California
Poultry Federation Headline News
Edited by Mark Looker
A news service of the California Poultry Federation,
4640 Spyres Way,
Suite 4,
Modesto, CA 95356 (209) 576-6355
www.cpif.org.
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Monday, July 6, 2009
Poultry Financial Management Seminar Analyzes Economic Dynamics - -
Poultry industry financial professionals convened in Hilton Head for the
2009 Financial Management Seminar. The annual conference is sponsored by
U.S. Poultry & Egg Association’s Poultry & Egg Institute. At the forefront
of the program were key economic factors affecting the poultry
industry. “Even though I have been negative in some sectors, my outlook on
the economy is decidedly positive,” said Dr. Don Ratajczak, nationally
prominent consulting economist. “A continued gain in asset values through
next year is the projection. The economy is trying to right itself but has
a few more months to travel before real growth materializes. No more major
shocks are likely, although I expect some sluggish performance in the middle
of 2010 when government programs begin declining,” he added. Kathy Gaynor,
Senior Manager of Consumer Research, Technomic, Chicago, IL, provided a
perspective on consumer eating habits and restaurant trends. Gaynor stated,
“We are starting to see some silver linings in consumer mindsets on how they
view their financial situation with respect to dining out.” Addressing the
economic impact on restaurant spending Gaynor added, “Foodservice continues
to be an important part of consumers’ day-to-day lives. We are busier than
ever, and we rely on restaurants for dining, but also to socialize and
reconnect with friends and family. While there will be challenges ahead for
certain segments and players in the industry, those who successfully meet
consumer expectations at occasion-appropriate price points will do well,”
she said. July 2, 2009 USPEA Press Release
Sponsors lining up to support CPF summer meeting
- -
Several sponsors have signed up
to lend their financial support to the CPF’s summer meeting set for July
13-14 in Shell Beach. Sponsors to date are
Alltech;
Alpharma; ASC / Agrecom Inc.;
Aviagen Inc.; Baker Commodities, Inc.;
BJK
Flexible
Packaging;
Central Coast Fryer Farms ;Cobb-Vantress;
Cryovac/Sealed Air Corporation; Cumberland; CVP Systems; Darling
International; Elanco Animal Health; Evonik Degussa Corporation; Foster
Farms; Haley Farms, Inc.; Hubbard LLC; Huvepharma; International Paper;
Intervet/Schering-Plough; Jones-Hamilton Company; J.S. West Milling
Company; Kemin Industries; Lohmann Animal Health;
Merial Select, Inc.;
Meyn America, LLC;
Motomco Ltd.;
Novus International, Inc.;
Pitman Farms; Preserve International;
Phibro Animal
Health;
Tipper Tie, Inc.; Veterinary Service,
Inc.; Volk Enterprises; Walco International; Woodland Farms; Zacky Farms and Zinpro Corporation. Sponsorship information is available from CPF President
Bill Mattos at (209) 576-6355. June
23, 2009
July 13-14, 2009 Summer Meeting, The Cliffs Resort, Shell Beach.
Sept. 17-18, 2009 Annual Conference, Resort at Squaw Creek, Lake Tahoe.
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Thursday, July 2, 2009
Foster
Farms to reduce contracted growers in Louisiana - - A California-based
poultry company that recently took over a closed Louisiana processing plant
with assistance from the state says it will not extend contracts to all of
the plant's former growers. Foster Farms agreed to buy the shuttered
Pilgrim's Pride poultry processing plant in Farmerville for $80 million,
with Louisiana contributing $50 million of the purchase price and another
$10 million for equipment upgrades. The company's director of marketing
services, Ira Brill, said in a statement that independent growers had been
providing chickens to both the Farmerville plant and another now-shuttered
Pilgrim's Pride plant in Clinton, Ark. "As Foster Farms brings the
Farmerville plant up to full capacity, it expects to extend contracts to the
vast majority of Louisiana growers, but the regrettable fact is that this
single plant cannot fully accommodate a grower base that was previously
supplying two plants," Brill said.
<more> July 2, 2009 AP
Immigration
Crackdown Shifts Focus to Employers - - The Obama administration
announced a crackdown Wednesday on hundreds of companies suspected of
employing illegal immigrants, signaling a shift in strategy: going after
employers instead of workers. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a
unit of the Department of Homeland Security, said that it had begun an audit
of 652 U.S. companies to verify whether their employees were eligible to
work. Violations could lead to fines, as well as civil and criminal charges.
It wasn't clear what steps the government would pursue if it verified that
an employer had hired illegal workers, or how severe penalties might be. The
announcement came a few months after Homeland Security Secretary Janet
Napolitano said she wanted to focus immigration enforcement on egregious
cases of employers who hire undocumented workers, and sometimes even assist
in falsifying their paperwork to avoid detection.
<more> July 2, 2009 Wall Street Journal
Vet
licensure bill clears Senate committee - - A bill to increase the number
of practicing veterinarians in California passed the Senate Appropriations
Committee on Monday, June 29. AB107, by Assembly members Cathleen Galgiani,
D-Livingston, and Connie Conway, R-Tulare, is intended to address a chronic
shortage of food-animal veterinarians. A Senate Appropriations Committee
analysis predicts the bill will increase the number of veterinary licenses
issued annually in California by 100. The bill has received only unanimous
votes so far. It now heads to the Senate floor. It would require the
California Veterinary Medical Board to offer the state's licensing exam
twice each year instead of once, and would loosen rules for transferring a
license from out of state, and for issuing a temporary license.
<more> July 2, 2009 Capital Press
China
denies reported ban on chicken imports from U.S. - -Vice minister of
Commerce Chen Jian said here Thursday China has no limit on imported chicken
from the United States, and the report of such policy is untrue. The Wall
Street Journal quoted Thursday James H. Sumner, president the USA Poultry
and Egg Exporting Council, who heard from unnamed importers in China that
China would stop issuing import permits on the product from July 1. Vice
minister Chen made the remarks at a press conference on international
investment and trade here in Beijing. The import of chicken is regulated by
an automatic approval system that has no specific limit on quantity, Chen
said. He said that companies could decide to import chicken according to
their need. July 2, 2009 Xinhua News Service
Pixley
Ethanol Plant to Reopen - - With all the state's biofuel plants sitting
idle, a signal the recession may be ending for California's ethanol makers
is rising from Pixley. “We will be the first to re-open in the state,”
likely by the end of July, says Walt Dwelle, partner in Calgren Renewable
Fuels that owns an ethanol production plant in Tulare County. Because
margins in the business have improved, “I would expect most of the plants
would be producing again by the first of the year.” The 50-million-gallon
plant was shut down in January not just because it was losing money but
because the year-old facility needed some fixes said Dwelle who heads Nella
Oil, an independent oil company in the state.
<more> July 2, 2009 Valley Voice
EPA Extends
Comment Period for Renewable Fuel Standard - - The U.S. EPA is extending
the comment period by 60 days on its proposed rule revising the national
Renewable Fuel Standard program, commonly referred to as RFS2. The original
comment period was to end on July 27, 2009 and will now end on September 25,
2009. The proposed rule would dramatically increase the volume requirements
for renewable fuels, establish four categories of renewable fuels, and
require some renewable fuels to achieve greenhouse gas emission reductions
compared to the gasoline and diesel fuels they displace. These revisions
were mandated by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. More
information and instructions on submitting comments:
http://www.epa.gov/otaq/renewablefuels/index.htm July 2, 2009
EPA Press Release
Michigan legislation to pre-empt HSUS initiatives - - A package of bills
has been introduced into the Michigan Legislature to establish a standard
for farm animal care. The plan placed before the House Agriculture Committee
will define the authority of the Department of Agriculture and the
Agriculture Commission as the sole authority to regulate livestock health
and welfare. This action follows similar legislation in Oklahoma. Standards
for animal care to be implemented by 2020 will be based on scientific
knowledge. An Animal Care Advisory Council will make recommendations for
changes to standards and a third party auditing system will be created to
oversee the program. <more>
July 2, 2009 WattPoultry.com
Sponsors lining up to support CPF summer meeting
- -
Several sponsors have signed up
to lend their financial support to the CPF’s summer meeting set for July
13-14 in Shell Beach. Sponsors to date are
Alltech;
Alpharma; ASC / Agrecom Inc.;
Aviagen Inc.; Baker Commodities, Inc.;
BJK
Flexible
Packaging;
Central Coast Fryer Farms ;Cobb-Vantress;
Cryovac/Sealed Air Corporation; Cumberland; CVP Systems; Darling
International; Elanco Animal Health; Evonik Degussa Corporation; Foster
Farms; Haley Farms, Inc.; Hubbard LLC; Huvepharma; International Paper;
Intervet/Schering-Plough; Jones-Hamilton Company; J.S. West Milling
Company; Kemin Industries; Lohmann Animal Health;
Merial Select, Inc.;
Meyn America, LLC;
Motomco Ltd.;
Novus International, Inc.;
Pitman Farms; Preserve International;
Phibro Animal
Health;
Tipper Tie, Inc.; Veterinary Service,
Inc.; Volk Enterprises; Walco International; Woodland Farms; Zacky Farms and Zinpro Corporation. Sponsorship information is available from CPF President
Bill Mattos at (209) 576-6355. June
23, 2009
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
China Is Expected to Block Imports of Chicken
From U.S - - China is expected to ban imports of U.S. chicken in coming
days, a move likely to deliver a blow to the struggling American chicken
industry and escalate trade tensions between the two nations. James H.
Sumner, president of the Georgia-based USA Poultry & Egg Export Council,
said he learned Tuesday from "several importers" in China that the U.S.
wouldn't receive any import permits from the country's ministry of commerce
starting July 1. Mr. Sumner said he has informed the U.S. Embassy in
Beijing and that it is looking into the matter. There has been no official
confirmation from the Chinese government. Representatives for the U.S. trade
representative, the U.S. Agriculture Department and the Chinese Embassy in
Washington declined to comment. Mr. Sumner says the potential ban appears to
be tied to a provision in the most recent U.S. spending bill that prohibits
the USDA from allowing Chinese chicken plants to send poultry products to
the U.S. Lawmakers question whether China's chicken processing plants meet
U.S. standards.
<more> July 1, 2009 Wall Street Journal
Immigration steps-up audits of businesses’
employment records - – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is
launching a bold, new audit initiative today by issuing Notices of
Inspection (NOIs) to 652 businesses nationwide – which is more than ICE
issued throughout all of last fiscal year. The notices alert business owners
that ICE will be inspecting their hiring records to determine whether or not
they are complying with employment eligibility verification laws and
regulations. Inspections are one of the most powerful tools the federal
government has to enforce employment and immigration laws. This new
initiative illustrates ICE’s increased focus on holding employers
accountable for their hiring practices and efforts to ensure a legal
workforce.
<more> July 1, 2009 ICE Press Release
South Carolina General Assembly to legislate
livestock, poultry care - - The General Assembly of South Carolina
passed S.453 legislating the care of livestock and poultry. Under the
legislation, units of local government cannot enact ordinances, orders or
other regulations concerning care and handling, interpreted as “accepted
animal husbandry practices.” SCnow.com reported that the intent of the
legislation is to “occupy the field of regulation of care and handling with
all local laws and ordinances preempted and superceded by laws enacted by
the General Assembly." July 1, 2009 WattPoultry.com
The egg industry is OK - - I spent most of
this week with a group of egg producers from around the world, and the clear
message was that the egg industry is doing fine right now. I attended Hy-Line’s
International Technical School in Des Moines, Iowa, an event that they host
every two years. This was by far the largest group that has ever attended
this school: 115 producers from 27 countries and five continents. More than
half of the attendees were from Latin America (representing 9 countries),
and there was a large French delegation, but the rest of the world was also
well represented. (Simultaneous translation of the conferences was done in
Spanish, French and Russian.) The fact that this was the largest group ever
at this school speaks volumes about the state of the industry, since the
attendees had to pay their own travel and lodging expenses. When things are
bad, travel is one of the first things that is cut.
<more> July 1, 2009 AnimalAgNet.com
Arkansas poultry companies ask for delay of
pollution trial - - A dozen Arkansas poultry companies being sued by
Oklahoma's attorney general for polluting the Illinois River watershed with
chicken waste have asked a judge to postpone the trial. The companies
said they want to push back the Sept. 21 trial date because they need more
time to handle all the paperwork from Attorney General Drew Edmondson's
office. The companies said his office has been submitting hundreds of pages
of expert testimony and sampling data. "Despite this court's repeated
admonitions and instructions, plaintiffs have continued with improper
attempts to supplement their expert-based case with new sampling data and
previously undisclosed expert analyses and opinions," according to the
motion filed Tuesday in Tulsa federal court.
<more> July 1, 2009 Pine Bluff Commercial
Industry responds to HSUS interview - -
Livestock producers took to the airwaves this morning to respond
to yesterday’s interview by AgriTalk’s host Mike Adams of Wayne Pacelle,
Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) president. “We’re here to help
animals, not hurt them,” a Missouri poultry producer asserted this morning
on AgriTalk’s call-in radio program. He cited personal experience, and said
that there are numerous independent research studies on poultry housing that
show that mortality rates double — or even triple — for laying hens raised
cage-free versus those housed in cages due to natural animal crowding
behavior. “How is that humane?” he asked incredulously. Adams recalled
Pacelle’s claim that HSUS is willing to work with agriculture to develop
better conditions for animals; however, that conversation seems to be a
one-way street. HSUS is willing to sit at the negotiating table as long as
agriculture agrees with what HSUS wants.
<more> July 1, 2009 Dairy Herd Management
AgriTalk Interview with Wayne Pacelle - -
Transcript of AgriTalk interview with Host Mike Adams, June 30th, 2009,
featuring Wayne Pacelle, President and CEO, Humane Society of the United
States. - - Mike Adams – We have had a lot questions about where you
come down on animal rights and welfare. The livestock industry and people I
know believe in the humane treatment of animals. There is a difference
between animal welfare and animal rights. How do you define the two? Are
they same or different? Wayne Pacelle – We at the Humane Society of the
United States don’t talk about animal rights, but human responsibility. That
places us more with the comments that you represent from the agriculture
community. In almost al of our campaigns and activities, whether it’s Prop 2
in California or prior ballot measures in Florida or Arizona, or in our
Hallmark/Westland investigation, where we exposed the terrible mistreatment
at a cull cow slaughter plant of the spent dairy cows, or in some other
campaigns, those fit squarely in the realm of animal welfare. They relate
not whether animals should be used for food, but how they are treated during
production, transport and slaughter.
<more> July 1, 2009 BovineVetOnline.com
Nearly 4,000 people march in Fresno for water
- - Thousands of farmers, farmworkers and their supporters rallied at City
Hall on Wednesday, calling on federal officials to ease regulations that
have cut water supplies to the nation's most prolific growing region. "Water
makes the difference between the Garden of Eden and Death Valley," said
comedian Paul Rodriguez, who acts as a spokesman for the Latino Water
Coalition, a group lobbying for changes in water delivery policy regarding
the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The noon rally was organized by the
grower-funded group, which also organized an April march from Mendota to the
San Luis Reservoir hoping to draw national attention to the issue. The rally
came on the heels of a visit Sunday by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, who
assigned his chief deputy to stay in California to work full-time on solving
the delta's many problems.
<more> July 1, 2009 AP
Ohio livestock measure slated for ballot - -
Ohio farm families joined lawmakers to support a measure that would help
ensure animal well-being, consumer choice and the availability of Ohio-grown
food, according to a Ohio Farm Bureau Federation release. The Ohio House and
Senate Agriculture Committees have passed joint resolutions that will allow
Ohio to create a Livestock Care Standards Board to supervise how farm
animals are raised. The Ohio House approved the resolution by a vote of
84-13. The measure will be placed before voters in November. July 1, 2009
WattPoultry.com
'Organic' label doesn't guarantee quality or
taste - - I don't believe in organic. There, I've said it and I feel
better. It's something that's been on my mind for years. Now, don't get me
wrong: I've got nothing against organic farmers. In fact, some of my
favorite farmers are organic. I really admire them: Growing delicious food
and doing it according to organic standards is adding a degree of difficulty
that I wouldn't wish on anyone. But a lot of my favorite farmers aren't
organic, and therein lies the rub. This may shock some people, and for that
I guess I ought to apologize. But really, if I'm honest, I think the ones
who need to do the apologizing are the often-well-meaning organic advocates
who paint such a black-and-white picture of the way farming works that it
seems there should be no choice at all.
<more> July 1, 2009 LA Times
California chain restaurants must fork over
calorie counts under new law - - Dining at some restaurants will be a
new experience starting today, when California becomes the first state to
require that chain restaurants supply calorie counts for virtually
everything they serve. "Consumers should be able to make informed decisions
about their health and it will raise the consciousness of how much we eat,"
said John Rogers, Sacramento County environmental health division chief.
There will be no guessing – or denial – about that double Western Bacon
Cheeseburger from Carl's Jr.: 960 calories. Side of Chili Cheese Fries to go
with that? 990 calories. Maybe stick to the fried zucchini at 330 calories?
The new law requires restaurants with at least 20 stores in California –
about 17,000 locations statewide – to provide a brochure on site listing
calories, sodium, saturated fat and carbohydrates for each menu item. Both
sit-down and drive-through restaurants must comply.
<more> July 1, 2009 Sacramento Bee
We're Getting A Bad Feeling About Our Food - - Editor's Note: Gut Check is a new biweekly column on the politics of food. "Does for the supermarket what 'Jaws' did for the beach," says Variety's John Anderson. "Everyone should see 'Food, Inc.,' " enthuses this newspaper. It's high praise, and not undeserved: "Food, Inc." is certainly an important film. But, like the movement that spawned it, it's also a frustrating one. It's driven less by a thesis than by an intuition: Something is wrong with our food production system. It's just not clear what. Over the course of 94 minutes, we wander through meatpacking plants and fast-food drive-throughs and the halls of Congress. We meet a mother who lost her son to tainted meat and a farmer who can no longer stomach Tyson's treatment of her chickens. We stop in with a hyper-charismatic farmer who pets his pigs and preaches sustainability and loathes corporate cash cows, then travel with a hippie yogurt baron who touts his company as the ethical future of big-box food. <more> July 1, 2009 Washington Post
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Florez pulls antibiotic bill from Assembly Ag
Committee sharing – - Sen. Dean Florez (D-Shafter) has pulled his latest
version of legislation regarding antibiotics in animal agriculture.
SB 562 would mandate a warning on the label of any animal product
derived from an animal that was administered a non-therapeutic dosage of an
antibiotic. The legislation was scheduled to be heard at the Assembly Ag
Committee hearing on Wednesday, July 1, but was pulled at Florez’s request.
He indicated he would make it a two-year bill. Many legislative observers
felt this new attempt at antibiotic labeling faced a rough road ahead as
federal labeling laws preempt any attempts by state governments to label
products. June 30, 2009
Maryland’s Attorney General “Provably Wrong”
About Safety of Chicken, NCC Says - - The Attorney General of Maryland,
Douglas Gansler (D), has written an opinion article in The Washington Post
stating that chicken is “laced with arsenic.” Mr. Gansler is wrong:
absolutely, provably wrong. If Mr. Gansler were actually to read up on this
subject, rather than take his lead from various activists, he would study
the findings of the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, which is the federal
agency charged with monitoring the presence of arsenic and other substances
in certain foods. Arsenic is a naturally occurring element that is widely
found. As the World Health Organization puts it: “Arsenic is ubiquitous,
found in air, water, fuels, and marine life. The daily human intake of
arsenic contained in food is in the range 0.5–1 milligrams.” Because trace
amounts of arsenic occur widely, the FDA sets a tolerance level in foods.
For chicken, that level is 0.5 parts per million.
<more>
June 30, 2009 NCC Press Release
A Deadly Ingredient in a Chicken Dinner- -
By Douglas Gansler, Maryland Attorney General - - Most people don't know
that the chicken they eat is laced with arsenic. The ice water or coffee
they enjoy with their chicken may also be infused with arsenic. If they live
on or near a farm, the air they breathe may be infected with arsenic dust as
well. Why do our chicken, our water and our air contain arsenic? Because in
the United States, most major poultry producers add an arsenic compound
known as roxarsone to their chicken feed. Inorganic arsenic is a Class A
carcinogen that has been linked to heart disease, diabetes and declines in
brain function. Recent scientific findings show that most Americans are
routinely exposed to between three and 11 times the Environmental Protection
Agency's recommended safety limit. The poultry industry has been using the
feed additive roxarsone -- purportedly to fight parasites and increase
growth in chickens -- since the Food and Drug Administration approved it in
1944. Turns out that the arsenic additive promotes the growth of blood
vessels in chicken, which makes the meat appear pinker and more attractive
in its plastic wrap at the grocery store, but does little else. The arsenic
additive does the same in human cells, fueling a growth process known as
angiogenesis, a critical first step in many human diseases such as cancer.
<more> June 29, 2009 Washington Post
Sponsors lining up to support CPF summer meeting
- -
Several sponsors have signed up
to lend their financial support to the CPF’s summer meeting set for July
13-14 in Shell Beach. Sponsors to date are
Alltech;
Alpharma; ASC / Agrecom Inc.;
Aviagen Inc.; Baker Commodities, Inc.; Central Coast Fryer Farms ;Cobb-Vantress;
Cryovac/Sealed Air Corporation; Cumberland; CVP Systems; Darling
International; Elanco Animal Health; Evonik Degussa Corporation; Foster
Farms; Haley Farms, Inc.; Hubbard LLC; Huvepharma; International Paper;
Intervet/Schering-Plough; Jones-Hamilton Company; J.S. West Milling
Company; Kemin Industries; Lohmann Animal Health;
Merial Select, Inc.;
Meyn America, LLC;
Motomco Ltd.;
Novus International, Inc.;
Pitman Farms; Preserve International;
Phibro Animal
Health;
Tipper Tie, Inc.; Veterinary Service,
Inc.; Volk Enterprises; Walco International; Woodland Farms; Zacky Farms and Zinpro Corporation. Sponsorship information is available from CPF President
Bill Mattos at (209) 576-6355. June
23, 2009
Foster Farms launches ‘Say No to Plumping' website - - "Plumping" - or injecting fresh chicken with useless saltwater that costs shoppers their money and health - is giving consumers and experts plenty to squawk about. The issue is gaining steam with a Los Angeles Times article which quotes national experts including the American Heart Association and New York University's Marion Nestle decrying "hidden salt in chicken." Consumers who have learned of this little known practice are turning to social media to express their dissatisfaction. As part of its "Say No To Plumping" consumer awareness campaign, Foster Farms, the West's leading poultry producer, today launched a new online resource for consumers who are concerned about saltwater-injected or "plumped" fresh chicken and want to learn more. Foster Farms does not inject its fresh poultry products labeled "100% Natural." The new Web site, www.saynotoplumping.com, features two new feathery characters, Betsy and Martha, who discuss the health and cost implications of plumping, a practice long employed by some major national poultry brands. The site also includes plumping facts and figures, how to detect a plumper, links to health resources and an interactive Plumpinator calculator to help site visitors calculate how much money they waste on saltwater from plumped chicken each year. The web site was designed by San Francisco-based advertising agency Goodby, Silverstein & Partners. <more> June 29, 2009 Foster Farms Press Release
Monday, June 29, 2009
Foster Farms launches ‘Say No to Plumping'
website - - "Plumping" - or injecting fresh chicken with useless
saltwater that costs shoppers their money and health - is giving consumers
and experts plenty to squawk about. The issue is gaining steam with a Los
Angeles Times article which quotes national experts including the American
Heart Association and New York University's Marion Nestle decrying "hidden
salt in chicken." Consumers who have learned of this little known practice
are turning to social media to express their dissatisfaction. As part of its
"Say No To Plumping" consumer awareness campaign, Foster Farms, the West's
leading poultry producer, today launched a new online resource for consumers
who are concerned about saltwater-injected or "plumped" fresh chicken and
want to learn more. Foster Farms does not inject its fresh poultry products
labeled "100% Natural." The new Web site,
www.saynotoplumping.com,
features two new feathery characters, Betsy and Martha, who discuss the
health and cost implications of plumping, a practice long employed by some
major national poultry brands. The site also includes plumping facts and
figures, how to detect a plumper, links to health resources and an
interactive Plumpinator calculator to help site visitors calculate how much
money they waste on saltwater from plumped chicken each year. The web site
was designed by San Francisco-based advertising agency Goodby, Silverstein &
Partners. <more>
June 29, 2009 Foster Farms Press Release
Florez introduces Constitutional amendment
banning the use of “nontherapeutic” antibiotics in meat and poultry - -
Apparently looking for every possible legislative vehicle available to push
forward his agenda, Sen. Dean Florez (D-Shafter) has introduced legislation
to amend the California Constitution to ban the use of “nontherapeutic”
antibiotics in meat and poultry.
SCA 23 was introduced June 24 by Florez. The measure is not subject to
bill deadlines and can be moved at any time. The measure requires a
two-third vote of both the Assembly and the Senate to be placed on the
ballot and then would require approval of a majority of the voters to amend
the state’s Constitution. June 29, 2009
Florez’s antibiotic bill up for hearing Wednesday
before Assembly Ag Committee- - Sen. Dean Florez's (D-Shafter) latest
attempt to limit the use of antibiotics in animal agriculture. will be heard
Wednesday before the Assembly Agriculture Committee. Florez has turned to a tried and true tactic known
as “gut and amend” whereby he took an existing bill,
SB 562 that dealt with the citrus industry, and amended it so that it
now mandates a warning on the label of any animal product derived from an
animal that was administered a non-therapeutic dosage of an antibiotic. Many
legislative observers believe that this new attempt at antibiotic labeling
faces a rough road ahead as federal labeling laws preempt any attempts by
state governments to label products. The Assembly Ag Committee
hearing begins at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 1 in Room 126 of the
Capitol. June 24, 2009
Sponsors lining up to support CPF summer meeting
- -
Several sponsors have signed up
to lend their financial support to the CPF’s summer meeting set for July
13-14 in Shell Beach. Sponsors to date are
Alltech;
Alpharma; ASC / Agrecom Inc.;
Aviagen Inc. ; Baker Commodities, Inc.; Central Coast Fryer Farms ;Cobb-Vantress;
Cryovac/Sealed Air Corporation; Cumberland; CVP Systems; Darling
International; Elanco Animal Health; Evonik Degussa Corporation; Foster
Farms; Haley Farms, Inc.; Hubbard LLC; Huvepharma; International Paper;
Intervet/Schering-Plough; Jones-Hamilton Company; J.S. West Milling
Company; Kemin Industries; Lohmann Animal Health;
Merial Select, Inc.; Motomco Ltd.;
Novus International, Inc.;
Pitman Farms; Preserve International;
Phibro Animal
Health;
Tipper Tie, Inc.; Veterinary Service,
Inc.; Volk Enterprises; Walco International; Woodland Farms; Zacky Farms and Zinpro Corporation. Sponsorship information is available from CPF President
Bill Mattos at (209) 576-6355. June
23, 2009
Bank of America partners with HSUS - - Just
when you thought the banks couldn’t make things any worse for themselves.
Bank of America found itself in hot water last week for partnering with the
Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). The bank’s MyExpression program
is offering an HSUS checking account, and a Visa check and credit card. Both
of these products financially support HSUS. According to the Bank of
America, it will donate 25 cents to the animal rights organization for every
$100 in purchases made with the HSUS WorldPoints Platinum Plus Visa credit
card. CattleNetwork has issued a template letter for livestock producers to
submit to Bank of America expressing their concerns about providing
financial support to HSUS. This template can be viewed at on their website
at www.cattlenetwork.com.
In response to this, Bank of America senior vice president in Amarillo,
Texas issued a letter to the cattle industry which is also posted on
CattleNetwork’s website referencing the importance of the industry to Bank
of America and says “the matter has been elevated and is being looking into
so that we can further address your concerns.” June 29, 2009 National
Meat Assn. Newsletter
House Passes Clean Energy Legislation with
Significant Benefits for Agriculture - - The U.S. House of
Representatives has approved legislation that will allow farmers, ranchers
and forestland owners to fully participate in a market-based carbon offset
program, earning income for activities they undertake to address global
climate change. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin C. Peterson (MN)
worked with the authors of the American Clean Energy and Security Act
of 2009 (H.R. 2454) to include several important programs that recognize and
reward the agriculture and forestry sector for conservation activities and
clean energy production. Under the legislation passed by the House, the
agriculture and forestry sectors are clearly exempt from the bill's
greenhouse gas emission reduction requirements, which means that farmers,
ranchers and forestland owners will not be subject to the greenhouse gas
emissions cap.
<more> June 26, 2009 House Ag Committee Press Release
Climate change bill alters ‘indirect land use’
rule - - The American Clean Energy and Security Act-the climate change
bill passed by the House-includes language that would alter the “indirect
land use change” penalty provisions of the 2007 energy law. In a nutshell,
it exempts ethanol from indirect-land-use analysis for five years and
subjects the theory to further study. Tom Buis is the CEO of the ethanol
advocacy group Growth Energy. “The precedence is so dangerous for American
agriculture,” Buis says, “to say you’re going to make your farming decisions
and you’re going to make your energy decisions based on how other countries
farm or utilize land use changes, not based upon what’s best for this
country.”
<more> June 29, 2009 Brownfield Ag News
Salazar assigns deputy as Calif. water czar -
- Interior Secretary Ken Salazar on Sunday announced several steps he hoped
would ease the toll of the state's water shortage on farmers, and said he
would assign a top deputy to help find solutions. At a spirited town hall
meeting in California's agricultural heartland, Salazar told a packed
auditorium that Deputy Interior Secretary David J. Hayes will "bring all of
the key federal agencies to the table" to coordinate efforts. Salazar said
he wanted to direct $160 million in Recovery Act funds for the federal
Central Valley Project, which manages the dams and canals that move water
around the state, and will expedite water transfers from other areas.
Members of the San Joaquin Valley congressional delegation told Salazar that
three years of drought were forcing farmers to fallow hundreds of thousands
of acres and idle farmworkers.
<more> June 29, 2009 AP
PLF asks for convening of ‘God Squad’ to address state’s water emergency - - Pacific Legal Foundation announced that it has formally requested both President Barack Obama and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to act to convene a special federal panel – nicknamed the “God Squad” – to address California’s water emergency caused by harsh federal environmental restrictions that dramatically reduce the flow of water to millions of agricultural and urban water users. On Monday, June 29, PLF’s online petition will go “live” at www.pacificlegal.org, allowing members of the general public to add their signatures to a call for President Obama, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, and Governor Schwarzenegger to act to convene the “God Squad.” <more> June 29, 2009 PLF Press Release
Friday, June 26, 2009
Florez’s antibiotic bill up for hearing Wednesday
before Assembly Ag Committee- - Sen. Dean Florez's (D-Shafter) latest
attempt to limit
the use of antibiotics in animal agriculture. will be heard Wednesday before
the Assembly Agriculture Committee. , Florez has turned to a tried and true tactic known
as “gut and amend” whereby he took an existing bill,
SB 562 that dealt with the citrus industry, and amended it so that it
now mandates a warning on the label of any animal product derived from an
animal that was administered a non-therapeutic dosage of an antibiotic. Many
legislative observers believe that this new attempt at antibiotic labeling
faces a rough road ahead as federal labeling laws preempt any attempts by
state governments to label products. The Assembly Ag Committee
hearing begins at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 1 in Room 126 of the
Capitol. June 24, 2009
Dan
Huber elected to NCC board of directors - - Dan Huber, senior vice
president-Operations, Foster Farms, is one of six new directors elected to
the National Chicken Council board of directors at its summer meeting held
last week in California. Also elected were: Gregg Berens, senior vice
president-Keystone USA Proteins, Keystone Foods LLC, Huntsville, Alabama;
John Comino, general manager, Southern Hens, Inc., Moselle, Mississippi;
Mark Kaminsky, chief operating officer/chief financial officer, Koch Foods,
Park Ridge, Illinois; Dave Pogge, president, Mountaire Farms, Millsboro,
Delaware, and Robert Turley, president and chief executive officer, Allen
Family Foods, Seaford, Delaware. June 26, 2009 NCC Newsletter
Sponsors lining up to support CPF summer meeting
- -
Several sponsors have signed up
to lend their financial support to the CPF’s summer meeting set for July
13-14 in Shell Beach. Sponsors to date are
Alltech;
Alpharma; ASC / Agrecom Inc.;
Aviagen Inc. ; Baker Commodities, Inc.; Central Coast Fryer Farms ;Cobb-Vantress;
Cryovac/Sealed Air Corporation; Cumberland; CVP Systems; Darling
International; Elanco Animal Health; Evonik Degussa Corporation; Foster
Farms; Haley Farms, Inc.; Hubbard LLC; Huvepharma; International Paper;
Intervet/Schering-Plough; Jones-Hamilton Company; J.S. West Milling
Company; Kemin Industries; Lohmann Animal Health;
Merial Select, Inc.; Motomco Ltd.;
Novus International, Inc.;
Pitman Farms; Preserve International;
Phibro Animal
Health;
Tipper Tie, Inc.; Veterinary Service,
Inc.; Volk Enterprises; Walco International; Woodland Farms; Zacky Farms and Zinpro Corporation. Sponsorship information is available from CPF President
Bill Mattos at (209) 576-6355. June
23, 2009
Interior chief
Salazar to hold water town hall meeting Sunday in Fresno - - Interior
Secretary Ken Salazar will hold a town hall meeting on water supply issues
and challenges facing California on Sunday, June 28, in Fresno. The meeting
is scheduled to run from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Fresno State Satellite
Student Union, 2485 East San Ramon Avenue, Fresno. Also in attendance will
be Deputy Secretary David J. Hayes, Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Mike
Connor and members of the California Congressional Delegation.
June 26, 2009 DOI Notice
Water
rally set for Fresno Wednesday - - The California Latino Water Coalition
is planning a rally for water at Fresno City Hall on Wednesday, July 1. The
groups will assemble at 11a.m. on P Street between Fresno and Tulare Streets
in downtown Fresno. The rally is being organized to call attention to the
recent National Marine Fisheries biological opinions setting rules for water
rereleases to protect endangered species in the Delta. For more information
about the rally, contact Angela Vega (559) 488-3541, Shawn Coburn (559)
696-7777, Ryan Ferguson (559) 469-6804 or Mario Santoyo (559) 799-0701.
June 26, 2009 Latino Water Coalition Notice
Chinese now own
Central Valley food company - - Olam International Limited of Singapore
has bought most of the assets of Central Valley tomato processing company SK
Foods LP and its wholly owned subsidiary RHM Industrial/Specialty Foods Inc.
out of bankruptcy for $39 million. Olam Tomato Processors Inc., a subsidiary
of the Chinese company, will operate the plants in Lemoore and Colusa. It
was not immediately known how many of SK’s employees will keep their jobs.
Established in 1990, SK Foods was privately owned by the Scott Salyer family
and is the second largest Californian tomato processor with 14 percent
market share in the U.S. It is estimated to be the fourth largest globally
with a global market share of 5 percent, says Olam.
<more> June 26, 2009 Central Valley Business Times
For the Farm Lobby, Too Much Is Never Enough - - By Steven Pearlstein - - With the possible exception of the ski industry, it's hard to think of any sector of the economy that will be hit harder by global warming than agriculture. A report out last week from scientists at 13 government agencies found that climate change is happening more quickly than we thought and that by the end of the century, many farmers will face scorching summer weather, severe storms, prolonged drought and swarms of new insects. Given those prospects, you might expect the farm lobby to be in the vanguard of those pushing for enactment of legislation to cap the amount of greenhouse gases that are emitted into the atmosphere. But that wouldn't be Elmer, would it? True to form, he has demanded another boost in his already lavish government subsidies before he'll even consider doing something about global warming. Let's review the bidding. Because they are the source of most carbon emissions, factories, power plants and oil refineries would all be covered by the caps and be required to buy the permits, or allowances, as they are called. The one major source that is not covered is the American farm. From the start, everyone agreed that it would be an administrative nightmare to try to measure and regulate the amount of carbon produced on each farm. Given the power of the farm lobby, everyone agreed that it was also a political non-starter. But, for farmers, it wasn't enough to get a free pass on carbon emissions. They are unhappy that the effect of the caps and pollution permits will be to raise the price of their fuel, fertilizer and electricity. No matter that other Americans will suffer similar effects. In the mind of the entitled American farmer, any increase in costs or reduction in revenue -- whether from natural causes, market forces or government regulation -- must be compensated for by the government. <more> June 26, 2009 Washington Post
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Plan to sell
part of California workers' comp insurer State Fund faces opposition - -
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's plan to raise $1 billion by selling part of the
state's scandal-plagued workers' compensation insurance company is running
into strong flak from small-business advocates, the insurance industry and
the state's elected insurance commissioner. The governor wants to help
reduce a $24-billion budget deficit by giving private insurers a chance to
buy about half of customers' policies at the government-controlled State
Compensation Insurance Fund. Opponents got a powerful new voice Wednesday
when Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner warned that "a hasty or
ill-considered sale could wreak havoc on the already volatile workers'
compensation market."
<more> June 25, 2009 LA Times
Assembly passes
stopgap money-raising bills; governor vows veto
- - Unusually unified legislators were moving today to prevent the state
from issuing IOUs next week by delaying some payments to schools and local
governments - but Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger warned he would veto the
maneuver. On votes of 69-0 and 54-0, Assembly members passed two of three
bills designed to free up cash and buy the state time while legislators and
Schwarzenegger wrestle with the bigger task of healing a gaping wound in the
state budget. The third bill was also expected to be approved by the
Assembly, and the state Senate was also expected to pass them. But in a
written statement, Schwarzenegger repeated his earlier demand that the
entire deficit be addressed at one time.
<more> June 25, 2009 Sacramento Bee
'Card
check' threatens labor law's security - - By Don Curlee- - So few
California farm laborers are unionized that most growers have paid little
attention to the "card check" issue now before the state legislature.
SB 789, the scheme to allow workers to pledge themselves to a union
without going through the secret election process has been introduced for
the third consecutive year. Both previous attempts were vetoed by Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger. The matter is of infinitely greater concern this time
because pressure is being applied by national unions and many Democrat
congressmen to establish a similar system at the national level. Approval by
Congress will make it much harder to resist the unsavory practice at the
state level.
