post all future suspected LPAI H5N1 detections
on the Internet. DOI will maintain a list of all such routine detections as part
of the National Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Early Detection Data System (HEDDS).
The low path H5N1 detection list can be accessed at
http://wildlifedisease.nbii.gov/ai/LPAITable.pdf. A link also will be
available on USDA's avian influenza Web page at
http://www.usda.gov/birdflu. In the
event of a presumptive H5N1 test result involving a large number of sick or dead
birds, or other circumstances that suggest the possibility of a highly
pathogenic virus, USDA and DOI will issue a news release or conduct a technical
briefing to notify the media and the public.
<more> Oct. 27, 2006 USDA Press Release
Animal ID plan angers some farmers - - A thousand
turkeys, 500 cattle, 300 pigs, 1,900 chickens and four generations of the
Salatin family share the grassland on this 550-acre farm in the Shenandoah
Mountains. Now, Joel Salatin is worried the government will make it impossible
for his 25-year-old son and his two young grandsons to keep the family business
going for the generations to come. He has joined a growing national grass-roots
movement against an ambitious new government disease-fighting program that asks
every farm in the nation register its animals. The aim of the program, called
the National Animal Identification System (NAIS), is to make it easier to track
down animals during a disease outbreak that threatens humans and livestock.
Salatin calls the system "foolishness" that will put an unnecessary financial
burden on family farms and won't do a thing to stop the spread of contagious
livestock and poultry diseases. The U.S. Department of Agriculture calls it an
integral part of its effort to protect against the devastating health and
economic consequences that could follow foot-and-mouth, avian influenza or any
number of other barnyard maladies.
<more> Oct. 237, 2006 USA Today
Pumping bonds. Gov. Schwarzenegger urges support of
$37b package for roads, schools, levees, houses. - - Calling the San
Joaquin Valley an important part of California's future, Gov. Schwarzenegger
praised the work of a 26-member organization working to improve the economic
and overall quality of life in the region. Schwarzenegger was in Fresno on
Thursday speaking before the California Partnership for the San Joaquin
Valley. He urged the audience to support a record $37billion bond package to
pay for new roads, schools, levees and housing. Schwarzenegger said the bonds
were critical to rebuilding the state and boosting the Valley's economy.
Included in the series of bonds is $1 billion for the 400-mile Highway 99 —
the region's aging transportation corridor. "The bottom line is that the San
Joaquin Valley did not get the attention in the past and was not treated
equally as the other areas of the state," Schwarzenegger said.
<more>
Oct. 27, 2006 Fresno Bee
Bush signs bill to build fence along Mexican border
- - President Bush signed legislation on Thursday to create a 700-mile
fence that would stretch along a third of the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border.
The barrier is to be built in tandem with a high-tech surveillance network
known as the Secure Border Initiative, which the Boeing Corp. is developing
for the Department of Homeland Security. The Republican-controlled Congress
approved the fence on Sept. 29, but it hasn't approved funding for the
four-state project, estimated to cost at least $2.2 billion. DHS spokesman
Russ Knocke said the department will begin developing plans for the reinforced
fence after Congress appropriates funding.
<more> Oct. 27, 2006 Modesto Bee
Ag, Cal State University system talk of
partnerships - - Farm leaders from around the state met in Long Beach this
week with officials from the California State University system to talk of how
to better prepare students for careers in agriculture and to expand
partnerships between the university and the agriculture industry. The CSU
Agriculture Advisory Committee, as the group is formally named, is a follow-up
to an initial forum the university system held at its Fresno campus in 2005.
The state's university system produces more than 52% of the state's graduates
in agriculture-related majors, nearly 1,200 students. In some specialized
majors like food and nutrition studies, agricultural engineering and
horticulture, CSU produces more than 90% of the state's graduates.
<more>
Oct. 27, 2006 Fresno Bee
Water bond measure gets late start for crowded
ballot. Ad spending delayed for widely backed plan - - If it were possible
for the largest water and parks bond in state history to get lost on the
ballot, this could be the year. Proposition 84 was certified for the statewide
ballot after a coalition of environmental groups collected more than 600,000
signatures. It would raise $5.4 billion to acquire public lands for
recreation, improve state parks, restore wildlife habitat, protect water
quality and boost flood control. In the past, Californians have strongly
supported using bonds for these purposes, approving two-thirds of such
measures historically -- four since 2000. But a recent Field Poll showed
Proposition 84 with just 50 percent support, barely enough to pass on Nov. 7.
A poll released this week by the Public Policy Institute of California showed
voters split over Proposition 84, with only 42 percent saying they would vote
"yes." This is despite broad support from farmers and environmentalists,
Democrats and Republicans, even both Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and his
challenger, Phil Angelides.
<more> Oct. 27, 2006 Sacramento Bee
Wild pigs eyed in tainted spinach probe - - Wild pigs may have spread deadly bacteria onto a Salinas-area spinach field, sparking an outbreak that killed three people and sickened more than 200 others nationwide, investigators said Thursday. They also said the outbreak appears to be over. No one has become ill from eating contaminated spinach since Sept. 25. "All evidence points to this outbreak having concluded," said Dr. Kevin Reilly of the California Department of Health Services. Reilly refused to give a location for the ranch, other than to say it's in a valley in the area of San Benito and Monterey counties. <more> Oct. 27, 2006 AP
Thursday, Oct. 26, 2006
Mark calendars for Dec. 7 Modesto biosecurity
seminar - - Updates on avian influenza will be provided by federal and
state officials when the CPF hosts a biosecurity seminar Dec. 7 in Modesto.
The session will include presentations on: * “Biosecurity 101” by Dr. Gregg
Cutler * “Are Insects a Biosecurity Threat?” by Dr. Alec Gerry * “Manure
Removal” by Dr. Deanne Meyer * “Regulations and Standards for Carcass
Disposal” by Dr. Dennis Wilson and Bernie Vlach of the California
Department of Food and Agriculture. Dr. Richard Breitmeyer, CDFA state
veterinarian, will update the audience on the state’s latest AI prevention and
detection efforts. He will be joined by USDA Area Veterinarian in Charge Dr.
Kevin Varner and UC Davis Veterinarian Dr. Carol Cardona who will provide
information on federal and state AI education and outreach programs.
Registration is $15 and includes lunch and materials. Registration forms will
be mailed the first week of November to CPF members and supporters. Forms can
also be downloaded from the CPF website by clicking
here. (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader) The seminar will be held at
the Stanislaus County Agricultural Center, 3800 Cornucopia Way, Modesto, and
begins with 8:30 a.m. registration. Oct. 26, 2006
Gasoline production high as turnaround season
begins; retail prices continue to fall - - Production of California
gasoline continued above the one-million-barrels-a-day mark for the fourth
straight week, according to the Weekly Fuels Watch Report issued today by the
California Energy Commission. Even though a number of California refineries
experienced planned and unplanned maintenance, production of gasoline for use
in the state averaged 1,066,429 barrels a day for the week ending Oct. 20. The
figure represents a 3.4 percent increase from the previous week and 11.4
percent better production than a year ago. Inventories at the refineries
increased 11.7 percent and were 15.6 percent higher than last year's totals.
Refiners traditionally build inventories early in the "turnaround" season to
cover any drops in production that occur as facilities are taken off-line for
maintenance. In the eleventh week of declines, California s retail price for
regular gasoline fell 6 cents, averaging $2.48 a gallon for the week ending
Oct. 23.