<more> June 25, 2009 Capital Press
Sponsors lining up to support CPF summer meeting
- -
Several sponsors have signed up
to lend their financial support to the CPF’s summer meeting set for July
13-14 in Shell Beach. Sponsors to date are
Alltech;
Alpharma; ASC / Agrecom Inc.;
Aviagen Inc. ; Baker Commodities, Inc.; Central Coast Fryer Farms ;Cobb-Vantress;
Cryovac/Sealed Air Corporation; Cumberland; CVP Systems; Darling
International; Elanco Animal Health; Evonik Degussa Corporation; Foster
Farms; Haley Farms, Inc.; Hubbard LLC; Huvepharma; International Paper;
Intervet/Schering-Plough; Jones-Hamilton Company; J.S. West Milling
Company; Kemin Industries; Lohmann Animal Health;
Motomco Ltd.;
Novus International, Inc.;
Pitman Farms; Preserve International;
Phibro Animal
Health;
Tipper Tie, Inc.; Veterinary Service,
Inc.; Volk Enterprises; Walco International; Woodland Farms; Zacky Farms and Zinpro Corporation. Sponsorship information is available from CPF President
Bill Mattos at (209) 576-6355. June
23, 2009
National Rendering
Association Will Join 2010 International Poultry Expo - - Recognizing
the natural relationship with the poultry and feed industries, the National
Rendering Association will be a new affiliate at the 2010 International
Poultry Expo and International Feed Expo. The NRA is an alliance of
companies that specialize in recycling and adding value to animal
by-products, resulting in a variety of profitable products such as protein
meals and pet foods. Sponsored by U.S. Poultry & Egg Association and the
American Feed Industry Association, the 2010 Expos will be held January
27-29, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. It is known around
the world as the networking hub for the global poultry and feed industries.
This new initiative establishes the International Rendering Expo (IRE). NRA
will be centrally located in the IRE in a B Hall exhibit booth to highlight
their programs and services and promote the rendering industry. Their
presence expands the programs, scope, and overall appeal of the show to the
rendering industry and enhances the interaction between the poultry, feed,
and rendering segments. Already with a strong contingent, such as Dupps,
Haarslev, Anco-Eaglin, American Proteins, Griffin Industries, and Valley
Proteins, the addition of even more rendering-related companies will make
the combined 2010 Expos the largest exposition of rendering-based exhibitors
in the world. June 25, 2009 USPEA Press Release
Air
quality board to consider fee on emissions - - Many California
businesses could soon face the nation's first state fee for emitting
greenhouse gases, under a proposal state air quality regulators will discuss
today. The fee - about 12 cents per metric ton of carbon dioxide - is not
designed to penalize emissions. Instead, it would pay for creating and
enforcing the state's global warming regulations, the result of California's
landmark 2006 law to fight climate change. If approved by the California Air
Resources Board, the fee would not apply to every California business or
industry. Oil refineries, cement factories and electric utilities would bear
most of the cost, with a typical refinery paying an estimated $1.3 million
per year.
<more> June 25, 2009 SF Chronicle
Democratic leaders run into bumps on climate change bill - - Democratic
leaders are running into bumps in passing a climate-change bill through the
U.S. House of Representatives this week - including opposition within the
party's own ranks. The fiscally conservative wing of the party, known as the
Blue Dog Democrats, is proving the biggest obstacle. Rep. Earl Pomeroy, D-N.D.
said on Wednesday that intends to vote "no." Rep. David Scott, D-Ga.,
declined to say he would vote for the bill. That adds to the list of Blue
Dogs who are withholding support; four other members voted against the
legislation in a committee vote last month. In the meantime, House
Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson, D-Minn., said that a
painstakingly crafted deal aimed at drawing the support of farm-state
lawmakers mightn't have attracted as many votes from within the committee as
he expected. "There are going to be more 'nos' than I thought," Peterson
told reporters. "There are people that I thought would be OK if I fixed
this. They were actually against this and were hiding behind me." Still,
Peterson expects the climate-change bill to pass. Democrats hold 256 seats
and will need 218 votes to pass the bill. Among the planned changes is
putting the Agriculture Department, rather than the Environmental Protection
Agency, in charge of determining which agricultural practices qualify as
"offsets," or activities that avoid or reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.
<more> June 25, 2009 Wall Street Journal
Ohio Livestock Standards Board approved - - The Ohio Senate has unanimously approved a resolution that would allow voters to create the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board, which would provide oversight of how farm animals are raised. The House approved its version of the resolution yesterday by a vote of 84-13. According to the Ohio Farm Bureau, the final version of the resolution, once approved, will put the measure on the November ballot. The board will comprise a broad base of experts in livestock and poultry care, including family farmers, veterinarians, a food safety expert, a representative of a local humane society, members from statewide farm organizations, the dean of an Ohio agriculture college and members representing Ohio consumers. <more> June 25, 2009 Dairyherd.com
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Florez’s antibiotic bill resurfaces in new form
- - Apparently not one to take No for an answer, state Sen. Dean Florez
(D-Shafter) has come up with a new take on his proposed legislation to limit
the use of antibiotics in animal agriculture. With the deadline for
introducing new legislation past and his antibiotic legislation
SB 416 placed on suspense by his colleagues after suffering a crushing
defeat on the Senate floor, Florez turned to a tried and true tactic known
as “gut and amend” whereby he took an existing bill,
SB 562 that dealt with the citrus industry, and amended it so that it
now mandates a warning on the label of any animal product derived from an
animal that was administered a non-therapeutic dosage of an antibiotic. Many
legislative observers believe that this new attempt at antibiotic labeling
faces a rough road ahead as federal labeling laws preempt any attempts by
state governments to label products. June 24, 2009
Ag chair Peterson agrees to climate change bill with ag
provisions - - Democrats in the House of Representatives on Tuesday said
they had reached a deal on difficult agriculture issues in a climate change
bill, clearing the way for a vote and probable passage in the chamber this
week. "We have an agreement finally," said House Agriculture Committee
Chairman Collin Peterson, whose support had been widely sought by House
Democratic leaders. Peterson declared he is now prepared to vote for the
controversial bill. Representative Henry Waxman, a main proponent for
legislation to reduce industrial emissions of carbon dioxide associated with
global warming, told reporters: "I think we will have the majority to pass
the bill." In announcing the deal after briefing a group of moderate
Democrats, Waxman said that the U.S. Department of Agriculture, not the
Environmental Protection Agency, would be put in charge of overseeing
certain steps to be taken by farmers to reduce carbon emissions. Known as
"offsets," the program would allow farmers to claim achievements in reducing
carbon pollution by planting trees or taking other environmental actions.
But the agriculture community objected to EPA overseeing the program and
insisted that the more sympathetic USDA do the job. "We agreed that we would
have the USDA run the program and we will seek guidance from the
administration to figure out the appropriate role for EPA," Waxman said.
<more> June 24, 2009 Reuters
Ag Chair Peterson statement on climate change
bill - - House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin C. Peterson issued
the following statement on an agreement with House Energy and Commerce
Committee Chairman Henry Waxman on the American Clean Energy and Security
Act of 2009. "We have reached an agreement that works for agriculture and
contributes to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the United
States. The climate change bill will include a strong agriculture offset
program run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that will allow farmers,
ranchers, and forestland owners to participate fully in a market-based
carbon offset program. This agreement also addresses concerns about
international indirect land use provisions that unfairly restricted U.S.
biofuels producers and exempts agriculture and forestry from the definition
of a capped sector." June 24, 2009 House Ag Committee Press Release
Sponsors lining up to support CPF summer meeting
- -
Several sponsors have signed up
to lend their financial support to the CPF’s summer meeting set for July
13-14 in Shell Beach. Sponsors to date are
Alltech;
Alpharma; ASC / Agrecom Inc.;
Aviagen Inc. ; Baker Commodities, Inc.; Central Coast Fryer Farms ;Cobb-Vantress;
Cryovac/Sealed Air Corporation; Cumberland; CVP Systems; Darling
International; Elanco Animal Health; Evonik Degussa Corporation; Foster
Farms; Haley Farms, Inc.; Hubbard LLC; Huvepharma; International Paper;
Intervet/Schering-Plough; Jones-Hamilton Company; J.S. West Milling
Company; Kemin Industries; Lohmann Animal Health;
Motomco Ltd.;
Novus International, Inc.;
Pitman Farms; Preserve International;
Phibro Animal
Health;
Tipper Tie, Inc.; Veterinary Service,
Inc.; Volk Enterprises; Walco International; Woodland Farms; Zacky Farms and Zinpro Corporation. Sponsorship information is available from CPF President
Bill Mattos at (209) 576-6355. June
23, 2009
Interior chief sets drought meet in Fresno Sunday
- - Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, his top deputy and members of the
California congressional delegation will be in Fresno on Sunday for a
hastily scheduled public hearing about drought and water shortages. The
unusual hearing will be Salazar’s first visit to the southern San Joaquin
Valley, and comes as the region’s lawmakers agitate for more federal aid.
The town hall meeting is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. The
location has not been set. Joining Salazar will be Deputy Interior Secretary
David J. Hayes, Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Mike Connor and several
Valley lawmakers. They plan a 90-minute town hall-style meeting.
<more> June 24, 2009 Fresno Bee
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Chicken Farms—The Real Story - - The National
Chicken Council has produced a two-minute video providing a glimpse at how
commercial chickens are raised at a
Delaware
ranch. The video is part of the NCC’s efforts to educate the public about
how commercial chickens are raised to counteract the misinformation spread
by anti-animal agriculture advocates. To view the video posted on YouTube,
please
click here. June 23, 2009 NCC video
Clemson to study chicken confinement behavior
- - Clemson University in South Carolina will be studying the impact of cage
and non-cage-production systems on the behavior and physiology of chickens.
Pressure from animal rights groups to ban battery cages is up against egg
industry leaders who say there isn’t enough science for analysis and
possible alternatives. If production conditions are forced to change - then
that affects producers’ bottom line. More than 90 percent of the 90 Billion
eggs produced in the U.S. come from high density cage systems. In 2007, U.S.
egg sales exceeded $6-and-a-half Billion dollars. South Carolina egg sales
are about $90 Million dollars a year.
<more> June 23, 2009 Brownfield Ag News
Sponsors lining up to support CPF summer meeting
- -
Several sponsors have signed up
to lend their financial support to the CPF’s summer meeting set for July
13-14 in Shell Beach. Sponsors to date are
Alltech;
Alpharma; ASC / Agrecom Inc.;
Aviagen Inc. ; Baker Commodities, Inc.; Central Coast Fryer Farms ;Cobb-Vantress;
Cryovac/Sealed Air Corporation; Cumberland; CVP Systems; Darling
International; Elanco Animal Health; Evonik Degussa Corporation; Foster
Farms; Haley Farms, Inc.; Hubbard LLC; Huvepharma; International Paper;
Intervet/Schering-Plough; Jones-Hamilton Company; J.S. West Milling
Company; Kemin Industries; Lohmann Animal Health;
Motomco Ltd.;
Novus International, Inc.;
Pitman Farms; Preserve International;
Phibro Animal
Health;
Tipper Tie, Inc.; Veterinary Service,
Inc.; Volk Enterprises; Walco International; Woodland Farms; Zacky Farms and Zinpro Corporation. Sponsorship information is available from CPF President
Bill Mattos at (209) 576-6355. June
23, 2009
Officials: NC plant had previous safety
violations - - Workplace safety inspectors found 15 violations, nine of
them serious, earlier this year at a North Carolina poultry plant where one
worker died this weekend in an ammonia leak, according to inspection reports
and officials. The Mountaire Farms plant in Lumber Bridge was fined a total
of $19,600 for violations cited in April, said state Labor Department
spokeswoman Dolores Quesenberry. Those violations included sanitation issues
and noise control, and the agency cited nine serious matters and six other
violations. A maintenance employee died after an ammonia leak occurred
Saturday when a refrigeration line ruptured. Quesenberry said inspectors are
at the plant trying to determine what happened.
<more> June 23, 2009 AP
Arambula severs ties to Democrats - -
Assembly Member Juan Arambula, who has frequently sparred with Democratic
leaders, is severing ties with the party to become the Legislature’s first
independent since the late 1990s. The Fresno lawmaker re-registered as a
decline-to-state voter on Monday, his office confirmed. Arambula telegraphed
the move in a recent interview with The Bee, in which he conveyed his
frustration with expressing independent views. “The special interests have a
lot to say about what goes on in both parties. But my real frustration is I
can't be effective for my constituents,” Arambula told Editorial Page Editor
Jim Boren.
<more> June 23, 2009 Fresno Bee
Farmer enters congressional race to challenge
McNerney - - The race for one of San Joaquin County's two congressional
seats ramped up Monday with entry of a new Republican candidate for the 11th
Congressional District and the announcement that two Republican members of
the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors were endorsing the seat's
Democratic incumbent. Brad Goehring, a 44-year-old winegrape grower from
Clements, declared his candidacy for the seat held by Rep. Jerry McNerney,
D-Pleasanton, who unseated Tracy Republican Richard Pombo in 2006. Goehring
said he'd been thinking about running for about a year. "I'm running because
I'm tired of business and agriculture and property rights being attacked all
the time," he said.
<more> June 23, 2009 Stockton Record
A preview of 2010 campaign for lieutenant governor between Florez and Denham? - - A dustup over some remarks by a Merced County supervisor about air quality may be an opening salvo in the 2010 campaign for lieutenant governor. The supervisor, Mike Nelson, during a May meeting of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, called for inter-group cooperation on controlling air pollution in the valley, which has some of the state's dirtiest air. Then he said he tends to "tune out" when environmental activists address the board."Oftentime when people come up here, I don't think they're telling the truth, so that's it," Nelson said. His remark offended air quality activists, who launched a campaign to either censure Nelson or force him to resign from the board. State Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter, got into the act, sending Nelson a letter saying his remark created an "unwarranted level of hostility." <more> June 23, 2009 Sacramento Bee
Monday, June 22, 2009
Egg bill moves forward. Producers see opportunity for
defining Prop 2 - -The Senate Committee on Food and Agriculture on
Tuesday passed a bill that would extend the cage-size restrictions of
Proposition 2 to out-of-state egg producers. AB1437, by Assemblyman Jared
Huffman, D-San Rafael, would apply the rules created by Proposition 2 to
outside producers whose eggs are sold in California. The bill was passed to
the Senate by an overwhelming Assembly floor vote. Prop 2, enacted by voters
in November, imposes cage-size restrictions on the state's egg-production
facilities. Producers complain that the initiative contains no enforceable
standard, only the vague requirement that animals' movements not be
restricted. Huffman's bill, they say, offers the opportunity to create the
standard, which Prop. 2 lacks despite the fact that it imposes criminal
penalties.
<more> June 20, 209 Capital Press
State's battle over chickens has just begun - - After
a bruising campaign last fall, Californians voted by a 27-point margin in
favor of what was billed as an effective ban on cages for egg-laying hens.
The Humane Society of the United States, which sponsored the measure, may
have won that battle. But the war over Proposition 2, it seems, is just
getting started. The egg industry says the proposition might allow it to use
cages, and wants an interpretation from the state to support that idea. The
Humane Society isn't budging. It says voters meant to enact a ban on cages,
and that's what they should get. Meanwhile, the fighting has moved to other
fronts. The society is backing Assembly Bill 1437, which would require all
eggs sold in the state – not just those laid in the state – to comply with
the ballot measure. And it has organized a sweeping class-action suit
alleging massive price-fixing by egg farmers. The University of California,
hoping to insert itself as a peacemaker, formed a new animal welfare council
last month. But at the same time, the university is being sued by the Humane
Society over what the group says was an industry-biased analysis of
Proposition 2 during the campaign.
<more> June 20, 2009 Sacramento Bee
Law ruffles egg farmers. Larger space for hens is goal;
producers vague on how to comply by '15 - - By one of the biggest
margins in California's rich initiative history, voters decreed last year
that egg-laying hens must be able to stretch their wings without touching
another bird or a cage wall. But the details of the new animal welfare law
are bedeviling egg farmers. Some are even rumored to be breeding hens with
shorter wings, a tactic producers deny with a laugh. And a newly introduced
bill in Sacramento would require competing farmers in other states to adopt
California's standards if they want to sell eggs in the Golden State.
California's egg producers say they don't know how to comply with the vague
language of the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act, short of allowing
hens to range free. “We aren't about to invest millions without
black-and-white standards that talk about stocking densities, height and
width,” Modesto egg producer Jill Benson said.
<more> June 20, 2009 AP
Prop. 2 fallout: Must laying hens be cage free? -
- California egg farmers got trounced at the ballot box last year while
opposing a state initiative that in six years will ban their chicken cages.
Now they are urging state legislators to spell out what confinement methods
would be allowed for their laying hens. The outcome could have a major
effect on how eggs are produced — and the prices charged to consumers in
California. Already, Assemblyman Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, is pushing a
bill that would require out-of-state egg producers to comply with the hen
confinement rules that California farmers will face under Proposition 2. As
part of that legislation, the state’s egg producers are asking for clearer
confinement rules.
<more> June 22, 2009 Santa Rosa Press Democrat
Pilgrim's has May profit, no more production cuts
- - Pilgrim's Pride Corp, the bankrupt U.S. chicken producer, will not cut chicken production
further after reducing output 9 to 10 percent earlier this year, Chief
Executive Don Jackson told Reuters in an interview on Tuesday. While the
company's operations have improved, exiting bankruptcy is still scheduled
for late this year, Jackson said. Separately, a filing with the U.S.
bankruptcy court late on Tuesday showed the company had a net operating
profit of $16.74 million in May, up from an April profit of $13.92 million.
The court filing is not as complete as those that must be filed regularly
with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, but does shows improvement
in the company's cash flow. June 22, 2009 Reuters
Poultry industry addresses workplace machine
hazards - - The National Chicken Council (NCC) and the National Turkey
Federation (NTF), through their joint Alliance with the Occupational Safety
and Health Administration (OSHA), are making available pre-purchase and
pre-startup equipment safety checklists to help the poultry industry
minimize injuries due to machine hazards in the workplace. The checklists
were developed by the joint NCC and NTF Safety and Health Committee and were
designed to help poultry companies address critical safety issues prior to
purchasing new equipment and prior to installing and starting up new
equipment. The checklists can also be used to perform safety assessments on
currently installed equipment. The checklists address safety considerations
relating to: equipment guarding; design and engineering; energy control;
ergonomics; training; ingress/egress; ventilation; hazard communication;
personal protective equipment; confined space plus hazardous locations; fall
protection; and process safety management. Copies of the checklists are
available on the NCC Web site at:
www.nationalchickencouncil.com. June 22, 2009 NCC Newsletter
Feinstein stuck in middle of union 'card-check'
fight - - Sen. Dianne Feinstein is getting squeezed by business and
organized labor over her neutrality on legislation that would make it easier
for workers to form unions. Feinstein was a co-sponsor of the Employee Free
Choice Act, commonly known as “card check,” in 2007. But she is the only
Democrat in the California congressional delegation who is not a co-sponsor
of this year's bill, which is labor's top legislative priority. The senator
has expressed reservations about forging ahead with such a fundamental
change in union-organizing rules during a deep recession. “This is an
extraordinarily difficult economy, and there are very strong feelings on
both sides of the issue,” said Gil Duran, Feinstein's communications
director. Labor insists the economic concerns are misguided.
<more> June 20, 2009 San Diego Union
Bill Boosting FDA Oversight Of Food Wins Panel
Approval - - The House Energy and Commerce Committee on Wednesday
approved legislation that would give the Food and Drug Administration
significantly more funding and power to police food safety. The bill comes
in response to deadly outbreaks of illnesses traced to tainted spinach,
peanuts, hot peppers and other foods. It is designed to plug holes in the
regulation of most food items other than meat. The FDA has been under fire
for its inability to prevent food-poisoning cases, quickly trace them to
their source or find the causes. The legislation would give the FDA
authority to order food recalls, impose new civil penalties and require
companies to follow food-safety standards. It also would require the agency
to inspect so-called high-risk food facilities at least once a year and make
companies keep detailed records to help the FDA more quickly trace the
distribution of tainted foods and track the course of the contamination.
<more> June 20, 2009 Wall Street Journal
Ag groups reject Waxman’s climate offer - -
Farm and commodity groups have rejected House Energy and Commerce Committee
Chairman Henry Waxman’s latest attempt to drum up agricultural support for
his cap-and-trade climate bill. In a meeting late Friday with four-dozen ag
group leaders, Waxman and Congressman Ed Markey, the bill’s cosponsor,
offered to allocate 5 billion to 10 billion Dollars over 10 years to a new
USDA-managed program that would make payments to farmers for
carbon-reduction activities approved by the EPA. The EPA would then issue
offset credits to USDA to be sold, with all proceeds reinvested in the
compensation program. But, National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson
says that’s NOT what the ag community wants,” We are concerned about adding
a heavy load, an additional distribution mechanism and maybe a whole new
bureaucratic function on top of a USDA that’s already struggling with the
ability to timely deliver services.”
<more> June 22, 2009 Brownfield Ag News
Indirect land use amendment fails by 1 vote -
- A move to reject indirect land use calculations for the U.S. ethanol
industry was narrowly rejected last week in the House Appropriations
Committee which passed a 2010 spending bill for the Interior Department and
Environmental Protection Agency. The amendment, by Congresswoman Jo Ann
Emerson (R-MO), to block EPA from using indirect land-use calculations when
measuring biofuels greenhouse gas emissions within the RFS rule failed in a
vote of 29 to 30.Several protections for large livestock operations,
however, made it into the $10.6 Billion EPA spending bill for 2010.
<more> June 22, 2009 Brownfield Ag News
Networking news. Student group uses Facebook,
Twitter to garner support for ag - - A non-traditional approach to
promoting agriculture is taking place on the Internet. The message isn't new
- the vehicle is. "I Love Farmers ... They Feed My Soul" is youth-to-youth,
edgy and not always politically correct. Its sole purpose is to support all
American farmers and ranchers. The website puts a young face on food and
fiber production and with links to Facebook and Twitter, reaches out to
youth more comfortable with social networking than traditional media. The
idea is to get the word out about where food comes from and how it is
produced. The five young people who are the current face of the campaign are
passionate about agriculture and eager to speak with their urban
counterparts about farmers and ranchers and what they do.
<more> June 20, 2009 Capital Press
Rural Dems have beef with Obama - - Angered by White House decisions on everything from greenhouse gases to car dealerships, congressional Democrats from rural districts are threatening to revolt against parts of President Barack Obama’s ambitious first-year agenda. “They don’t get rural America,” said Rep. Dennis Cardoza, a Democrat who represents California’s agriculture-rich Central Valley. “They form their views of the world in large cities.” Cardoza’s critique was aimed at Obama’s Environmental Protection Agency, but it echoes complaints rural-district Democrats have about a number of Obama administration decision. <more> June 20, 2009 Politico.com
Friday, June 12, 2009
Poultry Is No. 1 Source of Outbreaks, Report Says - - Feeling sick? If
so, the cause might have been bad chicken. Poultry was the most commonly
identified source of food poisoning in the United States in 2006, followed
by leafy vegetables and fruits and nuts, according to a report released
Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report is
the first effort by federal researchers to identify how most people in the
United States become sickened by contaminated foods. Its findings, while not
surprising, were welcomed by food-safety advocates. “It’s a nice first
step,” said Donna Rosenbaum, executive director of the nonprofit Safe Tables
Our Priority. “The problem is that it’s based on a very small data set.”
<more> June 12, 2009 NY Times
CDC Report on
Foodborne Illness Is Skewed by Single Large Outbreak, says NCC
- - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has published a
report on foodborne illness which presents a misleading picture of the
safety of poultry, says the National Chicken council (NCC) in a response
released today. The report contains anomalies that seriously skew the
results. The report suggests that poultry is the single leading cause of
outbreaks of foodborne illness, with poultry responsible for 21 percent of
outbreak-related cases. This is based on attributing 1,355 cases to poultry
out of a total of 6,395 cases (21.1 percent). However, of the total cases
attributed to poultry, 741 stemmed from a single incident in an Alabama jail
or prison in March 2006 which is suspected (but not confirmed, accordingly
to a publicly available CDC database) to result from Clostridium perfringens
in baked chicken. Without this single incident, poultry would account for
614 of 5,653 cases, or 10.9 percent. This would place poultry well behind
other commodities mentioned in the report.
<more>
June 12, 2009 NCC Press Release
CPF welcomes new member Avicorvi
S.A.- - The California Poultry federation welcomes its
newest member: Avicorvi S.A. Avicorvi S.A. produces the ultimate
Avicorvi Nipple drinker, our key and worldwide
patented product, which is designed to supply water with minimal spillage
and no leakage, keeping your chicken houses and cage floors dry and clean.
Our nipple can be used from the first day of birth through the entire life
cycle, keeping your environment clean and healthy. Avicorvi
S.A. – formerly known as Fanalbe Ltda – is a family owned and operated
company, headquartered in
Pereira, Colombia. With over 50 years in the poultry industry and
over 30 years producing automatic drinkers and feeders, the mission of
Avicorvi is to provide our customers with high
quality products. We take this mission very seriously.
Avicorvi is an award
winning company, having received the “Medal of Industrial Merit” from
the Colombian government's
Department of Economic Development, and the “Most
Innovative Product” prize from ACOPI, the Colombian Industry
Association for Small Industry, late 2008, and other international awards.
Avicorvi also received the ISO-9001 Quality
Certification. The sales
representative for the North America region is Mr. Jaime Orozco, one
of the family members currently managing the company. He is located in
Folsom, California, and can be contacted at
Jaime@avicorvi.com. Visit
http://www.avicorvi.com/index_eng.htm to learn
more. June 12, 2009
Sponsors lining up to support CPF summer meeting
- -
Several sponsors have signed up
to lend their financial support to the CPF’s summer meeting set for July
13-14 in Shell Beach. Sponsors to date are Alpharma; ASC / Agrecom Inc.;
Aviagen Inc. ; Baker Commodities, Inc.; Central Coast Fryer Farms ;Cobb-Vantress;
Cryovac/Sealed Air Corporation; Cumberland; CVP Systems; Darling
International; Elanco Animal Health; Evonik Degussa Corporation; Foster
Farms; Haley Farms, Inc.; Hubbard LLC; Huvepharma; International Paper;
Intervet/Schering-Plough; Jones-Hamilton Company; J.S. West Milling
Company; Kemin Industries;Lohmann Animal Health; Novus International, Inc.;
Pitman Farms; Preserve International; Tipper Tie, Inc.; Veterinary Service,
Inc.; Volk Enterprises; Walco International; Woodland Farms; Zacky Farms and
Zinpro Corporation. Sponsorship information is available from CPF President
Bill Mattos at (209) 576-6355. May 26, 2009
CPF Quality Assurance Seminar set for Modesto
June 17 - - CPF’s next Quality Assurance Seminar will be held on
Wednesday, June 17. This is a mandatory seminar in order to maintain
certification under the California Meat Poultry QA Program. The seminar will
be held at the Stanislaus County Ag Center’s Harvest Hall. Registration and
the continental breakfast will begin at 8:30 am and the first presentation
will start at 9 a.m. Speakers and topics include: Swine Flu--What Next? by
Dr. Carol Cardona; Animal Welfare; Dr. Robert O’Connor from Foster Farms on
Biosecurity and Cleaning & Disinfection, Dr. Mark Bland from Cutler &
Associates on Flock Health Management, Christian Bagocius from Motomco on
Rodent Control, and a Live Bird Market and Premise ID update from CDFA’s Dr.
Sarah Mize and Victor Velez. The seminar will cost $15 which includes
continental breakfast, lunch and materials.
Click here to download the registration form. Please contact Cody
Penfold for any questions at 209-576-6355. May 4, 2009 CPF Notice
Commentary: What Food Activists Ignore- - A new documentary tugs heart
strings. But how do we feed the world? - - The new documentary Food, Inc., a
meditation on the health and environmental costs of industrial food
production, closes with a list of wholesome directives: shop at farmer's
markets, plant a garden, eat locally, etc. It leaves viewers with an
inspirational message: "You can change the world with every bite." For
skeptics, the mantra is easily ridiculed for its preciousness. For true
believers, it's the latest attempt to shake Americans out of a complacency
that has spawned diabetes and obesity epidemics, a preponderance of factory
farms, a rise in e.coli infections and antibiotic resistance, and the
corporate takeover of the country's food production. While sometimes
alarmist, the activist contingent has a powerful argument at its disposal:
Americans can only benefit when eating healthier, better-tasting food that
is safe and produced in environmentally sound ways. These advocates argue
for more sustainable production in which produce is bountiful within
100-mile radiuses, animals are raised by farmers who view slaughtering as a
sacred act and consumers always have access to healthy options.
<more> June 12, 2009 Forbes
'Food,
Inc.': Documentary on your dinner - - In case you are among the Northern
Californians who have avoided thinking about where your dinner comes from,
"Food, Inc.," a documentary by Robert Kenner that opens on Friday in San
Francisco, will send you to the refrigerator to inspect the information on
your food labels. With the film, which is based largely on the best-selling
books "An Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan and "Fast Food Nation" by
Eric Schlosser, the makers of "Food, Inc." hope to transform Americans'
views on industrial food production, much the way "An Inconvenient Truth"
helped turn global warming into a top national worry. Kenner, a Los Angeles
documentarian, says he did not set out to make an activist horror film. In
fact, his original goal was to tell the story from the points of view of
both organic and industrial food growers. But representatives of the 50
industrial food companies he contacted, including Monsanto, Perdue, Tyson
and Smithfield, would not talk and, more important, would not allow their
production practices to be filmed.
<more> June 12, 2009 SF Chronicle
Lawmakers in Farm Belt Try to Steer Climate Bill - - Farm Belt lawmakers
said Thursday that the climate legislation in the House may not get the
votes to pass unless it is made more farm-friendly. The warning, sounded by
Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D., Minn.), presents a new
obstacle to the White House's effort to get a bill passed this year. The
objecting lawmakers -- both Democrat and Republican -- used a hearing of the
House Agricultural Committee to call for changes in the bill that, if
adopted, could steer more money to farmers who engage in environmentally
friendly practices. The lawmakers are also seeking to blunt potentially
tough new regulation of the biofuels industry. The move follows successful
efforts by lawmakers from industrial and coal states to win free pollution
permits for coal-fired power generators and other industries under a system
proposed in the bill that would also cap greenhouse-gas emissions.
<more> June 12, 2009 Wall Street Journal
Deadline nears for cost sharing to upgrade engines - - An ambitious $22 million federal effort to replace or retrofit existing combustion engines in California could help farmers and ranchers upgrade equipment ahead of potential government mandates. "That's why you see so many people, including dealers, coming to these meetings," said Roger Isom, executive vice president of the California Cotton Ginners and Growers Associations in Fresno, who said the state Air Resources Board could require equipment upgrades as early as 2014. A standing-room-only crowd of nearly 80 people packed the conference room at the Fresno County Farm Bureau to hear what the program had to offer, including its emphasis on replacing older tractors to improve air quality. The meeting was among 15 workshops being held around California as officials scramble to encourage applications for the program. The deadline for applications is June 26. <more> June 12, 2009 Ag Alert
Thursday, June 11, 2009
California Egg Farmers Call on Legislature to Enact Hen Housing Standards
- - The Association of California Egg Farmers (ACEF) called upon the
state Legislature today to enact clear standards for housing egg-laying hens
because the farmers don’t know how to implement the vague mandates in
Proposition 2, a ballot measure Californians approved last year. The ballot
initiative approved in November 2008 places new mandates on how egg farmers
house their egg-laying hens. But the language in the initiative is so vague
that California egg farmers don’t know how much space they need to provide
their hens to comply with Proposition 2. Clarity on the housing standards
issue is even more important now because of shifting representations by the
proposition’s sponsors. ACEF leaders met with the authors of Proposition 2
on several occasions, even traveling across country to their headquarters in
Washington D.C, to try to work collaboratively to determine how much space
must be provided to egg-laying hens. Unfortunately, this only resulted in
further confusion. During the campaign the proponent’s theme was that this
was a “moderate measure” designed to give hens a little more space, but now
they maintain only cage-free housing would meet the initiative’s standards.
Proposition 2 does not ban the use of cages to house egg-laying hens.
Farmers need to know exactly how much space to provide for an egg-laying hen
and what housing systems will comply with the initiative.
<more> June 11, 2009 ACEF Press Release
CPF summer meeting reservation deadline today-
- Reservations are being taken for CPF’s summer meeting, set for July 13-14
at the Cliffs Resort in Shell Beach. The Cliffs Resort has provided special
rates for Sunday and Monday evenings. June 11 is the deadline to make hotel
reservations with the CPF. There will be a golf tournament Monday, July 13,
beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the Avila Beach Resort, about 10 minutes from the
hotel. The CPF and some allied members will sponsor the reception and
dinner. Following the tourney, the reception, awards and dinner following
golf will be held at the Avila Beach home of Richard and Kathy Zacky. This
will be a fun and interesting evening featuring a steak, turkey and chicken
barbeque. Sponsorship opportunities for the golf tourney and reception
are available by contacting CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 576-6355. May 20, 2009
Sponsors lining up to support CPF summer meeting
- - Several sponsors have signed up to lend their financial support to
the CPF’s summer meeting set for July 13-14 in Shell Beach. Sponsors to date
are Alpharma; ASC / Agrecom Inc.; Aviagen Inc. ; Baker Commodities, Inc.;
Central Coast Fryer Farms
;Cobb-Vantress;
Cryovac/Sealed Air Corporation; Cumberland; CVP Systems;
Darling
International;
Elanco Animal
Health; Evonik Degussa Corporation; Foster Farms; Haley Farms, Inc.;
Hubbard LLC; Huvepharma;
International
Paper;
Intervet/Schering-Plough; Jones-Hamilton Company;
J.S. West Milling Company;
Kemin Industries;Lohmann Animal Health;
Novus International, Inc.;
Pitman Farms; Preserve International; Tipper Tie, Inc.; Veterinary Service, Inc.;
Volk Enterprises;
Woodland
Farms;
Zacky Farms and Zinpro Corporation. Sponsorship information is available
from CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 576-6355. May 26, 2009
CPF Quality Assurance Seminar set for Modesto
June 17 - - CPF’s next Quality Assurance Seminar will be held on
Wednesday, June 17. This is a mandatory seminar in order to maintain
certification under the California Meat Poultry QA Program. The seminar will
be held at the Stanislaus County Ag Center’s Harvest Hall. Registration and
the continental breakfast will begin at 8:30 am and the first presentation
will start at 9 a.m. Speakers and topics include: Swine Flu--What Next? by
Dr. Carol Cardona; Animal Welfare; Dr. Robert O’Connor from Foster Farms on
Biosecurity and Cleaning & Disinfection, Dr. Mark Bland from Cutler &
Associates on Flock Health Management, Christian Bagocius from Motomco on
Rodent Control, and a Live Bird Market and Premise ID update from CDFA’s Dr.
Sarah Mize and Victor Velez. The seminar will cost $15 which includes
continental breakfast, lunch and materials.
Click here to download the registration form. Please contact Cody
Penfold for any questions at 209-576-6355. May 4, 2009 CPF Notice
AI
viruses in lake water can trigger outbreaks, say researchers - -
Low-pathogenic avian influenza (AI) viruses persisting in cool water in
lakes and ponds can give rise to outbreaks in ducks, geese, and other wild
birds even when no infected animals are present, according to researchers at
the University of Georgia. “The environmental transmission of avian
influenza among birds is quite rare, but our model shows that it can play an
important role in outbreaks,” said Pejman Rohani, professor in the
University of Georgia-Athens Odum School of Ecology and lead author of a
paper published recently in the Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences. Live viruses shed by waterfowl can infect other birds that ingest
contaminated water, Rohani noted. The effect is diluted in larger bodies of
water, but in small lakes and ponds, the process can lead to explosive
outbreaks. “In small lakes, there is a noticeable chance of a large
secondary outbreak, even in the absence of infected birds initially,” Rohani
wrote. Rohani and co-authors Romulus Breban, David E. Stallknecht, and John
M. Drake constructed an intricate mathematical model to study the
transmission of viruses through water. The model is based partly on data
recently published by Stallknecht showing that AI viruses can live as long
as 150 days in water in the laboratory. “Viruses were most stable at a
slightly basic pH (7.4–8.2), low temperatures (<17 degrees C), and fresh to
brackish salinities (0–20,000 parts per million),” Stallknecht, also a
University of Georgia researcher, and colleagues wrote in the Journal of
Veterinary Microbiology. The AI viruses had a much shorter duration of
persistence as the pH turned acidic and the temperature and salinity
increased, they wrote. June 11, 2009 NCC Newsletter
Breeding Gentler Laying Hens that Still Produce Eggs to Industry Standard - - A team of scientists led by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) biologist Heng-wei Cheng at the agency’s Livestock Behavior Research Unit in West Lafayette, Ind., and William M. Muir of Purdue University, also at West Lafayette, has developed a line of laying hens that display far less aggression than their commercial counterparts, while maintaining industry-standard egg production. As a result of this development, the researchers were able to cut mortality losses among the birds without the usual beak-trimming. At 58 weeks of age, the selected line of hens had significantly lower annual mortality than another group of hens—called a “control group”—and a commercial line of laying hens. When housed in communal cages, the kinder, gentler line had a 20 percent mortality rate, compared to 54 percent for the control line and 89 percent for the commercial line. Egg production was increased in the gentler birds, compared to the control line and the commercial line under the same conditions. <more> June 11, 2009 ARS Press Release
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Chicken Council official calls documentary
‘one-sided and misleading’ - - One of the people attending this week’s
Washington, D.C. premier of the documentary film “Food Inc.” was Richard
Lobb, communications director of the National Chicken Council. Lobb has a
special interest in the film. He is the only representative of the ag or
food industries who agreed to be interviewed for it, and his short clip on
what’s good about America’s food system appears near the start of the movie.
But Lobb says, after that, the film becomes very negative and misleading. “I
don’t recognize the food system they’re talking about there,” Lobb says.
“They take a lot of liberties with this. It’s very one-sided.”