<more> Oct. 26, 2006 Energy Commission Press Release
Farmers focus on fouled water. Coalition's strength
depends on finding solutions for pollution. - - Danny and Jeanette Gomes
have farmland that straddles a water-quality bull's-eye — Duck Slough in
Merced County, one of four waterways where the discovery of E. coli and other
contaminants has put landowners on the spot. Whether the couple — and about
1,000 other farmers and ranchers in a regional watershed coalition — can clean
up the waterways within a year or two is shaping up as a test of the state's
water regulation system. The Merced couple were among about 45 people — most
of them farmers — who gathered at the Merced County Farm Bureau on Wednesday
to talk of what they can do to address pollution concerns — and keep the
coalition system alive.
<more>
Oct. 26, 2006 Fresno Bee
Poll: Schwarzenegger leads Angelides everywhere but
Los Angeles - - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is leading state Treasurer Phil
Angelides nearly everywhere in the state, including the heavily Democratic San
Francisco Bay area, according to a poll that gives him an 18-point advantage
statewide. The spread is ominous for Angelides, who has been unable to
consolidate his Democratic base as the Nov. 7 election draws near. Since
winning the June primary, Angelides has lost support and trails Schwarzenegger
30 percent to 48 percent among likely voters. according to the Public Policy
Institute of California survey released Wednesday. Despite his commanding
lead, Schwarzenegger does not have majority support outside the areas that
traditionally support Republican candidates: the Central Valley and the
Southern California region outside Los Angeles. But he is doing better than
Republicans usually do in Democratic areas. In the Bay area, Schwarzenegger
leads Angelides 40 percent to 34 percent. In Los Angeles, Angelides leads
Schwarzenegger, but only barely — 38 percent to 40 percent.
<more> Oct. 26, 2006 AP
Parra once again locked in nasty re-election fight
- - "It's like déjà vu," said Assemblywoman Nicole Parra, D-Hanford, of her
re-election fight against Republican Danny Gilmore. "It's the three Ls:
Liberal, lesbian and Latina." There's another L-word Parra might want to add,
Gilmore countered: liar, as in what she called him in a debate last week--in a
church, no less. It all adds up to one of the closest and toughest Assembly
fights California has to offer this year. This hasn't gone unnoticed by local
voters. "They're both lying," said Ray Peña as he sat in an outdoor café in
Hanford's historic downtown. "I'd give 'em gloves and just let them go at
it."
<more> Oct. 26, 2006 Capitol Weekly
Arkansas Poultry Industry Challenges Okalahoma Campaign Ad -- Poultry industry representatives criticized Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson Thursday for campaign commercials accusing them of using the state's rivers like open sewers. “Such outrageous statements defy logic and truth," Mark Simmons, chairman of Simmons Foods in Siloam Springs, Ark., said at a news conference at the Tulsa Press Club. Edmondson filed a federal lawsuit against 14 Arkansas poultry companies last year, including Springdale, Ark.-based Tyson Foods Inc., the world's largest meat producer. He accuses them of polluting the Illinois River with chicken litter. He is running for re-election against Republican attorney James Dunn, who has pledged to toss the lawsuit his first day in office if elected. In the ad, which began airing in Tulsa and Oklahoma City Oct. 14, Edmondson mentions the lawsuit and criticizes the poultry industry. <more>. Oct. 26, 2006 AP
Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2006
Joel Brandenberger appointed NTF President -
- NTF Chairman Mike Briggs announced the appointment of Joel Brandenberger
as the new NTF president, effective Dec. 1. Brandenberger currently serves
as NTF’s senior vice president of legislative affairs. He started with NTF
in 1991 and has held the positions of director of public affairs (1991-1995)
and vice president of legislative affairs (1996-2001), before being promoted
to his current
position. Brandenberger will succeed Alice L. Johnson, D.V.M., who departs
on Nov. 30 to become vice president, food safety, government regulatory and
public relations for Butterball LLC.
<more> Oct. 25, 2006 NTF Press Release
Governor triggers a furor in Chile.
Schwarzenegger's support of a `Buy California' produce campaign is ill
received in South America. - - For a while, it looked like sour grapes
out of Chile, and the villain was Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. First, a daily
newspaper in Chile reported that the governor, as part of his reelection
effort, was looking for the farm vote by backing a "Buy Only California"
campaign. The news was quickly picked up by other South American media in
what one reporter called "journalism mayhem." The story suggested that
Schwarzenegger was urging voters to eat home-grown produce and spurn Chilean
avocados, peaches and table grapes. On Tuesday, the newspaper El Mercurio of
Santiago ran a cartoon showing Schwarzenegger as the "Terminator" movie
character, busting up a box of Chilean grapes. "The Terminator Attacks
Chilean Fruit," read a front-page headline. The reaction was swift in
Santiago, the capital city of Chile, where agriculture is a pillar of the
economy. "People are very, very upset," said Michael Grasty, president of
the American Chamber of Commerce in Chile. The Schwarzenegger
administration, meanwhile, scrambled to quell the criticism. "The governor
is a great champion of California produce, but there's no such commercial
that criticizes another country's produce," spokeswoman Margita Thompson
said. She explained that the state's "California Grown" program to boost
consumption of domestic produce, which began in 2001, uses the slogan "Buy
California," not "Buy Only California."
<more> Oct. 25, 2006 LA Times
World can't yet let down its guard on bird flu,
U.N. says -- The threat of a bird flu pandemic is transforming poultry
industry practices around the world, but health officials must remain on
high alert for five to 10 more years, a top U.N. official said on Monday.
The bird flu virus can reside in flocks for long periods of time, showing no
symptoms, before spreading to new areas via trade or migration, said Dr.
David Nabarro, who heads the U.N. drive to contain the disease in birds and
prepare for its possible transformation into a fast-spreading human disease.
It will also take more than a decade for those raising poultry to make
needed changes in the way they operate to keep the disease under control,
Nabarro added.
<more> Oct. 25, 2006 Reuters
As exports decline, Md. poultry industry feels repercussions from Asian flu cases overseas - - Incidences of avian flu in far-flung parts of the world have taken a large bite out of Maryland's biggest farm business, poultry production. An Asian strain of the flu, which has never been detected in the United States, has been blamed for at least 140 deaths in other parts of the world and has led to the destruction of millions of chickens overseas. One repercussion was a significant decline in chicken exports last year, said Bill Satterfield, executive director of Delmarva Poultry Industry Inc. "Many ill-informed foreign consumers thought they needed to stop buying chicken in order to protect themselves and their families," Satterfield said at a recent meeting of Wicomico County economic development officials. Exports account for about 15 percent of U.S. chicken production. Although poultry processors in the region are not big participants in the export market, they felt the impact of this decline. <more> Oct. 25, 2006 Baltimore Sun
Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2006
Reaching out to new arrivals. While immigration stirs
anger, a Delaware town has found peace. - - The Guatemalans started arriving
here in 1993 and 1994. They came to work in southern Delaware's
poultry-processing plants, and soon they were living 10 and 20 to a house in the
rundown Kimmeytown section, wandering the quaint downtown streets after dark,
and drinking in the woods. They began to enroll their Spanish-speaking children
in local schools, take their uninsured sick to the local hospital, and drive
their unlicensed vehicles into locals' cars. "People were upset and angry," said
Mike Wyatt, the current mayor of Georgetown. "They were saying, 'How could this
happen to our town?' “The influx of Guatemalans hasn't stopped, but much of the
animosity has waned. A dozen years of living on the front lines of America's
immigration battle have brought wary acceptance, even accommodation, to this
unlikely center of change.