<more> June 10, 2009 Brownfield Ag News
Website counters misinformation of Food Inc. film
- - A coalition of industry groups has launched a web site called
www.safefoodinc.com
Safefoodinc.com is an alliance of associations that represent the livestock,
meat and poultry industries. Together, its members produce more than 90
percent of U.S. beef, pork, lamb, veal, turkey and chicken. In a statement
on the website, the group says, “We are proud of the way we care for our
animals, our employees and the environment. We are also proud of the
nutrition, safety and good taste that our products offer. The makers of
"Food, Inc." and the subjects they interview seek to paint our industries as
big, bad and mechanized. They seek to prove their point though a selective
use of the facts. While the makers of "Food, Inc." have the right to state
their opinions, consumers and the media have the right to the facts. And
that’s what this web site is all about: the other side of the story.”
June 10, 2009
NTF names new head of regulatory affairs - -
National Turkey Federation (NTF) President Joel Brandenberger announced the
appointment today of Hilary Shallo Thesmar, Ph.D., RD, as NTF’s new senior
director of scientific and regulatory affairs. “The turkey industry is
entering a challenging regulatory period,” Brandenberger said.
“Policymakers in Washington are taking a hard look at the nation’s food
safety systems, environmental laws, animal health policy and a wide range of
other issues that have a significant impact on NTF’s members. Thesmar’s
doctorate in food technology, her extensive education and training in
nutrition and food science and her knowledge of the poultry industry make
her the right person to oversee NTF’s scientific and regulatory on behalf of
the turkey industry.” As NTF’s senior director of scientific and regulatory
affairs, Thesmar will develop programs to ensure food safety, environmental,
animal health and welfare, worker safety and health and human resources
regulations are practical and permit the turkey industry to profitably
produce safe and nutritious products. She will be the primary liaison to
the federal agencies that regulate turkey production and processing.
Thesmar will also manage the federation’s Technical and Regulatory, Live
Production and Turkey Health committees. Prior to NTF, Thesmar was director
of the Egg Safety Center in Washington, D.C. She also served as director of
food safety programs at the Egg Nutrition Center and most recently, acting
director. June 10, 2009 NTF Press Release
CPF summer meeting reservation deadline June 11 -
- Reservations are being taken for CPF’s summer meeting, set for July 13-14
at the Cliffs Resort in Shell Beach. The Cliffs Resort has provided special
rates for Sunday and Monday evenings. June 11 is the deadline to make hotel
reservations with the CPF. There will be a golf tournament Monday, July 13,
beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the Avila Beach Resort, about 10 minutes from the
hotel. The CPF and some allied members will sponsor the reception and
dinner. Following the tourney, the reception, awards and dinner following
golf will be held at the Avila Beach home of Richard and Kathy Zacky. This
will be a fun and interesting evening featuring a steak, turkey and chicken
barbeque. Sponsorship opportunities for the golf tourney and reception
are available by contacting CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 576-6355. May 20, 2009
Sponsors lining up to support CPF summer meeting
- - Several sponsors have signed up to lend their financial support to
the CPF’s summer meeting set for July 13-14 in Shell beach. Sponsors to date
are Alpharma; ASC / Agrecom Inc.; Aviagen Inc. ; Baker Commodities, Inc.;
Central Coast Fryer Farms
;Cobb-Vantress;
Cryovac/Sealed Air Corporation; Cumberland; CVP Systems;
Darling
International;
Elanco Animal
Health; Evonik Degussa Corporation; Foster Farms; Haley Farms, Inc.;
Hubbard LLC; Huvepharma;
Intervet/Schering-Plough; Jones-Hamilton Company;
J.S. West Milling Company;
Lohmann Animal Health;
Novus International, Inc.;
Pitman Farms; Preserve International; Tipper Tie, Inc.; Veterinary Service, Inc.;
Volk Enterprises;
Woodland
Farms;
Zacky Farms and Zinpro Corporation. Sponsorship information is available
from CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 576-6355. May 26, 2009
CPF Quality Assurance Seminar set for Modesto June 17 - - CPF’s next Quality Assurance Seminar will be held on Wednesday, June 17. This is a mandatory seminar in order to maintain certification under the California Meat Poultry QA Program. The seminar will be held at the Stanislaus County Ag Center’s Harvest Hall. Registration and the continental breakfast will begin at 8:30 am and the first presentation will start at 9 a.m. Speakers and topics include: Swine Flu--What Next? by Dr. Carol Cardona; Animal Welfare; Dr. Robert O’Connor from Foster Farms on Biosecurity and Cleaning & Disinfection, Dr. Mark Bland from Cutler & Associates on Flock Health Management, Christian Bagocius from Motomco on Rodent Control, and a Live Bird Market and Premise ID update from CDFA’s Dr. Sarah Mize and Victor Velez. The seminar will cost $15 which includes continental breakfast, lunch and materials. Click here to download the registration form. Please contact Cody Penfold for any questions at 209-576-6355. May 4, 2009 CPF Notice
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Foster Farms to
acquire foodservice brands from Conagra Foods - - Family-owned Foster
Farms announces today that it has reached an agreement to purchase the
Fernando's and El Extremo foodservice brands from
ConAgra Foods. Financial terms of the deal, expected to close
next week, have not been disclosed. The Fernando's brand is one of the
original foodservice, frozen Mexican brands and dates back to 1982. With a
full line of authentic Mexican entrees and appetizers ready to heat and
serve, Fernando's provides food service operators with a wide selection of
the latest high quality, handheld, frozen Mexican items. From hand-rolled
burritos to taquitos, mini-tacos and enchiladas, Fernando's products offer
high-quality, convenient options for foodservice operators offering premium
Mexican menu items to their customers. El Extremo is also a foodservice,
frozen Mexican brand and serves the school-lunch program distribution
channel. "This acquisition is a strategic fit for Foster Farms," said Ron
Foster, Foster Farms' President and CEO, "and will give us capabilities to
expand our current businesses in the foodservice, retail, and C-Store
Channels."
<more> June 9 2009 Foster Farms Press Release
Russia lifts ban on California beef, poultry
- - Russia
has lifted its ban on beef and poultry from California , but has retained
its ban on the state's fresh and frozen pork, the U.S. Department of
Agriculture said
on Friday. Russia banned beef, pork,
and poultry from California on April 21. No reason was given for the ban,
but it was assumed to be in reaction to the outbreak of swine flu here among
humans. Russia this week banned fresh and frozen pork from
Utah as
well as from two Tyson
Foods Inc plants. The Tyson plants are in Columbus
Junction and
Waterloo, Iowa. June 9, 2009
Reuters
Workers' comp insurance
about to jump. Several carriers plan significant rate boosts - - Five
years after California
reined in skyrocketing
workers' compensation insurance rates, employers are facing
another round of rate increases, blamed largely on rising medical costs.
Over the past two months, half a dozen insurers have notified the state of
their intention to raise their
workers' comp rates by 10 percent to
33.9 percent. In Sacramento today, the
Workers' Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau,
an advisory panel largely composed of insurance representatives, will
present its case for lifting a statewide benchmark for insurance rates by
23.7 percent – the biggest jump in 30 years.
California Insurance Commissioner
Steve Poizner has signaled that he is skeptical of the panel's
request, especially since a recent audit showed that between 2003 and 2006
the bureau – which makes recommendations on the benchmark rate twice a year
– repeatedly asked for rate increases that were not justified by market
conditions. <more>
June 9, 2009 San
Diego Union
Study: Bird Flu Survives in Landfills --
After an outbreak of the bird flu, most carcasses end up in landfills.
There, according to a new study, the virus can survive for up to two years.
Landfills are designed to contain waste for far longer than that, so the
practice is probably safe. Still, the new study suggests that waste managers
might want to be particularly careful with how they dispose of infected
birds. "There are a lot of birds at landfills," said Shannon Bartelt-Hunt,
an environmental engineer at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. "If you
think of landfills as reservoirs, you could have birds as vectors. Other
animals could be vectors. Landfill personnel could be potentially exposed."
<more> June 9, 2009 Discovery News
Proposed EPA rules penalize ethanol, biodiesel
- - An Environmental Protection Administration hearing Tuesday on the
proposed rulemaking for the Renewable Fuels Standard focused on the
controversial theory called indirect land use change. Proponents of
corn-based ethanol and soybean oil-based biodiesel say the proposed rules
penalize those fuels for greenhouse gas emissions that result from land use
changes around the world and years into the future. Dr. Mark Stowers, vice
president of science and technology for POET got right to the point in his
testimony, saying the proposed rule is “flawed and has no basis in law or
science.” Models used by EPA in calculating indirect land use changes have
severe problems and limitations, including “failure to make apples-to-apples
comparisons with gasoline,” and an underestimation of corn and ethanol
yields, he said.
<more> June 9, 2009 Brownfield Ag News
CPF summer meeting reservation deadline June 11 -
- Reservations are being taken for CPF’s summer meeting, set for July 13-14
at the Cliffs Resort in Shell Beach. The Cliffs Resort has provided special
rates for Sunday and Monday evenings. June 11 is the deadline to make hotel
reservations with the CPF. There will be a golf tournament Monday, July 13,
beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the Avila Beach Resort, about 10 minutes from the
hotel. The CPF and some allied members will sponsor the reception and
dinner. Following the tourney, the reception, awards and dinner following
golf will be held at the Avila Beach home of Richard and Kathy Zacky. This
will be a fun and interesting evening featuring a steak, turkey and chicken
barbeque. Sponsorship opportunities for the golf tourney and reception
are available by contacting CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 576-6355. May 20, 2009
Sponsors lining up to support CPF summer meeting
- - Several sponsors have signed up to lend their financial support to
the CPF’s summer meeting set for July 13-14 in Shell beach. Sponsors to date
are Alpharma; ASC / Agrecom Inc.; Aviagen Inc. ; Baker Commodities, Inc.;
Central Coast Fryer Farms
;Cobb-Vantress;
Cryovac/Sealed Air Corporation; Cumberland; CVP Systems;
Darling
International;
Elanco Animal
Health; Evonik Degussa Corporation; Foster Farms; Haley Farms, Inc.;
Huvepharma;
Intervet/Schering-Plough; Jones-Hamilton Company;
J.S. West Milling Company;
Lohmann Animal Health;
Novus International, Inc.;
Pitman Farms; Preserve International; Tipper Tie, Inc.; Veterinary Service, Inc.;
Volk Enterprises;
Woodland
Farms;
Zacky Farms and Zinpro Corporation. Sponsorship information is available
from CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 576-6355. May 26, 2009
CPF Quality Assurance Seminar set for Modesto June 17 - - CPF’s next Quality Assurance Seminar will be held on Wednesday, June 17. This is a mandatory seminar in order to maintain certification under the California Meat Poultry QA Program. The seminar will be held at the Stanislaus County Ag Center’s Harvest Hall. Registration and the continental breakfast will begin at 8:30 am and the first presentation will start at 9 a.m. Speakers and topics include: Swine Flu--What Next? by Dr. Carol Cardona; Animal Welfare; Dr. Robert O’Connor from Foster Farms on Biosecurity and Cleaning & Disinfection, Dr. Mark Bland from Cutler & Associates on Flock Health Management, Christian Bagocius from Motomco on Rodent Control, and a Live Bird Market and Premise ID update from CDFA’s Dr. Sarah Mize and Victor Velez. The seminar will cost $15 which includes continental breakfast, lunch and materials. Click here to download the registration form. Please contact Cody Penfold for any questions at 209-576-6355. May 4, 2009 CPF Notice
Friday, June 5, 2009
Documentary 'Food Inc.' opens - - The new documentary "Food, Inc."
begins with idyllic scenes of American farmland, panning from golden fields
of hay to a solitary cowboy rounding up a herd of cattle. Then the camera
zooms in on a grocery cart overflowing with packaged food and rolling down
the aisles of a gaudily lit supermarket. Eerie, horror movie-style music
swells in the background. It's meant to signal the audience that the
pastoral fantasy of agrarian America on everything from packages of
breakfast sausage to cereal boxes is not what it seems, that great danger
lurks behind the cheery images of 1930s-era red barns and white picket
fences. Director Robert Kenner is bent on showing us a far grimmer reality.
He tells of dust-choked poultry houses where chickens never see the light of
day and are pumped so full of chemicals they produce more meat than their
organs can support. Eventually they collapse under the weight of their
abnormally large breasts and die before reaching the slaughterhouse. An
alliance of trade associations that represent the nation's meat and poultry
producers have set up a Web site to counter virtually every claim in the
documentary, from the contention that E. coli contamination could be reduced
by feeding cattle grass instead of grain, to charges that federal inspection
agencies are understaffed and ineffective, and foodborne illnesses are on
the rise. The food industry says the film has "an astonishing number of
half-truths, errors and omissions" and that scrapping current production
methods in favor of locally grown, seasonal organic food would result in a
dramatic increase in food prices and fewer fruits and vegetables year-round.
<more> June 5, 2009 AP
NCC says new
movie on U.S. food system seen as ‘one-sided and misleading’ - -
A new documentary movie on the
American food industry is “one-sided, negative, and misleading” and promotes
a model of an agricultural system that could not possibly produce enough
food to feed consumers in the United States and around the world, according
to the U.S. National Chicken Council. The movie, entitled “Food, Inc.,”
opened Thursday in New York and will begin showing in Los Angeles and San
Francisco next Friday, with engagements in a limited number of cities to
follow. “The truth is that the chicken industry produces, processes and
markets chickens and chicken products in a safe, responsible manner that
delivers wholesome, high-quality products to consumers at affordable
prices,” NCC said. The film shows Virginia farmer Joel Salatin, who has a
“pastured poultry” operation, arguing that small-scale production would
produce better food. In a rebuttal posted to the web site
www.nationalchickencouncil.com, NCC says that small-scale operations occupy
only a small niche in the overall system. “Small-scale farms and ranches
simply could not provide sufficient food for 300 million Americans and
millions of other people around the world,” NCC says. “There is simply not
enough land or labor available to make the model work.” If the mainstream
chicken industry attempted to achieve its annual production of more than
nine billion birds on a “pastured poultry” basis, it would need 45 million
acres -- more than all the farmland in Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and
Arkansas combined, NCC estimated. “There is simply no way that much land
would be available,” NCC said. The cost to consumers would also be
prohibitive, NCC added, noting that products from small-scale producers are
typically more expensive than products from mainstream producers. “If a
consumer wants to pay more, that is his or her business, but insisting that
only expensive products from small-scale operations are worth eating is pure
snobbery,” the NCC statement said. June 5, 2009 NCC Press Release
Washington egg farm fire was accidental - - The three-alarm fire at an
egg farm near Stanwood was accidental. The Snohomish County fire marshal's
office told The Everett Herald the exact cause of Tuesday night's fire
remains under investigation. Investigator Mike Makela says it likely began
in a building used to collect eggs. The three-alarm fire burned three large
chicken coops and killed about 180,000 birds. Damage to the property owned
by the National Food Corp. of Everett is estimated at $2.2 million. June
5, 2009 AP
CPF summer meeting reservation deadline June 11 -
- Reservations are being taken for CPF’s summer meeting, set for July 13-14
at the Cliffs Resort in Shell Beach. The Cliffs Resort has provided special
rates for Sunday and Monday evenings. June 11 is the deadline to make hotel
reservations with the CPF. There will be a golf tournament Monday, July 13,
beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the Avila Beach Resort, about 10 minutes from the
hotel. The CPF and some allied members will sponsor the reception and
dinner. Following the tourney, the reception, awards and dinner following
golf will be held at the Avila Beach home of Richard and Kathy Zacky. This
will be a fun and interesting evening featuring a steak, turkey and chicken
barbeque. Sponsorship opportunities for the golf tourney and reception
are available by contacting CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 576-6355. May 20, 2009
Sponsors lining up to support CPF summer meeting
- - Several sponsors have signed up to lend their financial support to
the CPF’s summer meeting set for July 13-14 in Shell beach. Sponsors to date
are Alpharma; ASC / Agrecom Inc.; Aviagen Inc. ; Baker Commodities, Inc.;
Central Coast Fryer Farms
;Cobb-Vantress;
Cryovac/Sealed Air Corporation; Cumberland; CVP Systems;
Darling
International;
Elanco Animal
Health; Evonik Degussa Corporation; Foster Farms; Haley Farms, Inc.;
Huvepharma;
Intervet/Schering-Plough; Jones-Hamilton Company;
J.S. West Milling Company;
Lohmann Animal Health;
Novus International, Inc.;
Pitman Farms; Preserve International; Tipper Tie, Inc.; Veterinary Service, Inc.;
Volk Enterprises;
Woodland
Farms;
Zacky Farms and Zinpro Corporation. Sponsorship information is available
from CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 576-6355. May 26, 2009
Birds
of a Feather golf tourney June 9 in Petaluma- - The Birds of a Feather
golf tournament benefitting the Western Poultry Scholarship and Research
Foundation will tee off Tuesday June 9 at the Roster Run Golf Club in
Petaluma. Registration deadline is June 2 and the fee is $125. More
information is available from Debbie Murdock at (916) 441-0801 or Lensi
Hopkins at (916) 956-7410. May 1, 2009 PEPA Notice
CPF Quality Assurance Seminar set for Modesto June 17 - - CPF’s next Quality Assurance Seminar will be held on Wednesday, June 17. This is a mandatory seminar in order to maintain certification under the California Meat Poultry QA Program. The seminar will be held at the Stanislaus County Ag Center’s Harvest Hall. Registration and the continental breakfast will begin at 8:30 am and the first presentation will start at 9 a.m. Speakers and topics include: Swine Flu--What Next? by Dr. Carol Cardona; Animal Welfare; Dr. Robert O’Connor from Foster Farms on Biosecurity and Cleaning & Disinfection, Dr. Mark Bland from Cutler & Associates on Flock Health Management, Christian Bagocius from Motomco on Rodent Control, and a Live Bird Market and Premise ID update from CDFA’s Dr. Sarah Mize and Victor Velez. The seminar will cost $15 which includes continental breakfast, lunch and materials. Click here to download the registration form. Please contact Cody Penfold for any questions at 209-576-6355. May 4, 2009 CPF Notice
Thursday, June 4, 2009
California turkey production down 3% in 2008 - - California turkey
production totaled 435 million pounds (live weight) in 2008, down 3 percent
from the 450 million pounds raised in 2007, according to USDA statistics
released this week. Value of production, at $252 million, was up 19 percent
from the $211 million realized in 2007. The annual average price per pound
in 2007 was 58 cents, compared with 47 cents in 2007. Nationally, the value
of turkeys produced during 2008 was $4.48 billion, up 13 percent from the
$3.95 billion the previous year. Turkey production in 2008 totaled 7.92
billion pounds, up 5 percent from the 7.57 billion pounds produced in 2007.
The average price received by producers during 2008 was 56.5 cents per
pound, compared with 52.3 cents in 2007. June 4, 2009 USDA Press Release
US To Shift
From Raids, Focus On Employers That Hire Illegal Immigrants
- - The U.S. is to crack down on employers that hire illegal immigrants,
shifting the focus away from controversial raids that target migrants
directly, a top administration official said on Wednesday. U.S. Secretary of
Homeland Security Janet Napolitano said she had asked for prosecutions to be
stepped up against employers who break immigration rules, pivoting away from
contentious raids, which critics say unfairly target Hispanics. "A primary
driver of illegal immigration is the labor market and you have to go after
the pull that that market has created. That means you have to go after the
employers who are hire illegal labor," she said in an address at the Aspen
Institute, a think tank.
<more> June 4, 2009 Wall Street Journal
Fuller
inches closer to Senate run - - She looks like a Senate candidate, but
nothing's set in stone. Assemblywoman Jean Fuller this week filed a
statement of intention to run for the state Senate seat now held by Roy
Ashburn, according to the Secretary of State's office. But Fuller,
R-Bakersfield, said via e-mail Wednesday she doesn't know if she'll seek the
post or run for a third and final two-year Assembly term in 2010. "I am
weighing the two options open to me..." she said. "However, decisions such
as bringing water to our California farmers, blocking taxes and working on
balancing the budget are what I am focusing on now." The 18th Senate
District includes much of Bakersfield.
<more> June 4, 2009 Bakersfield Californian
New
rules to restore salmon, steelhead will likely cost billions - - Salmon
and steelhead must be restored above Folsom Lake and other major reservoirs
in California to prevent extinction, federal wildlife officials announced
Thursday as part of new rules that will likely boost water bills across the
state. The new rules by the National Marine Fisheries Service mark the
largest single rulemaking action ever in the United States to restore fish
access above habitat-blocking dams, according to the environmental group
American Rivers. The goal is to protect Central Valley steelhead, winter-
and spring-run salmon, and green sturgeon, all protected by the Endangered
Species Act. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation will be required to restore fish
populations above Nimbus and Folsom dams on the American River, Shasta Dam
on the Sacramento River, and New Melones Dam on the Stanislaus River. Doing
so is likely to cost billions of dollars, which will be paid for by charging
higher bills to customers that use this water, which includes farms and
cities from Red Bluff to San Diego.
<more> June 4, 2009 Sacramento Bee
NOAA
Biological Opinion Finds California Water Projects Jeopardize Listed
Species- - The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
released its final biological opinion today that finds the water pumping
operations in California ’s Central Valley by the federal Bureau of
Reclamation jeopardize the continued existence of several threatened and
endangered species under the jurisdiction of NOAA’s Fisheries Service. The
bureau has provisionally accepted NOAA’s recommended changes to its water
pumping operations, and said it will begin to implement its near-term
elements as it carefully evaluates the overall opinion. Federal biologists
and hydrologists concluded that current water pumping operations in the
Federal Central Valley Project and the California State Water Project should
be changed to ensure survival of winter and spring-run Chinook salmon,
Central Valley steelhead, the southern population of North American green
sturgeon and Southern Resident killer whales, which rely on Chinook salmon
runs for food.
<more> June 4, 2009 NOAA Press Release
CPF summer meeting reservation deadline June 11 -
- Reservations are being taken for CPF’s summer meeting, set for July 13-14
at the Cliffs Resort in Shell Beach. The Cliffs Resort has provided special
rates for Sunday and Monday evenings. June 11 is the deadline to make hotel
reservations with the CPF. There will be a golf tournament Monday, July 13,
beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the Avila Beach Resort, about 10 minutes from the
hotel. The CPF and some allied members will sponsor the reception and
dinner. Following the tourney, the reception, awards and dinner following
golf will be held at the Avila Beach home of Richard and Kathy Zacky. This
will be a fun and interesting evening featuring a steak, turkey and chicken
barbeque. Sponsorship opportunities for the golf tourney and reception
are available by contacting CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 576-6355. May 20, 2009
Sponsors lining up to support CPF summer meeting
- - Several sponsors have signed up to lend their financial support to
the CPF’s summer meeting set for July 13-14 in Shell beach. Sponsors to date
are Alpharma; ASC / Agrecom Inc.; Aviagen Inc. ; Baker Commodities, Inc.;
Cobb-Vantress;
Cryovac/Sealed Air Corporation; Cumberland; CVP Systems;
Darling
International;
Elanco Animal
Health; Evonik Degussa Corporation; Foster Farms; Haley Farms, Inc.;
Huvepharma;
Intervet/Schering-Plough; Jones-Hamilton Company;
Lohmann Animal Health;
Novus International, Inc.;
Pitman Farms; Preserve International; Tipper Tie, Inc.; Veterinary Service, Inc.;
Volk Enterprises;
Woodland
Farms;
Zacky Farms and Zinpro Corporation. Sponsorship information is available
from CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 576-6355. May 26, 2009
Birds
of a Feather golf tourney June 9 in Petaluma- - The Birds of a Feather
golf tournament benefitting the Western Poultry Scholarship and Research
Foundation will tee off Tuesday June 9 at the Roster Run Golf Club in
Petaluma. Registration deadline is June 2 and the fee is $125. More
information is available from Debbie Murdock at (916) 441-0801 or Lensi
Hopkins at (916) 956-7410. May 1, 2009 PEPA Notice
CPF Quality Assurance Seminar set for Modesto June 17 - - CPF’s next Quality Assurance Seminar will be held on Wednesday, June 17. This is a mandatory seminar in order to maintain certification under the California Meat Poultry QA Program. The seminar will be held at the Stanislaus County Ag Center’s Harvest Hall. Registration and the continental breakfast will begin at 8:30 am and the first presentation will start at 9 a.m. Speakers and topics include: Swine Flu--What Next? by Dr. Carol Cardona; Animal Welfare; Dr. Robert O’Connor from Foster Farms on Biosecurity and Cleaning & Disinfection, Dr. Mark Bland from Cutler & Associates on Flock Health Management, Christian Bagocius from Motomco on Rodent Control, and a Live Bird Market and Premise ID update from CDFA’s Dr. Sarah Mize and Victor Velez. The seminar will cost $15 which includes continental breakfast, lunch and materials. Click here to download the registration form. Please contact Cody Penfold for any questions at 209-576-6355. May 4, 2009 CPF Notice
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
BREAKING NEWS: Antibiotics bill defeated in State
Senate - - Legislation
that would have limited the use
of antibiotics by licensed veterinarians to prevent and control disease in
animal agriculture was defeated by the California Senate Wednesday afternoon
with 15 Senators voting in favor of the bill and 20 voting to oppose the
measure. The measure was placed on the inactive file.
SB 416 by Sen. Dean Florez (D-Shafter)
was amended earlier this month by the Senate
Education Committee to require school districts to make every effort to
purchase poultry and meat products that have not been treated with
non-therapeutic antibiotics. Florez’s original bill prohibited schools from
serving poultry or meat products from animals that had been treated with
antibiotics at any time during the life of the animal. The California
Poultry Federation opposed the bill, along with Alliance of Western Milk
Producers, California Dairies Inc., California Farm Bureau Federation,
Western United Dairymen, California School Nutrition Association and the
California Teamsters. June 3, 2009
Animal-welfare wave may be heading east - -
If you haven’t been affected by legislation similar to Prop 2 yet, it’s
coming your way, says Debra Murdock, executive director with the Pacific Egg
& Poultry Association. “It’s not my problem” is the attitude that many
livestock producers across the country and even within the state of
California have had in the past, she says. Livestock producers and all of
agriculture need to realize that we’re in this together, Murdock told
audience members at the California Animal Nutrition Conference this week.
“Consumers don’t get it; they don’t know where their food comes from,” she
says. “We need to work together to educate consumers. ‘It’s not my problem’
doesn’t work anymore.” The poultry industry is still reeling from the
passage of Prop 2 in California this past November. “We are trying to
grapple with what the Prop 2 regulation really will be. Prop 2 did not
specifically ban cages,” she says.
<more> June 3, 2009
Bill requires all eggs sold in California to be
from cage-fee hens - - California voters freed the state's egg-laying
hens last fall, but Proposition 2 left a big loophole: Supermarkets could
still sell eggs laid by caged birds in other states. Now, animal-welfare
advocates are backing legislation requiring every egg sold in California to
be from a cage-free hen. Assembly Bill 1437 would greatly expand the scope
of the state's ban on standard egg-laying cages, which is scheduled to take
effect in 2015. Economists predict Proposition 2, on its own, will drive up
imports of cheap, conventionally produced eggs, pushing many in-state farms
out of business. If AB 1437 passes, though, it would make the entire
California market – about 10 percent of the nation's eggs – cage-free. That
huge demand, backers hope, would support California farms as they convert to
cage-free production and drive some big egg farms elsewhere in the country
to scrap their cages as well.
<more> June 3., 2009 Sacramento Bee
Producer survey on government regulations - -
The Center for Agricultural Business (CAB) at California State University,
Fresno plans to seek input from California agricultural producers on how
government regulations affect their production operations. The information
will be used in a broad study comparing air, water and other standards in
California with those in other states. Leading the project is CAB Director
Mickey Paggi. He is joined by Jay Noel, director of the California Institute
for the Study of Specialty Crops (CISSC) at California Polytechnic State
University, San Luis Obispo. Also assisting in the work is CAB senior
research economist Fumiko Yamazaki. The research effort was prompted by a
growing sense in certain segments of the agricultural industry that
California is perhaps no longer the best place to do business. “California
growers, processors and distributors must comply with myriad of rules from
local, state and federal levels, regardless of the type of farming, ranching
or agriculturally-related business they operate,” Paggi said.
<more> June 3, 2009 Western Farm Press
Future of California’s ag agency up for debate -
- Following Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s pledge Tuesday in an address to the
Legislature that every dollar of waste and inefficiency saved will be a
dollar that supports critical services such as health care and education,
Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez, D-Shafter, has called a hearing into the
future of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, which his
committee oversees. On June 16, the Senate Committee on Food and Agriculture
will meet to consider whether or not it makes sense for agriculture to
remain the only California industry with its own $100 million general
fund-backed agency, “when most of its functions could be performed by other
departments,” Mr. Florez’ office says. "We look forward to working with
Senator Florez and answering his questions," says Steve Lyle, a spokesman
for the department.
<more> June 3, 2009 Central Valley Business Times
Lawmakers move to slash state agencies - - A
legislative budget committee voted unanimously Wednesday to eliminate state
agencies altogether, taking dead aim at an administrative layer of
gubernatorial bureaucracy that oversees all of the state's departments. The
10-member panel -- six Democrats and four Republicans -- also voted to
eliminate the Office of the Secretary of Education, which lawmakers said is
unnecessary because the state already has an elected Superintendent of
Public Instruction and a State Board of Education. Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger recommended last month that lawmakers consolidate more than a
dozen boards and commissions to save $50 million. Schwarzenegger also began
laying off 5,000 rank-and-file state workers. Under the agencies move, the
state would dismantle at least eight offices, from the State and Consumer
Services Agency to the Environmental Protection Agency, and eliminate any
duplicative administrative positions. The committee did not know how many
positions would be eliminated or how much money would be saved and asked the
nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office to report on how far the
Legislature could cut.
<more> June 3, 2009 Sacramento Bee
CPF summer meeting reservation deadline June 11 -
- Reservations are being taken for CPF’s summer meeting, set for July 13-14
at the Cliffs Resort in Shell Beach. The Cliffs Resort has provided special
rates for Sunday and Monday evenings. June 11 is the deadline to make hotel
reservations with the CPF. There will be a golf tournament Monday, July 13,
beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the Avila Beach Resort, about 10 minutes from the
hotel. The CPF and some allied members will sponsor the reception and
dinner. Following the tourney, the reception, awards and dinner following
golf will be held at the Avila Beach home of Richard and Kathy Zacky. This
will be a fun and interesting evening featuring a steak, turkey and chicken
barbeque. Sponsorship opportunities for the golf tourney and reception
are available by contacting CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 576-6355.
May 20, 2009
Sponsors lining up to support CPF summer meeting
- - Several sponsors have signed up to lend their financial support to
the CPF’s summer meeting set for July 13-14 in Shell beach. Sponsors to date
are Alpharma; ASC / Agrecom Inc.; Aviagen Inc. ; Baker Commodities, Inc.;
Cobb-Vantress;
Cryovac/Sealed Air Corporation; Cumberland; CVP Systems;
Darling
International;
Elanco Animal
Health; Evonik Degussa Corporation; Foster Farms; Haley Farms, Inc.;
Huvepharma;
Intervet/Schering-Plough; Jones-Hamilton Company;
Lohmann Animal Health;
Novus International, Inc.;
Pitman Farms; Preserve International; Tipper Tie, Inc. ;
Veterinary Service, Inc.;
Volk Enterprises;
Woodland
Farms;
Zacky Farms and Zinpro Corporation. Sponsorship information is available
from CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 576-6355. May 26, 2009
Fire burns Wash. chicken farm - - A
three-alarm fire has destroyed three large buildings and killed thousands of
chickens at a poultry farm near Stanwood. The fire broke out around midnight
Tuesday and about 60 firefighters from several districts battled the fire
through the early morning hours. Tanker trucks had to bring in water. The
battalion chief said three commercial chicken coops - each one was 600 feet
long and 60 feet wide – burned to the ground, and neighbors report hundreds
of thousands of chickens were inside.
<more> June 3, 2009 KTVB.com
Birds
of a Feather golf tourney June 9 in Petaluma- - The Birds of a Feather
golf tournament benefitting the Western Poultry Scholarship and Research
Foundation will tee off Tuesday June 9 at the Roster Run Golf Club in
Petaluma. Registration deadline is June 2 and the fee is $125. More
information is available from Debbie Murdock at (916) 441-0801 or Lensi
Hopkins at (916) 956-7410. May 1, 2009 PEPA Notice
CPF Quality Assurance Seminar set for Modesto June 17 - - CPF’s next Quality Assurance Seminar will be held on Wednesday, June 17. This is a mandatory seminar in order to maintain certification under the California Meat Poultry QA Program. The seminar will be held at the Stanislaus County Ag Center’s Harvest Hall. Registration and the continental breakfast will begin at 8:30 am and the first presentation will start at 9 a.m. Speakers and topics include: Swine Flu--What Next? by Dr. Carol Cardona; Animal Welfare; Dr. Robert O’Connor from Foster Farms on Biosecurity and Cleaning & Disinfection, Dr. Mark Bland from Cutler & Associates on Flock Health Management, Christian Bagocius from Motomco on Rodent Control, and a Live Bird Market and Premise ID update from CDFA’s Dr. Sarah Mize and Victor Velez. The seminar will cost $15 which includes continental breakfast, lunch and materials. Click here to download the registration form. Please contact Cody Penfold for any questions at 209-576-6355. May 4, 2009 CPF Notice
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Tyson Says Chicken Business Is Better Than
Expected -- Tyson Foods Inc., the second-largest U.S. poultry producer,
said its chicken business will have a better-than-expected third quarter
because of improved market conditions. Higher input costs and demand for
other proteins may affect the company later in the year, Springdale,
Arkansas-based Tyson said today in a statement, citing Donnie Smith, senior
group vice president for poultry and prepared foods. “We’ll have a stronger
Q3 in our chicken segment than we thought a month ago,” Smith said at a
Stephens Inc. conference in New York, according to the statement.
<more> June 2, 2009 Bloomberg
Schwarzenegger: 'Our wallet is empty' - -
Declaring that "California's day of reckoning is here," Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger said today the state should turn its dire budget straits into
an opportunity to make government more efficient. Speaking to a rare
mid-year joint session of the Legislature and other constitutional officers,
Schwarzenegger acknowledged the billions of dollars in spending cuts he has
proposed to close a $24.3 billion hole in the budget will be devastating to
millions of Californians. "People come up to me all the time, pleading
'governor, please don't cut my program,'" he said. "They tell me how the
cuts will affect them and their loved ones. I see the pain in their eyes and
hear the fear in their voice. It's an awful feeling. But we have no choice.
"Our wallet is empty. Our bank is closed. Our credit is dried up."
<more> June 2, 2009 Sacramento Bee
What Governor's budget cuts may mean to ag - -
What might Gov. Schwarzenegger’s call to consolidate and cut state
government mean to the state’s agriculture industry? The Governor’s office
has released a document proposing consolidation and reform of several sate
agencies including the California department of Food and Agroculture as well
as several agencies that fall under the policy umbrella of the Senate
Natural Resources and Water Committee and the Senate Environmental Quality
Committee. The Governor’s proposal for the CSDFA would eliminate and
transfer pest control activities to the Department of Pesticide regulation;
transfer Weights and Measures activities to the Department of General
Services; transfer oversight and administration of fairs and expositions to
the counties; abolish and express the intent to re-establish CDFA’s 54
marketing boards and commissions as private, non-profit corporations. Other
noteworthy proposals include:
* Consolidating all climate change activities under the California Air
Resources Board. Such activities now are spread among the Energy Commission,
the Public Utilities Commission, the Resources Secretary and Cal-EPA/
* Eliminate the dept. of Fish and Game and transfer to a new Department of
Natural resources and Wildlife.
* Eliminate and transfer flood protection activities to the Central Valley
Flood Protection Board.
* Transfer water efficiency activities to the State Water Resources Control
Board
* Consolidate the Department of Conservation into the Integrated Waste
Management Board
* Transfer pesticide risk assessment functions and biomonitoring from the
Department of Pesticide Control to the Office of Environmental Health Hazard
Assessment (OEHHA.) Discussion of these proposals will take place at
hearings conducted by the various policy committees in the next few weeks.
Sen. Florez schedules hearing on proposal to
dismantle CDFA- - There's nothing more likely to pass for progress
around the Capitol than a legislative hearing. With that in mind, be alerted
that Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter, has scheduled a June 16 hearing by the
Senate Committee on Food and Agriculture to see if California really needs a
Dept. of Food and Agriculture. Florez appears to be leaning toward the "no"
column. A news release from his office today says the committee "will meet
to consider whether or not it makes sense for agriculture to remain the only
California industry with its own $100 million general fund-backed agency,
when most of its functions could be performed by other departments." Florez
says that in the light of California's budget woes, it might make sense to
allocate the business part of ag to a business department and the
environmental and health aspects to environmental and/or health agencies.
<more> June 2, 2009 Sacramento Bee
CPF summer meeting reservation deadline June 11 -
- Reservations are being taken for CPF’s summer meeting, set for July 13-14
at the Cliffs Resort in Shell Beach. The Cliffs Resort has provided special
rates for Sunday and Monday evenings. June 11 is the deadline to make hotel
reservations with the CPF. There will be a golf tournament Monday, July 13,
beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the Avila Beach Resort, about 10 minutes from the
hotel. The CPF and some allied members will sponsor the reception and
dinner. Following the tourney, the reception, awards and dinner following
golf will be held at the Avila Beach home of Richard and Kathy Zacky. This
will be a fun and interesting evening featuring a steak, turkey and chicken
barbeque. Sponsorship opportunities for the golf tourney and reception
are available by contacting CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 576-6355.