<more> Oct. 23, 2006 Philadelphia Inquirer
Meat Labels Hope to Lure the Sensitive Carnivore
- - Many cows, pigs and chickens will soon be living cushier lives. But in
the end, they will still be headed for the dinner plate. Whole Foods Market
is preparing to roll out a line of meat that will carry labels saying
“animal compassionate,” indicating the animals were raised in a humane
manner until they were slaughtered. The grocery chain’s decision to use the
new labels comes as a growing number of retailers are making similar
animal-welfare claims on meat and egg packaging, including “free farmed,”
“certified humane,” “cage free” and “free range.” While the animal-welfare
labels are proliferating, it remains unclear whether they appeal to anyone
other than a niche market of animal lovers, particularly since the meat and
eggs are as much as twice as expensive as products that do not carry the
labels.
<more> Oct. 24, 2006 NY Times
E. coli found in area waters. Farmers will meet
to tackle pollution of two sloughs, canal and Merced River. - - Tests
have revealed high levels of E. coli and a common pesticide in Merced and
Madera county waterways, forcing nearly 1,000 farmers to grapple with
potentially expensive cleanup efforts. Officials say it's not known if the
E. coli is the virulent strain that contaminated produce from the Salinas
Valley in recent weeks. They also note that the bacteria have always been
present to some degree in waterways. But failure to halt contamination of
two sloughs, a canal and the Merced River could be costly for growers and
ranchers who are members of the East San Joaquin Water Quality Coalition.
<more> Oct. 24, 2006 Fresno Bee
California an important market for Midwest ethanol
- - California is among the biggest ethanol-consuming states in the nation
and is poised for even more demand growth. That's according to the chairman of
the company that owns the largest of California's three current ethanol plants,
Bill Jones of Pacific Ethanol in Fresno. Due to the phase-out of the
cancer-causing fuel additive MTBE, Jones told Brownfield, "We're up to 800
[million] to a billion gallons a year, and my expectation is over time that
number will increase quite dramatically." Jones said he expects more ethanol
plants will be built in California, because the Golden State has some unique
logistical advantages. "We already have the infrastructure to bring the large
corn trains to California," said Jones. "We have unloading infrastructure for
those."
<more> Oct. 24, 2006 Brownfield Ag News
EPA to limit use of 66 pesticides while studying endangered
frog - - The federal Environmental Protection Agency has agreed to work with
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to determine whether 66 pesticides used in
California harm the endangered California red-legged frog, and it will limit the
use of those chemicals while it conducts that research. The EPA's decision comes
13 months after a federal judge in San Francisco, ruling on a lawsuit filed by
the environmental group Center for Biological Diversity, said the agency
violated the Endangered Species Act by approving the pesticides without
examining their impact on the amphibian Mark Twain made famous in "The
Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County." U.S. District Court Judge Jeffrey
White ordered the EPA to perform such a review "at the earliest possible time."
<more> Oct. 20, 2006 SF Chronicle
Food
Safety: From Farm to Fork - - Food safety doesn't begin at the grocery
store or in the kitchen. It begins on the farm. That's why the Agricultural
Research Service (ARS) is in its third year of a multiagency U.S. Department
of Agriculture (USDA) effort to routinely track the origins of certain
disease-causing bacteria that can occur in meat animal production. The
program will also enhance overall understanding of bacteria that pose food
safety risks on farms and in processing plants. ARS is the USDA's chief
scientific research agency.
<more> Oct. 23, 2006 ARS Press Release
Wild bird
samples from Michigan undergo additional AI testing - - The U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Department of the Interior (DOI) today
announced a detection of H5 and N1 avian influenza subtypes in a wild
Green-winged teal sample from Tuscola County, Mich., that was killed by
hunters. Initial tests confirm that this wild bird sample does not contain
the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain that has spread through birds in Asia,
Europe and Africa. However, initial test results do indicate the presence of
low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) virus, which poses no threat to human
health.
<more> Oct. 23, 2006 USDA Press Release
Foster Farms Turkey Helpline Offers
Round-the-Clock Help for Holiday Cooks -- How do you stuff and roast
the perfect turkey, drum up delicious gravy, or "brine" your bird this
Thanksgiving holiday? Experts from Foster Farms, the West Coast's premium
poultry brand are available to answer these questions and more with the
return of its free seasonal Turkey Helpline (1-800-255-7227) and expanded
informational Web site
www.fosterfarms.com In addition to providing fool-proof turkey
tips, this year's helpline offers expert holiday entertaining tips,
delicious traditional recipes, and healthy low fat recommendations to please
every guest. There are even recommendations on wine pairing and turkey
carving.
<more> Oct. 23, 2006 Foster Farms Press Release
Global warming law stirs heated debate. Perata
says governor has strayed from the plan's intent. - - The leader of the
state Senate on Monday accused Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of overstepping
his authority in implementing California's pioneering plan to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions. The Governor's Office fired back, saying he would
not deviate from a market-based approach he believes would reach emission
targets without disrupting California's economy. Senate President Pro Tem
Don Perata of Oakland on Monday sent a letter to Schwarzenegger pointing out
differences between the governor's executive order and the global warming
bill negotiated with Democrats in the state Legislature in late August. The
executive order directs the Air Resources Board to develop a market-based
compliance program at the same time as the overall framework for the
program.
<more>
Oct. 24, 2006 Sacramento Bee
Are you an emerging leader? - - The Great Valley Center's Institute for the Development of Emerging Area Leaders (IDEAL) is accepting applications for its 6-month public policy fellowship program. Deadline is October 27, 2006. Click Here to Apply
Thursday, Oct. 19, 2006
USDA not worried as ag exports fall, ag imports
surge - - USDA's latest ag trade update out Friday is something of a mixed
bag, as U.S. ag exports fell in July and August while U.S. ag imports jumped.
The value of U.S. ag exports in July and August fell 5%, with the value of
bulk product exports plummeting nearly 20%. At the same time the value of ag
imports climbed by 6%. Of course that’s not the whole story. U.S. ag exports
are still well ahead of last year’s pace at $63.4 billion, up $5.5 billion
from the same time period last year, and on target to meet USDA’s $68 billion
target for the fiscal year. But then, nearly the same thing can be said of
U.S. ag imports, which currently stand at $59 billion through August and are
on track to hit $64.5 billion this year. But Nora Brooks, ag economist for
USDA's Economic Research Service, told Brownfield USDA isn't concerned that
U.S. ag exports and ag imports are nearly equal.
<more> Oct. 19, 2006 Brownfield Ag News
Farm groups oppose Prop. 87. Initiative would tax
oil producers, increasing farmers' fuel costs. - - With a backdrop of
John Deere tractors, leaders of three key central San Joaquin Valley farm
groups Tuesday voiced their opposition to Proposition 87, the November
ballot measure that would tax oil producers to pay for alternative energy
programs. They were joined at Fresno Equipment Co. by a Reedley citrus
grower, who said the measure would make it more difficult to compete in a
worldwide marketplace, and by the manager of a Kingsburg farming operation,
who said increased costs for fuel would hurt workers and operators of
nonfarm businesses.
<more> Oct. 18, 2006 Fresno Bee
Soaring Water-Use Fees Prod California Farmers,
Ranchers to Seek More Control -- In a state where water disputes often
have played out like old Sunday morning Westerns, Kevin Taylor is one of
those who tries to keep the peace. Taylor, a government "water cop,"
enforces court-decreed water rights under California's watermaster program.
But his job and the program itself may be in for big changes as farmers and
ranchers faced with the prospect of soaring water-use fees fight to wrest
control from the state and put it in the hands of individual counties. "I'm
not against people looking to save money, but I'm not sure if they realize
how complicated this can be," said Taylor, a watermaster in far Northern
California. The effort is a response to one of several recent attempts by
the state Department of Water Resources to create revenue through
consumer-financed programs.