May 20, 2009
Sponsors lining up to support CPF summer meeting
- - Several sponsors have signed up to lend their financial support to
the CPF’s summer meeting set for July 13-14 in Shell beach. Sponsors to date
are Alpharma; ASC / Agrecom Inc.; Aviagen Inc. ;Baker Commodities, Inc.;
Cryovac/Sealed Air Corporation; Cumberland; CVP Systems; Elanco Animal
Health; Evonik Degussa Corporation; Foster Farms; Haley Farms, Inc.;
Huvepharma;
Intervet/Schering-Plough; Jones-Hamilton Company;
Lohmann Animal Health;
Novus International, Inc.;
Pitman Farms; Preserve International; Tipper Tie, Inc. ;
Veterinary Service, Inc.;
Volk Enterprises;
Woodland
Farms;
Zacky Farms and Zinpro Corporation. Sponsorship information is available
from CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 576-6355. May 26, 2009
Birds
of a Feather golf tourney June 9 in Petaluma- - The Birds of a Feather
golf tournament benefitting the Western Poultry Scholarship and Research
Foundation will tee off Tuesday June 9 at the Roster Run Golf Club in
Petaluma. Registration deadline is June 2 and the fee is $125. More
information is available from Debbie Murdock at (916) 441-0801 or Lensi
Hopkins at (916) 956-7410. May 1, 2009 PEPA Notice
CPF Quality Assurance Seminar set for Modesto June 17 - - CPF’s next Quality Assurance Seminar will be held on Wednesday, June 17. This is a mandatory seminar in order to maintain certification under the California Meat Poultry QA Program. The seminar will be held at the Stanislaus County Ag Center’s Harvest Hall. Registration and the continental breakfast will begin at 8:30 am and the first presentation will start at 9 a.m. Speakers and topics include: Swine Flu--What Next? by Dr. Carol Cardona; Animal Welfare; Dr. Robert O’Connor from Foster Farms on Biosecurity and Cleaning & Disinfection, Dr. Mark Bland from Cutler & Associates on Flock Health Management, Christian Bagocius from Motomco on Rodent Control, and a Live Bird Market and Premise ID update from CDFA’s Dr. Sarah Mize and Victor Velez. The seminar will cost $15 which includes continental breakfast, lunch and materials. Click here to download the registration form. Please contact Cody Penfold for any questions at 209-576-6355. May 4, 2009 CPF Notice
Monday, June 1, 2009
CPF summer meeting reservation deadline June 11 -
- Reservations are being taken for CPF’s summer meeting, set for July 13-14
at the Cliffs Resort in Shell Beach. The Cliffs Resort has provided special
rates for Sunday and Monday evenings. June 11 is the deadline to make hotel
reservations with the CPF. There will be a golf tournament Monday, July 13,
beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the Avila Beach Resort, about 10 minutes from the
hotel. The CPF and some allied members will sponsor the reception and
dinner. Following the tourney, the reception, awards and dinner following
golf will be held at the Avila Beach home of Richard and Kathy Zacky. This
will be a fun and interesting evening featuring a steak, turkey and chicken
barbeque. Sponsorship opportunities for the golf tourney and reception
are available by contacting CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 576-6355.
May 20, 2009
Combined U.S. poultry industry value 11% higher
in 2008 than 2007 - - The National Agriculture Statistics
Service reported the combined value of production from U.S. broilers, eggs,
turkeys, and the value of sales from chickens in 2008 was $35.9 billion, up
11% from the $32.2 billion in 2007, according to a NASS report summary. The
value of broilers produced during 2008 was $23.1 billion, up 7% from
2007; egg production in 2008 was $8.23 billion, up 22% from the $6.72
billion in 2007; 2008 turkey production was $4.48 billion, up 13% from the
$3.95 billion the previous year; and chicken sales (excluding broilers) in
2008 were $61.8 million, up 20% from the $51.5 million a year ago. June
1, 2009 NASS Report
Sponsors lining up to support CPF summer meeting
- - Several sponsors have signed up to lend their financial support to
the CPF’s summer meeting set for July 13-14 in Shell beach. Sponsors to date
are Alpharma; ASC / Agrecom Inc.; Aviagen Inc. ;Baker Commodities, Inc.;
Cryovac/Sealed Air Corporation; Cumberland; CVP Systems; Elanco Animal
Health; Evonik Degussa Corporation; Foster Farms; Haley Farms, Inc.;
Intervet/Schering-Plough; Jones-Hamilton Company; Novus International, Inc.;
Pitman Farms; Preserve International; Tipper Tie, Inc. ;
Veterinary Service, Inc.;
Volk Enterprises;
Woodland
Farms;
Zacky Farms and Zinpro Corporation. Sponsorship information is available
from CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 576-6355. May 26, 2009
NTF recipe website features ‘Turkey On a Dime’
- - Find 10 quick and easy recipes on www.eatturkey.com for frugal
shoppers and at-home chefs. Titled “Turkey on a Dime,” the feature
showcases 10 recipes that incorporate turkey in unique ways, sure to satisfy
consumers’ wallets and waistlines. “Savvy shoppers are looking for easy,
affordable and quality meals they can make at home,” said Sherrie
Rosenblatt, National Turkey Federation’s (NTF) vice president of marketing
and communications. “The ‘Turkey on a Dime’ feature on NTF’s Web site
includes all of these aspects while bringing an assortment of recipe choices
that will fit into any meal rotation.” With consumers looking to save money
on groceries, turkey products prove to be the “perfect protein” that fits
well with the growing and changing trends in the marketplace. From the Easy
Meatball Stroganoff that uses ground turkey to the Super Turkey Tenderloin
Marinade, the variety of turkey products and meals on “Turkey on a Dime” are
versatile, easy and economical. June 1, 2009 NTF Press Release
CPF Quality Assurance Seminar set for Modesto
June 17 - - CPF’s next Quality Assurance Seminar will be held on
Wednesday, June 17. This is a mandatory seminar in order to maintain
certification under the California Meat Poultry QA Program. The seminar will
be held at the Stanislaus County Ag Center’s Harvest Hall. Registration and
the continental breakfast will begin at 8:30 am and the first presentation
will start at 9 a.m. Speakers and topics include: Swine Flu--What Next? by
Dr. Carol Cardona; Animal Welfare; Dr. Robert O’Connor from Foster Farms on
Biosecurity and Cleaning & Disinfection, Dr. Mark Bland from Cutler &
Associates on Flock Health Management, Christian Bagocius from Motomco on
Rodent Control, and a Live Bird Market and Premise ID update from CDFA’s Dr.
Sarah Mize and Victor Velez. The seminar will cost $15 which includes
continental breakfast, lunch and materials.
Click here to download the registration form. Please contact Cody
Penfold for any questions at 209-576-6355. May 4, 2009 CPF Notice
Delta panel report card to give state an
'incomplete' -- A panel of officials appointed by Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger to solve the Delta's water and environmental problems plans
to give the state an "incomplete" grade for its progress. The rating, to be
presented in a "report card," will be finalized after testimony from
environmentalists, water groups and state officials at a public meeting
today in Sacramento. The seven-member Delta Vision Task Force, led by former
Sacramento Mayor Phil Isenberg, officially doesn't exist anymore. But after
releasing its December recommendations, it decided to stay alive as a
nonprofit group to press for action. Results in the draft report card don't
look good: The foundation finds that the state has made little to no
progress on most of its recommendations.
<more> June 1, 2009 Fresno Bee
Greenhouse emissions bill faces contentious summer of debate - – Congress will return today ready to engage in a historic debate on whether the country should shift to cleaner and more efficient use of energy and reduce the heat-trapping gases building up in the atmosphere. Before leaving for Memorial Day, the House Energy and Commerce Committee approved a bill that would set the country's first mandatory limits on greenhouse gases, promote renewable energy and increase the efficiency of buildings, appliances and vehicles. The bill now will be considered by other committees and should reach the floor of the House of Representatives for a vote this summer. This month is expected to feature lawmakers publicly airing concerns about costs and the impact on agriculture and heavy industry. Environmentalists will try to strengthen the bill, arguing that its efficiency measures and other provisions will hold down costs. <more> June 1, 2009 Sacramento Bee
Friday, May 29, 2009
Antibiotics bill approved by Senate Appropriations Committee - -
Legislation that
would
limit the use of antibiotics by licensed veterinarians to prevent and
control disease in animal agriculture was approved this week by the Senate
Appropriations Committee and goes to the Senate floor for consideration.
SB
416 by Sen. Dean Florez (D-Shafter) was amended earlier
this month by the Senate Education Committee to require school districts to
make every effort to purchase poultry and meat products that have not been
treated with non-therapeutic antibiotics. Florez’s original bill prohibited
schools from serving poultry or meat products from animals that had been
treated with antibiotics at any time during the life of the animal.
The California Poultry Federation opposes the bill, along with Alliance of
Western Milk Producers, California Dairies Inc., California Farm Bureau
Federation, California School Nutrition Association and the California
Teamsters. May 29, 2009
Ag
industry watches two proposed animal welfare laws - - Agribusiness is
keeping a close eye on two bills that would expand on a new law designed to
protect farm animals from inhumane treatment. The California Egg-Laying Hen
Welfare Act (AB 1437) would ban the sale of eggs produced on farms where
cages are too small for birds to spread their wings or freely turn around.
The sponsor is Assemblyman Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael. Senate Bill 135,
sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez, D-Shafter, prohibits the
practice of "tail docking," or removing part of a dairy cow's tail by
cutting it or choking off circulation with a tight band until it falls off.
Both bills passed this week in their respective houses and are now under
review in the other chamber.
<more> May 29, 2009 Bakersfield Californian
Study:
Culled carcasses may be landfilled even as virus persists - - A team of
engineers and scientists at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has concluded
that burial in a modern landfill is a suitable means of disposal of the
carcasses of poultry involved in an avian influenza outbreak even though the
virus can remain viable for periods ranging from 29 days to more than 600
days. “Data obtained from this study indicate that landfilling is an
appropriate method for disposal of carcasses infected with AIV,” the
scientists wrote in Environmental Science & Technology, a journal of the
American Chemical Society. “Inactivation times calculated in this study (<2
yrs) were well within the design lifetimes of composite barrier and gas and
leachate collection systems at typical Subtitle D landfills,” or those built
to standards set by current federal law. The team was composed of two
researchers from the university’s department of civil engineering and two
from the department of veterinary basic sciences. The researchers said that
avian influenza continues to be a concern and a potential launch pad for an
epidemic of human influenza. Disposal of the carcasses of poultry culled
during outbreaks is an important part of the response to an animal disease
outbreak, they said. During an outbreak of H7N2 low-pathogenic avian
influenza in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley in 2002, about three million
turkey and chicken carcasses were buried in municipal landfills close to the
outbreak and in regional mega-landfills more than 100 miles away. The
Nebraska researchers worked with a different strain of AI--H6N2--and
performed experiments to see how long the virus remained viable under
different conditions. They found that higher temperatures (37 degrees
centigrade, almost 100 degrees Fahrenheit) and higher pH (8, on the alkaline
side) led to viability as low as 29 days, while low temperatures and neutral
pH allowed the virus to survive more than 600 days. In a modern landfill,
each day’s accumulation of discarded material is covered with dirt and each
section of facility is eventually sealed, with pipes in place to remove
leachate and gases. The logistics of transporting carcasses long distances
spurred research into other methods of disposal. Composting the carcasses in
the growout houses in which they lived has been adopted in outbreaks since
2002 and is now considered a preferred method. May 29, 2009 NCC
Newsletter
CPF summer meeting reservation deadline June 11 -
- Reservations are being taken for CPF’s summer meeting, set for July 13-14
at the Cliffs Resort in Shell Beach. The Cliffs Resort has provided special
rates for Sunday and Monday evenings. June 11 is the deadline to make hotel
reservations with the CPF. There will be a golf tournament Monday, July 13,
beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the Avila Beach Resort, about 10 minutes from the
hotel. The CPF and some allied members will sponsor the reception and
dinner. Following the tourney, the reception, awards and dinner following
golf will be held at the Avila Beach home of Richard and Kathy Zacky. This
will be a fun and interesting evening featuring a steak, turkey and chicken
barbeque. Sponsorship opportunities for the golf tourney and reception
are available by contacting CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 576-6355.
May 20, 2009
Sponsors lining up to support CPF summer meeting
- - Several sponsors have signed up to lend their financial support to
the CPF’s summer meeting set for July 13-14 in Shell beach. Sponsors to date
are Alpharma; ASC / Agrecom Inc.; Aviagen Inc. ;Baker Commodities, Inc.;
Cryovac/Sealed Air Corporation; Cumberland; CVP Systems; Elanco Animal
Health; Evonik Degussa Corporation; Foster Farms; Haley Farms, Inc.;
Intervet/Schering-Plough; Jones-Hamilton Company; Novus International, Inc.;
Pitman Farms; Preserve International; Tipper Tie, Inc. ; Volk Enterprises;
Woodland
Farms;
Zacky Farms and Zinpro Corporation. Sponsorship information is available
from CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 576-6355. May 26, 2009
CPF Quality Assurance Seminar set for Modesto June 17 - - CPF’s next Quality Assurance Seminar will be held on Wednesday, June 17. This is a mandatory seminar in order to maintain certification under the California Meat Poultry QA Program. The seminar will be held at the Stanislaus County Ag Center’s Harvest Hall. Registration and the continental breakfast will begin at 8:30 am and the first presentation will start at 9 a.m. Speakers and topics include: Swine Flu--What Next? by Dr. Carol Cardona; Animal Welfare; Dr. Robert O’Connor from Foster Farms on Biosecurity and Cleaning & Disinfection, Dr. Mark Bland from Cutler & Associates on Flock Health Management, Christian Bagocius from Motomco on Rodent Control, and a Live Bird Market and Premise ID update from CDFA’s Dr. Sarah Mize and Victor Velez. The seminar will cost $15 which includes continental breakfast, lunch and materials. Click here to download the registration form. Please contact Cody Penfold for any questions at 209-576-6355. May 4, 2009 CPF Notice
Thursday, May 28, 2009
CA
bill extending Prop. 2 to out of state egg producers passes Assembly - - A
bill that would extend California's cage size restrictions to out-of-state
egg producers was approved by the state Assembly Tuesday. AB1437, by
Assemblyman Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, would apply the rules created by
Proposition 2 to outside producers whose eggs are sold in California. Prop
2, passed overwhelmingly by voters in November, imposes cage size
restrictions on the state's egg producers. Under the initiative, caged
animals must be able to turn around and fully extend their limbs. The bill
passed the Assembly 49-9. The bill now goes to the Senate. Bill Mattos,
president of the California Poultry Federation, said his organization
remains neutral on the bill. "There are still some concerns about what it
means," said Mattos, whose organization counts several egg producers among
its membership. "On the surface, it looks like positive legislation. But
when you start asking questions, it gets shaky."
<more> May 28, 2009 Capital Press
Editorial: Egg bill scrambles Constitution - - Through the years
Congress and the courts have stretched the definition of "commerce" to
include all sorts of things, but the transportation of goods from one state
to another has always been the sole purview of Congress. The news hasn't
filtered down to California. The Legislature there is trying to impose
special conditions on its partners in the other 49 states. The state Senate
and Assembly have stepped in with a bill that would require all eggs sold in
California, regardless of their origin, to be produced under conditions
conforming to the yet-to-be written rules implementing Prop. 2. That's all
well and fine for the poor California egg producers who are stuck no matter
what. We sympathize with their position. Their businesses were hijacked by
an electorate bamboozled by the animal rights crowd. But this remedy doesn't
pass the constitutional smell test.
<more> May 28, 2009 Capital Press
Tyson
Settles Lawsuit Over Artificially Inflated Weight - - Tyson Foods Inc.
has agreed to donate up to 1.7 million pounds of chicken to Illinois food
banks to settle a lawsuit that claimed the world's biggest meat producer
artificially inflated the retail weight of its poultry. Under the deal
approved Wednesday by a judge in Madison County, Ill., the company denies
any wrongdoing and agreed to resolve the matter out of court to avoid
additional costs related to the nearly eight-year legal tussle. The suit,
originally brought in 2001 by a couple from Hartford and an Arkansas man,
claimed that Springdale, Ark.-based Tyson artificially inflated the weight
of poultry products sold between 1997 and 2003 through a cold-water
immersion chilling process that resulted in absorption and retention of
water under the birds' skin and muscle tissues. Federal regulations now
require poultry processors to disclose retained water on product labels.
<more> May 28, 2009 CattleNetwork.com
Obama
reiterates desire to move beyond corn-based ethanol - - In a letter to
farm-state governors, President Barack Obama has reiterated his desire to
move beyond corn-based ethanol. Obama was responding to a letter he received
earlier this year from the Governors’ Biofuels Commission. That letter
described the threat the biofuels market faces because of dwindling private
investment and the recession. In his reply, Obama said he wants to see new
types of biofuels commercialized as quickly as possible, but that corn-based
ethanol needs to remain viable in the meantime. Obama said his
administration is committed to moving as quickly as possible to
commercialize new cellulosic technologies, so that—in his words—“tomorrow’s
biofuels will be produced from sustainable biomass feedstocks and waste
materials rather than corn.”
<more> May 28, 2009 Brownfield Ag News
Air
District offers small fleet owners money to replace 1993 and older diesel
trucks - - The San Joaquin Valley Air District has money for heavy-duty
diesel owners of small fleets to replace their older, polluting trucks with
newer, cleaner models. The Voucher Incentive Program (VIP) is a new,
streamlined option funded through the Carl Moyer Memorial Air Quality
Attainment Program. More than $15 million is available through the program,
which is open to any owner to fund heavy-duty truck replacements statewide.
Between $30,000 and $35,000 is available per grant, depending on the age of
the truck. Trucks with 1993 and older engines are eligible. Grants are made
on a first-come, first-served basis and applications will be approved within
five business days. "This is a valuable way to encourage owners/operators of
older trucks to make an investment in newer, cleaner models, and it fills a
great need," said Seyed Sadredin, the District's executive director and air
pollution control officer.
<more>
May 28, 2009 CARB Press Release
California Democrats say Obama is neglecting parts of the Golden State -
- Some California Democrats are upset with President Obama for skipping past
the state’s Central Valley, devastated by foreclosures and high
unemployment, as he heads to a $3 million Hollywood fundraiser Wednesday
night. “He’s not showing us any empathy,” said Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.),
who endorsed Obama over then-Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) in the
Democratic primary last May. “He told us he would visit the heartland of
California. He’s coming again and he’s not doing so.” Costa said he and
other California Democrats have lobbied White House Chief of Staff Rahm
Emanuel for a visit, to no avail. Central Valley Democrats also pressed for
a visit when Obama visited in March. While Midwestern states are better
known for farming, California’s giant economy also includes an agricultural
powerhouse. Fresno County, for example, ranks first in the country for total
value of agricultural products sold. <more>
May 28,2009 TheHill.com
CPF summer meeting reservation deadline June 11 -
- Reservations are being taken for CPF’s summer meeting, set for July 13-14
at the Cliffs Resort in Shell Beach. The Cliffs Resort has provided special
rates for Sunday and Monday evenings. June 11 is the deadline to make hotel
reservations with the CPF. There will be a golf tournament Monday, July 13,
beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the Avila Beach Resort, about 10 minutes from the
hotel. The CPF and some allied members will sponsor the reception and
dinner. Following the tourney, the reception, awards and dinner following
golf will be held at the Avila Beach home of Richard and Kathy Zacky. This
will be a fun and interesting evening featuring a steak, turkey and chicken
barbeque. Sponsorship opportunities for the golf tourney and reception
are available by contacting CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 576-6355.
May 20, 2009
Sponsors lining up to support CPF summer meeting
- - Several sponsors have signed up to lend their financial support to
the CPF’s summer meeting set for July 13-14 in Shell beach. Sponsors to date
are Alpharma; ASC / Agrecom Inc.; Aviagen Inc. ;Baker Commodities, Inc.;
Cryovac/Sealed Air Corporation; Cumberland; CVP Systems; Elanco Animal
Health; Evonik Degussa Corporation; Foster Farms; Haley Farms, Inc.;
Intervet/Schering-Plough; Jones-Hamilton Company; Novus International, Inc.;
Pitman Farms; Preserve International; Tipper Tie, Inc. ; Volk Enterprises;
Woodland
Farms;
Zacky Farms and Zinpro Corporation. Sponsorship information is available
from CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 576-6355. May 26, 2009
CPF Quality Assurance Seminar set for Modesto
June 17 - - CPF’s next Quality Assurance Seminar will be held on
Wednesday, June 17. This is a mandatory seminar in order to maintain
certification under the California Meat Poultry QA Program. The seminar will
be held at the Stanislaus County Ag Center’s Harvest Hall. Registration and
the continental breakfast will begin at 8:30 am and the first presentation
will start at 9 a.m. Speakers and topics include: Swine Flu--What Next? by
Dr. Carol Cardona; Animal Welfare; Dr. Robert O’Connor from Foster Farms on
Biosecurity and Cleaning & Disinfection, Dr. Mark Bland from Cutler &
Associates on Flock Health Management, Christian Bagocius from Motomco on
Rodent Control, and a Live Bird Market and Premise ID update from CDFA’s Dr.
Sarah Mize and Victor Velez. The seminar will cost $15 which includes
continental breakfast, lunch and materials.
Click here to download the registration form. Please contact Cody
Penfold for any questions at 209-576-6355. May 4, 2009 CPF Notice
Sanderson reports $26.2 million second quarter profit - - Sanderson
Farms Inc. reported net income of $26.2 million for its second fiscal
quarter which ended April 30, 2009. The company slaughtered 4% less tonnage
in the second quarter of 2009 than it did in the same quarter of 2008; this
is in spite of ramping up of production at the company's new Waco, Texas,
facility. Joe F. Sanderson Jr., chairman and CEO of Sanderson Farms, said
that this reduction in volume was the result of reduced placements at all of
the company's complexes besides Waco and a reduction in bird weights.
Sanderson Farms will continue its chick placements at the reduced second
quarter levels in the third quarter, but it will return its bird weights to
prior, heavier levels. Sanderson said that the net affect will be that the
company's processed pounds will be 2% less in the third quarter of 2009 than
in the same period in 2008.
<more> May 28, 2009 WattPoultry.com
Voters’ angst
fuels look at constitutional convention - - Disgusted, demoralized and
disenchanted, Californians are fed up with their political leaders – that
much is clear. What isn’t so clear is what to do about it. One possibility
is a constitutional convention, the first in California in 130 years, where
hundreds of delegates chosen from among the citizenry would rewrite the
constitution and submit their plan to voters. Everything would be on the
table – term limits, the two-thirds vote, ballot initiatives, spending caps,
redistricting, the Legislature itself. Fasten your seat belts, this could
be a bumpy ride. “The biggest single risk is to be careful what you wish
for,” said veteran political strategist Darry Sragow, who has handled
Democratic campaigns for governor and U.S. Senate. “Who knows what interests
will weigh in? It could be wonderful and invigorating, it could be an
unmitigated disaster.” But California voters appear interested in taking the
chance.
<more> May 28, 2009 Capitol Weekly
Birds of a Feather golf tourney June 9 in Petaluma- - The Birds of a Feather golf tournament benefitting the Western Poultry Scholarship and Research Foundation will tee off Tuesday June 9 at the Roster Run Golf Club in Petaluma. Registration deadline is June 2 and the fee is $125. More information is available from Debbie Murdock at (916) 441-0801 or Lensi Hopkins at (916) 956-7410. May 1, 2009 PEPA Notice
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Workshops explain $20 million farm air funding - -
More than $20 million is being made available to California farmers and
ranchers as part of a new program to help reduce air quality emissions from
agricultural sources. A series of 15 workshops will be held over the next
few weeks to explain how the program works. The program is run by the USDA's
Natural Resources Conservation Service as part of a new air quality
provision of the 2008 federal Farm Bill's Environmental Quality Incentives
Program. Under the program, agricultural producers can apply for money to
help pay to replace, repower or retrofit existing combustion engines. The
deadline to apply is June 26.
<more> May 27, 2009 Fresno Bee
Pilgrim's Pride rejects bid for Arkansas plant
- - Pilgrim's Pride has rejected a bid by a poultry company that wanted
to buy Pilgrim's shuttered chicken processing plant in El Dorado, Ark. A
federal bankruptcy judge ordered Pilgrim's and the El Dorado Poultry Co. to
go into mediation and try to agree on a sale of the property. Pilgrim's
filed for bankruptcy protection from its creditors last December. About
1,500 people worked at the El Dorado plant before it began laying off
employees prior to closure on May 8.
<more> May 27, 2009 KTBS.com
CPF summer meeting reservation deadline June 11 -
- Reservations are being taken for CPF’s summer meeting, set for July 13-14
at the Cliffs Resort in Shell Beach. The Cliffs Resort has provided special
rates for Sunday and Monday evenings. June 11 is the deadline to make hotel
reservations with the CPF. There will be a golf tournament Monday, July 13,
beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the Avila Beach Resort, about 10 minutes from the
hotel. The CPF and some allied members will sponsor the reception and
dinner. Following the tourney, the reception, awards and dinner following
golf will be held at the Avila Beach home of Richard and Kathy Zacky. This
will be a fun and interesting evening featuring a steak, turkey and chicken
barbeque. Sponsorship opportunities for the golf tourney and reception
are available by contacting CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 576-6355.
May 20, 2009
Sponsors lining up to support CPF summer meeting
- - Several sponsors have signed up to lend their financial support to
the CPF’s summer meeting set for July 13-14 in Shell beach. Sponsors to date
are Alpharma; ASC / Agrecom Inc.; Aviagen Inc. ;Baker Commodities, Inc.;
Cryovac/Sealed Air Corporation; Cumberland; CVP Systems; Elanco Animal
Health; Evonik Degussa Corporation; Foster Farms; Haley Farms, Inc.;
Intervet/Schering-Plough; Jones-Hamilton Company; Novus International, Inc.;
Pitman Farms; Preserve International; Tipper Tie, Inc. ; Volk Enterprises;
Zacky Farms and Zinpro Corporation. Sponsorship information is available
from CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 576-6355. May 26, 2009
CPF Quality Assurance Seminar set for Modesto
June 17 - - CPF’s next Quality Assurance Seminar will be held on
Wednesday, June 17. This is a mandatory seminar in order to maintain
certification under the California Meat Poultry QA Program. The seminar will
be held at the Stanislaus County Ag Center’s Harvest Hall. Registration and
the continental breakfast will begin at 8:30 am and the first presentation
will start at 9 a.m. Speakers and topics include: Swine Flu--What Next? by
Dr. Carol Cardona; Animal Welfare; Dr. Robert O’Connor from Foster Farms on
Biosecurity and Cleaning & Disinfection, Dr. Mark Bland from Cutler &
Associates on Flock Health Management, Christian Bagocius from Motomco on
Rodent Control, and a Live Bird Market and Premise ID update from CDFA’s Dr.
Sarah Mize and Victor Velez. The seminar will cost $15 which includes
continental breakfast, lunch and materials.
Click here to download the registration form. Please contact Cody
Penfold for any questions at 209-576-6355. May 4, 2009 CPF Notice
Birds of a Feather golf tourney June 9 in Petaluma- - The Birds of a Feather golf tournament benefitting the Western Poultry Scholarship and Research Foundation will tee off Tuesday June 9 at the Roster Run Golf Club in Petaluma. Registration deadline is June 2 and the fee is $125. More information is available from Debbie Murdock at (916) 441-0801 or Lensi Hopkins at (916) 956-7410. May 1, 2009 PEPA Notice
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
KFC happy with giveaway fed by Oprah - -
Combine Oprah Winfrey's endorsement with a chicken giveaway and what do you
get? For KFC, the result was an avalanche of attention, some positive, some
negative, for its national rollout of Kentucky Grilled Chicken. The frenzy
briefly overwhelmed the chain, which promised free-meal rain checks for
customers who couldn't redeem their online coupons, first posted May 2,
because stores ran out of the meals or stopped honoring the offer because
customer traffic threatened to get out of hand. KFC now sees the promotional
roller coaster as a blessing. "The critical thing for us was to get people
to eat the chicken, whatever it took," KFC president Roger Eaton said in an
interview with The Associated Press.
<more> May 26, 2009 AP
April poultry production down 7% on the year
- - Poultry production during April was down 7% on the year, according to
the USDA. The total amount of poultry certified wholesome was 3.523 billion
pounds. For the year to date, production is 13.627 billion bushels, 7% lower
than the 14.621 billion produced during January to April 2008. That year to
year reduction is due to uncertainties over demand because of the economy
and the high price of feed. Chicken made up most of the total at 3.039
billion pounds, 6% below a year ago, with turkey at 474.989 million pounds,
down 9% from last year, and duck at 9.069 million pounds, a 10% decrease on
the year.
<more> May 26, 2009 Brownfield Ag News
McDonald's to join hen housing study - -
McDonald's USA has announced its participation in a commercial-scale study
of housing alternatives for egg laying hens in the U.S., including cage-free
housing. The research is being led by Michigan State University and the
University of California-Davis. Other stakeholders in the study are the
American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Humane Association,
USDA’s Ag Research Service, Cargill Incorporated and the Center for Food
Integrity. The American Humane Association says the research is important in
determining if there are indeed differences in laying hen production systems
in regard to welfare implications for the birds. In addition to welfare, the
“multi-year” study will also look at environmental, food safety and economic
issues related to various production systems.
<more> May 26, 2009 Brownfield Ag News
Some chicken growers 'out in the cold' - -
Foster Farms' new ownership of the former Pilgrim's Pride chicken complex
will save many northeastern Louisiana independent growers who supply poultry
to the plant, but other farmers find themselves left behind with an
uncertain future. Northeastern Louisiana growers who supplied Pilgrim's El
Dorado, Ark., plant, which remains closed, said the purchase agreement
between Pilgrim's and Foster for the Farmerville facility bars them from
contracting with Foster until July 1. By then, the growers said, Foster will
have its grower network in place. "That leaves me back where I started,"
said grower Jeff Foster of Spearsville. "I'm so happy for all of the growers
who will be saved by this, but I'm still out in the cold."
<more> May 26, 2009 Newsstar.com
CPF summer meeting reservation deadline June 11 -
- Reservations are being taken for CPF’s summer meeting, set for July 13-14
at the Cliffs Resort in Shell Beach. The Cliffs Resort has provided special
rates for Sunday and Monday evenings. June 11 is the deadline to make hotel
reservations with the CPF. There will be a golf tournament Monday, July 13,
beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the Avila Beach Resort, about 10 minutes from the
hotel. The CPF and some allied members will sponsor the reception and
dinner. Following the tourney, the reception, awards and dinner following
golf will be held at the Avila Beach home of Richard and Kathy Zacky. This
will be a fun and interesting evening featuring a steak, turkey and chicken
barbeque. Sponsorship opportunities for the golf tourney and reception
are available by contacting CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 576-6355.
May 20, 2009
Sponsors lining up to support CPF summer meeting
- - Several sponsors have signed up to lend their financial support to
the CPF’s summer meeting set for July 13-14 in Shell beach. Sponsors to date
are Alpharma; ASC / Agrecom Inc.; Aviagen Inc. ;Baker Commodities, Inc.;
Cryovac/Sealed Air Corporation; Cumberland; CVP Systems; Elanco Animal
Health; Evonik Degussa Corporation; Foster Farms; Haley Farms, Inc.;
Intervet/Schering-Plough; Jones-Hamilton Company; Novus International, Inc.;
Pitman Farms; Preserve International; Tipper Tie, Inc. ; Volk Enterprises;
Zacky Farms and Zinpro Corporation. Sponsorship information is available
from CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 576-6355. May 26, 2009
Ethanol proposal may derail climate bill - -
Rural Democrats are threatening to vote against climate change legislation
unless the Environmental Protection Agency halts new proposals that could
hamper the development of corn ethanol. Ethanol has long been an energy
third rail in Congress, with lawmakers — particularly those from the Midwest
and other states with large agricultural industries — clamoring to support
the biofuel both to transition away from foreign energy and to support rural
economies. But in recent years, environmentalists, livestock producers and
grocery manufacturers have raised concerns about the fuel, claiming that it
threatens to exacerbate global warming and that it raises food prices. The
debate intensified recently when EPA released a draft decision ruling that
“indirect land use” issues must be considered when calculating the carbon
footprint of corn-based ethanol. That decision raises the overall emissions
of corn ethanol by including sometimes tenuously linked activities — critics
say totally unrelated activities — in its carbon count. And in fact, the EPA
finding showed that while biofuels from plants and other next-generation
renewables reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, the fuel might not be as
environmentally friendly as the law requires.
<more> May 26, 2009 Politco.com
CPF Quality Assurance Seminar set for Modesto
June 17 - - CPF’s next Quality Assurance Seminar will be held on
Wednesday, June 17. This is a mandatory seminar in order to maintain
certification under the California Meat Poultry QA Program. The seminar will
be held at the Stanislaus County Ag Center’s Harvest Hall. Registration and
the continental breakfast will begin at 8:30 am and the first presentation
will start at 9 a.m. Speakers and topics include: Swine Flu--What Next? by
Dr. Carol Cardona; Animal Welfare; Dr. Robert O’Connor from Foster Farms on
Biosecurity and Cleaning & Disinfection, Dr. Mark Bland from Cutler &
Associates on Flock Health Management, Christian Bagocius from Motomco on
Rodent Control, and a Live Bird Market and Premise ID update from CDFA’s Dr.
Sarah Mize and Victor Velez. The seminar will cost $15 which includes
continental breakfast, lunch and materials.
Click here to download the registration form. Please contact Cody
Penfold for any questions at 209-576-6355. May 4, 2009 CPF Notice
Birds
of a Feather golf tourney June 9 in Petaluma- - The Birds of a Feather
golf tournament benefitting the Western Poultry Scholarship and Research
Foundation will tee off Tuesday June 9 at the Roster Run Golf Club in
Petaluma. Registration deadline is June 2 and the fee is $125. More
information is available from Debbie Murdock at (916) 441-0801 or Lensi
Hopkins at (916) 956-7410. May 1, 2009 PEPA Notice
USDA sets up new food safety website - - The newly-created White House Food Safety Working Group has launched a Web site www.foodsafetyworkinggroup to provide information about the group’s activities and progress. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, head up the working group, which was created to help reinforce the nation’s food safety inspection mechanism. “The Working Group will be an important tool for gathering ideas as to how we can strengthen the food safety system to be more accountable and accessible to the public it protects, flexible enough to quickly resolve new safety challenges that emerge, and able to meet the robust needs of our rapidly changing world,” said Vilsack. “Families have enough to worry about. You shouldn’t have to wonder if the food you buy at the grocery store is safe,” said Sebelius. “The Web site will help ensure all Americans can share their thoughts and contribute to this important process.” May 26, 2009 USDA Press Release
Friday, May 22, 2009
Foster Farms completes acquisition of former Pilgrim's Pride Louisiana chicken plant - - Foster Farms said this morning that it has completed its previously announced acquisition of a Farmerville chicken plant from Pilgrim's Pride. Foster Farms agreed to buy the plant for $80 million. The state will contribute $50 million -- half of the purchase price, plus another $10 million toward equipment upgrades. While initial production at the plant will be about 50 percent of capacity, Foster Farms said it envisions a quick ramp up. The California company is now in the process of hiring management employees. <more> May 22, 2009 New Orleans Time Picayune
To
read Pilgrim Pride's press release,
please click here.
CPF summer meeting reservation deadline June 11 -
- Reservations are being taken for CPF’s summer meeting, set for July 13-14
at the Cliffs Resort in Shell Beach. The Cliffs Resort has provided special
rates for Sunday and Monday evenings. June 11 is the deadline to make hotel
reservations with the CPF. There will be a golf tournament Monday, July 13,
beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the Avila Beach Resort, about 10 minutes from the
hotel. The CPF and some allied members will sponsor the reception and
dinner. Following the tourney, the reception, awards and dinner following
golf will be held at the Avila Beach home of Richard and Kathy Zacky. This
will be a fun and interesting evening featuring a steak, turkey and chicken
barbeque. Sponsorship opportunities for the golf tourney and reception
are available by contacting CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 576-6355.
May 20, 2009
CDFA
budget ax hits Fresno CAHFS lab - - As the budget ax begins to hit
following this week’s defeat of five budget initiatives, word comes that the
CDFA’s California Animal Health and Food Safety Lab located in Fresno will
be shut down as of July 19. Most of its testing services will be
redistributed to other labs in Davis, Turlock, Tulare and San Bernardino.
The closure represents 28 people and 38 positions. CDFA’s 2008-09 budget is
about $98.5 million in General Fund appropriations. Of that amount,
approximately $92 million is expended on core services encompassing
agricultural plant and animal health activities, pest prevention and food
safety services. CDFA has been directed to reduce current year expenses by
5%. At least $2 million in additional cuts are still pending. California
Poultry Federation President Bill Mattos commented, “We are told that the
veterinarians that the CPF works with everyday will be transferred to the
Tulare laboratory, which is very good news for poultry. We are hopeful these
vets will remain with the lab. We can't stress enough to the CDFA how
important these laboratories are to the safety and strength of our industry
in California. Without them, the health of our livestock would be severely
threatened. There is a reason why the California lab system is the best in
the nation. We can't allow that to change.” May 22, 2009
Animal-rights groups focus on religion - - "Animal-rights activists are
using religious messages to recruit a segment of the millennial generation
that has little doctrinal anchor, in order to advance their vegetarian
agenda," said Wes Jamison, an ordained Baptist minister and associate
professor of communications at Palm Beach Atlantic University, addressing
participants at the Animal Agriculture Alliance's 8th Annual Stakeholders
Summit, held this week in Alexandria, Va. Jamison explained that two major
factors are driving animal-rights groups' attempts to engage people of
faith. The first is that people motivated by religion tend to give
generously, which is an important factor to the $400 million-a-year
animal-rights industry. The second reason is that people motivated by
religious zeal tend to have sustained intensity over time. This is a
critical feature lacking from the current animal-rights movement, since many
vegans and vegetarians tend to eventually return to an omnivorous diet.”
<more> May 22, 2009 Drovers.com
Climate change legislation approved by House committee - - The House
this week moved closer to approving a bill that would cut U.S. greenhouse
gas emissions by 17 percent by 2020 and 83 percent by 2050 and would require
states to get 20 percent of their electricity from renewable sources and
improved efficiency. The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, H.
R. 2454, was approved by a vote of 33-25 with all but four Democrats voting
for the measure. Democrats voting against the measure were Rep. John Barrow
(GA), Charles Melancon (LA), Jim Matheson (UT), and Mike Ross (AR). The one
Republican voting for the bill was Mary Bono-Mack (CA). Nathan Deal (R-GA)
was absent for the final vote. The legislation would create a cap-and-trade
system whereby over the next decade, power plants, oil refineries, and
manufacturers would be required to obtain allowances for the pollution they
emit. Those who need more or less could turn to a Wall-Street-like market in
the allowances. The bill, which aims to remake the way the United States
consumes energy, uses vast incentives and slow–growing punishments to shift
from high-polluting fossil fuels to new sources, such as wind, solar power,
and plant-based fuels. The legislation passed out of committee with little
change, even with over 90 amendments, mostly offered by Republicans.
Committee Republicans, who are outnumbered 36-23, were repeatedly rebuffed
in efforts to attach “circuit breakers” that would suspend parts or all of
the 946-page bill in the event it harmed the U.S. economy, raised energy
prices, or if China and India failed to adopt their own emissions caps.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has promised to bring the legislation to
the floor this summer. The bill has been referred to eight other House
committees, but those committees will take up only those areas in their
jurisdiction. Supporters see the Ways and Means Committee, which will have
broad purview over revenue-raising provisions in the bill, as well as how to
protect trade-sensitive industries, as the biggest hurdle to a speedy floor
debate. The Agriculture Committee is also one of the eight committees to
which the legislation has been referred and could also present a roadblock
to final passage. Agriculture Chairman Collin Peterson (D-MN) has issues
with provisions relating to reducing greenhouse gases, and said he is
seeking to change rules for those who raise corn for ethanol. May 22,
2009 NCC Newsletter
Animal
welfare web portal launched - - A new internet portal has been launched
today by FAO that will serve as a one-stop-shop for individuals and
organizations searching for the latest information about the welfare of
livestock. The Gateway to Farm Animal Welfare is designed to provide a
reliable information conduit on legislation and research findings in the
sector, as well as on animal welfare standards, practices and policies.
Expected users are farmers and government officials, lawmakers, researchers,
the livestock and food industry and non-governmental organizations. It will
provide an important forum for animal welfare issues related to activities
such as transport, slaughter and pre-slaughter management, animal husbandry
and handling and the culling of animals for disease control.
<more> May 22, 2009 FAO Press Release
CPF Quality Assurance Seminar set for Modesto
June 17 - - CPF’s next Quality Assurance Seminar will be held on
Wednesday, June 17. This is a mandatory seminar in order to maintain
certification under the California Meat Poultry QA Program. The seminar will
be held at the Stanislaus County Ag Center’s Harvest Hall. Registration and
the continental breakfast will begin at 8:30 am and the first presentation
will start at 9 a.m. Speakers and topics include: Swine Flu--What Next? by
Dr. Carol Cardona; Animal Welfare; Dr. Robert O’Connor from Foster Farms on
Biosecurity and Cleaning & Disinfection, Dr. Mark Bland from Cutler &
Associates on Flock Health Management, Christian Bagocius from Motomco on
Rodent Control, and a Live Bird Market and Premise ID update from CDFA’s Dr.
Sarah Mize and Victor Velez. The seminar will cost $15 which includes
continental breakfast, lunch and materials.
Click here to download the registration form. Please contact Cody
Penfold for any questions at 209-576-6355. May 4, 2009 CPF Notice
Birds of a Feather golf tourney June 9 in Petaluma- - The Birds of a Feather golf tournament benefitting the Western Poultry Scholarship and Research Foundation will tee off Tuesday June 9 at the Roster Run Golf Club in Petaluma. Registration deadline is June 2 and the fee is $125. More information is available from Debbie Murdock at (916) 441-0801 or Lensi Hopkins at (916) 956-7410. May 1, 2009 PEPA Notice
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Russian drive for domestic chicken - -- - Russia, its appetite for cheap
poultry meat growing, is spending billions of dollars developing its poultry
farms to slash its dependence on imports and squeeze U.S. suppliers from
their biggest export market. The expansion could halve the share of imports
in Russian poultry consumption by 2012 and push the $55 billion U.S. poultry
sector, which sent nearly a quarter of its poultry exports to Russia last
year, to seek alternative markets. Big economies, including Saudi Arabia,
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, China and South Korea, are leading a global
search for farmland to guarantee food supplies after rampant food price
inflation last year and water shortages drove home the need to reduce
dependence on imports.
<more> May 21, 2009 Reuters
CPF summer meeting reservation deadline June 11 -
- Reservations are being taken for CPF’s summer meeting, set for July 13-14
at the Cliffs Resort in Shell Beach. The Cliffs Resort has provided special
rates for Sunday and Monday evenings. June 11 is the deadline to make hotel
reservations with the CPF. There will be a golf tournament Monday, July 13,
beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the Avila Beach Resort, about 10 minutes from the
hotel. The CPF and some allied members will sponsor the reception and
dinner. Following the tourney, the reception, awards and dinner following
golf will be held at the Avila Beach home of Richard and Kathy Zacky. This
will be a fun and interesting evening featuring a steak, turkey and chicken
barbeque. Sponsorship opportunities for the golf tourney and reception
are available by contacting CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 576-6355.
May 20, 2009
Will
grilled chicken work for KFC? - - A former owner of Kentucky Fried
Chicken was not high on the chances of success for KFC's new grilled chicken
offering. Former Kentucky governor John Y. Brown, speaking at the Alltech
Agribusiness Summit in Lexington, Ky., said that he doesn't think that
grilled chicken will work for KFC based on the past failure of roasted
chicken. Brown discussed his success in growing the franchising concept
started by "Colonel" Harlan Sanders in the U.S. and in 57 foreign countries
prior to selling his interest in the fast food chicken restaurant chain in
1971. He said that the secret to his own success was being a good salesman,
a hard worker, not being afraid to fail and luck. "I failed more than I
succeeded in business; I failed a lot," Brown said. "Success is built in the
footprints of failure."
<more> May 21, 2009 WattPoultry.com
Governor proposes $5.5 billion in new cuts - - Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger proposed a new round of budget cuts totaling $5.5 billion on
Thursday, two days after voters rejected five special election initiatives
that would have brought in about that same amount in new revenues. Under his
proposal, the state would completely eliminate support for Healthy Families,
a program that provides health insurance to hundreds of thousands of
low-income children, and CalWorks, an assistance program benefiting
low-income families with children. The administration said the governor's
plan also would phase out all General Fund support for the state parks
system, and gradually eliminate loans to college students through the Cal
Grants program. Anna Montesantos, an aide to the governor, presented the
cuts to the Legislature's Budget Conference Committee on Thursday afternoon.
<more> May 21, 2009 Capitol Weekly
Suit
questions smelt protection. No commercial activity threatening fish,
plaintiffs argue - - The Pacific Legal Foundation sued the federal
government on Thursday, challenging its authority to protect the Delta smelt
under the federal Endangered Species Act. The Delta smelt is a tiny fish
that exists only in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Its protected status
under the ESA has contributed to Delta pumping reductions, which have placed
added pressure on San Joaquin Valley farmers suffering from drought
conditions. "One question that we think has not been adequately addressed is
the actual authority of FWS to put these restrictions into place," said PLF
attorney Damien Schiff. The fish exists within a single state and carries no
commercial value, the plaintiffs argue. No particular commercial activity is
threatening the smelt's survival, and the fish has no normal impact on
commerce, they argue.
<more> May 21, 2009 Capital Press
CPF Quality Assurance Seminar set for Modesto
June 17 - - CPF’s next Quality Assurance Seminar will be held on
Wednesday, June 17. This is a mandatory seminar in order to maintain
certification under the California Meat Poultry QA Program. The seminar will
be held at the Stanislaus County Ag Center’s Harvest Hall. Registration and
the continental breakfast will begin at 8:30 am and the first presentation
will start at 9 a.m. Speakers and topics include: Swine Flu--What Next? by
Dr. Carol Cardona; Animal Welfare; Dr. Robert O’Connor from Foster Farms on
Biosecurity and Cleaning & Disinfection, Dr. Mark Bland from Cutler &
Associates on Flock Health Management, Christian Bagocius from Motomco on
Rodent Control, and a Live Bird Market and Premise ID update from CDFA’s Dr.
Sarah Mize and Victor Velez. The seminar will cost $15 which includes
continental breakfast, lunch and materials.
Click here to download the registration form. Please contact Cody
Penfold for any questions at 209-576-6355. May 4, 2009 CPF Notice
Birds
of a Feather golf tourney June 9 in Petaluma- - The Birds of a Feather
golf tournament benefitting the Western Poultry Scholarship and Research
Foundation will tee off Tuesday June 9 at the Roster Run Golf Club in
Petaluma. Registration deadline is June 2 and the fee is $125. More
information is available from Debbie Murdock at (916) 441-0801 or Lensi
Hopkins at (916) 956-7410. May 1, 2009 PEPA Notice
House Ag Committee hears arguments against indirect land use - - The House Agriculture Committee held a hearing Thursday to review carbon fuel-standard proposals being implemented by the EPA and the California Air Resources Board. According to a DTN report on the hearing, most of the discussion centered around the emission challenges that indirect land use rules place on domestic biofuels such as ethanol and soy biodiesel. House Ag Committee Chair Collin Peterson and ranking member Frank Lucas have co-sponsored a bill that would strip indirect land use provisions from the Renewable Fuels Standard. The House Ag Committee, however, cannot mark up the legislation because it was referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. That committee defeated a similar amendment on Wednesday as lawmakers continued debating the climate change bill. <more> May 21, 2009 Brownfield Ag News
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
UC forms Animal Welfare Advisory Council - - The
University of California has established the UC Animal Welfare Advisory
Council to review issues of animal welfare related to animal agriculture,
and to promote the development of recommendations based on sound science to
improve the welfare of livestock and poultry. The council, chaired by UC
Vice President for Agriculture and Natural Resources Daniel M. Dooley, is
comprised of veterinarians, animal science professionals, and other experts
from the University of California system, the California State University
system, Colorado State University and the private sector. California Poultry
Federation President Bill Mattos applauded the formation of the council.
"The CPF is very supportive of this effort by the University of California
to make sure that sound science serves as the basis for animal care," said
Mattos. "The California poultry industry is proud of its commitment to high
animalwelfare standards and looks forward to the leadership this council
will provide." Bennie Osburn, dean of the UC Davis School of
Veterinary Medicine and vice chair of the council, said,"The UC Animal
Welfare Council brings together broad perspectives and specialized expertise
to address the humane care and treatment of agricultural animals, while
supporting the efforts of producers to provide safe and healthy food
products for society."
<more> May 19, 2009 UC Press Release
Ohio egg farmers and Humane Society prepare for
fight - - The Ohio farm lobby and the Humane Society of the United
States are girding for a fight over the confinement of farm animals, with
the Washington-based society saying it is confident voters will side with
animals and farmers saying the group's real goal is to reduce consumption of
animal products. The Humane Society met with Ohio Farm Bureau Federation
leaders, the Ohio Cattlemen's Association, the Ohio Pork Producers Council
and the Ohio Poultry Association in February to deliver this message: Ohio
farmers must agree to change their animal husbandry practices or have the
practices changed for them via the ballot box. "When we met with those
industry leaders, we suggested we come to a meeting of the minds with a plan
to phase out confinement systems in the state," Humane Society president
Wayne Pacelle said Tuesday. "My suggestion to agricultural leaders in Ohio
was not to squander money on a campaign that was likely to fail."
<more> May 20, 2009 AP
HSUS Launches Attacks to Remove, Eliminate WBS-TV
Video - - On Monday, I wrote about how an ABC News affiliate station (WBS-TV)
reported on the misconceptions consumers may have about the Humane Society
of the United States. They questioned why so many individuals donate to an
organization that does little to actually help animals. In addition, they
pointed out how HSUS eagerly takes advantage of media exposure, taking
credit for animal efforts around the country. This video exposed the
realities of this powerful organization, and this bold report has caused
quite a stir in the aftermath. HSUS aggressively worked to pull the plug on
this video before it did too much damage to their reputation. They quickly
pushed WBS-TV to take the video off of its website, and they have
accomplished in getting all of the text versions removed from Google, as
well. The link I included of the video on Monday is now invalid, and leads
me to YouTube, where I’m invited to check out a response on the WBS-TV video
from HSUS President Wayne Pacelle.
<more> May 20, 2009 Beef Blog
CPF summer meeting reservation deadline June 11 -
- Reservations are being taken for CPF’s summer meeting, set for July 13-14
at the Cliffs Resort in Shell Beach. The Cliffs Resort has provided special
rates for Sunday and Monday evenings. June 11 is the deadline to make hotel
reservations with the CPF. There will be a golf tournament Monday, July 13,
beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the Avila Beach Resort, about 10 minutes from the
hotel. The CPF and some allied members will sponsor the reception and
dinner. Following the tourney, the reception, awards and dinner following
golf will be held at the Avila Beach home of Richard and Kathy Zacky. This
will be a fun and interesting evening featuring a steak, turkey and chicken
barbeque I have enclosed a flyer that lists the various rates. This is a
reminder that we will handle your reservation requests, so please return the
postcards ASAP. Sponsorship opportunities for the golf tourney and reception
are available by contacting CPF President Bill Mattos at (209) 576-6355.
May 20, 2009
Schwarzenegger promises big budget cuts --
Saying California voters delivered a message to "go all out" in cutting
government spending, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today promised to make
severe state budget reductions in education, health care and law
enforcement. "We tried to not make those kind of cuts, but now we have to,"
the Republican governor told reporters in Washington. "There's no other
choice. I think the message was clear from the people: Go all out and make
those cuts and live within your means." Schwarzenegger thanked Californians
for voting in Tuesday's special election. They rejected ballot measures
endorsed by the governor that would have reduced the cuts to $15 billion.
And the governor said the message was "very loud and clear." "And you know
something? I appreciate that," Schwarzenegger said. "When you hear that from
the people, then it gives us a chance to go and adjust and say, `OK, we went
the wrong direction. Now let's go in the right direction. Let's go do what
the people want.' “<more>
May 20, 2009 Sacramento Bee
Farms Start to Feel Credit Pinch - - The
credit crunch is trickling down to the farm as agricultural lenders tighten
credit standards, leaving some farmers short of money to feed their animals
or put in crops as the planting season nears its end. Deepening slumps in
the livestock, dairy and ethanol industries have contributed to mounting
troubles for rural lenders. That is making it harder for some growers to
borrow money they need to buy seed, fertilizer, equipment and animal feed.
"It's tough," said Bruce Drinkman, a 46-year-old dairy farmer in Glenwood
City, Wis., who recently had his credit line drastically reduced. "My whole
lifetime of work could be destroyed." Borrowing is important to farmers this
time of year as they try to finish up planting before it's too late --
generally by mid-June, depending on the region. Fertilizer and other costs
remain high; farm-production expenses this year are expected to make up 79%
of gross farm income, an increase from last year, the Agriculture Department
said.
<more> May 19, 2009 Wall Street Journal
Obama wants tougher tailpipe emissions law -
- President Obama today will announce a national standard for tailpipe
emissions patterned after California's pending rule requiring automakers to
build more fuel-sipping vehicles and make drastic cuts in greenhouse gases,
a senior administration official said Monday. The federal standard would be
less stringent than California's regulation, which awaits a waiver from the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, but it could have a larger impact in
fighting global warming by involving all 50 states, the official said.
Obama's plan is a compromise that includes the support of automakers who
have fought California's request for a waiver, arguing for a nationwide
fuel-efficiency standard rather than what they've billed as a patchwork of
state rules. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is scheduled to be with Obama
today when he makes the announcement, applauded the president. "California's
relentless push for greenhouse gas reductions from automobiles is paying off
not just for our state," he said, "but for all Americans, for our
environment, for automakers and our economy."
<more> May 19, 2009 SF Chronicle
CPF Quality Assurance Seminar set for Modesto
June 17 - - CPF’s next Quality Assurance Seminar will be held on
Wednesday, June 17. This is a mandatory seminar in order to maintain
certification under the California Meat Poultry QA Program. The seminar will
be held at the Stanislaus County Ag Center’s Harvest Hall. Registration and
the continental breakfast will begin at 8:30 am and the first presentation
will start at 9 a.m. Speakers and topics include: Swine Flu--What Next? by
Dr. Carol Cardona; Animal Welfare; Dr. Robert O’Connor from Foster Farms on
Biosecurity and Cleaning & Disinfection, Dr. Mark Bland from Cutler &
Associates on Flock Health Management, Christian Bagocius from Motomco on
Rodent Control, and a Live Bird Market and Premise ID update from CDFA’s Dr.
Sarah Mize and Victor Velez. The seminar will cost $15 which includes
continental breakfast, lunch and materials.
Click here to download the registration form. Please contact Cody
Penfold for any questions at 209-576-6355. May 4, 2009 CPF Notice
Birds of a Feather golf tourney June 9 in Petaluma- - The Birds of a Feather golf tournament benefitting the Western Poultry Scholarship and Research Foundation will tee off Tuesday June 9 at the Roster Run Golf Club in Petaluma. Registration deadline is June 2 and the fee is $125. More information is available from Debbie Murdock at (916) 441-0801 or Lensi Hopkins at (916) 956-7410. May 1, 2009 PEPA Notice
Monday May 18, 2009
Pacific Ethanol files for bankruptcy - -
Pacific Ethanol, Inc. announced May 18 that its subsidiaries which own its
four wholly-owned ethanol production facilities have filed voluntary
petitions under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the District of
Delaware in an effort to restructure their indebtedness. The company and its
marketing subsidiaries, Kinergy Marketing LLC and Pacific Ag.Products, LLC
(PAP), have not filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The company is
expected to continue to manage the plant subsidiaries under an asset
management agreement and Kinergy and PAP are expected to continue to market
and sell the plant subsidiaries’ ethanol and feed production under existing
marketing agreements.
<more> May 18, 2009 BioFuels Business
Bill seeks to extend Prop. 2 rules -- A state
Assembly bill aims to expand the reach of Proposition 2, which will ban
small hen cages at California egg farms as of 2015. The bill, endorsed by
some of the opponents of the November ballot measure, would extend the ban
to out-of-state farms for eggs they sell in California. This would get
around one of the main complaints about Proposition 2 — that California's
industry will suffer if companies elsewhere can use the less expensive
small-cage production. The bill was introduced by Assemblyman Jared Huffman,
D-San Rafael, and has support from animal-rights groups that were behind the
ballot measure. Co-authors include Assemblyman Tom Berryhill, R-Modesto, who
had opposed Proposition 2. He could not be reached by The Bee on Friday, but
he told the Riverside Press-Enterprise that the bill would "keep our folks
competitive."
<more> May 16, 2009 Modesto Bee
Salmonella a dilemma for poultry industry - -
Salmonella control was the hottest topic of discussion at USPOULTRY's
Processor Workshop in Atlanta this week. Dr. Isabel Arrington, scientific
advisor to the Policy Development Division of USDA FSIS, presented an update
on FSIS initiatives, and salmonella was high on the list. Arrington said
that cases of human salmonellosis per 100,000 people in the U.S. are not
declining and that the country will likely not meet its healthy people 2010
objective for salmonellosis. This is in spite of the fact that the incidence
of salmonella on post-chill broiler and turkey carcasses has declined over
the last decade. These two facts reminded me of what some technical folks
for poultry companies told me almost 20 years ago. They said that poultry
wasn't the major cause of human salmonellosis and we will do a lot of work
to reduce numbers on raw product, but it won't have a significant impact on
human health, and then what will happen?
<more>
May 18, 2009 WattPoulltry.com
ABC News Atlanta Exposé on Where Humane Society
Donations Really Go - - Here is a
better
link to an item we ran Friday on a Atlanta TV station’s investigation
into millions of dollars in donations given to the Humane Society of the
United States. A national consumer organization says the society solicits
pet-lovers for money, but little to none of that money ever goes to help
local shelters. Critics tell Channel 2 Action News reporter Amanda Rosseter
that this isn't just consumers misunderstanding who they are giving to --
but an organization actively misleading donors to get money. “They do their
marketing very well, that's for sure,” said Trey Burley of PAWS Atlanta.
Critics say the national organization takes advantage of people who think
they are giving to local shelters. DeKalb's "PAWS" shelter says there is no
regular funding help from the $100 million HSUS budget. May 18, 2009
WSBTV
Potential showdown in House involving climate
change, indirect land use - - A potential showdown is brewing in the
House of Representatives between farm state lawmakers and supporters of
climate change legislation. The House Agriculture Committee, led by chair
Collin Peterson, has introduced a bill called “The Renewable Fuel Standard
Improvement Act”. The legislation would take indirect land use out of the
EPA’s calculations of the carbon footprint of biofuels. Peterson tells
Agriculture Online that until that legislation becomes law, he will work to
defeat any climate change legislation on the floor of the House of
Representatives. Peterson and other supporters of biofuels are unhappy with
what they say were four “last-minute changes” to the 2007 energy bill. One
was using indirect land use to calculate greenhouse gas emissions from
biofuels. The three other last-minute changes made it harder to produce
biomass for cellulosic ethanol.
<more> May 18, 2009 Brownfield Ag News
To harvest legal workers, we need to pass AgJOBS
- - By Mary Sanchez- - In spring, whenever storm clouds gather
heavy with hail capable of ripping fragile crops to shreds, my mother always
says: "I'm sure glad I'm not a farmer anymore, depending on the weather,
which is so undependable." In late summer, as the rains become scarce and
harvests are endangered, there she is again: "I'm sure glad I'm not a farmer
anymore, depending on the weather, which is so undependable." I'll add my
own refrain on behalf of the less than 2 percent of the U.S. work force
still involved in agriculture: "I'm sure glad I'm not a farmer trying to
hire immigrant agricultural help legally, depending on the whims of
Congress, which is so undependable." Some half a million U.S. farmers are in
just that situation. They have more than 3 million agricultural jobs to fill
every year, much of it seasonal labor. Many find few options other than
hiring illegal immigrants.
<more> May 18, 2009 Modesto Bee
California's broken system for water delivery -
- Near the end of a 117-mile canal that takes delta water to the heart of
one of California's richest agricultural regions, thousands of farmworkers
and their supporters gathered in mid-April to demand more water. The main
artery connecting the vast farms of the western San Joaquin Valley to the
heart of California's water delivery system — the delta — is going dry,
leaving the nation's largest irrigation district without much of its most
unpredictable commodity, water. For farmers and their employee, the effects
are dramatic. Unemployment in Mendota, the southern terminus of the
Delta-Mendota Canal, is at 40 percent. Fields are drying up and the
possibility is real that some farms might go out of business. But even among
the thousands of protesters who were preparing for a four-day march, one was
as likely to find employees of farms with plenty of water as not. Those who
retain historic water rights on the San Joaquin River do not have to depend
on delta pumps, and they have full shares.
<more> May 18, 2009 Contra Costa Times
Drought is the cause of economic suffering -
- Central Valley farmworkers – a large share of whom are Latino – have
worked with farmers and business people for decades to make California the
world's major producer of fruits, vegetables, nuts and other commodities.
The agriculture industry is a major producer of California jobs as well as
food. History and firsthand experience tell us that when there is water
there also are jobs and prosperity. However, this year we face devastating
drought conditions and hyper-unemployment, greatly intensified by
court-ordered water cutbacks. We have been vocal about the primary cause of
our hardship: drought. At the same time, we also are being attacked by those
who would like nothing more than for us to just shut up, accept our terrible
conditions and take our place quietly on the sidelines. Recently, an
associate professor at the University of the Pacific in Stockton released an
economic forecast that said high unemployment in the Central Valley was not
caused by the drought. Incredibly, he went on to suggest that farm payrolls
are somehow a jobs bonanza.
<more> May 18, 2009 Sacramento Bee
CPF Quality Assurance Seminar set for Modesto
June 17 - - CPF’s next Quality Assurance Seminar will be held on
Wednesday, June 17. This is a mandatory seminar in order to maintain
certification under the California Meat Poultry QA Program. The seminar will
be held at the Stanislaus County Ag Center’s Harvest Hall. Registration and
the continental breakfast will begin at 8:30 am and the first presentation
will start at 9 a.m. Speakers and topics include: Animal Welfare, Dr. Robert O’Connor from Foster Farms on
Biosecurity and Cleaning & Disinfection, Dr. Mark Bland from Cutler &
Associates on Flock Health Management, Christian Bagocius from Motomco on
Rodent Control, and a Live Bird Market and Premise ID update from CDFA’s Dr.
Sarah Mize and Victor Velez. The seminar will cost $15 which includes
continental breakfast, lunch and materials.
Click here to download the registration form. Please contact Cody
Penfold for any questions at 209-576-6355. May 4, 2009 CPF Notice
Birds of a Feather golf tourney June 9 in Petaluma- - The Birds of a Feather golf tournament benefitting the Western Poultry Scholarship and Research Foundation will tee off Tuesday June 9 at the Roster Run Golf Club in Petaluma. Registration deadline is June 2 and the fee is $125. More information is available from Debbie Murdock at (916) 441-0801 or Lensi Hopkins at (916) 956-7410. May 1, 2009 PEPA Notice
Friday, May 15, 2009
Producers want to comply with Prop. 2 but are
unsure how to proceed - - Figuring out how to comply with Proposition
2's mandates is the first challenge for the newly formed Association of
California Egg Farmers. Proposition 2, passed by 7.5 million California
voters, is also known as the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act. It
includes housing requirements for veal calves and pigs, but was aimed
primarily at the state's 19 million egg-laying hens. The act does not
include exact measurements for housing space that must be provided for each
hen, but mandates that hens must be able to spread their wings without
touching the cage or another chicken. The association, announced May 11,
will be an advocate on state policies that affect the state's egg industry.
Since the passage of Prop. 2 last November, the state's egg producers have
raised plenty of questions about what they'll need to do to comply with the
new law for housing hens. Without some idea of how to proceed with changes
in hen housing, producers can't begin to work with lenders or even calculate
their return on investment, said ACEF spokeswoman Fiona Hutton.
<more> May 14, 2009 Capital Press
Law would impose Prop. 2 rules on out-of-state
eggs - - With voters having imposed cage-size restrictions on California
egg producers, lawmakers want to impose the same rules on out-of-state
producers. Proposition 2, approved overwhelmingly by voters in November,
prohibits farmers from keeping chickens, pigs and veal calves in tight
confinement. AB1437, introduced by Assemblyman Jared Huffman, De-San
Rafael, would impose the same rules on on out-of-state producers who sell
eggs to California. The bill is co-authored by Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter,
and Assemblyman Tom Berryhill, R-Modesto. The bill was recommended for
passage on the agenda of the Assembly Appropriations committee on Wednesday.
<more> May 14, 2009 Capital Press
Where
Humane Society Donations Really Go - - A Channel 2 (Atlanta)
investigation is looking into millions of dollars in donations given to the
Humane Society of the United States. A national consumer organization says
the society solicits pet-lovers for money, but little to none of that money
ever goes to help local shelters. Critics tell Channel 2 Action News
reporter Amanda Rosseter that this isn't just consumers misunderstanding who
they are giving to -- but an organization actively misleading donors to get
money. “They do their marketing very well, that's for sure,” said Trey
Burley of PAWS Atlanta. Critics say the national organization takes
advantage of people who think they are giving to local shelters. DeKalb's
"PAWS" shelter says there is no regular funding help from the $100 million
HSUS budget.
<more> May 15, 2009 WSBTV.com
HSUS
watch: Fund-raising on "factory farming", siphoning cash away from real
animal issues - - By Teresa Platt, executive director, Fur Commission
USA - - By now everyone in the U.S. who cares about animals, wild and
domesticated, is aware of the animal rights movement and its 300-pound vegan
gorilla, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). While animal abuse
is already illegal in all 50 states, HSUS's President/CEO Wayne Pacelle
addressed a group of farmers and praised them, stating "Farmers are
outstanding Americans and they know how to do their job." He then
enlightened them on how HSUS will allocate resources in its latest campaign,
a crusade against cowboys, chicken farmers and modern-day animal agriculture
which HSUS derisively calls "Factory Farming." Just another battle in the
animal rights war, HSUS relies on a highly effective blueprint developed in
its zero-tolerance battle against the vital role animal research plays in
our society. This blueprint has three components: The Three R's: Refinement,
Reduction and Replacement.
<more> may 15, 2009 Fur Commission Blog
Jury: Chicken Litter
Not Cause of Cancer - - Three area poultry producers did not cause a
Prairie Grove man's cancer, a Washington County jury decided Thursday. Nine
of 12 jurors agreed Tyson Foods, Simmons and George's were not to blame for
Michael "Blu" Green's leukemia. Green's attorneys alleged arsenic exposure
from chicken litter spread on fields as fertilizer caused his cancer. The
jury deliberated for about two hours Thursday, after two weeks of trial. The
poultry companies should have known Roxarzone, an additive in chicken feed,
breaks down into arsenic after passing through the birds, and arsenic from
litter spread on fields in the Prairie Grove area could cause cancer,
Green's attorneys argued. There's no link between arsenic exposure and
leukemia, poultry company lawyers asserted. The jury didn't see a link
either.
<more> May 15, 2009 The Morning News
Florez
bill restricts ag when Valley bans fireplace use -- If Valley residents
can't put a log on the fire on smoggy days, then growers should not burn
farm waste, says state Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter. The state Senate on
Thursday approved Florez's proposed restriction, passing a bill that would
invalidate farm burn permits on any day the Valley air districts prohibits
fireplace burning. "What really irritates people," Florez said, is when
"they can't burn their fireplaces and they see an ag field on fire." Senate
Bill 382 passed by a 23-14 vote, with most Republicans opposed. The bill now
heads to the Assembly. Residential wood burning is banned on winter days
when particle pollution lingers in the cold air. Regulators operate a
separate program for ag burning in which growers must get permits before
they set fires.
<more> May 15, 2009 Fresno Bee
House
committee reaches deal on cap-and-trade plan - - Congressional leaders
who support a new cap on greenhouse-gas emissions reached agreement on a
plan Thursday to ease the burden it will impose on refiners, paving the way
for a key House panel to vote on the climate-change proposal next week. Rep.
Henry Waxman, D-Los Angeles, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce
Committee, and Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., signed off on the compromise
with Texas Democrats Gene Green and Charles Gonzalez. The cornerstone of
their deal was a commitment to donate 2 percent of valuable carbon dioxide
emissions permits to refiners. The compromise on refiners could help Waxman
and Markey steer their contentious climate-change measure through the
59-member Energy and Commerce Committee next week.
<more> May 15, 2009 SF Chronicle
Food
Companies Are Placing the Onus for Safety on Consumers - - The frozen
pot pies that sickened an estimated 15,000 people with salmonella in 2007
left federal inspectors mystified. At first they suspected the turkey. Then
they considered the peas, carrots and potatoes. The pie maker, ConAgra
Foods, began spot-checking the vegetables for pathogens, but could not find
the culprit. It also tried cooking the vegetables at high temperatures, a
strategy the industry calls a “kill step,” to wipe out any lingering
microbes. But the vegetables turned to mush in the process. So ConAgra —
which sold more than 100 million pot pies last year under its popular
Banquet label — decided to make the consumer responsible for the kill step.
The “food safety” instructions and four-step diagram on the 69-cent pies
offer this guidance: “Internal temperature needs to reach 165° F as measured
by a food thermometer in several spots.” Increasingly, the corporations that
supply Americans with processed foods are unable to guarantee the safety of
their ingredients.
<more> May 15, 2009 NY Times
Nicole
Parra survives state cuts - - Nicole Parra skipped through the state's
drastic budget cuts unscathed. She'll hold on to the $128,000-a-year job the
governor recently created for her. "Her position is not a general fund
position," a spokeswoman for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's office said
Thursday, following an afternoon press conference that included news of
5,000 pink slips headed out to state employees. Parra's January appointment
to a newly minted economic development post raised eyebrows at the time.
<more> May 15, 2009 Bakersfield Californian
CPF Quality Assurance Seminar set for Modesto
June 17 - - CPF’s next Quality Assurance Seminar will be held on
Wednesday, June 17. This is a mandatory seminar in order to maintain
certification under the California Meat Poultry QA Program. The seminar will
be held at the Stanislaus County Ag Center’s Harvest Hall. Registration and
the continental breakfast will begin at 8:30 am and the first presentation
will start at 9 a.m. Speakers and topics include: Animal Welfare, Dr. Robert O’Connor from Foster Farms on
Biosecurity and Cleaning & Disinfection, Dr. Mark Bland from Cutler &
Associates on Flock Health Management, Christian Bagocius from Motomco on
Rodent Control, and a Live Bird Market and Premise ID update from CDFA’s Dr.
Sarah Mize and Victor Velez. The seminar will cost $15 which includes
continental breakfast, lunch and materials.
Click here to download the registration form. Please contact Cody
Penfold for any questions at 209-576-6355. May 4, 2009 CPF Notice
Birds of a Feather golf tourney June 9 in Petaluma- - The Birds of a Feather golf tournament benefitting the Western Poultry Scholarship and Research Foundation will tee off Tuesday June 9 at the Roster Run Golf Club in Petaluma. Registration deadline is June 2 and the fee is $125. More information is available from Debbie Murdock at (916) 441-0801 or Lensi Hopkins at (916) 956-7410. May 1, 2009 PEPA Notice
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Oklahoma says
state has oversight on animal well being issues - - The Oklahoma House
of Representatives has easily passed HB2151 that mandates the Oklahoma
Department of Agriculture is the legal entity in the state to oversee animal
well being issues in Oklahoma. We have audio comments from Don Armes,
Chairman of the House Ag Committee, on the passage of this measure on
Tuesday (May 5)- and his thoughts on the message it sends to animal rights
activists about how the legislature feels about protecting animal
agriculture in the state. Click on the Listen Bar below for that audio. The
House passed the measure by a 87 to 9 vote, which means that House members
accepted the Senate Amendments to the measure. On Tuesday May 12, Governor
Brad Henry signed this measure into law.
<more> May 14, 2009 Oklahoma Farm Report
Sen. Feinstein
Introduces Legislation to Relieve Labor Crisis in Agriculture - -
California Sen. Dianne Feinstein today re-introduced legislation to provide
much-needed relief to the nation’s ongoing agriculture labor shortage. The
Agricultural Job Opportunities, Benefits and Security Act (AgJOBS) would
reform the broken H-2A seasonal worker program, provide farmers with the
stable, legal workforce they deserve, and offer a pathway to citizenship for
hard-working, law-abiding immigrants already employed on American farms.
“Today across the United States, there are not enough agricultural workers
to pick, prune, pack or harvest our country’s crops. With an inadequate
supply of workers, farmers from Maine to California, and from Washington
State to Georgia, have watched their produce rot and their farms lay fallow
over the years,” Senator Feinstein said. “As a result, billions of dollars
are being drained out of our already struggling economy. This legislation
would help to ensure a consistent, reliable agriculture work force to ensure
that farmers and growers never again lose their crops because of a lack of
workers.”
<more> May 14, 2009 Feinstein Press Release
Pilgrim's Eyes
Life After Bankruptcy - -
A Pilgrim's Pride Corp. spokesman says the multinational producer of chicken
products, which is operating under bankruptcy protection, is showing signs
of weathering its current economic storm. Ray Atkinson, director of
corporate communications for Pilgrim's Pride, said Monday that last week's
financial reports are a sign the company, which has plants in Rockingham
County and Moorefield, W.Va., is returning to profitability. On Thursday,
Pilgrim's Pride filed its second-quarter earnings report with the Securities
and Exchange Commission, showing the company lost $58.8 million in the
three-month period that ended March 28. In spite of that loss, it represents
a "huge improvement" compared to the same time frame a year ago, Atkinson
said. Pilgrim's reported a $111.4 million loss for the second quarter of
2008.
<more> May 14, 2009 DNRonline.com
Rising Calls
to Regulate California Groundwater - - For the third year in a row, Mark
Watte plans to rely on the aquifer beneath his family farm for
three-quarters of the water he needs to keep his cotton, corn and alfalfa
growing, his young pistachio trees healthy and his 900 dairy cows cool. That
is 50 percent more than he used to take, because the water that once flowed
to the farm from snow in the Sierra Nevada has been reduced by a long dry
spell and diversions to benefit endangered fish. Since 2006 the surface of
the aquifer, in the Kaweah subbasin of the San Joaquin basin, has dropped 50
feet as farmers pumped deeper, Mr. Watte says. Some of his pumps no longer
reach far enough to bring any water to the surface. If he lived in almost
any other state in the arid Southwest, Mr. Watte could be required to report
his withdrawals of groundwater or even reduce them. But to California’s
farmers and developers, that is anathema. “I don’t want the government to
come in and dictate to us, ‘This is all the water you can use on your own
land,’ ” said Mr. Watte, 57. “We would resist that to our dying day.”
<more> May 14, 2009 NY Times
Lessons learned from swine flu crisis? I think not - - The current flu
scare seems to be over, thankfully. So, what have learned from it? Nothing
new, very unfortunately. The poultry industry has seen all this before,
particularly in 2005 and 2006, and nothing has changed three years later:
the press panicked, the public panicked and stopped eating a food product,
countries stopped importing this food product; all of this to the detriment
of one agribusiness sector. 2006 was a very bad year for the poultry
exporting countries, particularly the US and Brazil. Likewise, 2009 is
looking to be a very bad year for pork exporting countries, particularly the
US, Mexico and Canada. (It was already forecast to be a tough year for pork
exports.) Back in 2005/2006 the poultry industry complained about how
horrible the press coverage was, how they got it all wrong, and therefore
scared their audiences out of eating chicken. The alarmist press coverage
these last two weeks has already been a much discussed issue. Nothing’s
changed.
<more> May 14, 2009 AnimalAgNet.com
Schwarzenegger says employee layoffs, education cuts in the works- -
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday called for laying off thousands of
state employees and slashing billions from education to deal with
California's latest budget deficit. He called the cuts painful but said he
was left with no other choice as the nation's most populous state sinks
further into the fiscal abyss. Billions of dollars in spending cuts and tax
increases imposed earlier this year have not been enough to keep up with a
sharp drop in tax revenue as the recession batters the state's economy. The
state faces a deficit of $15.4 billion in the fiscal year that starts July
1. That will grow to $21.3 billion if voters reject the budget-related
measures during a special election next week.
<more> May 14, 2009 AP
CPF Quality Assurance Seminar set for Modesto
June 17 - - CPF’s next Quality Assurance Seminar will be held on
Wednesday, June 17. This is a mandatory seminar in order to maintain
certification under the California Meat Poultry QA Program. The seminar will
be held at the Stanislaus County Ag Center’s Harvest Hall. Registration and
the continental breakfast will begin at 8:30 am and the first presentation
will start at 9 a.m. Speakers and topics include: Animal Welfare, Dr. Robert O’Connor from Foster Farms on
Biosecurity and Cleaning & Disinfection, Dr. Mark Bland from Cutler &
Associates on Flock Health Management, Christian Bagocius from Motomco on
Rodent Control, and a Live Bird Market and Premise ID update from CDFA’s Dr.