<more>
Oct. 18, 2006 AP
Immigration ‘reforms’ have the potential to cost
farmers - - Closing off the U.S.-Mexico border to all but a few legal
immigrants could come at a much higher price than the cost of more Border
Patrol agents and the concrete for a 700-mile barrier between the two
countries. Economists with the American Farm Bureau Federation who have
analyzed pending immigration legislation say the bills could lead not only
to higher food prices but also to shifts in the sources of supply of fruits
and vegetables for American consumers.
<more> Oct. 18, 2006 Western Farm Press
Valley in compliance with federal air standard
for first time - - It's official: The San Joaquin Valley has complied
with a federal dust-pollution standard for the first time. The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency made the announcement Tuesday afternoon,
calling it a "significant achievement" for the Valley and its notoriously
dirty air. The Valley hasn't violated particulate-matter limits since 2003,
complying with federal rules that require three years of clean air to meet
the standard. Particulate matter, made up of tiny particles less than the
width of a human hair, comes from soot, dust and ash. The particles can
cause respiratory problems, heart attacks and lung cancer. Now the San
Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District must focus on meeting rigid
standards for even-smaller, fine-particulate matter as well as ozone, a
precursor to smog.
<more> Oct. 18, 2006 Stockton Record
Clean air deadline called all but lost. Pollution
district says 'incentive money' needed to make goal - - The shroud of
smog lifted in Stockton and Modesto last year — both cities attained the
federal health standard, air officials say. But the San Joaquin Valley Air
Pollution Control District still faces a long fight to clear the air in the
rest of the 25,000-square-mile valley by 2013. Stubborn pockets will include
Arvin, downwind of Bakersfield, and Parlier, downwind of Fresno, officials
said. The 2013 deadline is all but unattainable, district leaders said,
unless the valley gets $7.5 billion in "incentive money" from government and
other funding sources to help replace cars, trucks and other engines
throughout the area. A hefty 60 percent of the smog-related pollution in
the valley must be removed, and vehicle engines create the majority of the
problem. As people buy new cars and trucks and new smog rules take hold, the
air will get cleaner, but not fast enough, district Planning Director Scott
Nester said.
<more> Oct. 19, 2006 Modesto Bee
Public comment sought on Valley Air District’s
draft Environmental Justice Strategy. Workshops set for October 23 and
October 25 - - The Valley Air District invites the public to comment on
the District's draft Environmental Justice Strategy. The purpose of this
strategy is to build a framework that can be used by the District to protect
the health of Valley residents that may be disproportionately affected by
air pollution. Environmental justice is the equal application of
environmental protection to all communities and citizens without regard to
race, color, national origin or income. California law and federal policy
require agencies to address environmental-justice issues. The draft
Environmental Justice Strategy will identify and address any gaps in
existing programs, policies and activities that may delay the achievement of
environmental justice. The strategy outlines goals that will help further
integrate environmental justice into District efforts.
<more> Oct. 19, 2006 Valley Air District Press Release
Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2006
FDA Is Set To Approve Milk, Meat From Clones
- - Three years after the Food and Drug Administration first hinted that it
might permit the sale of milk and meat from cloned animals, prompting public
reactions that ranged from curiosity to disgust, the agency is poised to
endorse marketing of the mass-produced animals for public consumption. The
decision, expected by the end of this year, is based largely on new data
indicating that milk and meat from cloned livestock and their offspring pose
no unique risks to consumers. "Our evaluation is that the food from cloned
animals is as safe as the food we eat every day," said Stephen F. Sundlof,
the FDA's chief of veterinary medicine, who has overseen the long-stalled
risk assessment.
<more> Oct. 17, 2006 Washington Post
Workers' Comp Gains Haven't Eased the Pain of
Tough Cases - - Two years after California overhauled its workers'
compensation program, costs paid by employers have been sliced in half and
profits for insurers have soared. But employees injured on the job say they
are paying a heavy price. The sweeping changes — pushed by Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger and passed by the Legislature in 2004 — were intended to rein
in a program that was described as rife with fraud and had become the most
expensive in the nation, discouraging some businesses from moving to or
staying in the state. Even as the number of claims has plummeted — by 28%
in the last two years — appeals of claim denials are up. Requests for
hearings rose 7.6% to 73,513 in the second quarter of this year, compared
with the fourth quarter of 2003, according to state statistics.
<more> Oct. 17, 2006 LA Times
Ex-FDA
Chief Crawford to Plead Guilty to US Charges - - Lester Crawford, the
former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, will plead
guilty to federal charges of failing to disclose owning shares in companies
regulated by the agency, his attorney said. Prosecutors charged Crawford,
68, with filing a false document and violating federal conflict-of-interest
laws. Crawford may face as much as six months of jail or house arrest and a
fine of $50,000, said his lawyer, Barbara Van Gelder, in a phone interview
today. Government investigators have been probing Crawford's financial
dealings since he stepped down as FDA commissioner in September 2005, two
months after his Senate confirmation. He stated in 2004 that shares of Sysco
Corp. and Kimberly-Clark Corp. had been sold when he and his wife continued
to hold them, and he failed to disclose income from Embrex Inc. stock
options, U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Taylor said in a court filing.
<more> Oct. 17, 2006 Bloomberg News
Madera ethanol plant revs up. Fresno's Pacific
Ethanol opens a $65m operation for the alternative fuel. - - Executives
of Fresno-based Pacific Ethanol Inc. and state and local government leaders
welcomed about 300 people to Madera on Monday to celebrate the start of
production at California's newest and largest ethanol plant. Standing on a
stage under the plant's massive evaporators and molecular sieves, Pacific
Ethanol Chairman Bill Jones thanked the crowd for "attending the
ribbon-cutting for the largest fuel refinery built in California for a
generation." Monday's event marked the start of production for the $65
million plant and a milestone for Pacific Ethanol, which was founded in 2003
by Jones, a former California secretary of state.
<more> Oct. 17, 2006 Fresno Bee
Núñez slams governor on global warming law
implementation -- Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez and some environmental
groups charged Monday that an executive order Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
plans to sign today undermines an agreement the governor struck with
Democrats on the state's landmark global warming law. Schwarzenegger will
sign an order giving the secretary of the Environmental Protection Agency
the duty of overseeing parts of the law's implementation and emphasizes the
development of a new market allowing companies to buy and sell greenhouse
gas emissions credits. Núñez said that the executive order gives more power
to the executive branch than the law calls for and that the governor's
emphasis on a market-based approach to lowering greenhouse gas emissions
ignored other aspects of the law. He suggested the governor was
reinterpreting the law based on proposals he had suggested to lawmakers
during negotiations over the legislation this year but that had been
rejected by the Legislature.
<more> Oct. 17, 2006 SF Chronicle
State gains anti-smog allies. At least 8 Eastern
states to join 'cap-and-trade' approach.. - - After signing legislation
last month to cap greenhouse gas emissions in California, Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger announced Monday in New York that his administration will
work with at least eight Eastern states to enable businesses to trade
pollution credits thousands of miles away. The Republican governor
emphasized last month that a "cap-and-trade" method was crucial to
legislation he signed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions an estimated 25
percent by 2020. Under the new state law, the California Air Resources Board
will develop market-based procedures that likely will enable companies to
purchase credits from emissions-reducing businesses if they cannot cut
pollution themselves at prescribed levels.
<more>
Oct. 17, 2006 Sacramento Bee
Ohio wild bird samples undergo additional AI
testing - - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Department of
the Interior (DOI) today announced a detection of H5 and N1 avian influenza
subtypes in samples from apparently healthy wild Northern pintails in Ottawa
County, Ohio, that were killed by a hunter. Initial tests confirm that these
wild bird samples do not contain the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain that has
spread through birds in Asia, Europe and Africa. Initial test results
indicate the presence of low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) virus, which
poses no threat to human health.
<more>
Oct. 16, 2006 USDA Press Release
AI tests negative on Illinois teals - - The
U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Interior today announced final test
results, which confirm that a low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) virus
was found in samples collected last month from wild Green-winged Teals in
Illinois. LPAI has been detected several times in wild birds in North
America and poses no risk to human health. The USDA National Veterinary
Services Laboratories (NVSL) confirmed the presence of H6N2 through virus
isolation in a pool of five samples of the 11 samples collected from wild
Green-winged Teals in the Rice Lake Conservation Area of Fulton County,
Illinois.
<more> Oct. 17, 2006 USDA Press Release
POULTRY Magazine Names Coleman Natural Foods
``2006 Industry Innovator'' --Coleman Natural Foods, LLC, received the
“Poultry Industry 2006 Industry Innovator Award” during the National Chicken
Council annual meeting in Washington, D.C. on October 5. Mark McKay,
President, Coleman Natural Foods, Poultry Division accepted the award. The
Industry Innovator Award is presented each year by POULTRY Magazine to the
company whose overall approach to marketing or management has not only
improved its own bottom line, but also raised the standard of excellence for
the entire poultry industry. Coleman operates poultry facilities in
Fredericksburg, Pennsylvania and Petaluma, California.
<more>
Oct. 16, 2006 Coleman Natural Foods Press Release
Feds OK Pilgrim's Pride Takeover Bid --
Chicken producer Pilgrim's Pride Corp. on Tuesday said federal regulators
have cleared its proposed acquisition of Atlanta-based poultry company Gold
Kist Inc., which opposes the bid. Pilgrim's Pride launched its hostile
$20-a-share takeover bid last month, after Gold Kist declined to make a deal
in August, the company has said. The offer represents a premium of 55
percent over Gold Kist's closing stock price on Aug. 18. Gold Kist has said
the offer is not in the best interest of its shareholders.
<more> Oct. 17, 2006 AP
Going negative new territory for Poochigian.
Republican state senator trails better-known Jerry Brown in polls - -
Chuck Poochigian first volunteered in a political campaign in 1977 at a
rally where George Deukmejian was ramping up his bid for state attorney
general -- and accusing then Gov. Jerry Brown of being soft on criminals.
Nearly three decades later, it's Poochigian's turn to run for attorney
general -- and accuse Brown, now Oakland mayor, of being soft on crime. "I
guess you could say it's ironic that we're still having these discussions
about Jerry Brown and crime in 2006," Deukmejian said. "I think that Chuck
has the perfect qualifications for attorney general. And criminal justice
has never been Jerry Brown's strong suit. I don't know why he is running for
this job." But the dilemma for the Poochigian is that Brown -- perhaps the
best known California politician who was never a president or a movie star
-- is running for attorney general.
<more>
Oct. 16, 2006 SF Chronicle
Pombo stymied over Species Act. Congressman tried
for years to revise a 'sacred cow' law. - - Tracy Republican Richard
Pombo took office vowing to change the Endangered Species Act. In the 14
years since, he's delivered speeches, staged events and written bills. He's
enjoyed perfect positions to pursue his signature issue, including, for the
past four years, chairmanship of the House Resources Committee while his
party has controlled both the House and the Senate. The Endangered Species
Act, though, remains unchanged since the day Pombo took office in January
1993. The same 22,300 words in the U.S. Code then are intact today. Which
raises the fundamental election-year question: Why is it so hard to change
this 1973 law when so many people want it updated? "It's the sacred cow,"
Pombo said. "It is the big environmental law; that takes precedence over
everything."
<more>
Oct. 16, 2006 Modesto Bee
San Joaquin Valley Partnership Plan has several
ag elements - - The California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley
has released the final version of the Strategic Action Proposal aimed at the
economic development of the San Joaquin Valley. It contains several major
proposals affecting agriculture, reports CDFA Secretary A.G. Kawamura,
including:
• Creating a demand-driven workforce system including high quality
vocational training.
• Establishing and implementing conservation plans for important
agricultural lands.
• Developing a long-range plan to enhance the vitality and sustainability of
agriculture.
• Completing the Upper San Joaquin Basin Project.
• Establishing and implementing an energy plan to optimize efficiencies.
• Expanding surface water storage, enhancing surface and groundwater
quality, and strengthening flood control and levee protection.
Public comment on the proposal can be
made until Oct. 26, 2006, to Jonnalee Henderson, CDFA policy analyst.
jhenderson@cdfa.ca.gov The Partnership Board’s public forum will be held
Oct. 26, 1 p.m. at CSU Fresno, Smittcamp Alumni House.
Animal rights group loses lawsuit appeal. Free speech doesn't apply to illegal conduct, court says - - A state appeals court rejected an animal rights group's free-speech challenge Thursday to a lawsuit accusing the group of conspiring with protesters who harassed Chiron Corp. executives, vandalized their homes and bombed the company's Emeryville headquarters. The organization, Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty USA, claimed Chiron's February 2004 suit for harassment and invasion of privacy was an attempt to stifle freedom of expression. But the First District Court of Appeals in San Francisco said state laws against suits that interfere with free speech do not apply to illegal conduct. The court said there was ample evidence that the organization conspired with lawbreakers. <more> Oct. 16, 2006 SF Chronicle
Thursday, Oct. 12, 2006
L.A. simulates an outbreak of the bird flu.
Underfunding, confusion over roles among issues - - At first, officials
report a single suspected human case of the bird flu in Los Angeles. By the
fourth day, that person has died and officials begin scrambling to decide
what to do. No vaccine will be available for months and there is only a
limited supply of antiviral medications. By day seven, officials start
closing schools and employers are confronted with rising absenteeism. By the
25th day, about 3,700 people have died in Los Angeles County, 59,000
residents are infected and the National Guard is called out to keep order.
That hypothetical scenario unfolded Wednesday as health experts and business
leaders held their first broad exercise designed to prepare for a bird flu
pandemic in the Los Angeles area.
<more>
Oct. 12, 2006 LA Daily News
Gold Kist Board
Rejects $1B Takeover Bid
-- Poultry producer Gold
Kist Inc.'s board said Thursday it rejected a $1.03 billion hostile takeover
bid from Pilgrim's Pride Corp. and filed a suit trying to block its larger
rival from adding its own officers to Gold Kist's board.
Atlanta-based Gold Kist
said the $20-per-share buyout offer by Pittsburg, Texas-based Pilgrim's
Pride, the nation's second-largest chicken producer, is not in the best
interest of Gold Kist shareholders.
Since the unsolicited
offer was made, Gold Kist shares have soared, pushing the company's market
value above the offered price to roughly $1.04 billion.
Gold Kist shares fell 41
cents, or 2 percent, to close at $20.34 in trading Thursday on the Nasdaq
Stock Market, while Pilgrim's Pride shares fell 15 cents to close at $26.47
on the New York Stock Exchange.
<more> Oct. 12, 2006 AP
Florez drives food safety plan. But industry
officials, lawmakers say he should wait for E. coli probe results. - -
State Sen. Dean Florez is pressing ahead with plans to introduce food safety
legislation aimed at stopping E. coli outbreaks even as industry officials
and other Valley lawmakers caution that he might be jumping the gun. Florez,
D-Shafter, said he wants tougher regulations not just on spinach and lettuce
— the crops at the heart of the recent E. coli outbreak — but on broccoli,
strawberries, onions or "anything that's grown close to the ground." Florez,
who led a hearing on the issue Wednesday in Sacramento, plans to introduce a
multi-bill package in January that would give state regulators more power
over the state's produce industry, which is largely self-regulated.