Sarah Mize and Victor Velez. The seminar will cost $15 which includes
continental breakfast, lunch and materials.
Click here to download the registration form. Please contact Cody
Penfold for any questions at 209-576-6355. May 4, 2009 CPF Notice
Birds
of a Feather golf tourney June 9 in Petaluma- - The Birds of a Feather
golf tournament benefitting the Western Poultry Scholarship and Research
Foundation will tee off Tuesday June 9 at the Roster Run Golf Club in
Petaluma. Registration deadline is June 2 and the fee is $125. More
information is available from Debbie Murdock at (916) 441-0801 or Lensi
Hopkins at (916) 956-7410. May 1, 2009 PEPA Notice
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Details of Foster Farms Louisiana chicken plant
deal released - - - Poultry products company Foster Farms must hire 650
workers within two months and 1,000 within a year at a chicken plant in
Farmerville to avoid financial penalties under an agreement the company
signed with the state for public assistance in buying the facility. The
agreement, released by state officials Tuesday, revealed new details about
the deal that Gov. Bobby Jindal's team struck with the California food
processor in an effort to save the plant from closing. Pilgrim's Pride has
idled the plant as part of its reorganization under the supervision of a
federal bankruptcy court. Foster Farms plans to buy the complex from
Pilgrim's Pride for $80 million and make $20 million in improvements. The
governor will give Foster Farms $40 million toward the purchase and $10
million toward the upgrades.
<more> May 13, 2009 New Orleans Times-Picayune
Bill would apply caged hen rules to out-of-state
eggs - - California's upcoming ban on small cages for egg-laying hens
would be extended to out-of-state egg producers if a bill moving through the
Legislature becomes law. The state's $648 million egg industry so far is
neutral on the legislation, which is championed by the same groups that
backed Prop. 2, the successful November ballot initiative that requires more
room for chickens and other farm animals. The bill, though, already has
received support from legislators who opposed Prop. 2. They say it will help
California's egg industry compete with out-of-state egg producers who, under
current law, will not need to comply with Prop. 2 when its rules take effect
in 2015 "I think there's a general consensus out there that if our
industries have to do certain things for the housing of poultry, then we
don't think it's too much to ask the rest of the country to adhere to the
same rules that we do, just to keep our folks competitive," said Assemblyman
Tom Berryhill, R-Modesto, a co-author of AB 1437. He opposed Prop. 2..
<more> May 13, 2009 Riverside Press Enterprise
Egg bill pushed by unusual alliance - -
Valley Republicans opposed last year's ballot measure banning small cages
for egg-laying hens in the state. But now at least a couple of those
lawmakers are supporting a bill that expands the restriction. AB 1437,
supported by the Humane Society of the United States, would prohibit the
sale in California of out-of-state eggs produced by farms that don't adhere
to the California standard, which under Prop. 2 requires that certain farm
animals have room to move freely. The bill passed the Assembly Agriculture
Committee recently on a unanimous vote, including "ayes" from Assembly
members Tom Berryhill, R-Modesto, and Connie Conway, R-Tulare.
<more> May 13, 2009 Fresno Bee
CPF Quality Assurance Seminar set for Modesto
June 17 - - CPF’s next Quality Assurance Seminar will be held on
Wednesday, June 17. This is a mandatory seminar in order to maintain
certification under the California Meat Poultry QA Program. The seminar will
be held at the Stanislaus County Ag Center’s Harvest Hall. Registration and
the continental breakfast will begin at 8:30 am and the first presentation
will start at 9 a.m. Speakers and topics include: Animal Welfare, Dr. Robert O’Connor from Foster Farms on
Biosecurity and Cleaning & Disinfection, Dr. Mark Bland from Cutler &
Associates on Flock Health Management, Christian Bagocius from Motomco on
Rodent Control, and a Live Bird Market and Premise ID update from CDFA’s Dr.
Sarah Mize and Victor Velez. The seminar will cost $15 which includes
continental breakfast, lunch and materials.
Click here to download the registration form. Please contact Cody
Penfold for any questions at 209-576-6355. May 4, 2009 CPF Notice
Birds
of a Feather golf tourney June 9 in Petaluma- - The Birds of a Feather
golf tournament benefitting the Western Poultry Scholarship and Research
Foundation will tee off Tuesday June 9 at the Roster Run Golf Club in
Petaluma. Registration deadline is June 2 and the fee is $125. More
information is available from Debbie Murdock at (916) 441-0801 or Lensi
Hopkins at (916) 956-7410. May 1, 2009 PEPA Notice
Oprah’s Hypocritical KFC Coupon Deal - - KFC
is now offering recalls to a huge number of people after Oprah offered free
coupons for Kentucky Grilled Chicken Meals at her website. Winfrey said the
offer was simply a gesture to help her viewers struggling with the effects
of recession, but now she is getting “grilled” for this major contradiction
in her many outspoken views. Why is Oprah, a past PETA person of the year,
offering chicken meals to her viewers? PETA said they awarded Oprah with
this title because, “She used her show to uncover horrific cases of cruelty
to animals in puppy mills and on factory farms, and Oprah even used the show
to highlight the cruelty-free vegan diet that she tried!” Now, the animal
rights activists are in a complete frenzy and are upset that their “trophy
girl” has contradicted their views on animal rights. I think this is just
another example of how Oprah has a completely flawed idea of her true morals
and values, and she can’t stand on both side of the fence and preach to the
world anymore. What does Oprah REALLY stand for anyway? In the end, it’s
kind of hysterical to see her get in a little hot water for this hypocrisy.
<more> May 13, 2009 Beef Blog
Summer forecast points to ample electricity for
state -- California's consumers can expect adequate electricity this
summer according to a California Energy Commission analysis in the Summer
2009 Demand and Supply Outlook. Although the snow pack and forecast runoff
averages are still below normal, there is sufficient hydroelectric to meet
peak power loads even with hotter-than-average temperatures. "California is
in a healthy position this year to meet summer's peak electricity demand,"
commented Melissa Jones, California Energy Commission Executive Director.
"It is, however, essential that we add new generation to keep pace to meet
the state's peak demand needs."<more>
May 13, 2009 CEC Press Release
Leopold Conservation Award Seeks California
Farmers, Ranchers Who Exemplify Sound Land Stewardship - - In
partnership with Sustainable Conservation and the California Farm Bureau
Federation, the Sand County Foundation is seeking nominations for the 2009
California Leopold Conservation Award.The award recognizes private
landowners' commitment to responsible environmental stewardship and land
management. The award also aims to inspire others to become effective
environmental stewards, and help the public understand the important role
dedicated farmers and ranchers play in sustaining a healthy environment.
Rewarding and exemplifying landowners' commitment to protecting natural
resources is crucial - as a majority of the nation's remaining wild places
and species are located on or near private property.
<more> May 13, 2009 SUSCON Press Release
California's election turnout expected to be tiny - - Compared to the record number of California voters who cast ballots in November's historic presidential contest, Tuesday's special election should be the equivalent of a democratic hangover. Voters generally participate less in special elections outside the even-year cycle, but they have shown even greater levels of apathy and resentment this time around, election experts say. "This election has not captured voters' imagination in any way, shape or form," said Mark DiCamillo, director of the Field Poll. "Most voters have a limited knowledge or interest in what's taking place May 19." The Tuesday contest contains six measures that the Legislature placed on the ballot as part of a February budget compromise with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The proposals range from a spending limit and tax hike (Proposition 1A) to borrowing $5 billion against future California Lottery revenues (Proposition 1C).<more> May 13, 2009 Sacramento Bee
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Motion seeks testimony excluded in Oklahoma
poultry case -- An expert scientist's testimony in an Oklahoma poultry
litter pollution trial should be excluded because it's unreliable, confusing
and unfairly prejudicial if presented to a jury, 13 Arkansas poultry
companies claim in a new legal motion. In a 431-page document filed Friday
in federal court, the companies want a judge to exclude the testimony of
Valerie Harwood, a professor at the University of South Florida. Harwood is
one of Oklahoma's expert witnesses in the state's 2005 lawsuit against the
companies over allegedly polluting the 1 million-acre Illinois River
watershed with bird waste. A trial is expected to begin in September. "As we
explained in court last year, claims of scientific breakthroughs by experts
working under the direction of lawyers in litigation should be viewed
skeptically," said Gary Mickelson, a spokesman for Tyson Foods, one of the
companies named in the lawsuit. "Science should be developed in laboratories
and universities, not in courtrooms."
<more> May 12, 2009 AP
Urban chicken movement garnering followers -
- Chickens could be coming to roost in a backyard near you. Across the
country, people are joining the national urban chicken movement, sometimes
turning outlaw to raise the birds. The movement started with the rationale
that raising chickens fits in with efforts toward local and pure foods,
supporters say, and the eggs are fresh and flavorful. The animals also are
entertaining pets, many say. In Mission, Kan., the City Council recently
sent to committee a proposal to change its law to allow urban chickens.
Jerritt Dayhoff requested the change because her family would like to raise
five or six chickens. She is a former Jackson County public defender who
grew up on a farm, she said. "Chickens are a heck of a lot quieter and
cleaner than dogs," said Dayhoff, 33. They make interesting pets, she said.
And, she added, "It's nice to tell your kids your breakfast came from Myrtle
or Madge."
<more> May 12, 2009 McClatchy Newspapers
CPF Quality Assurance Seminar set for Modesto
June 17 - - CPF’s next Quality Assurance Seminar will be held on
Wednesday, June 17. This is a mandatory seminar in order to maintain
certification under the California Meat Poultry QA Program. The seminar will
be held at the Stanislaus County Ag Center’s Harvest Hall. Registration and
the continental breakfast will begin at 8:30 am and the first presentation
will start at 9 a.m. Speakers and topics include: Dr. Joy Mench from UC
Davis on Animal Welfare, Dr. Robert O’Connor from Foster Farms on
Biosecurity and Cleaning & Disinfection, Dr. Mark Bland from Cutler &
Associates on Flock Health Management, Christian Bagocius from Motomco on
Rodent Control, and a Live Bird Market and Premise ID update from CDFA’s Dr.
Sarah Mize and Victor Velez. The seminar will cost $15 which includes
continental breakfast, lunch and materials.
Click here to download the registration form. Please contact Cody
Penfold for any questions at 209-576-6355. May 4, 2009 CPF Notice
Birds of a Feather golf tourney June 9 in Petaluma- - The Birds of a Feather golf tournament benefitting the Western Poultry Scholarship and Research Foundation will tee off Tuesday June 9 at the Roster Run Golf Club in Petaluma. Registration deadline is June 2 and the fee is $125. More information is available from Debbie Murdock at (916) 441-0801 or Lensi Hopkins at (916) 956-7410. May 1, 2009 PEPA Notice
Monday, May 11, 2009
Foster Farms, Pilgrim’s Pride agree to La. plant
deal -- The two poultry product companies negotiating the $80 million
purchase of a north Louisiana chicken processing plant have agreed to the
terms of a deal that could fulfill Gov. Bobby Jindal's goal of keeping the
1,300-employee facility from closing. Foster Farms of Livingston,
Calif., announced Friday that is has entered into a definitive agreement
with Pilgrim's Pride Corp. of Pittsburg, Texas, to acquire the Pilgrim's
complex in Farmerville and that the sale is imminent. "Foster Farms is
looking forward to expanding our operations into the state of Louisiana,"
said Chief Executive Officer Ron Foster, whose company currently operates
only on the West Coast. "Foster Farms anticipates upgrading and adding to
the capabilities of the Farmerville complex."
<more> May 9, 2009 New Orleans Times Picayune
Association of California Egg Farmers Created To
Serve as an Advocate for the Industry - - The state’s egg producers
today announced the creation of the Association of California Egg Farmers (ACEF),
a nonprofit statewide trade association to serve as their advocate on state
policies affecting the industry and to ensure the continued production of
fresh and affordable eggs that meet the food safety and animal care
standards consumers expect. The nonprofit association will serve as the
voice for California egg farmers and an industry that is critical to the
state’s economy and food supply. The state’s egg farmers produce 4.9 billion
eggs a year, providing a fresh, affordable source of food and making
California the fifth largest egg producer in the country. Most of the
state’s egg farms are family owned, and they generate thousands of jobs for
Californians, especially in economically hard-hit rural areas. “The state’s
egg farmers have a long history of providing a safe, healthy and nutritious
source of food for California’s families,” said ACEF Executive Director
Debbie Murdock. “The egg farmers are establishing the Association of
California Egg Farmers to ensure they can continue to meet consumer
expectations for fresh and affordable eggs that meet food safety and animal
care standards.” One of the association’s first tasks will be addressing the
implementation of Proposition 2, a ballot measure California voters approved
in November 2008. The ballot measure imposes new mandates on how the state’s
egg producers house their egg-laying hens. “California egg farmers respect
the voters’ decision and want to comply with Proposition 2, but the
initiative’s language is so vague that producers don’t know what they need
to do to meet the new mandates and avoid jail sentences,” said Ms. Murdock.
The initiative provides no clear standards or guidelines for determining the
amount of space the hens need to meet the new mandates. The new law doesn’t
say whether the enclosures – including cage-free enclosures – currently used
by California egg producers will comply with the law. It also does not say
how – or if – farmers can modify the existing enclosures to meet the
mandates. ACEF will be seeking avenues to obtain clarification on the
requirements of Proposition 2. “California’s egg producers need clear-cut
standards and guidelines to determine if they can comply with the law and
continue to humanely produce fresh and affordable eggs under Proposition 2,”
said Ms. Murdock. “The state’s egg farmers also need clear-cut standards and
guidelines to obtain the financing they may need to invest in the design and
construction of potential new housing systems.” May 11, 2009 ACEF Press
Release
Bill intended to extend Proposition 2
out-of-state - - California’s $648 million egg industry is – so far –
neutral on legislation that would extend the Proposition 2 ban on small
cages for egg-laying hens to out-of-state producers. The bill is being
championed by the same groups that backed Proposition 2 according to
the report in PE.com. Supporters, reportedly including legislators who
opposed Proposition 2, say the bill will help California's egg industry
compete with out-of-state producers who, under current law, will not need to
comply with the ruling when it takes effect in 2015. An Assembly committee
analysis of the bill raised concerns that expanding Proposition 2's rules to
out-of-state egg producers could violate the interstate commerce clause of
the U.S. Constitution meant to prevent states from restricting imports from
other states.
<more> May 11, 2009 WattPoultry.com
BindMax Proteins Launches Revamped Website -
- BindMax Proteins, which provides many of the world’s largest meat
and poultry processors with more than 70 unique functional ingredient
blends, announced today the launch of a fully revamped website with enhanced
features for users. Highlights of the new site (http://www.bindmax.com)
include real-time updates on grains commodities (corn, oats, rice and
soybeans), as well as new and archived columns by Rick Cassidy, vice
president of product development for BindMax Proteins and a world renowned
food scientist with more than 35 experience. Cassidy writes on marketplace
trends and provides food processing insights.Another feature of the new site
is the ability of users to place online orders. BindMax clients can order
product, and they and others can also order product samples for
consideration.The site also includes industry news updates and information
on BindMax’s unique technology and its benefits. “This new website is far
more robust than our previous version and we believe it will become a go-to
source for industry news and insights, in addition of course to providing a
wealth of information about BindMax,” said Tom Colleton, vice president,
BindMax. May 11, 2009 BindMax Press Release
Former CDFA Deputy Secretary Rayne Pegg named to
USDA post - - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the
appointment of Rayne Pegg as Administrator of the U.S. Department of
Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). Pegg most recently
served as the Deputy Secretary of Legislation and Policy for the California
Department of Food and Agriculture. In this role, she was the principle
advisor to both the Secretary of the Department and the cabinet of the
Governor of California on the Department's legislative and policy issues.
AMS is part of USDA's Marketing and Regulatory Programs mission area which
works to ensure a productive and competitive global and domestic marketplace
for U.S. agricultural products. Pegg will begin serving in this role in
early July. "Rayne Pegg brings years of experience to USDA from her work on
agricultural issues both as a distinguished public servant and in the
non-profit community," said Vilsack. "Rayne's background makes her the ideal
person to further the development of programs to ensure efficient, fair
marketing of U.S. agricultural products as we work to meet the needs of
consumers and industries and provide a safe, sustainable food supply for all
Americans."
<more> May 11, 2009 USDA Press Release
Drought, Politics Trouble Farmers In California
- - California is in its third year of drought, and many farmers in the
state's crop-rich Central Valley are looking at dusty fields, or worse, are
cutting down their orchards before the trees die. Hardest hit is Westlands,
the biggest irrigated region in the country, where much of the nation's
fruit, nuts and produce come from. This year, farmers have been told they
are getting only a small fraction of the water they need. And so a few
weeks ago, Ty and Janet Lompa were doing the unthinkable: cutting down 110
acres of walnut orchards. That's roughly 10,000 trees and a third of their
entire acreage. The Lompas are furious because they blame government, not
nature, for the death of their trees. And Janet Lompa tells her four
children that "the politicians gave it all to the fish" when they ask why
there's no water. Farmers throughout this region echo the sentiment that
politics, not the drought, is the problem.
<more> May 11, 2009 NPR
CPF Quality Assurance Seminar set for Modesto
June 17 - - CPF’s next Quality Assurance Seminar will be held on
Wednesday, June 17. This is a mandatory seminar in order to maintain
certification under the California Meat Poultry QA Program. The seminar will
be held at the Stanislaus County Ag Center’s Harvest Hall. Registration and
the continental breakfast will begin at 8:30 am and the first presentation
will start at 9 a.m. Speakers and topics include: Dr. Joy Mench from UC
Davis on Animal Welfare, Dr. Robert O’Connor from Foster Farms on
Biosecurity and Cleaning & Disinfection, Dr. Mark Bland from Cutler &
Associates on Flock Health Management, Christian Bagocius from Motomco on
Rodent Control, and a Live Bird Market and Premise ID update from CDFA’s Dr.
Sarah Mize and Victor Velez. The seminar will cost $15 which includes
continental breakfast, lunch and materials.
Click here to download the registration form. Please contact Cody
Penfold for any questions at 209-576-6355. May 4, 2009 CPF Notice
Birds of a Feather golf tourney June 9 in Petaluma- - The Birds of a Feather golf tournament benefitting the Western Poultry Scholarship and Research Foundation will tee off Tuesday June 9 at the Roster Run Golf Club in Petaluma. Registration deadline is June 2 and the fee is $125. More information is available from Debbie Murdock at (916) 441-0801 or Lensi Hopkins at (916) 956-7410. May 1, 2009 PEPA Notice
Friday, May 8, 2009
Is
chicken worth standing in line for? - - KFC restaurants around the
country were flooded with customers holding free-food tickets yesterday. KFC
-- hyping its new grilled chicken -- held a promotion with Oprah in which
she encouraged people download a coupon for a two free pieces of chicken and
two sides. The window to download the coupon is over, but customers are
still overwhelming some KFC stores. The assistant manager of the store near
Blackstone and McKinley expects today to be busy. Yesterday, they had lines
to the door and around the drive-through all day long. At one point, the
restaurant ran out of prepared food and customers had to wait while workers
made more. Junior Fang estimates the restaurant gave away $3,000 worth of
food.
<more> May 8, 2009 Fresno Bee
Chicken plant bill heads to Louisiana governor - - A bill geared toward
helping the poultry industry in northeast Louisiana is headed to Gov. Bobby
Jindal’s desk after clearing the state House of Representatives Thursday.
To watch a video report by Louisiana Farm Bureau on this action,
please click here. Jindal stood on the gallery beside the House chamber throughout the debate
on Senate Bill 283. He had testified in favor of the measure last week at a
legislative committee meeting and was in the chamber when the state Senate
considered the legislation. The governor chatted with lawmakers while one of
his House floor leaders fought off attempts to amend the legislation.
<more> May 8, 2009 TheAdvocate.com
Pilgrim's Pride 2Q loss narrows as costs drop - - Chicken producer
Pilgrim's Pride Corp., which has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection,
said Thursday its second-quarter loss narrowed as costs declined in its
chicken business. The Pittsburg, Texas-based company said in a filing with
the Securities and Exchange Commission Thursday that it lost $58.8 million,
or 79 cents a share, in the three-month period that ended March 28. That's
about half of the company's year-ago reported loss of $111.4 million, or
$1.67 a share. Sales fell 19 percent to $1.7 billion from $2.1 billion last
year. The company has been curbing production to balance inventory, pricing
and demand.
<more> May 8, 2009 AP
Consumers still have positive view of farmers - - Agriculture has
suffered its share of hits in the past year. Food prices and animal welfare
issues come to mind. But the annual survey of consumer attitudes conducted
by the United Soybean Board shows consumers, in general, still have a very
positive view of farmers. The survey, which took place in February, surveyed
a random sample of one-thousand registered voters with characteristics
representative of the U.S. population. Vanessa Kummer of Colfax, North
Dakota chairs USB’s communications committee. “It was good to see that the
American consumer has a very positive view of farmers—in fact, 95 percent of
them do,” says Kummer. “When it comes to animal agriculture, the number is a
little lower—but it’s still at 78 percent, which I think is a very good
number.” Another part of the survey dealt with consumer attitudes about
animal confinement. After hearing that anti-confinement legislation could
force Americans to get their milk, eggs and meat from foreign producers, 78
percent of consumers said they would oppose that type of legislation.
<more> May 8, 2009 Brownfield Ag News
Culinary Vlogger featured on eatturkey.com - - The National Turkey
Federation (NTF) has made weekday meal planning one-step easier with its
first turkey cooking video on
www.eatturkey.com. NTF’s culinary video blogger, or vlogger, Dani
Spies, a Los Angeles-based health and food coach, creates a healthy Quinoa
Stuffed Turkey Breast. Vloggers, as the name suggests, are similar to
bloggers but use video instead of words. “Consumers are using the Internet
to get recipe ideas and NTF is pleased to be able to continue launching
interactive materials that keeps turkey top of mind, while making meal
planning enjoyable and hassle free,” said Sherrie Rosenblatt, NTF’s vice
president of marketing and communications. “As vlogs continue to surge in
popularity, NTF wants to capture this audience and bring great content to
NTF’s Web site.” Spies’ cooking philosophy to “focus on the positive” is
reflected in her Quinoa Stuffed Turkey Breast. In her video, she motivates
at-home chefs to create a super easy dish that won’t take all afternoon to
make. “I love the idea of a Stuffed Turkey Breast because you get your
turkey and your stuffing all in one. Plus, from beginning to end, it’s done
in less than two hours,” said Spies. “Not to mention it looks like a fancy
elegant meal that seems tricky but it’s not.” May 8, 2009 NTF Press
Release
New
Food Safety Technology Developed for Eggs - - Good news for fans of raw
cookie dough: Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists have filed a
patent on technology that can protect pasteurized liquid eggs from food
safety threats. These threats include both naturally-occurring spoilage
bacteria and pathogens. But don't go running for that dough just yet; the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration still cautions against consuming raw,
unpasteurized eggs or products that contain them. The new technology was
developed by Sudarsan Mukhopadhyay, Peggy Tomasula and John Luchansky,
researchers at the ARS Eastern Regional Research Center (ERRC) in Wyndmoor,
Pa. Current pasteurization technology removes heat-sensitive pathogens, but
some heat-resistant spoilage microorganisms can survive. Consumers can avoid
illness by properly preparing and cooking eggs before consumption, but the
researchers have found that new technology can compensate for the
shortcomings of thermal pasteurization.
<more> May 8, 2009 ARS Press Release
CPF Quality Assurance Seminar set for Modesto
June 17 - - CPF’s next Quality Assurance Seminar will be held on
Wednesday, June 17. This is a mandatory seminar in order to maintain
certification under the California Meat Poultry QA Program. The seminar will
be held at the Stanislaus County Ag Center’s Harvest Hall. Registration and
the continental breakfast will begin at 8:30 am and the first presentation
will start at 9 a.m. Speakers and topics include: Dr. Joy Mench from UC
Davis on Animal Welfare, Dr. Robert O’Connor from Foster Farms on
Biosecurity and Cleaning & Disinfection, Dr. Mark Bland from Cutler &
Associates on Flock Health Management, Christian Bagocius from Motomco on
Rodent Control, and a Live Bird Market and Premise ID update from CDFA’s Dr.
Sarah Mize and Victor Velez. The seminar will cost $15 which includes
continental breakfast, lunch and materials.
Click here to download the registration form. Please contact Cody
Penfold for any questions at 209-576-6355. May 4, 2009 CPF Notice
Birds
of a Feather golf tourney June 9 in Petaluma- - The Birds of a Feather
golf tournament benefitting the Western Poultry Scholarship and Research
Foundation will tee off Tuesday June 9 at the Roster Run Golf Club in
Petaluma. Registration deadline is June 2 and the fee is $125. More
information is available from Debbie Murdock at (916) 441-0801 or Lensi
Hopkins at (916) 956-7410. May 1, 2009 PEPA Notice
California left out of key USDA jobs. Obama team shuts out the state in
filling USDA positions -- The Obama administration has all but bypassed
California in Agriculture Department appointments, even though the state
leads all others in farm production. In a remarkable shutout, none of
President Barack Obama's 13 Agriculture Department nominees requiring Senate
confirmation come from California. At lower levels, too, the state with $36
billion in annual farm production seems shortchanged. Agriculture Secretary
Tom Vilsack has named some 41 staffers who do not need Senate confirmation.
Only two appear to have any California roots, a review of nomination
documents show. "I think Mr. Vilsack is a great guy, but I'm very
disappointed we don't have more Californians in the administration," said
Rep. Dennis Cardoza, a Merced Democrat and member of the House Agriculture
Committee.
<more> May 8, 2009 Fresno Bee
Joint Subcommittee Reviews National Animal
Identification System - - Two House Subcommittees this week held a joint
public hearing to review the National Animal Identification System (NAIS).
The Agriculture Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry, chaired by
Representative David Scott of Georgia, and the Homeland Security's
Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity, and Science and Technology,
chaired by Representative Yvette Clarke of New York, held a joint hearing to
examine the identification system's role in protecting U.S. producers and
consumers from the effects of an animal disease outbreak. "The National
Animal Identification System is a producer's insurance against the
potentially devastating economic impacts of a widespread animal disease
epidemic," said Chairman Scott. "A robust animal ID system with full
traceability provides protection by helping to preserve producer market
access, because it will allow us to more quickly isolate problem animals and
stop the spread of illness. This in turn will allow us to demonstrate to
other nations that the U.S. herd is safe and reopen those markets to U.S.
goods." "I want to stress that our ability to effectively assess and respond
to an animal disease outbreak remains limited until we have a functioning
animal ID system in place," said Chairwoman Clarke. "This issue requires our
urgent attention."
<more> May 6, 2009 House Ag Committee Press Release
Poll:
5 of 6 measures in Calif. election trailing - - Five of the six
budget-related measures on California's May 19 special election ballot are
trailing, particularly among voters who say they're closely following
election news, according to a Public Policy Institute of California poll
released Thursday. "The voters who are really tuned in are really turned
off," said Mark Baldassare, president and chief executive officer of the San
Francisco-based research organization. "They see the state's budget
situation as a big problem, but so far they don't like the solution." The
six propositions, put on the ballot by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and
lawmakers, are an attempt to deal with the state's persistent budget
deficits.
<more>
May 8, 2009 AP
Villines is out, Blakeslee in as Assembly GOP leader - - Assembly Republicans on Thursday chose San Luis Obispo's Sam Blakeslee as their new leader after Mike Villines of Clovis said he will resign from the job on June 1. Villines, blasted by GOP activists for agreeing to tax hikes earlier this year, said he realized he could no longer represent Republicans in the lower house. Villines' exit means the San Joaquin Valley has gone from having both Republican leaders to none in the span of three months. Sen. Dave Cogdill, R-Modesto, was dumped as Senate leader by colleagues in February as punishment for agreeing to taxes.<more> May 8, 2009 Sacramento Bee
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Assembly leader Villines to resign - -
Assembly GOP leader Mike Villines of Clovis is expected to resign his
leadership post tomorrow. "Mike is going to be making an announcement
tomorrow morning prior to a 9 a.m. caucus meeting," said his spokeswoman,
Jennifer Gibbons. She would not discuss details but indications are that
Villines will step aside after a more than two-year reign. It is not clear
who his replacement will be. Caucus rules require 15 of the Assembly's 29
Republicans to approve the leader and several members could still be
scrambling for votes.
<more> May 6, 2009 Fresno Bee
Blakeslee to become new Republican leader of the
Assembly - - Assemblyman Sam Blakeslee, a conservative Central Coast
Republican in his third term in the Assembly, is in line to replace
Assemblyman Mike Villines on Wednesday as the GOP leader of the lower house.
The formal vote is expected to take place Thursday morning, but several
Republican sources confirmed Blakselee is the choice of his caucus. He is
not expected to take over as leader until June 1. The choice of the
Assembly's 29-member GOP caucus was confirmed by a Republican lawmaker. A
statement from Villines, R-Clovis, said he planned a "major announcement
about his future" Thursday morning.
<more> May 6, 2009 Capitol Weekly
NTF creates principles to communicate caring
commitment - – Building on its longstanding commitment to responsible
business practices from the farm to the nation’s dinner tables, the National
Turkey Federation (NTF) and its membership have released “Turkey Industry
Principles,” a comprehensive document that communicates the turkey
industry’s commitment to animal care, food safety, the environment, industry
employees, customers and consumers. “For years NTF has worked with its
members to prepare guidelines and best management practices that cover a
range of issues important to the industry, “NTF President Joel Brandenberger
said. “But, there was not a single document that the industry, our
customers or the general public could reference to fully understand the
breadth of our members’ commitment to sound business practices. “Earlier
this year, NTF’s Board of Directors directed the preparation of such a
document, and we believe the ‘Turkey Industry Principles’ effectively
communicates the industry’s dedication to sound policies regarding food
safety, animal care, the environment and the workplace,” Brandenberger said.
NTF’s Turkey Industry Principles includes a “Code of Ethics” and “Standards
of Conduct.” The Code of Ethics affirms the industry’s obligation to: *
Animal Welfare * Environmental Sustainability * Food Safety * Human
Resources and Worker Safety. The “Standards of Conduct” explain the
industry’s practices that align with its Code of Ethics. Some of these
practices include following NTF’s Animal Care Best Management Practices for
the Production of Turkeys and Environmental Best Management Practices. NTF’s
Turkey Industry Principles are available at
http://www.eatturkey.com/about/service.html. May 6, 2009 NTF
Press Release
Two men indicted for alleged bird smuggling -
- A man who allegedly flew from Vietnam to Los Angeles with 14 live birds
hidden in his pants was one of two men indicted on smuggling-related charges
today by a federal grand jury in Los Angeles. Duc Le, 34, and Sony Dong, 46,
are charged in an eight-count indictment with conspiring to smuggle dozens
of birds into the United States, including red-whiskered bulbuls, magpie
robins and shama thrushes. Both men were arrested last month after
investigators determined that Dong had 14 birds fastened to pieces of cloth
around his calves, said Asst. U.S. Atty. Mark Williams. A subsequent search
revealed dozens more illicit birds, officials said.
<more> May 6, 2009 LA Times
What are alternative feed ingredients and how do
we best use them? - - The use of alternative feed ingredients for
poultry has been a hot topic in the industry for a couple of years now,
based on skyrocketing prices for corn and soybeans. But exactly what are
alternative feed ingredients and how do we best use them? Those were the
questions that a panel of experts dealt with in a presentation titled
“Impact of Alternative Ingredients on Poultry Feed and Cost,” during
the WATT Online Animal Nutrition and Health Forum April 29. Dr. Nick Dale,
from the University of Georgia, pointed out there are some alternative
ingredients available, but that quality control of these ingredients is of
utmost importance, especially since there are nutrient variations depending
on the source of the ingredient.
<more> May 6, 209 WattPoultry.com
Meat industry urges rethink on Chinese chicken
- - A group of meat industry representatives has sent a letter to
President Obama urging a rethink of legislation banning imported cooked
poultry from China, saying it breaches US trade obligations. The 54
signatories, including US trade organizations and food companies, have
advised the Obama Administration to oppose a provision in the 2009 Omnibus
Appropriations Act preventing the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) from
allowing imports of cooked poultry from China. China has voiced its concern
about this rule for some time, and filed the case with the World Trade
Organization (WTO) on April 17. If it does not reach a resolution within 60
days, China can ask a WTO trade resolution panel to make a decision on the
issue. “At a time when US producers are seeking to sell their goods and
services abroad during a difficult global economic crisis, it is vital that
we uphold our trade obligations,” the letter said.
<more> May 6, 2009 FoodNavigator.com
Mixed reaction to EPA rule on biofuels - -
The highly-anticipated release of the EPA’s proposed rule on advanced
biofuels is drawing a mixed reaction from the ethanol and corn industries.
Jeff Broin, CEO of POET, the nation’s largest corn ethanol producer,
expressed concern that the EPA’s model for indirect land use change unfairly
penalizes corn ethanol. Broin says the entire concept is flawed.The director
of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, Monte Shaw, also criticized EPA’s
methodology for calculating indirect land use change. However, Shaw is
pleased that EPA is going to consider improvements to their modeling by
having the final model peer reviewed by the scientific community.
<more> May 6, 2009 Brownfield Ag News
House Ag Subcommittee Members grill EPA on
indirect land use provisions - - The House Agriculture Subcommittee on
Conservation, Credit, Energy, and Research today held a hearing to review
the impact of the indirect land use and renewable biomass provisions in the
renewable fuel standard. "We are very upset with the path EPA has taken us
down and sent that message back loud and clear in today's hearing," said
Chairman Tim Holden of Pennsylvania. "If we continue with these provisions
in EISA, we will not only harm the biofuels industry but also shortchange a
large part of the country before we even get started. We need to expand the
reach of biofuels, not hamper the farmer and forest owner." "The arbitrary
restrictions in the renewable fuel standard will limit the potential biomass
to meet the renewable fuels mandate. I am in favor of the development of
advanced renewable fuels, but more importantly I am in favor of developing a
policy that allows the market to develop next generation renewable energy"
said Subcommittee Ranking Member Bob Goodlatte of Virginia.
<more> May 6, 2009 House Ag Committee Press Release
New standards could cut tax breaks for corn-based
ethanol - - The Obama administration on Tuesday proposed renewable-fuel
standards that could reduce the $3 billion a year in federal tax breaks
given to producers of corn-based ethanol. The move sets the stage for a
major battle between Midwest grain producers and environmentalists who say
the gasoline additive actually worsens global warming. For much of the last
decade, federal officials have touted the potential of corn ethanol as a
substitute for gasoline and a tool for reducing global warming and foreign
oil dependence. However, environmentalists and others have questioned the
wisdom of that support. A recent Congressional Budget Office study found
that increased ethanol production was responsible for 10% to 15% of last
year's increased U.S. food costs. And the rush to produce more corn for fuel
has had a global environmental impact as forests and other vegetation have
been cleared to make way for cropland.
<more> May 6, 2009 LA Times
Obama policy could help Pacific Ethanol - -
Sacramento's struggling Pacific Ethanol Inc. got some hope from the White
House Tuesday. The company's stock jumped 17 cents, or 40 percent, to close
at 59 cents, after the Obama administration announced a long-term commitment
to alternative fuels and detailed new federal support, including possible
financing help for struggling ethanol plants. Stocks of other ethanol makers
also rose sharply. Low oil prices, excess production capacity and swings in
the cost of corn have hammered the ethanol sector. Pacific Ethanol lost $146
million in 2008 and reported in late March that it is in default on $250
million in loans. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said Tuesday his
agency will hurry to help refinance existing ethanol operations but didn't
detail which companies might qualify.
<more> May 6, 2009 Sacramento Bee
CPF Quality Assurance Seminar set for Modesto
June 17 - - CPF’s next Quality Assurance Seminar will be held on
Wednesday, June 17. This is a mandatory seminar in order to maintain
certification under the California Meat Poultry QA Program. The seminar will
be held at the Stanislaus County Ag Center’s Harvest Hall. Registration and
the continental breakfast will begin at 8:30 am and the first presentation
will start at 9 a.m. Speakers and topics include: Dr. Joy Mench from UC
Davis on Animal Welfare, Dr. Robert O’Connor from Foster Farms on
Biosecurity and Cleaning & Disinfection, Dr. Mark Bland from Cutler &
Associates on Flock Health Management, Christian Bagocius from Motomco on
Rodent Control, and a Live Bird Market and Premise ID update from CDFA’s Dr.
Sarah Mize and Victor Velez. The seminar will cost $15 which includes
continental breakfast, lunch and materials.
Click here to download the registration form. Please contact Cody
Penfold for any questions at 209-576-6355. May 4, 2009 CPF Notice
Birds of a Feather golf tourney June 9 in Petaluma- - The Birds of a Feather golf tournament benefitting the Western Poultry Scholarship and Research Foundation will tee off Tuesday June 9 at the Roster Run Golf Club in Petaluma. Registration deadline is June 2 and the fee is $125. More information is available from Debbie Murdock at (916) 441-0801 or Lensi Hopkins at (916) 956-7410. May 1, 2009 PEPA Notice
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
The Fine Print: What's Really in a Lot of
'Healthy' Foods - - A lot of Americans think they're eating a healthy
diet these days. But it's easy to be fooled by our assumptions and the ways
that food manufacturers play on them. Take chicken. The average American
eats about 90 pounds of it a year, more than twice as much as in the 1970s,
part of the switch to lower-fat, lower-cholesterol meat proteins. But
roughly one-third of the fresh chicken sold in the U.S. is "plumped" with
water, salt and sometimes a seaweed extract called carrageenan that helps it
retain the added water. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says chicken
processed this way can still be labeled "all natural" or "100% natural"
because those are all natural ingredients, even though they aren't naturally
found in chicken. Producers must mention the added ingredients on the
package -- but the lettering can be small: just one-third the size of the
largest letter in the product's name. If you're trying to watch your sodium
to cut your risk of high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke, it pays to
check the Nutrition Facts label.