<more> Oct. 12, 2006 Fresno Bee
USDA releases 2005 U. S. Animal Health Report
--The USDA today released the 2005 U.S. Animal Health Report, a national
overview of domestic animal health in the United States. The report
addresses the many components of the U.S. animal health infrastructure,
animal population demographics, approaches to foreign animal disease
surveillance, and new initiatives. As an annual publication, the U.S.
Animal Health Report is updated and refined each year. It provides a
valuable method to communicate with stakeholders and the public about the
status of animal health in the United States.
<more> Oct. 12. 2006 USDA Press Release To download a copy
of the report,
Click Here
Researchers
Improve Methods for Detecting Listeria - - Agricultural Research Service
(ARS) scientists in Wyndmoor, Pa., are improving methods to detect food
borne
pathogens like the potentially deadly Listeria monocytogenes. Quick,
accurate, cost-effective methods for detecting pathogenic
bacteria--essential to ensuring a safe food supply--are part of ARS food
safety research highlighted in the current issue of Agricultural Research
magazine. Listeriosis, the illness caused by L. monocytogenes infection,
affects around 2,500 people in the United States every year, and kills about
500. Newborns, seniors, pregnant women and individuals with compromised or
weakened immune systems are particularly susceptible.
<more> Oct. 12, 2006 ARS Press Release
Arkansas governor rips AG over poultry pollution suit - - Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee charged Wednesday that the poultry industry in his state has been unfairly demonized by Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson, who is suing chicken and turkey processors over pollution of the Illinois River watershed. The Republican governor visited Tulsa during a tour of Oklahoma in support of GOP candidates. He is considering a 2008 presidential bid. "To single out the poultry industry and make them the scapegoat is also, I think, very offensive to us," Huckabee said. The industry has spent "millions of dollars of their own resources over the past 20 years to voluntarily push for higher levels of compliance with those strict environmental protections," he said. <more> Oct. 12, 2006 Tulsa World
Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2006
Cardona officially receives Golden Rooster award
from CPF- - Dr. Carol Cardona, UC Davis, was named the recipient of the
California Poultry
Federation's
highest honor- - the Golden Rooster Award - - at the CPF's annual conference
Sept. 22 in Monterey. However, Cardona was unable to attend due to previous
commitments. CPF President Bill Mattos caught up with Cardona prior to her
presentation to the Modesto Rotary Club to make the official presentation.
In presenting the award, Mattos said, “Dr. Cardona’s efforts to understand
the avian influenza is one major reason why the California industry believes
that statewide efforts to prevent highly pathogenic ‘bird flu’ from
infecting our farms and ranches have been so successful. The industry, while
working hard to educate its workers and the public about this disease,
believes Dr. Cardona’s outreach efforts with producers, educators, health
officials, hospitals, elected officials and local, state and federal leaders
have been of great value to the industry.” Dr. Cardona has been an important
resource for the CPF as it has conducted an ambitious AI outreach in the
past few years. “She has worked with hundreds of growers and producers as
well as the owners/operators of small and large processing plants throughout
our state,” said Mattos. “Her efforts to reach out to many smaller poultry
farms and processing operations led to some significant changes in the way
smaller businesses handle their birds before, during and after processing.”
Maryland University Project Aims to Reduce
Poultry House Smell -- That stink that comes from chicken houses? Blame
moisture. The naturally occurring moisture in chicken waste is what causes
it to produce ammonia -- and that stench that neighbors of poultry farms
know well. One Maryland university is investing more than $3 million in a
project to clean up chicken houses with a plastic flooring and ventilation
system. Its creators say it could slash ammonia emissions that can sicken
birds and leave neighbors holding their noses. "This is like a revolution,"
said Jeannine Harter-Dennis, a poultry science professor at the University
of Maryland, Eastern Shore, which announced last week it will spend $3.3
million in federal and state grants to develop the flooring.
<more> Oct. 9, 2006 AP
Hotter planet brings chilling outlook for ag
- - Assuming the experts are correct, the day will come when there won't be
enough water to go around in the Northern San Joaquin Valley, let alone the
state. While no one can predict exactly when that day will arrive, a growing
number of scientists and researchers insist it's an unstoppable force --
carrying with it any number of potentially devastating consequences. A
complex web of factors, including climate change, explosive growth and
galloping urbanization, will reduce -- dramatically in some years -- the
supply of clean surface and underground water. That could put the valley's
ag-based economy in harm's way. "We have droughts and floods," said Dennis
Gudgel, Stanislaus County's ag commissioner. "It's always been that way.
It's the availability of water that's more of a concern for farmers. It's a
very serious issue."
<more> Oct. 10, 2006 Modesto Bee
States must help save pets. New law puts funds at
risk if animals are not in disaster plans -- States will be required to
help evacuate pets during a natural disaster such as a hurricane or
earthquake or risk losing federal money under a bill signed Friday by
President Bush. The bill was prompted by reports that as many as 50,000 pets
were stranded during Hurricane Katrina. Rescue agencies have been criticized
for the "no pets" policy that required pet owners to abandon their animals
or defy evacuation orders and stay in the disaster area. Nearly half of
those who refused to evacuate said they didn't want to leave their pets
behind, according to an April poll by the Fritz Institute, a nonprofit
agency involved with providing humanitarian relief work. A new state law
sponsored by Assemblyman Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, assures that
California will be in compliance with the new federal requirements.
California's law requires state emergency agencies to coordinate with the
Department of Agriculture -- which has jurisdiction over animal rescues --
to create a statewide policy for pet evacuations.
<more> Oct. 10, 2006 SF Chronicle
Avian influenza tests complete on wild northern pintail ducks in Montana - - The U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Interior today announced final test results, which confirm that a low pathogenic H5 avian influenza virus was found in samples collected last month from wild Northern pintail ducks in Montana. This type of avian influenza has been detected several times in wild birds in North America and poses no risk to human health. <more> Oct. 10, 2006 USDA Press Release
Friday, Oct. 6, 2006
Pombo, McNerney debate war, energy, immigration
- - Candidates in California's closest congressional race made their case to a
rowdy crowd of nearly 300 people who packed a tiny gymnasium Thursday night to
see Tracy Rep. Richard Pombo and challenger Jerry McNerney in their only
scheduled debate of the election. When it was over, any doubt that the two
candidates stand starkly opposed on nearly every issue dissolved in shouts and
boos and roaring applause. Iraq dominated the 90-minute discussion. McNerney,
a Democrat, favored a nine- to 12-month timetable for withdrawing troops from
Iraq as a way to force the Iraqi government to take seriously its efforts to
govern itself and to show Iraqi citizens that the United States is not
occupying their nation for oil. Pombo, a Republican, said a timetable is
irresponsible and echoed President Bush's speech Tuesday by saying Iraq is a
central front in the war in terror. "Going to war in Iraq was to protect this
country, and that is still the reason we are there," Pombo said to howls from
the audience, many of whom came from the Bay Area. "I would rather take the
war over there than fight it here."
<more> Oct. 6, 2006 Stockton Record
Brown and Poochigian Trade Shots on Crime. Talk revolves around Oakland's murder rate, the death penalty and the environment as the two candidates for attorney general debate. - - Labeling each other extremists out of touch with California voters, attorney general hopefuls Jerry Brown and Chuck Poochigian traded barbs in a feisty debate Thursday spotlighting deep divisions over crime and punishment, the death penalty and corporate criminals. Brown, the Democratic former governor now ending two terms as Oakland mayor, pulled a .50-caliber sniper-rifle round from a pocket and accused Poochigian of doing the National Rifle Assn.'s bidding. He called the Republican state senator from Fresno "way to the right of Arnold Schwarzenegger," the Republican governor. Poochigian countered by displaying photocopied pictures of victims of 1979-80 "Freeway Killer" William Bonin, and contending that Brown's personal opposition to capital punishment could affect his administration of California's death penalty — one of the attorney general's duties. He said Brown "starts out with a bias that's enormous" and that has led to decisions such as his veto as governor of the state's death penalty and later his appointment of Chief Justice Rose Bird to "thwart the will of the people" by blocking more than 60 executions. <more> Oct. 6, 2006 LA Times Click Here To Watch Debate
Thursday, Oct. 5, 2006
Official says U.S. bird flu plans near "state of
the art" - - U.S. preparations against a possible outbreak of the deadly
form of the H5N1 avian flu virus are solid, but other countries may not be as
ready, a U.S. health safety official warned on Thursday. "We're ... close to
the state-of-the-art in the United States with preparations and strong
biosecurity measures," said Ambassador John Lange, the State Department's
special representative on avian and pandemic influenza. But abroad, "it's a
mixed bag," Lange said during a meeting of poultry industry leaders in
Washington.
<more> Oct. 5, 2006 Reuters
Bird flu vaccine shows good results in early trial
- - An experimental vaccine for bird flu using new cell-based
manufacturing methods showed promise at combating several strains of the virus
in an early clinical trial, Baxter International Inc. said on Wednesday. The
health-care products maker said preliminary results from a 270-patient study
suggest the vaccine was safe, well- tolerated and may provide wider protection
against H5N1 -- the bird flu virus -- for a larger number of people. Although
early, Baxter's study suggests the vaccine could be stockpiled and used as a
weapon against an emerging bird flu pandemic, said Hartmut Ehrlich, M.D., vice
president of global R&D for Baxter's BioScience division. Ehrlich said the
early-stage study suggests the vaccine could offer cross-protection from
similar strains of the H5N1 virus.
<more> Oct. 5, 2006 AP
NPIP nominations sought by USDA - - Nominations
for the election of regional membership and a member-at-large for the General
Conference Committee of the National Poultry Improvement Plan are being
solicited by the Secretary of Agriculture. The committee serves as a forum for
the study of problems related to poultry health and, as necessary, makes
specific recommendations to the Secretary concerning was the U.S. Department
of Agriculture can assist the industry in addressing these problems.
Consideration will be given to nominations received on or before Nov. 20,
2006. To review the complete notice, go to
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/E6-16458.htm.
Oct. 5, 2006 USDA Notice
Poochigian, Brown debate in Attorney General’s race
- - Sen. Chuck Poochigian (R-Fresno) took on his Democratic opponent Jerry
Brown in a 60-minute debate hosted by the San Francisco Chronicle
Editorial today at CBS 5's studio in San Francisco. You can watch the
debate via streaming video at www.cbs5.com --
where it will remain posted through Election Day. Video excerpts will also be
available at
www.SFGate.com. Oct. 5, 2006 Poochigian Press release
California gas production tops 1 million barrels a day as retail prices continue to fall -- For the first time in eight weeks, refiners produced more than a million barrels of California gasoline a day, according to the Weekly Fuels Watch Report issued today by the California Energy Commission. Production of California's cleaner-burning gasoline averaged 1,009,714 barrels a day for the week ending September 29, 2006. Output was 7.7 percent higher than the week before and merely 0.9 percent below totals for a year ago. Inventories, however, fell 7.2 percent over the week and were 7.3 percent below last year. Retail gasoline prices continued their seven-week decline; the statewide average for regular fell to $2.68 for the week ending October 2, 2006. The state's retail price topped out during the week ending May 8, 2006, when California regular averaged $3.33 a gallon. <more> Oct. 5, 2006 CEC Press Release
Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2006
U.S. poultry trade with Cuba booming - - U.S.
companies are taking advantage of a loophole in the trade embargo with Cuba
that allows food to be sold to the communist island. Toby Moore with the USA
Poultry and Egg Export Council says, since that loophole went into effect in
2000, Cuba has become a top ten export market for U.S. chicken. Federal
statistics show Cuba buys about $57 million of U.S. poultry a year. About 40
to 50 percent of that comes from Alabama. Moore says the group is working
with the Cuban government's purchasing company (Alimport) to “encourage them
to adopt quality standards that are in line with U.S. standards.” He says
they are also working with APHIS on poultry disease issues, such as avian
influenza to make sure U.S. poultry isn’t banned because of low-pathogenic
outbreaks of bird flu. Oct. 4, 2006 Meatnews.com
Pilgrim's Pride Executive to Participate in
Roundtable Discussion at National Chicken Council Annual Conference --
Pilgrim's Pride Corp. President and Chief Executive Officer O.B. Goolsby Jr.
will participate in a roundtable discussion at the National Chicken Council
annual conference Thursday, October 5, 2006, in Washington, D.C. The
roundtable, which will focus on "Industry Insights and Outlook," will
include other executives from the poultry industry, followed by a
question-and-answer period with industry analysts. The event will take place
from 2:15-3:45 p.m. (EDT). A webcast of the event will be available at
http://www.pilgrimspride.com
Oct. 4, 2006 Pilgrim’s Pride Press Release
Tyson Foods Executive to Speak at National
Chicken Council -- Bill Lovette, senior group vice president of poultry
and prepared foods for Tyson Foods, Inc. will present at the National
Chicken Council annual conference Thursday, October 5, in Washington, D.C.
Lovette also will participate in a roundtable discussion on "Industry
Insights and Outlook" with other executives from the poultry industry,
followed by Q&A with industry analysts. The session will be webcast live
from 2:15 to 3:45 p.m. Eastern Time. A link to the webcast may be found on
the Tyson Foods Investors website at
http://ir.tyson.com Oct. 4, 2006 Tyson Foods Press Release
FBI searches spinach companies for evidence of a
crime - - The FBI searched two produce companies Wednesday for evidence
of a crime in the nationwide E. coli outbreak that killed one person and
sickened at least 191 others. Agents from the FBI and the Food and Drug
Administration used warrants to search a Natural Selection Foods LLC plant
in San Juan Bautista and a Growers Express plant in Salinas to determine
whether they followed food safety procedures. Federal health officials said
early in their investigation that deliberate contamination was not
suspected. "We are investigating allegations that certain spinach growers
and distributors may not have taken all necessary or appropriate steps to
ensure that their spinach was safe before they were placed into interstate
commerce," U.S. Attorney Kevin Ryan said in a statement.
<more> Oct. 4, 2006 AP
Air district release draft ozone plan - - The
San Joaquin Valley Air District has released a draft plan to further reduce
smog-forming emissions to help the Valley air basin meet a new, federal
air-quality standard. The draft "2007 Ozone Plan" is designed to reduce
emissions that create ozone, the main ingredient of smog. The new, federal,
health-based standard sets limits on ozone concentrations averaged over
eight-hour periods. The old standard averaged concentrations over a one-hour
period. The plan will undergo several months of public review and discussion
prior to being presented to the District's governing board in spring 2007
for their approval. The 350-plus-page plan, posted online at
www.valleyair.org, provides an ambitious list of regulatory and
voluntary measures to reduce smog-forming emissions. Some of the measures
are under the jurisdiction of the Air District, while some are the
responsibility of local, state and federal governments.