<more> May 5, 2009 Wall Street Journal
Bill to allow Louisiana chicken-plant subsidy
moves forward -- A bill that would clear the way for a $50 million
government rescue of a North Louisiana chicken plant continued its
lightning-quick march through the Legislature today, when a House committee
agreed unanimously to send it to the floor for more debate. Senate Bill
283, which Gov. Bobby Jindal has identified as one of his top priorities for
the session, seeks to liberalize the rules governing a $400 million
"mega-project" economic development fund that is designed to lure
large-scale industrial projects for the state. The bill by Sen. Mike
Walsworth, R-West Monroe, would change the rules in a way that lets the
state use $40 million from the fund to support the purchase of the former
Pilgrim's Pride processing plant in Farmerville by a California company,
Foster Farms. Another $10 million from the fund would pay for capital
improvements to the plant.
<more> May 5, 2009 The Times-Picayune
Opinion: Free-range chickens not living bucolic
ideal - - Chickens playing chicken and other destructive games are
absolutely undermining the argument favoring free-range birds. Proponents of
that argument unwittingly voted to destroy California’s thriving
egg-production industry last November. A study recently released by the
National Veterinary Institute in Uppsala, Sweden, reveals that a sudden
spike among dead laying hens was 10 times greater for those running free
than for those that are caged, as most of California’s laying hens have been
for years. The Swedish veterinary pathologists analyzed 914 dead hens from
172 flocks. They found that the free-ranging hens had more bacterial
infections, which were the most common cause of their deaths. They also had
more parasites and viruses and were more likely to become victims of violent
pecking and cannibalistic attacks. Some of the free-range flocks studied by
the Swedish pathologists contained as many as 35,000 chickens. Even though
they had the freedom to hop around outside and roll in the dirt, they were
more likely to bump into each other, fight and share diseases. Veterinarian
and poultry pathologist Rob Porter at the University of Minnesota said the
findings add to a growing body of evidence that free-range chickens are
particularly prone to disease and violent behavior.
<more> May 4, 2009 Visalia Times-Delta
Indirect land use included in EPA's advanced
biofuels rule - - After months of speculation, the EPA has confirmed
that an indirect land use formula will be used to score ethanol and
biodiesel on greenhouse gas emissions. The EPA’s proposed rule for advanced
renewable biofuels, required under the Energy Independence and Security Act
of 2007, evaluates the carbon footprint of such fuels. EPA administrator
Lisa Jackson says the model used to calculate indirect land use change was
developed using what she calls “best science” and input from scientists
around the world. “The law calls for indirect land use to be part of the
analysis, and so certainly the proposed rule includes that,” Jackson says.
“EPA is soliciting peer reviews—scientific feedback—to insure that the rule,
when it is finalized, includes the best available science.” The rule has a
60-day comment period for the industry to weigh in. Just how much impact it
will have on the future of corn ethanol and soy biodiesel is still being
analyzed, but Jackson makes it clear that the administration views corn
ethanol as a bridge to more advanced biofuels.
<more> May 5, 2009 Brownfield Ag News
U.S. Testing for Flu in Pigs Less Stringent Than
for Mad Cow, Bird Flu - - While Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says
there is "no evidence" of the new swine flu in U.S. pigs, the federal
government doesn't aggressively search for it on farms. Mr. Vilsack's
statement is designed to bolster the Obama administration's argument that
U.S. consumers and trading partners haven't any reason to shy away from
eating U.S. pork. But the observation isn't based on any extensive sampling
program of the sort that is used by the federal government to alert it to
other animal disease, such as mad-cow disease and bird flu. Indeed, only in
recent months has the Agriculture Department begun organizing a federal
pilot program for screening pigs for flu. And that move came at the prodding
of officials at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC
officials have been worried that pigs might serve as a "mixing vessel" for a
flu virus capable of sweeping through the human population. The pilot
program has yet to begin to collect samples.
<more> May 5 2009 Wall Street Journal
Politicians fail to see farm worker plight - - Meet
Marie Gamino. She is the lady in the photo accompanying this commentary. She
was raised in Firebaugh. Now lives in Mendota; single mother who raised two
daughters, both now grown. One lives in Mendota; the other in Fresno. She is
grandmother to six. We have at least one other thing in common besides
being grandparents. We both participated in the final day of the March for
Water. She was carrying a sign taller than herself. I was carrying a
recorder and my camera. I decided to walk rather than use press credentials
to get into the event at San Luis. The four-day walk brought together
probably 15,000 farmers and farm workers to protest the shutdown of Delta
pumps to protect fish at the expense of people.
<more> May 4, 2009 Western Farm Press
CPF Quality Assurance Seminar set for Modesto
June 17 - - CPF’s next Quality Assurance Seminar will be held on
Wednesday, June 17. This is a mandatory seminar in order to maintain
certification under the California Meat Poultry QA Program. The seminar will
be held at the Stanislaus County Ag Center’s Harvest Hall. Registration and
the continental breakfast will begin at 8:30 am and the first presentation
will start at 9 a.m. Speakers and topics include: Dr. Joy Mench from UC
Davis on Animal Welfare, Dr. Robert O’Connor from Foster Farms on
Biosecurity and Cleaning & Disinfection, Dr. Mark Bland from Cutler &
Associates on Flock Health Management, Christian Bagocius from Motomco on
Rodent Control, and a Live Bird Market and Premise ID update from CDFA’s Dr.
Sarah Mize and Victor Velez. The seminar will cost $15 which includes
continental breakfast, lunch and materials.
Click here to download the registration form. Please contact Cody
Penfold for any questions at 209-576-6355. May 4, 2009 CPF Notice
Birds
of a Feather golf tourney June 9 in Petaluma- - The Birds of a Feather
golf tournament benefitting the Western Poultry Scholarship and Research
Foundation will tee off Tuesday June 9 at the Roster Run Golf Club in
Petaluma. Registration deadline is June 2 and the fee is $125. More
information is available from Debbie Murdock at (916) 441-0801 or Lensi
Hopkins at (916) 956-7410. May 1, 2009 PEPA Notice
State poultry PAC contributions sought - -
The California Poultry Federation has launched an intensive effort to build
up its state Political Action Committee as the industry grapples with a host
of legislative and regulatory issues. To date,
$5,800. in donations have been made to the
CPF State PAC. “From workers compensation regulations
to animal welfare standards, we already have many proposed items that would
hurt our industry if they are successful. That is why it is so important
that we continue to build a strong State Poultry PAC,” said CPF President
Bill Mattos. Both company and personal checks are allowed for the State PAC.
For reporting purposes, the ID # for the State Poultry PAC is 911046. Checks
should be made out to: State Poultry PAC, and returned to the CPF at 4640
Spyres Way, Suite 4, Modesto, CA 95356. If you have any questions and/or
concerns regarding the State Poultry PAC, contact Bill Mattos at (209)
576-6355. April 20, 2009
President Obama directs USDA to expand access to
biofuels - - President Obama issued a presidential directive today to
USDA Secretary Vilsack to aggressively accelerate the investment in and
production of biofuels. On a conference call with Energy Secretary Stephen
Chu and
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator
Lisa Jackson, Vilsack
also announced that he will help lead an unprecedented
interagency effort
to increase
America's energy independence and spur
rural economic development. "President
Obama's announcement today demonstrates his deep commitment to establishing
a permanent biofuels industry in America," said Vilsack. "Expanding our
biofuels infrastructure provides a unique opportunity to spur rural economic
development while reducing our dependence on foreign oil - one of the great
challenges of the 21st century."
<more> May 5, 2009 USDA Press Release
White House to Step Up Ethanol Efforts - -
The Obama administration on Tuesday will step up efforts to increase the
availability of ethanol at filling stations and to speed up subsidies to
struggling biofuel producers. But the trade-off is that the administration
is also expected to propose a rule that could make certain biofuels look
less climate-friendly. At a news conference led by the heads of the
Agriculture Department, Energy Department and Environmental Protection
Agency, the administration is expected to announce the creation of an
interagency group that will be charged with forging a plan to encourage the
production of more automobiles that can run on high-level ethanol blends,
and increase the availability of high-level ethanol blends at gasoline
stations.
<more> May 5, 2009 Wall Street Journal
USDA
offers cost-share program for air quality practices - - Farmers and
ranchers interested in reducing air quality emissions from off-road mobile
or stationary agricultural sources are invited to apply between for funds
made available under a new air quality provision of the 2008 federal Farm
Bill. Applications will be taken until June 26 for $10.9 million in funding.
"The primary goal of this new portion of the Environmental Quality
Incentives Program (EQIP) is to help farmers and ranchers attain the
standards set by the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).
Producers in the 36 California counties that are currently not in compliance
with one or more of these standards can apply for this program to improve
California's air quality," said Lincoln "Ed" Burton, California State
Conservationist for USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service. Burton
added that producers in all California counties will continue to be
encouraged to do air quality conservation, working through the Agency's
technical assistance and regular EQIP allocation. NRCS and agricultural
producers in California have spent over $73 million on air quality projects
funded through EQIP since 1998.
<more>
May 1, 2009 NRCS Press Release
Monday, May 4, 2009
Kentucky Woman’s Ground-Chicken Burger with Asian
Zing Wins $50,000 in National Chicken Cooking Contest -- A
ground-chicken burger with an Asian flavor zing earned Brigitte Nguyen of
Lexington, Kentucky, the top prize of $50,000 in the 48th National Chicken
Cooking Contest here Saturday. Ms. Nguyen, 28, a part-time bookkeeper and a
baker at a wine shop and deli in Lexington, topped a field of nine finalists
from across the country in a competition sponsored by the National Chicken
Council, an industry group, with her “Chinese Chicken Burgers with Rainbow
Sesame Slaw.” The event was held at the San Antonio campus of the Culinary
Institute of America with members of the Texas Poultry Federation serving as
local hosts. “The burger had a clear Asian flavor profile with zing, some
sweetness, and lime and lemongrass notes; it was just delicious,” said Kathy
Martin, food editor of the Miami Herald and chairman of a panel of judges
drawn from newspapers and magazines. The burger recipe is based on ground
chicken and includes soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, garlic, lemongrass, and
scallions. It is served on a toasted bun and is topped with lime-accented
mayonnaise and chile sauce and served with a slaw of julienned peppers, snow
peas, and jicama.
<more> May 4, 2009 NCC Press Release
CPF Quality Assurance Seminar set for Modesto
June 17 - - CPF’s next Quality Assurance Seminar will be held on
Wednesday, June 17. This is a mandatory seminar in order to maintain
certification under the California Meat Poultry QA Program. The seminar will
be held at the Stanislaus County Ag Center’s Harvest Hall. Registration and
the continental breakfast will begin at 8:30 am and the first presentation
will start at 9 a.m. Speakers and topics include: Dr. Joy Mench from UC
Davis on Animal Welfare, Dr. Robert O’Connor from Foster Farms on
Biosecurity and Cleaning & Disinfection, Dr. Mark Bland from Cutler &
Associates on Flock Health Management, Christian Bagocius from Motomco on
Rodent Control, and a Live Bird Market and Premise ID update from CDFA’s Dr.
Sarah Mize and Victor Velez. The seminar will cost $15 which includes
continental breakfast, lunch and materials.
Click here to download the registration form. Please contact Cody
Penfold for any questions at 209-576-6355. May 4, 2009 CPF Notice
CPF welcomes new Web advertiser: Avicorvi S.A.-
- Avicorvi S.A. produces the ultimate Avicorvi Nipple drinker, our key and
worldwide patented product, which is designed to supply water with minimal
spillage and no leakage, keeping your chicken houses and cage floors dry and
clean. Our nipple can be used from the first day of birth through the entire
life cycle, keeping your environment clean and healthy. Avicorvi S.A. –
formerly known as Fanalbe Ltda – is a family owned and operated company,
headquartered in Pereira, Colombia. With over 50 years in the poultry
industry and over 30 years producing automatic drinkers and feeders, the
mission of Avicorvi is to provide our customers with high quality products.
We take this mission very seriously. Avicorvi is an award winning company,
having received the “Medal of Industrial Merit” from the Colombian
government’s Department of Economic Development, and the “Most Innovative
Product” prize from ACOPI, the Colombian Industry Association for Small
Industry, late 2008, and other international awards. Avicorvi also received
the ISO-9001 Quality Certification. The sales representative for the North
America region is Mr. Jaime Orozco, one of the family members currently
managing the company. He is located in Folsom, California, and can be
contacted at Jaime@avicorvi.com. Visit
http://www.avicorvi.com/index_eng.htm to learn more. May 4,
2009
New Senate Food and Ag Committee not following
the herd - - One of the first things you'll see upon entering the office
of Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter, is a big stack of books by authors such as
Michael Pollan, the Berkeley writer known for his opposition to large-scale
agribusiness. Along the far wall is a poster for Proposition 2, the 2008
Farm Animal Protection Act. "It looks a little different that most Ag
committee chair's libraries," Florez said. He chuckled, then added, "I think
the Ag industry comes in and looks at this and goes, ‘Oh.'" They're also
saying similar things about the bills coming out of his committee, Florez
said. In January, he and Senate Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento,
held a press conference announcing that Florez was taking over the committee
and adding the word "Food" to its name. This signaled a new direction for a
committee that, according to many, has traditionally represented the
interests of the agriculture industry. The committee held a hearing last
week and passed out three Florez bills opposed by agribusiness groups. His
SB 135 would ban the practice of cutting off cow's tails, while his SB 416
would bar antibiotics from meat served in school lunches. SB 173 imposes
stricter responsibilities around food-borne pathogens. Florez is also
carrying bills that would restrict agricultural crop burning and impose new
requirements for food safety.
<more> May 4, 2009 Capitol Weekly
Parts Is Parts: Dissecting A Chicken For Maximum
Profit - - Poultry companies have found a market for everything but the
cluck in the low margin, high volume business of chicken processing. The
chicken industry averaged a 4-cent per pound operating loss in 2008. Feed
costs have subsided since the record highs of last summer, but they are
still 40 to 50 percent above historic levels, according to industry trade
groups. If profits are to return, analysts say, companies must push products
and byproducts into higher margin areas. Chickens or broilers on the whole
are worth considerably more when dissected for their parts, said Richard
Lobb, a spokesman for the National Chicken Council. Commercial chicken is
primarily raised as a lean meat protein for human consumption with the
breast comprising about 20 percent of the total live weight, said Paul Aho,
poultry economist with Poultry Perspective. But that's only about one-fifth
of the total bird, which gives poultry companies plenty of reasons to find
other markets for the remaining parts, he said.
<more> May 4, 2009 The Morning News
Chickens do good things and today is their day in
the political sun - - As everyone knows by now, today is International
Respect for Chickens Day. In fact, this entire month is International
Respect for Chickens Month, designed to celebrate those feathered fowl and
highlight the political import of chickens in our world and also how tasty
they are. All right, not that last point. United Poultry Concerns designated
this day and month four years ago to call attention to the intellectual
bleakness of life for factory farm chickens.
<more> May 4, 2009 LA Times
Bird flu planning pays off for Valley health
officials - - The swine-flu threat couldn't come at a worse time for the
central San Joaquin Valley, where public-health workers have struggled for
resources in the recession. But they have a plan. Spurred by the threat of
bird flu four years ago, public-health agencies created pandemic-flu plans
that are paying off now. In the past week, Valley counties have opened
emergency command centers resembling those set up at forest fires. They have
incident commanders, operations officers, logistics chiefs, supply officers.
Plans include guidelines for vaccinating the population, quarantining
families, shutting down schools and outlawing public gatherings. Had those
plans not been set in motion after the bird-flu scare, "we would still be
responding to the swine influenza, but we would not have the benefit of
doing it in an organized manner," said Dr. Edward Moreno, director of the
Fresno County Department of Public Health.
<more> May 3, 2009 Fresno Bee
Take a Moment to Appreciate Farmers and Ranchers-
- In this video sponsored by the Animal Agriculture Alliance, Brad
Johnson—who grew up on a ranch and went on to become an actor with credits
including Comanche Moon, Crossfire Trail and Rough Riders, notes that over
90% of Americas farms and ranches are family-owned. He explains that farmers
and ranchers care for people, the animals they raise and the land in their
care. Johnson also explains that people should take a moment to appreciate
America’s farmers and ranchers who dedicate their lives to providing food
for everyone else.
Click
here to view video. May 4, 2009 Animal Ag Alliance
USDA announces animal ID listening sessions --Agriculture
Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that the U.S. Department of
Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will hold a
series of listening sessions on the National Animal Identification System
(NAIS). The meetings will take place next month in Alabama, Colorado,
Connecticut, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington state. "USDA
needs to hear directly from our stakeholders as we work together to create
an animal disease traceability program we can all support," said Secretary
of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. "I encourage individuals and organizations to
voice their concerns, ideas and potential solutions about animal
identification, by either attending these listening sessions or submitting
comments online."
<more> May 4, 2009 USDA Press Release
USDA to allow some producers to extend CRP contracts - - The U.S. Agriculture Department said on Friday it would allow producers to extend or modify contracts on nearly 40 percent of the acres expiring in the Conservation Reserve Program during 2009. USDA said about 1.5 million acres out of a total 3.9 million acres could be extended under contracts scheduled to expire on Sept. 30. The extension is voluntary and farmers can sign-up between May 18 and June 30. The extension was put in place to ensure USDA meets a 32-million-acre ceiling set for the reserve in the 2008 farm law set. The 32-million-acre cap goes through 2012.<more> May 4, 2009 Reuters
Friday, May 1, 2009
Employers of illegal workers to be targeted by U.S. - - In a major
departure from the Bush administration, the Department of Homeland Security
on Thursday issued new work site enforcement guidelines that shift the focus
to employers rather than illegal workers and could be a harbinger of more
immigration reforms. The federal guidelines instruct agents to conduct
"carefully planned criminal investigations" of employers and to look for
evidence that they may be involved in smuggling or visa fraud. Agents are
directed to get indictments or search warrants before arresting employees.
Homeland Security officials said the goal was to reduce unfair competition
and stem the flow of illegal crossers by targeting the magnet: jobs. "The
prospect for employment . . . continues to be one of the leading causes of
illegal immigration," spokesman Matt Chandler said. "This is a clear message
to the millions of businesses who play by the rules, but find themselves
competing against others who enter the illegal labor market, that help is on
the way."
<more> May 1, 2009 LA Times
Bill
aims to keep hormones out of school food - - There is a bill in
Sacramento that would prohibit schools from serving any kind of food treated
with antibiotics and hormones by 2012. While many parents would be on board
with this legislation, it is getting a lot of criticism from most farmers
and school districts. The San Francisco Unified School District claims it
serves some of the healthiest meals in the country. State Senator Dean
Florez of Bakersfield says the district can do better. If his bill passes,
by January 2012 all California schools must serve foods that are not treated
with antibiotics, hormones, preservatives, MSG or fillers. "We have eight
barns in production out here, all raising organic birds," says Mark McKay of
Petaluma Poultry, an organic farm which does not use antibiotics. "Because
the birds don't need them."
<more> May 1, 2009 KGO-TV San Francisco
Food
Supplements that Fortify Fowl - - Poultry infected with the parasite
Eimeria maxima usually develop avian coccidiosis, a disease estimated to
cost producers globally more than $1.2 billion every year. So Agricultural
Research Service (ARS) immunologist Hyun Lillehoj has been working with
colleagues in ARS and around the world to find dietary supplements that
strengthen the poultry immune system. Lillehoj, at the ARS Animal Parasitic
Diseases Laboratory in Beltsville, Md., cooperated on the research with
scientists at South Korea's Gyeongsang National University College of
Veterinary Medicine. The researchers found that chickens that consumed
ground green tea for two weeks prior to parasitic infection produced
significantly fewer fecal E. maxima oocysts than the control group. This
finding could help reduce the spread of infection in poultry houses.
<more> May 1,2009 ARS Press Release
Birds
of a Feather golf tourney June 9 in Petaluma- - The Birds of a Feather
golf tournament benefitting the Western Poultry Scholarship and Research
Foundation will tee off Tuesday June 9 at the Roster Run Golf Club in
Petaluma. Registration deadline is June 2 and the fee is $125. More
information is available from Debbie Murdock at (916) 441-0801 or Lensi
Hopkins at (916) 956-7410. May 1, 2009 PEPA Notice
State poultry PAC contributions sought - -
The California Poultry Federation has launched an intensive effort to build
up its state Political Action Committee as the industry grapples with a host
of legislative and regulatory issues. To date,
$5,800. in donations have been made to the
CPF State PAC. “From workers compensation regulations
to animal welfare standards, we already have many proposed items that would
hurt our industry if they are successful. That is why it is so important
that we continue to build a strong State Poultry PAC,” said CPF President
Bill Mattos. Both company and personal checks are allowed for the State PAC.
For reporting purposes, the ID # for the State Poultry PAC is 911046. Checks
should be made out to: State Poultry PAC, and returned to the CPF at 4640
Spyres Way, Suite 4, Modesto, CA 95356. If you have any questions and/or
concerns regarding the State Poultry PAC, contact Bill Mattos at (209)
576-6355. April 20, 2009
Low
snow, reservoir levels force rationing - - April's warm, dry weather
melted the Sierra Nevada snowpack to two-thirds of normal, according to the
last measure of the season Thursday, as agencies serving cities and farms
across California prepare to cut water use this summer. State officials say
this is shaping up to be the 10th-driest three-year period on record, based
on the amount of meltwater expected to run from the mountains and into
streams and reservoirs this spring. A month ago, snowpack was 80 percent of
normal. Now it is 66 percent, compared with 72 percent at this time last
year."Normally, we would have kept more of (the snowpack), but April was
sunny and windy, and so a lot of it melted into the ground," said Elissa
Lynn, chief meteorologist with the state Department of Water Resources,
which conducts the winter snow surveys. "We have the snowpack we're going to
have."
<more> May 1, 2009 SF Chronicle
USDA
offers cost-share program for air quality practices - - Farmers and
ranchers interested in reducing air quality emissions from off-road mobile
or stationary agricultural sources are invited to apply between for funds
made available under a new air quality provision of the 2008 federal Farm
Bill. Applications will be taken until June 26 for $10.9 million in funding.
"The primary goal of this new portion of the Environmental Quality
Incentives Program (EQIP) is to help farmers and ranchers attain the
standards set by the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).
Producers in the 36 California counties that are currently not in compliance
with one or more of these standards can apply for this program to improve
California's air quality," said Lincoln "Ed" Burton, California State
Conservationist for USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service. Burton
added that producers in all California counties will continue to be
encouraged to do air quality conservation, working through the Agency's
technical assistance and regular EQIP allocation. NRCS and agricultural
producers in California have spent over $73 million on air quality projects
funded through EQIP since 1998.
<more> May 1, 2009 NRCS Press Release
Dan Walters: What’s Plan B if five ballot measures fail? - - Prospects are rapidly diminishing for the five ballot measures that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders say they need to keep the state budget from drowning in red ink. So, one might ask, what's Plan B? Rejection of three measures (Propositions 1C, 1D and 1E) would have a direct impact totaling nearly $6 billion on the 2009-10 budget, which was supposedly balanced by Schwarzenegger and legislators in February. Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor has already proclaimed that the 2009-10 plan is $8 billion out of whack, so rejection of those three measures would create a $14 billion hole. But wait, there's still more bad news. <more> May 1, 2009 Sacramento Bee
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Chicken Cooking Contest May 2 in Texas - - It is chicken cooking time in
Texas, as nine contestants representing all regions of the United States
gather in San Antonio for the 48th running of the National Chicken Cooking
Contest with its grand prize of $50,000 and bragging rights as America’s top
chicken cook. “We can’t wait to get started,” said Contest Director Nancy
Tringali Piho. “We look forward to a very competitive contest in an
excellent location.” Members of the Texas Poultry Federation are serving as
local hosts. Lampkin Butts, president and chief operating officer of
Sanderson Farms, Laurel, Mississippi, is overall contest chairman. The
cookoff will be held Saturday, May 2, at the San Antonio branch of the
Culinary Institute of America (CIA), located in a renovated brewery. The
contestants will use professional ranges and equipment in one of CIA’s
instructional spaces. In addition to the $50,000 Grand Prize, the judges
will also bestow a $10,000 Judge’s Choice award on a second dish. Each of
the contestants will receive $1,000 as a regional winner’s prize. The
cookoff will be running at the same time but in a different location from
the Food Media Seminar sponsored by the National Chicken Council and the
U.S. Poultry & Egg Association. Writers attending the seminar at the Omni
Hotel La Mansion Del Rio will visit the cookoff as a news event and will
hear the announcement of the winners at a reception Saturday evening.
April 24, 2009 NCC Newsletter
State poultry PAC contributions sought - -
The California Poultry Federation has launched an intensive effort to build
up its state Political Action Committee as the industry grapples with a host
of legislative and regulatory issues. To date,
$5,800. in donations have been made to the
CPF State PAC. “From workers compensation regulations
to animal welfare standards, we already have many proposed items that would
hurt our industry if they are successful. That is why it is so important
that we continue to build a strong State Poultry PAC,” said CPF President
Bill Mattos. Both company and personal checks are allowed for the State PAC.
For reporting purposes, the ID # for the State Poultry PAC is 911046. Checks
should be made out to: State Poultry PAC, and returned to the CPF at 4640
Spyres Way, Suite 4, Modesto, CA 95356. If you have any questions and/or
concerns regarding the State Poultry PAC, contact Bill Mattos at (209)
576-6355. April 20, 2009
State Senate Education Committee rejects ban on
antibiotic treated meats for school lunches - - Lawmakers Wednesday
decided that schools should continue to decide what meat and poultry to
serve students, rejecting a proposal to ban products treated routinely with
antibiotic drugs. At the urging of the Senate Education Committee, Sen. Dean
Florez, D-Shfater, amended his measure, Senate Bill 416, to drop the ban in
favor of encouraging schools to buy meat products from animals only treated
with drugs when they are ill. But schools have to report their reasons to
state education officials when they don't buy the meat and poultry from
animals raised to largely without drugs. Florez said that the amendments
``are not the direction I want,'' but he faced questions and criticism about
the impact of his proposed ban on the health of animals and the ability of
schools to comply with his proposal.
<more> April 30, 2009 Gannett Sacramento Bureau
Chick-fil-A tests spicy in Fresno - -There's
something different on the Chick-fil-A menu here in Fresno . The chain is
testing a new spicy chicken sandwich in all its California restaurants --
including the two in Fresno: As if they need a test to find out if
Californians like their food spicy. At any rate, the test is a continuation
of the testing in Baltimore, Md., and Jacksonville, Fla. The company says
people repeatedly ask for a spicy option on the menu. The sandwich starts at
$3.25 and can be part of a combo meal. If it's successful, it will be added
to the menu nationally.
<more> April 30, 2009 Fresno Bee
New employer: Reyes not running for state Senate
- - Former Assemblywoman Sarah Reyes, D-Fresno, won't be running for
Shafter state Sen. Dean Florez's seat in 2010, according to a spokesman for
her new employer. With Reyes’ current boss, Assemblyman Juan Arambula,
D-Fresno, saying he won't run either, that seems to leave the Democratic
field open for Kern County Supervisor Michael Rubio. No Republican candidate
for the 16th Senate District post has officially materialized. Jeff Okey of
The California Endowment said Thursday Reyes will lead the group’s efforts
to serve the communities of Arvin and Lamont, Merced city and county and
Fresno starting May 6.
<more> April 30, 2009 Bakersfield Californian
Field Poll: Angry voters are 'tuned out' in
run-up to special election - - Judging by the results of this week's
Field polls, California voters: (a) Are mad as hell and aren't going to take
it anymore. (b) Don't give a rat's patootie about the May 19 special
election. (c) Are highly skeptical that the half-dozen propositions on the
aforementioned election's ballot are going to do much to buoy the state's
sinking finances. The correct answer, based on interviews with veteran
observers of the California political scene, as well as voters themselves,
is (d) all of the above. "They are extremely leery of budget proposals
coming out of Sacramento," said Jack Pitney, a professor of governmental
studies at Claremont McKenna College. "I think there is widespread sentiment
that the whole (election) package is booby-trapped." The package of which
Pitney speaks consists of a half-dozen proposals pieced together by the
Legislature and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in February, in an effort to
close a gaping hole in the state budget.
<more> April 30, 2009 Sacramento Bee
ARB eyes ‘indirect land use’ in low carbon fuel
standard - - A critical piece of California’s new law cutting carbon
emissions from transportation fuels is getting another look, with state
air-quality regulators likely to vote by December on the issue known as
“indirect land use.” The months of new study follows complaints from
ethanol producers and others who said the new rule unfairly targeted farmers
who grow fuel crops. “We want to make sure that the numbers we’ve got track
with the latest science,” said Stanley Young, a spokesman for the Air
Resources Board, “so we will be engaging in a review of the related indirect
impacts and submitting them to the board.”
<more> April 30, 2009 Capitol Weekly
Influencing the Debate on Animal Welfare topic of
May 12-13 conference -- The Animal Agriculture Alliance (Alliance)
announced plans to host its eighth industry-wide Stakeholders Summit. This
day and a half conference focusing on animal welfare, "Politics, Activism
and Religion: Influencing the Debate on Animal Welfare in America," is
scheduled for May 12-13, 2009 at the Hotel Monaco in Alexandria, Virginia..
The Summit's goal is to build bridges across the food chain to develop
solutions that can be implemented to address the challenging issues of
animal welfare, the prudent use of antibiotics, environmental concerns and
public health. Program and registration details are available at
www.animalagalliance.org. To view the agenda,
please click here April 27, 2009 Alliance Press Release
Workers’ comp claims management workshop May 14 in Sacramento - - A workshop directed at employers on workers’ compensation claims management will be held Thursday, May 14 in Sacramento. The session is sponsored by InterWest Insurance Services, a member of the California Poultry Federation. The morning session will include discussion of workplace drug testing policies and insight into recent workers’ comp judicial decisions. Registration deadline is May 8. Information is available from Shannon Pringle at (916) 609-8349 or springle@iwins.com. April 27, 2009 Interwest Insurance Services
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
HSUS official says public concerns drive
initiatives - - The CEO of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS)
says his group is being unfairly portrayed by agricultural groups and the ag
media. And Wayne Pacelle of HSUS says recent ballot initiative victories in
California, Arizona and other states prove that the general public also
wants better treatment of farm animals. "And does agriculture want to
continue to defend activities which regular Americans think are out of
bounds and unacceptable," Pacelle says. Pacelle also confirmed that Ohio is
next on their list.
<more> April 28, 2009 Brownfield Ag News
Two sides of the animal welfare debate - -
There are definitely two sides to the animal welfare discussion. This week
we hear from Bernard Rollin, a distinguished professor at Colorado State
University in Ft. Collins, and Steve Kopperud, executive vice president at
Policy Directions Inc. Rollins brokered the agreement between Colorado
agriculture and the Humane Society of the United States that prevented a
Proposition 2-type referendum in Colorado. He has also served on the Pew
Commission and convinced Smithfield to eliminate sow stalls. Kopperud also
serves as coordinator of the Farm Animal Welfare Coalition and is founder
and past president of the Animal Agriculture Alliance.
<more> April 28, 2009 FeedStuffs.com
Schwarzenegger declares emergency over swine flu --
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared a state of emergency that will help
California agencies coordinate efforts in response to the outbreak of swine
flu. Schwarzenegger's proclamation today sets in motion a series of
administrative actions, including ordering all agencies to coordinate with
public health officials as needed. The Stanislaus County Department of
Health reported this morning that there have been no cases in the county.
The action also suspends noncompetitive bidding for contracts needed to
respond to the outbreak and waives certification requirements for
laboratories involved in the testing.
<more> April 28, 2009 Modesto Bee
Swine flu's ground zero? Residents say nearby farm -
- Residents in the town of La Gloria, Mexico (population 3,000) believe
their town is ground zero for the swine flu epidemic, even if health
officials aren't saying so. More than 450 residents say they're suffering
from respiratory problems from contamination spread by pig waste at nearby
breeding farms co-owned by a U.S. company. Officials with the company say
they've found no sign of swine flu on its farms, and Mexican authorities
haven't determined the outbreak's origin. The swine flu strain is suspected
in more than 150 deaths in Mexico, and cases have been confirmed in at least
four other countries. As far back as late March, roughly one-sixth of the
residents here in the Gulf Coast state of Veracruz began complaining of
respiratory infections that they say can be traced to a farm that lies
upwind five miles (8.5 kilometers) to the north, in the town of Xaltepec.
<more> April 28, 2009 AP
CDFA working with state and federal agencies on swine flu - - The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is monitoring and responding to the current swine flu outbreak in conjunction with federal and state agencies. "It is important to understand that there are no reports of swine flu in pigs in California, or the United States, at this time," said California State Veterinarian Dr. Richard Breitmeyer. "Our monitoring program is aimed at detecting the illness early in pigs. It also is important to recognize that swine flu is not a threat to the food supply. According to the Center for Disease Control, you cannot get swine influenza from eating pork or pork products. Eating properly handled and cooked pork and pork products is safe." CDFA’s top priority is to test any pigs that are linked to a human swine flu case or are showing signs of a respiratory disease. CDFA veterinarians are working closely with public health officials and to date no such human links have been established. Similarly, there have been no swine samples submitted for testing due to respiratory disease. In comparison to many states, California is a relatively small pork producer with fewer than 100,000 animals, ranking 28th in the country. <more> April 28, 2009 CDFA Pres Release
Monday, April 27, 2009
Update on Current Poultry Bans Due to Swine Flu
Outbreak - - Due to the recent swine flu outbreaks, Russia has banned
all heat treated and non-heat treated poultry on shipments sailing after
April 21 from New York, Kansas California, Texas and Ohio. Russia is the
only country so far to take any action against poultry from the U.S. The
following is an update on U.S. pork bans:* Russia has banned all non-heat
treated pork meat on shipments sailing after April 21 from Alabama, Arizona,
Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Florida. *
Beginning April 26, Russia has also banned passenger baggage and catering
materials from all livestock species, including heat treated products from
Texas , California , Ohio , New York and Kansas . The ban is for luggage and
in-flight catering of aerial vehicles and sea vessels arriving from the
previous mentioned states. * Ukraine has placed a ban on live pigs and pork
meat from the U.S. , effective April 21. * South Korea is increasing testing
of imports, but has not banned any product at this time * Indonesia has
banned all pork from every country in the world. * Guatemala has banned all
live pigs and pork meat from the U.S. * China has banned imports of live
pigs and pork products from Texas , California , and Kansas , effective
April 26. Shipments that left port before April 26 will be subject to virus
checks before arrival. * The Philippines has banned pork from the U.S. *
Thailand has banned pork from the U.S. April 27, 2009 USA Poultry& Egg
Export Council
Pilgrim's Pride chicken plant to be idled as
Foster Farms continues to negotiate purchase - - California-based
poultry company Foster Farms said the chicken plant it hopes to buy in north
Louisiana will be idled by the current owner May 8 as negotiations for the
purchase continue. A spokesman for Pilgrim's Pride, which last month said it
had agreed to sell the facility to Foster Farms, could not immediately
comment. In December, Pilgrim's Pride filed for reorganization under Chapter
11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code and later announced plans to idle three
plants, including in Farmerville.
<more> April 27, 2009 AP
Workers’ comp claims management workshop May 14
in Sacramento - - A workshop directed at employers on workers’
compensation claims management will be held Thursday, May 14 in Sacramento.
The session is sponsored by InterWest Insurance Services, a member of the
California Poultry Federation. The morning session will include discussion
of workplace drug testing policies and insight into recent workers’ comp
judicial decisions. Registration deadline is May 8. Information is available
from Shannon Pringle at (916) 609-8349 or
springle@iwins.com. April 27, 2009 Interwest Insurance Services
US declares public health emergency for swine flu
-- The U.S. declared a public health emergency Sunday to deal with the
emerging new swine flu, much like the government does to prepare for
approaching hurricanes. Officials reported 20 U.S. cases of swine flu in
five states so far, with the latest in Ohio and New York. Unlike in Mexico
where the same strain appears to be killing dozens of people, cases in the
United State have been mild - and U.S. health authorities can't yet explain
why. "As we continue to look for cases, we are going to see a broader
spectrum of disease," predicted Dr. Richard Besser, acting chief of the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "We're going to see more severe
disease in this country." At a White House news conference, Besser and
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano sought to assure Americans that
health officials are taking all appropriate steps to minimize the impact of
the outbreak.
<more> April 26, 2009 AP
Statement By Secretary Of Agriculture Vilsack
Regarding Human Cases of Swine Influenza A (H1n1) - - "I would like to
express my deepest sympathies for those who have lost loved ones to the flu
as well as those who have been sickened. I also wanted to reassure the
public that there is no evidence at this time showing that swine have been
infected with this virus. According to scientists at USDA and the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, swine flu viruses are not transmitted by
food so you cannot get swine flu from eating pork or pork products. Eating
properly handled and cooked pork or pork products is safe. Cooking pork to
an internal temperature of 160°F kills all viruses and other foodborne
pathogens. USDA has in place, and did so before the last week's events, a
surveillance system to monitor animal health. As an additional
precautionary measure, I have asked USDA to reach out to agriculture
officials in every state to affirm that they have no signs of this virus
type in their state. USDA will continue to work with other government
agencies to monitor the situation and keep the public informed." April
26, 2009 USDA Press Release
Frequently asked questions about swine and human
cases of Swine Flu Influenza - - Do any swine have the virus that has
infected humans? * There is no evidence at this time that swine in the
United States are infected with this virus strain. Can I get this new strain
of virus from eating pork or pork products? * According to USDA and the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, no. Swine influenza viruses are
not transmitted by food so you cannot get swine influenza from eating pork
or pork products. Eating properly handled and cooked pork and pork products
is safe. Cooking pork to an internal temperature of 160°F kills all viruses.
* The USDA suggests, as it has in the past, cooking pork and pork products
to the proper internal temperature and preventing cross-contamination
between raw and cooked food is the key to safety. You should:
<more> April 27, 2009 USDA Press Release
March poultry production down slightly on the
year - - Poultry production during March 2009 was down modestly from
March 2008. According to the USDA, the amount of poultry certified wholesome
was 3.519 billion pounds, compared to 3.254 billion a year ago. The year to
year decline is on the relatively high cost of feed and general global
economic uncertainties. For the year to date, poultry production totals
10.101 billion pounds, compared to 10.847 billion for the first quarter of
2008. Most of the total was chicken at 3.038 billion pounds, up 11 million
pounds from March 2008. Turkeys made up 471.431 million pounds, compared to
486.994 million a year ago. Duck production during March was 9.518 million
pounds, 4% less than last year.