<more> Oct. 4, 2006 Air District Press Release
Good Egg Breakfast in Modesto Oct. 26 - - The 44th annual Good Egg Breakfast, honoring a yet-to-be-named person for contributions to the poultry industry, is set for Oct. 26 in Modesto. The event will be at 7 a.m. at the DoubleTree Hotel, 1150 Ninth St. The keynote speaker will be Trent Loos, a Nebraska cattle rancher who hosts a radio show about rural America. The breakfast raises money for scholarships for agriculture students at Modesto Junior College. The $20 tickets are available at the California Poultry Federation, 576-6355; Modesto Chamber of Commerce, 571-6480; Pacific Egg and Poultry Association, 916-441-0801; and Stanislaus County Farm Bureau, 522-7278. Sponsorships are available at $250 for a table of 10. Oct. 2, 2006
Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2006
Good Egg Breakfast in Modesto Oct. 26 - - The
44th annual Good Egg Breakfast, honoring a yet-to-be-named person for
contributions to the poultry industry, is set for Oct. 26 in Modesto. The
event will be at 7 a.m. at the DoubleTree Hotel, 1150 Ninth St. The keynote
speaker will be Trent Loos, a Nebraska cattle rancher who hosts a radio show
about rural America. The breakfast raises money for scholarships for
agriculture students at Modesto Junior College. The $20 tickets are
available at the California Poultry Federation, 576-6355; Modesto Chamber of
Commerce, 571-6480; Pacific Egg and Poultry Association, 916-441-0801; and
Stanislaus County Farm Bureau, 522-7278. Sponsorships are available at $250
for a table of 10. Oct. 2, 2006
Poultry Industry Honors UC Davis Bird-Flu Expert
- - Carol Cardona, a UC Davis Cooperative Extension poultry veterinarian
and associate professor, was honored recently with the Golden Rooster Award
from the California Poultry Federation for her work on preventing avian
influenza. Cardona is part of a network of researchers nationwide providing
public and industry education about avian influenza, or bird flu. She works
with large commercial poultry producers as well as small poultry operations
to provide basic information on how to recognize and prevent spread of the
disease.
<more> Oct. 3, 2006 UC Davis Press Release
Phony Animal-Rights 'Physicians Committee' Plays
Chicken With California Lawsuits, Says Center for Consumer Freedom --
Seven California lawsuits filed against restaurants that serve grilled
chicken are motivated by animal-rights ideology, the nonprofit Center for
Consumer Freedom (CCF) said. The deceptively named "Physicians Committee for
Responsible Medicine" (PCRM) is actually a wealthy animal rights group, not
a mainstream health charity. PCRM's goals include transitioning Americans to
a strict vegetarian diet. And publicly available tax records show that
two-thirds of the group's operating budget now comes from Nanci Alexander,
an animal-rights millionaire who operates a Florida vegetarian restaurant.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has also contributed over
$1.3 million.
<more> Oct. 2, 2006 Center for Consumer Freedom Press Release
Decision to quash UC Davis food safety lab
blasted - - Rep. John Doolittle played a key role in killing federal
funding to create a team of food safety experts at UC Davis that the
university said would have sped the response to the recent nationwide E.
coli outbreak. The outbreak, traced to California-grown spinach, has
sickened at least 187 people, killing one and causing kidney failure in 29
others across the country. Doolittle opposed as unnecessary the $1 million
in startup funds for a Western Center for Food Safety and Defense included
in a $100 billion Agriculture Department spending bill that the Senate
approved last September.
<more> Oct. 1, 2006 Sacramento Bee
Recycling or Polluting? Using fruit waste
benefits farms, canneries - - Martin Reyes' job, some of the time,
involves mixing a kind of fruit cocktail. He oversees the spreading of
cannery waste — peach pits, pear skins and the like — on farmland southwest
of Modesto. He has done it for 16 years, and he swears by it. "I've always
understood that you put organic matter in the soil to build it up," Reyes
said Thursday as he prepared to guide yet another truckload onto a field.
"The best fertilizer is organic matter." The spreading, which has been done
on land owned by Bill Lyons Jr. and his family, keeps the waste out of
landfills while providing much of the nutrients needed by corn, alfalfa and
other crops used for animal feed. The waste comes from tomato as well as
fruit canners. Stanislaus County officials created the program in 1978.
Regular inspections guard against odors, water pollution and other problems.
In the past couple of years, regional regulators have raised concerns that
the waste might taint groundwater. They were prepared to tighten the rules
this spring, but they agreed to wait until an independent study assesses the
practice. That study got under way last month and is expected to take about
a year.
<more> Sept. 30, 2006 Modesto Bee
GPS technology joins the fight against avian flu
- - As wild birds ready to take to the skies for their winter migration,
birds from space will be monitoring their movements in order to help
scientists fight the spread of H5N1 -- the deadly strain of avian flu virus.
By utilizing GPS navigation technology, international teams of scientists
plan to follow the movements of migrating birds to better understand the
extent of their role in transmitting the virus. The UN Food and Agricultural
Organization (FOA) launched the plan following a conference held in Rome
this past May, where experts convened to address the problem.
<more> Oct. 2, 2006 AFP
Border Barrier Approved. The bill, which calls
for 700 miles of fence and beefed-up enforcement, easily clears the Senate.
It does not include a guest worker program. - - The Senate on Friday
approved and sent to President Bush a bill calling for construction of a
700-mile wall along the U.S. border with Mexico, voting overwhelmingly for a
project that became the centerpiece of efforts to improve border security
and stem illegal immigration. Bush is expected to sign the measure into law.
The bill, which passed 80 to 19 and is identical to legislation passed by
the House last week, authorizes the building of double-layered fencing in
areas near Tecate and Calexico, Calif., and border towns in New Mexico,
Arizona and Texas. It also empowers the government's Homeland Security
secretary to "take all actions … necessary" to stop "all unlawful entries
into the United States." The legislation's opponents dismissed it as a
costly political gimmick that would have little effect on stopping illegal
immigration. They also chided Congress for failing to create a guest worker
program or to address the status of the estimated 12 million illegal
immigrants already in the U.S.
<more> Sept. 30, 2006 LA Times
Voters Cool Toward State Bond Package. Public
works initiatives spark little enthusiasm. Democrats Feinstein, Brown hold
wide leads. - - A $37-billion package of public works bonds that has
strong bipartisan support in Sacramento is in some peril among voters, along
with ballot measures dealing with alternative energy and a cigarette tax,
according to a new Los Angeles Times poll. The vast majority of likely
voters knew too little about the infrastructure bonds — backed by both
Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democratic legislators — to
express an opinion. After poll respondents were read a ballot summary of
each measure, none of the items generated much enthusiasm. Only two eked out
a bare majority: those on housing and disaster preparedness. The measures on
smoking and alternative energy were much better known, thanks to extensive
advertising campaigns, but neither drew majority support. Two of
California's most durable Democrats, meanwhile, were in strong positions as
the November election nears. U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein holds a hefty lead
in her run for reelection. And Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown enjoys a sizable
edge as he bids to become state attorney general, the poll found.
<more> Sept. 30, 2006 LA Times
Gasoline Prices Fall for Eighth Straight Week. Analysts credit a further drop in the cost of oil amid a calming of global tensions. Refiner profits also are narrowing. - - Retail gasoline prices across the country tumbled for the eighth consecutive week, a government survey showed Monday, as ample supplies continued to ease worries about world oil production. Nationwide, the average pump price for self-serve regular fell to $2.31 a gallon Monday, down 6.8 cents in the previous seven days, according to the Energy Department's weekly price survey. California's retail average dropped 7.7 cents to $2.683 a gallon. Since early August, the retail average has plummeted 72.8 cents a gallon nationwide and 63.6 cents in California. Industry experts expect the trend to continue. <more> Oct. 3, 2006 LA Times