<more> April 27, 2009 Brownfield Ag News
Schwarzenegger says Calif. prepared for swine flu
- - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says California authorities are close to
confirming an eighth case of swine flu in the state and are looking into
another dozen possible cases. The governor told a Beverly Hills press
conference Monday that the number of confirmed cases in the state stands at
seven - four in San Diego County and three in Imperial County. He did not
say where the other possible cases were located. Schwarzenegger says all of
the confirmed cases have recovered. The governor says California has
activated its joint emergency operations system - a combination of the
public health department and the state emergency management agency.
<more> April 27, 2009 AP
Influencing the Debate on Animal Welfare topic of
May 12-13 conference -- The Animal Agriculture Alliance (Alliance)
announced plans to host its eighth industry-wide Stakeholders Summit. This
day and a half conference focusing on animal welfare, "Politics, Activism
and Religion: Influencing the Debate on Animal Welfare in America," is
scheduled for May 12-13, 2009 at the Hotel Monaco in Alexandria, Virginia..
The Summit's goal is to build bridges across the food chain to develop
solutions that can be implemented to address the challenging issues of
animal welfare, the prudent use of antibiotics, environmental concerns and
public health. Program and registration details are available at
www.animalagalliance.org. To view the agenda,
please click here April 27, 2009 Alliance Press Release
Abel Maldonado for lieutenant governor? - - Now that John Garamendi had decided he really wasn't serious about that gubernatorial run and that he'd really rather be on Capitol Hill, oddsmakers are already buzzing about who might be named California's new lieutenant governor if Garamendi wins Ellen Tauscher's soon-to-be-vacant congressional seat. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger couldn't appoint just anybody to replace Garamendi; it would have to be someone Democrats would confirm. And that someone just might be state Sen. Abel Maldonado, R-San Luis Obispo, who gained big chits with Arnold for being one of three Senate Republicans to vote for the budget — and for new taxes — earlier this year. The gum-chomping Maldonado has had designs on statewide office since 2006, when he ran for controller but couldn't get through the conservative Republican primary. He's looking at another statewide run in 2010 but has little chance after committing his apostasy on taxes. <more> April 26, 2009 San Jose Mercury News
Friday, April 24, 2009
Union card
check bill passes state Senate - - The state Senate Thursday passed
legislation that would allow farmworkers to form a union by submitting a
petition to the state Agricultural Labor Relations Board. SB 789 by Sen.
Darrel Steinberg (D-Sacramento) would give farmworkers an alternative way to
form a union: Instead of holding an election with secret ballots, workers
could submit cards, signed by a majority of the workers asking for
representation, to state labor authorities. The cards could be filled in at
workers' homes with a union organizer present and helping, and could be
collected by the organizers. This method would make it easier for the
workers to obtain representation, said the legislation's author, Senate
leader Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento). "This bill is designed so they can
fairly choose whether they want union organization or not," Steinberg said.
Opponents cited some of the same concerns that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
stated when he vetoed a similar proposal in 2007. "It creates a card-check
system ripe with opportunities for union organizers to coerce, intimidate
and threaten workers to join a union," said Senate minority leader Dennis
Hollingsworth (R-Murrieta).
<more> April 24, 2009 LA Times
Deadly
new flu breaks out in Mexico, U.S. - – A deadly strain of flu never seen
before has killed as many as 61 people in Mexico and has spread into the
United States, where several people were reported ill. Mexico's government
said on Friday that at least 16 people have died of the disease in central
Mexico and that it may also have been responsible for 45 other deaths. The
World Health Organization said genetic tests of the virus in 12 of the
Mexican victims had the same genetic structure as a new strain of swine flu,
designated H1N1, seen in seven people in California and Texas. Because there
is clearly human-to-human spread of the new virus, raising fears of a major
outbreak, Mexico's government canceled classes for millions of children in
its sprawling capital city and surrounding areas. "It is a virus that
mutated from pigs and then at some point was transmitted to humans," Health
Minister Jose Angel Cordova said.
<more> April 24, 2009 Reuters
Chicken Cooking Contest May 2 in Texas - - It is chicken cooking time in
Texas, as nine contestants representing all regions of the United States
gather in San Antonio for the 48th running of the National Chicken Cooking
Contest with its grand prize of $50,000 and bragging rights as America’s top
chicken cook. “We can’t wait to get started,” said Contest Director Nancy
Tringali Piho. “We look forward to a very competitive contest in an
excellent location.” Members of the Texas Poultry Federation are serving as
local hosts. Lampkin Butts, president and chief operating officer of
Sanderson Farms, Laurel, Mississippi, is overall contest chairman. The
cookoff will be held Saturday, May 2, at the San Antonio branch of the
Culinary Institute of America (CIA), located in a renovated brewery. The
contestants will use professional ranges and equipment in one of CIA’s
instructional spaces. In addition to the $50,000 Grand Prize, the judges
will also bestow a $10,000 Judge’s Choice award on a second dish. Each of
the contestants will receive $1,000 as a regional winner’s prize. The
cookoff will be running at the same time but in a different location from
the Food Media Seminar sponsored by the National Chicken Council and the
U.S. Poultry & Egg Association. Writers attending the seminar at the Omni
Hotel La Mansion Del Rio will visit the cookoff as a news event and will
hear the announcement of the winners at a reception Saturday evening.
April 24, 2009 NCC Newsletter
Air Resources
Board moves to cut carbon use - - California's Air Resources Board on
Thursday approved a first-in-the-world regulation to minimize the amount of
carbon in fuel, putting California on the cutting edge of promoting
alternative fuels in a bid to combat global warming. The regulation will
require fuel manufacturers to cut the so-called carbon intensity of fuels
sold in the state 10 percent by 2020 - lowering the amount of greenhouse
gases released for every unit of energy produced. If the regulation's goal
is reached, it will account for 10 percent of the state's overall goal for
reducing greenhouse gases by 2020. Air board Chairwoman Mary Nichols said
the rule, called the low carbon fuel standard, will create a global
framework for automotive fuels. The board approved the proposal, 9-1. "Now,
finally, we are creating the opportunity for other types of transportation
fuels to compete on a level playing field," Nichols said.
<more> April 24, 2009 SF Chronicle
Group
seeks to protect rare chicken breeds - - At about the time Foghorn
Leghorn appeared on the Looney Toons drawing board in 1946, he began
disappearing from America's dinner tables. Now the bird on which the rooster
cartoon character was modeled is among 66 types of old-fashioned chickens
the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy is trying to save from extinction
as factory-raised cross varieties command 90 percent of the market. "When we
can identify something in danger, we need to protect it," says Barbara
Bowman of Sonoma County, an original board member of Slow Food USA who has a
dozen of the last 510 Delaware breeding stock chickens in existence. "The
old breeds provide really sturdy genetics that we have to guard." Since the
arrival of industrialized agriculture, more than 95 percent of vegetables
that had been grown in the world have disappeared, according to the Center
for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture.
<more> April 24, 2009 AP
As California
water wars heat up, GOP congressmen say there's no real shortage - - As
the politics of water grow more intense on Capitol Hill, Republican Rep. Tom
McClintock is skeptical that there's really a shortage in California, even
though the governor has declared a drought emergency. "Don't forget we have
the most water-rich region in the state," said McClintock, a newcomer on the
House Natural Resources Committee, who represents California's 4th
Congressional District. "And yet our communities are in … drought alerts,
not because of a shortage of water, but because of water that the
environmental regulations allow us to use." It is becoming a common refrain
for some Republicans in Washington: California's drought is human-made and
could be resolved easily if government focused more on people, less on
smelt.
<more> April 24, 2009 Sacramento Bee
Animal Rights Extremist Makes FBI’s Most Wanted - - For the first time, an accused domestic terrorist has made the FBI’s "Most Wanted List" – the list that includes such notables as Usama bin Laden and Ayman Al-Zawahiri. Daniel Andreas San Diego, a 31-year-old computer specialist from Berkeley, CA, became No. 24 on the list this week. San Diego has been on the run since 2003 and is wanted in two bombings that year of corporate offices in California, says Michael J. Heimbach, an assistant director of the FBI's counterterrorism division. There’s a reward of $250,000 for info leading to his capture. San Diego is wanted for the bombings in northern California of the corporate offices of Chiron Corp., a biotechnology firm, and Shaklee Corp., a nutrition and cosmetics company. Law enforcement officials describe San Diego as a strict vegan who possesses a 9mm handgun. On his abdomen, he has images of burning and collapsing buildings. April 24, 2009 AP
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Livestock antibiotics on chopping block - - A bill to restrict routine
usage of antibiotics in livestock was approved by the Senate Committee on
Food and Agriculture, over objections from veterinarians and industry
representatives. Starting in 2012, the bill - SB416, by Sen. Dean Florez,
D-Shafter - would bar public schools from serving students meat that was
treated with antibiotics in a non-therapeutic way - that is, administered
routinely, not in response to a particular medical condition. By 2015, the
bill would outlaw the use of antibiotics "for nontherapeutic and
prophylactic use" in any animal from which food products are derived.
Supporters cite concerns that routine exposure to antibiotic residue in meat
could create health problems. Some argue that a "superbug" - a disease
highly resistant to current treatments - could emerge from routine
antibiotic usage. The bill passed the agriculture committee on a 3-1 vote.
The measure now passes to the Senate Education Committee.
<more> April 23, 2009 Capital Press
Chicken Industry Committed to Food Safety, Industry Expert Tells Congress -- The chicken industry is strongly committed to food safety and has continued to improve its performance, especially in reducing the presence of potentially harmful microorganisms on raw product, an industry expert told Congress Thursday. The number of processing plants in the very best category of performance continues to increase, Dr. Elizabeth Krushinskie, speaking for the National Chicken Council, told a subcommittee of the House Committee on Agriculture. She said the steady improvement is demonstrated by data published by the Food Safety & Inspection Service (FSIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture under its food safety program known as Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP). The key to success, she said, has been the industry’s commitment to food safety. <more> April 23, 2009 NCC Press Release
FSIS issues directive on humane slaughter
inspections - - The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) this week
issued a new directive (6910.1) that provides guidance to its district
veterinary medical specialists (DVMS) regarding the procedures they are to
use when conducting humane handling verification visits at livestock
establishments and when conducting a visit at a poultry establishment to
determine whether live poultry are being handled in a manner consistent with
poultry good commercial practice. DVMS are required to conduct a routine
correlation visit at each poultry slaughter establishment every 12 to 18
months, according to the directive. The DVMS may, however, conduct visits
more frequently at the direction of the district office, when repetitive
non-compliance pertaining to good commercial practice exists; when multiple
memorandums of interview on good commercial practice issues have been
written by inspection program personnel; for suspicion of violations
pertaining to good commercial practice; for special correlations; and as a
follow-up good commercial practice correlation visit pertaining to a
suspension being held in abeyance or other enforcement action. A copy of the
directive “District Veterinary Medical Specialist (DVMS)-Work Methods,”
number 6910.1, is available on the FSIS Web site at
www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/FSISdirectives/6910-1.pdf. April
19, 2009 NCC Newsletter
NCC presents animal ID statement to Vilsack -
- Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack heard from stakeholders Wednesday
representing the full spectrum of views on the National Animal
Identification System (NAIS). National Chicken Council President George
Watts presented a statement on behalf of NCC at the Washington meeting,
which kicks off a listening tour to gather input to assist the Secretary in
making decisions about the future direction of animal identification and
traceability in the United States. Watts told the Secretary that the
commercial broiler chicken industry already had a flock identification and
tracking system in place prior to efforts to implement NAIS. “We are
especially pleased that USDA has not seen fit to implement a
one-size-fits-all approach, but instead has recognized that differences
exist between species and the various industry models,” Watts added.
Secretary Vilsack noted that much work has been done over the past five
years to engage producers in developing an animal identification system.
“However, many of the issues and concerns that were initially raised by
producers…continue to cause debate,” he added. April 19, 2009 NCC
Newsletter
NTF
testifies before House panel on USDA’s food safety system - - A National
Turkey Federation (NTF) official told a congressional subcommittee today
that USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has made significant
strides since the implementation of the Pathogen Reduction/Hazard Analysis
Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation in 1997. “HACCP is arguably one of
the most advanced, science-based food inspection programs in the world and
has supported the improved safety of the meat and poultry products produced
in the United States,” Dr. Michael Rybolt, NTF director of scientific and
regulatory affairs, said in testimony before the House Agriculture
Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy and Poultry. “Any changes to the existing
statute should be done with a scalpel, not an axe, to ensure that the
current level of inspection is not compromised.” Rybolt explained to
subcommittee members that as part of HACCP, FSIS mandates pathogen
performance standards for each product class and conducts product sampling
and microbiological testing to ensure that establishments are meeting these
standards. Since 1998, the incidence of Salmonella on meat and poultry
products has dropped significantly. Virtually all product classes subjected
to FSIS’ Salmonella verification testing are at or below half of their
respective performance standards. While Congress may have a role to play in
further modernizing and enhancing the inspection system, Rybolt cautioned
that any legislative changes to the meat and poultry inspection laws should
take into consideration that food safety processes and technologies will
continue to advance in the future. For example, some have called for
changing the inspection laws so that plants are required by statute, rather
than regulation, to have a HACCP plan. Rybolt said such a statutory change
could cause long-term problems. “Changes (to statute) should not be so
prescriptive that they stifle innovation and prevent the Secretary of
Agriculture from making modifications to the inspection process,” Rybolt
said. “If 15 years from now a food safety program more advanced than HACCP
emerges, the secretary would be limited to either ignoring the advance or
requiring the new program to be used in addition to HACCP.” Though the U.S.
poultry and meat supply is the safest in the world, Rybolt said the turkey
industry recognizes changes could be made to further enhance consumer
protection. Rybolt concluded, “As the food safety reform debate moves to
the forefront of the congressional agenda, any changes that are enacted
should ensure improvements will be garnered and a measurable public health
outcome is achieved.” April 23, 2009 NTF Press Release
Scientists, supporters rally at UCLA for animal research - - Led by a
professor whose car was set on fire last month in an anonymous attack, more
than 400 UCLA scientists and their supporters rallied on campus Wednesday to
defend research using animals and to protest the violent tactics of some
opponents. At almost the same time, about 40 critics of animal research
demonstrated just across Westwood Boulevard from the pro-research gathering,
and the two groups briefly traded slogans before marching to different UCLA
plazas. Police reported no violence and no arrests. With signs proclaiming,
"Research Yes, Terror No," the larger rally was organized by UCLA
neuroscientist J. David Jentsch. Police say Jentsch's car was destroyed by
animal rights extremists near his home March 7 because he uses and sometimes
kills vervet monkeys in research on schizophrenia and drug addiction. That
incident, in which no one was injured, was the latest in a string of arson
attacks and threats against UCLA scientists since 2006.
<more> April 23, 2009 LA Times
Sen. Florez explains his food safety legislation
- - By Sen. Dean Florez (D-Shafter) - - In the spring of 2004,
five years before pistachios grown in the San Joaquin Valley became tainted
with salmonella, health investigators were hunting for the same deadly
bacteria in the same stretch of our state -- this time in the almond
orchards. The microbe hadn't struck just any almond grower: The outbreak
took place at Paramount Farms, the biggest grower of nuts and citrus in the
nation, a behemoth operation unmatched in the precision and cleanliness of
its fields and processing plants. As dozens of consumers fell ill
nationwide, Paramount recalled 13 million pounds of raw almonds that had
gone to chains such as Costco and Trader Joe's. Much of the almond
industry, even before the 2004 outbreak, understood the challenge posed by
the miscreants of the microbe world. The co-op Blue Diamond was already
heating its almonds at high enough temperatures to kill a wide range of
pathogens. In the wake of the outbreak, Paramount Farms decided to follow
suit, so that today the bulk of California's 1-billion-pound-plus almond
crop, like milk, is pasteurized.
<more> April 21, 2009 LA Times
Berryhill, Gilmore buck party, back Prop. 1a - - Two more Valley
Republicans are bucking party leaders and supporting Proposition 1A, the May
19 ballot measure that restricts state spending but also extends temporary
tax hikes. Assembly members Danny Gilmore, R-Hanford, and Tom Berryhill,
R-Modesto, both told the Bee that they are voting for the measure, despite
opposition from the state GOP. Gilmore voted against the new taxes on the
Assembly floor, but said he's willing to extend them in return for sending
more money into the state's rainy-day fund. "I'm just so torn on the taxes."
he said. "There are no really good choices in this thing. It's a horrible
dilemma."
<more> April 23, 2009 Fresno Bee
Garamendi's move complicates Denham, Florez Lieutenant Gov. run --
When Valley state Sens. Dean Florez and Jeff Denham jumped into the 2010
race for lieutenant governor, they expected to run for an open seat. That
might no longer be the case, and it could complicate both of their
campaigns. First-term Lt. Gov. John Garamendi, who was considering running
for governor in 2010, is expected today to announce a run for Congress for
the soon-to-be vacant seat of Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-Walnut Creek, who is
moving into the Obama Administration. If Garamendi wins, Gov. Schwarzenegger
would have to appoint a new lieutenant governor, who would have the
advantage of running as an incumbent in 2010.
<more> April 23, 2009 Fresno Bee
Garamendi changes course for Congressional seat- - California Lt. Gov. John Garamendi, who had declared himself a Democratic candidate for governor, said Wednesday that he wants to "get to work" immediately to tackle the state's water, health care and education problems and has decided to run instead for the East Bay 10th District congressional seat now held by Rep. Ellen Tauscher. Garamendi, accompanied by his wife, Patti, made the announcement via Twitter following a tour of East Bay Works, a Concord employment center, where he met with professionals and workers who are seeking to upgrade their skills and find new employment. Afterward, he met with reporters to confirm that he will seek the congressional seat, which represents a district that stretches from Lafayette to near Sacramento, as soon as it is vacated. Democrat Tauscher of Walnut Creek has been tapped for a job in the State Department as undersecretary for arms security and is expected to receive congressional approval as early as May. <more> April 23, 2009 SF Chronicle
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Russia May Cut 2010 Poultry Import Quota, Group
Says -- Russia, the largest importer of U.S. chicken, may cut its
poultry import quota by 200,000 metric tons in 2010 as domestic output
grows, an industry group said. Discussions on cuts will start in June,
Vladimir Fisinin, president of Russia’s poultry breeders’ union, told
reporters in Moscow today. Local output will increase to 2.7 million tons in
2010, from the 2.5 million tons projected this year, he said. Russia cut
import quotas by 300,000 tons to 952,000 tons in 2009. The country will be
self-sufficient in poultry and pork by 2011, First Deputy Prime Minister
Viktor Zubkov said April 3.
<more> April 22, 2009 Bloomberg
Two charged in threats against UCLA research
scientists - - Two animal rights activists have been charged with
threatening and harassing UCLA scientists who use animals in their research,
according to a Los Angeles County grand jury indictment unsealed Monday.
Linda Faith Greene, 61, and Kevin Richard Olliff, 22, were charged March 27
with 10 felonies, including stalking and conspiracy to threaten a school
employee. Along with targeting UCLA faculty members, they were accused of
holding threatening protests against research near the homes of executives
of the POM Wonderful Juice company.
<more> April 22, 2009 LA Times
Federal water deliveries may reach 15 percent
- - For the first time this year, farmers south of the Sacramento-San
Joaquin River Delta are being promised some federal water. The U.S. Bureau
of Reclamation's updated forecast on Tuesday, April 21, foresees between 10
percent and 15 percent of normal deliveries of agricultural water to Central
Valley Project contractors south of the Delta. Growers north of the delta
will get 15 percent of its normal allotments. Wildlife reserves and water
rights holders will get their full allocations throughout the state, while
cities will get 65 percent in most scenarios.
<more> April 22, 2009 Capital Press
California plans to cut fuels' carbon footprint -
- If a tree falls in the Amazon, does it have anything to do with
California's alternative-fuels policy? This week, the California Air
Resources Board is set to adopt a plan that says it does. The low-carbon
fuel standard aims to cut the carbon footprint of the state's motor fuels 10
percent by 2020. It will influence what powers your car – from hydrogen to
electricity to biofuels – for decades to come. It's likely to drive federal
policies. And it will guide billions of dollars of investment in
alternatives to petroleum. But the plan doesn't encourage much of a
long-term role for corn-based ethanol, currently the most widely used
alternative fuel. A key provision makes ethanol accountable for a ripple of
potential impacts around the world, such as deforestation in the Amazon.
That makes ethanol's carbon footprint larger, and its attractiveness to
investors lower.
<more> April 22, 2009 Sacramento Bee
Vilsack sees agriculture as benefactor in GHG
debate - - When the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA)
ruled last Friday, April 17 that greenhouse gas emissions were harmful,
agricultural groups voiced immediate concern over what additional
regulations would mean. On Tuesday, April 21, Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack was
asked if the EPA ruling was indeed the “slippery slope” for agriculture as
some have suggested. “I’m convinced ag can be a great benefactor,” said
Vilsack. “I think the capacity to use our land and our forests in particular
create tremendous opportunities for us to offset greenhouse gas emissions in
other sectors of the economy.
<more> April 22, 2009 Brownfield Ag News
Grassley says cap and trade “tax” would be very expensive for ag - - With last week’s EPA ruling on global warming, Senate Ag Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley says there could be more pressure on Congress to pass a cap & trade bill on carbon emissions. The Iowa Republican says with the move toward minimum tillage, however, agriculture has already taken action and is emitting less CO-2 into the air. He says Congress needs to make sure that ag and other industries are given credit for that, “I know people in agriculture are thinking in terms of that but I don’t know whether (Senator) Barbara Boxer is or not.” <more> April 22, 2009 Brownfield Ag News
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Judge rules for chicken-plant workers in donning
and doffing case - - A poultry plant operator must pay its employees for
the time spent putting on and taking off protective gear, a federal judge
has ruled. Judge Andre M. Davis, of the U.S. District Court in Baltimore,
declined to find that Mountaire Farms Inc. had willfully violated federal
labor laws or acted in bad faith; however, he rejected the Arkansas-based
company’s claim that donning and doffing equipment is done on the workers’
time, not its dime. Davis said the company’s position is contradicted by
government regulations and its own policy, which require poultry plant
workers to wear personal protective equipment such as smocks, hairnets and
steel-toed rubber boots.
<more> April 21, 2009 Daily Record
Corn growers submit comments to state air board
- - The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) has submitted formal
comments to the California Air Resources Board (CARB), pointing out flaws in
the group’s proposed low carbon fuel standard. NCGA president Bob Dickey
says the proposal ignores the great growth in corn production expected to
take place in the coming decade. That growth can happen, Dickey says,
without converting more non-crop acres to corn production. He points out
that field corn acres are projected to decrease for the second year in a
row.
<more> April 21, 2009 Brownfield Ag News
State poultry PAC contributions sought - -
The California Poultry Federation has launched an intensive effort to build
up its state Political Action Committee as the industry grapples with a host
of legislative and regulatory issues. “From workers compensation regulations
to animal welfare standards, we already have many proposed items that would
hurt our industry if they are successful. That is why it is so important
that we continue to build a strong State Poultry PAC,” said CPF President
Bill Mattos. Both company and personal checks are allowed for the State PAC.
For reporting purposes, the ID # for the State Poultry PAC is 911046. Checks
should be made out to: State Poultry PAC, and returned to the CPF at 4640
Spyres Way, Suite 4, Modesto, CA 95356. If you have any questions and/or
concerns regarding the State Poultry PAC, contact Bill Mattos at (209)
576-6355. April 20, 2009
Zinpro welcomed as newest CPF member - - Zinpro
Corporation, a global leader in manufacturing organic trace minerals, is the
newest member of the California Poultry Federation. Zinpro’s history dates
back to 1971, when the late Dean Anderson discovered how to biochemically
bind zinc to methionine in a form that proved to have the highest
bioavailability. This discovery was significant in that this simple and
highly-stable molecule was easily absorbed and utilized by animals. Dr. Luis
Rodriguez, California manager, can be reached at (916) 833-1280 or
lrodriguez@zinpro.com More information is available at the Zinpro
website
www.zinpro.com April 20, 2009
Feinstein: Action needed now on water crisis-
- Saying much of the Central Valley is teetering on the brink of economic
disaster because of a lack of normal water flows for farm and ranch
irrigation, U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein is calling for a “targeted” strategy
to address the problem. “The lack of water threatens to decimate the Valley
economy, and some cities are already struggling with unemployment rates
between 25 and 45 percent. We must reverse this trend,” says Ms. Feinstein
in a letter to Lester Snow, director of the California Department of Water
Resources. The letter was released Thursday afternoon by the senator’s
office. Ms. Feinstein says a targeted strategy must be developed to address
the severe water crisis for farms in California’s Central Valley.
<more>
April 21, 2009 Central Valley Business Times
Demo leaders in Legislature promise a water deal
this year - -Let's hold Assembly Speaker Karen Bass and Senate President
Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg to their pledge of fixing the state's water
problems once and for all. They said a deal will be struck this year. Can we
trust them to do it? These are the same people who promised an on-time and
balanced budget. They gave Californians neither. Here's their statement on
getting a comprehensive water deal approved this year: Speaker Karen Bass
(D-Los Angeles) and Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg
(D-Sacramento) made the following joint statement (Friday) regarding
legislative progress on legislation to aid California's water
infrastructure:
<more> April 21, 2009 Fresno Bee
Nunes stands alone, no regrets -- Republican Rep. Devin Nunes of Visalia and his constituents will learn the price of challenging Gov. Schwarzenegger. By demanding Schwarzenegger's resignation Friday, Nunes secured his reputation as a vehement lawmaker willing to confront his fellow Republicans. He reopened the question of the political costs and benefits of insistently going one's own way. "It's definitely going to cause some exciting times for his office," Manuel Cunha, president of the Fresno-based Nisei Farmers League, predicted Monday, adding that he was "disappointed" in the congressman's resignation demand. Nunes attributed the resignation demand to Schwarzenegger's ostensible unwillingness to send more irrigation water to San Joaquin Valley farms. <more> April 21, 2009 Modesto Bee
Monday, April 20, 2009
An animal activist named Fearing has her foes
worried - — Her inner alarm chimes before dawn, long before her dog Yoda
emerges from his nightly nest amid the bed covers, before the proverbial
rooster crows and the day begins for 19 million or so egg-laying chickens
whose lives she worked to change. It's 5 a.m., and Jennifer Fearing is
beginning another day as the rising star of California's animal protection
movement. The statehouse point person for the Humane Society of the United
States plucks her iPhone from a bedside table and launches the first of
hundreds of e-mails she'll send today. Fearing, raised an Air Force brat,
calls her schedule "a wartime blessing and a peacetime curse." But it is
routine for the 37-year-old, whose career took off with the landmark ballot
measure California voters passed last fall easing the confinement of hens
and other factory farm animals. Fresh from her victory as manager of that
campaign, with its 19-hour days, she set up shop as the Humane Society's
lobbyist in the Golden State.
<more> April 20, 2009 LA Times
Zinpro welcomed as newest CPF member - - Zinpro
Corporation, a global leader in manufacturing organic trace minerals, is the
newest member of the California Poultry Federation. Zinpro’s history dates
back to 1971, when the late Dean Anderson discovered how to biochemically
bind zinc to methionine in a form that proved to have the highest
bioavailability. This discovery was significant in that this simple and
highly-stable molecule was easily absorbed and utilized by animals. Dr. Luis
Rodriguez, California manager, can be reached at (916) 833-1280 or
lrodriguez@zinpro.com More information is available at the Zinpro
website
www.zinpro.com April 20, 2009
State poultry PAC contributions sought - -
The California Poultry Federation has launched an intensive effort to build
up its state Political Action Committee as the industry grapples with a host
of legislative and regulatory issues. “From workers compensation regulations
to animal welfare standards, we already have many proposed items that would
hurt our industry if they are successful. That is why it is so important
that we continue to build a strong State Poultry PAC,” said CPF President
Bill Mattos. Both company and personal checks are allowed for the State PAC.
For reporting purposes, the ID # for the State Poultry PAC is 911046. Checks
should be made out to: State Poultry PAC, and returned to the CPF at 4640
Spyres Way, Suite 4, Modesto, CA 95356. If you have any questions and/or
concerns regarding the State Poultry PAC, contact Bill Mattos at (209)
576-6355. April 20, 2009
Dr. Francine
Bradley Receives Common Threads Award - -
Dr. Francine Bradley
was one of eleven women from Northern California and the San Joaquin Valley
who were honored with the 2009 Common Threads Award. The award recognizes
women for their agricultural roots, philanthropic efforts and community
service. For many years, Bradley has served the state’s poultry industry as
an avian science educator at the University of California, Davis. During her
tenure at UC Davis, she has dedicated her time, energy, expertise and
leadership skills to countless groups including 4-H clubs and exhibition
fowl enthusiasts. Bradley received the northern region award along with five
other women. The northern award is co-sponsored by the California
Agricultural Leadership Foundation and the UC Davis College of Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences.
Foster Farms considers turkey hatchery expansion
- - Come next year, there might be more production from Foster Farms, as
the company is considering an expansion and renovation of its hatchery
located at 1506 S. Walnut Rd. Foster Farms declined an interview with the
Journal, but answered the Journal's e-mailed questions through Fineman PR, a
public relations firm based in San Francisco. Journal: Why expand this site?
Foster Farms: This site is currently a Foster Farms chicken hatchery. The
chicken division of the company will consolidate their hatcheries from four
hatcheries into two. The turkeys will take over one of the two that they are
eliminating. The turkey division will be consolidating from two older
hatcheries into one. By doing this it will allow both divisions to upgrade
the facilities and streamline production into facilities with state of the
art equipment.
<more> April 20, 2009 Turlock Journal
US to fight chlorinated chicken import ban - - The credit crunch and
the decline in global trade have given fresh impetus to US president Barak
Obama's administration to get US chicken into the EU market. The new man in
charge, US trade Ambassador Ron Kirk, made his intentions clear in his
recent taking-office address. "With global trade flows declining for the
first time since 2001, endangering US and European jobs, we should redouble
our efforts to solve bilateral problems that impede trade between us.,” said
Kirk.
<more> April 17, 2009 Farmers Weekly Interactive
More suburbanites, hobbyists raise chickens -
- A sport utility vehicle loaded with 1,200 baby chicks in cardboard boxes
pulls up to the Clearview Feed and Seed store, where customers come to pick
up their peeping, cheeping poultry orders on a recent spring day. Poultry
dealers, chicken feed businesses and self-proclaimed "chicken enthusiasts"
nationwide report city slickers and suburbanites are showing greater
interest in raising small flocks of chickens far from the farm. Store
workers whisk boxes from the vehicle — where the heat is cranked up to keep
the chicks warm — and gently sort the downy birds born at a hatchery into
smaller containers. Temporary color-coded dots on the chicks' heads help
employees divvy up individual orders. Mostly farm families wait to pick up
the chicks, but mixed in with the veterans are first-timers like Justin and
Stacey DeWeese, both 25. They collect a box of 30 chicks they plan to raise
in suburban St. Louis.
<more> April 17, 2009 AP
Rally whets Valley water fight - - The
massive four-day March for Water ended Friday as thousands converged near
the San Luis Reservoir. When it was done, most agreed the fight -- and the
fighting -- had just begun. The idea was to rally the nation behind saving
the Valley's water-starved farming industry. Whether that happened remains
to be seen, but one thing was clear: Lots of folks paid attention. Rep.
Devin Nunes, R-Visalia, took advantage of the spotlight to call on Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger to resign, faulting him for not doing enough to end
the Valley's water woes. But the rally Friday was intended for a much
broader audience, and it caught the attention of major media outlets.
<more> April 17, 2009 Fresno Bee
Rep. Devin Nunes to Schwarzenegger: Resign -
-Rep. Devin Nunes, a Tulare Republican, called on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
to resign Friday - not over taxes, but water. Nunes said he was none too
thrilled by Schwarzenegger's speech Friday at the San Luis Reservoir outside
Los Banos at a California March for Water rally. The governor spoke about
his efforts to seek permanent solutions to the state's water problems,
including new dams and a conveyance that can transfer water around the Delta
without harming endangered species. Schwarzenegger led chants of "We need
water! We need water!" He told the crowd he has been working on the problems
for the last five years to "create a water infrastructure that is for 38
million people rather than 18 million people." But Nunes said he wanted to
hear the governor promise to seek a federal waiver of the Endangered Species
Act so Delta water pumps can transfer their full capacity of water to the
San Joaquin Valley now. Environmental restrictions and drought conditions
have curtailed water deliveries this year, and unemployment has approached
40 percent in some farming towns like Mendota.
<more> April 17, 2009 Sacramento Bee
Environmental advocate named USDA adviser on environment and climate - - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the appointment of Robert Bonnie as Senior Advisor to the Secretary for Environment and Climate. In this position, Bonnie will help guide broad policy and program decisions with an emphasis on those concerning the nation's natural resources and climate issues. Bonnie is Vice-President for Land Conservation and Wildlife at the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), a non-profit organization that tackles the nation's most serious environmental problems. Bonnie's focus at EDF is on the development and expansion of conservation incentives and markets that reward farmers, ranchers and forest owners for land stewardship. <more> April 16, 2009 USDA Pres Release
Friday, April 10, 2009
Report:
Ethanol raises cost of nutrition programs - - The increased use of
ethanol could cost the government up to $900 million for food stamps and
child nutrition programs, a congressional report says. Higher use of the
corn-based fuel additive accounted for about 10 percent to 15 percent of the
rise in food prices between April 2007 and April 2008, according to the
nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. That translates into higher costs
for food programs for the needy. The CBO said other factors, such as
skyrocketing energy costs, had an even greater impact than ethanol on food
prices during that period. Economists there estimate that increased costs
for food programs overall due to higher food prices will be about $5.3
billion in the current budget year. Ethanol's impact on future food prices
is uncertain, the report says, because an increased supply of corn has the
potential to eventually lower food prices.
<more> April 10, 2009 AP
FSIS
seeking additional comments regarding ‘natural’ claims - - The Food
Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) had submitted an Advance Notice of
Proposed Rulemaking regarding natural claims on meat and poultry products to
the Office of Management and Budget. FSIS indicated that after reviewing the
comments it received in response to its December 2006 Federal Register
request and public meeting, the agency has decided to solicit additional
public input. This time it will be soliciting more focused comments on this
issue. April 10, 2009 NCC Newsletter
Often Asian
delicacies, chicken feet may offer insight to animal health
- - "Phoenix claws" are not something most University students see on their
plates at mealtimes. However, phoenix claws - the common restaurant name for
chicken feet - are one of the poultry industry's leading exports. "In the
past, chicken feet were considered a waste product; companies had to pay to
get rid of it," said Brian Fairchild, associate professor of poultry
science, in a phone interview Tuesday. Nowadays, chicken feet, or paws, are
a "major food item for Asian markets," Fairchild said, when before they were
used in animal feed. Eric Shepherd, a master's student from Griffin, is
researching with Fairchild to determine factors that affect foot pad
dermatitis, a condition in which "lesions develop [on the foot pad] due to
interaction with a variety of environmental factors" in poultry. He wanted
to work on his thesis "in live products," and after discussing his options
with Fairchild, the "hot issue" of downgrades from the dermatitis became his
focus.
<more> April 10, 2009 University of Georgia newspaper
EPA proposes greenhouse gas emissions reporting rule - - The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today published its expected proposed rule that would require the reporting of greenhouse gas emissions from all sectors of the economy. The requirement would apply to fossil fuel suppliers, as well as direct greenhouse gas emitters. Food processing facilities, including meat and poultry processing facilities; waste water treatment facilities, including meat and poultry processing facilities; and manure management as it relates to general stationary fuel combustion are specifically affected by the proposed rule. The rule addresses specific greenhouse gas emissions and would require testing and reporting of emissions exceeding certain threshold levels. The proposed rule would not, however, impose any control measures. Comments on the proposed reporting requirements are due by June 9. A copy of the 283-page proposed rule is available by clicking here. April 10, 2009 EPA Notice
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Veterinarian
bill moves to Assembly floor - - A bill to streamline licensure
requirements for veterinarians is expected to soon pass the state Assembly
after unanimous committee approvals.
AB107, authored by Assemblywomen Cathleen Galgiani, D-Livingston, and
Connie Conway, R-Tulare, would streamline the Veterinary Medicine Practice
Act. Its intention, the authors say, is to help alleviate the impacts to the
state of a chronic nationwide shortage of farm-animal veterinarians. It
would require the California Veterinary Medical Board to offer the state's
licensing exam twice yearly instead of only once, and would loosen rules for
transferring a veterinarian's license from out of state. For a vet moving
into California, it would waive the requirement for passing the state's
license exam, provided the exam taken by the vet in another state was
similar.
<more> April 9, 2009 Capital Press
Kentucky Backyard Flocks Test Negative For Bird Flu - - State
Veterinarian Robert Stout said an outbreak of bird flu on a western Kentucky
chicken farm did not spread to nearby backyard poultry flocks. Stout said
animal health workers tested flocks within a 2-mile radius of the
Brownsville chicken farm for signs of the “non-pathogenic or low-pathogenic”
strain of avian influenza. He said Thursday no additional cases were found
in initial tests, and additional tests are pending. The state is developing
plans to expand the testing radius for backyard flocks to more than 6 miles.
The Kentucky Department for Public Health said there is no evidence the
disease has been transmitted from birds to humans. The disease was detected
after testing by Perdue Farms Inc. and state and national laboratories when
a minor drop in egg production was noticed last month. April 9, 2009 AP
FDA
approves rapid test for bird flu -- The U.S. Food and Drug
Administration said on Tuesday it had approved a fast test for H5N1 bird flu
that can show in less than an hour if people are infected. The test, made by
Sunnyvale, California-based Arbor Vita Corporation, should greatly speed up
diagnosis and treatment of people infected with avian influenza, the FDA
said. Most current tests take hours. "This test is an important tool to help
quickly identify emerging influenza A/H5N1 infections and reduce exposure to
large populations," said Dr. Daniel Schultz, director of the FDA's Center
for Devices and Radiological Health. "The clearance of this test represents
a major step toward protecting the public from the threat of pandemic flu."
<more> April 9, 12009 Reuters
Concerns arise over symptomless Egypt bird flu cases -- The World Health
Organization is concerned some Egyptians may carry the highly pathogenic
bird flu virus without showing symptoms, which could give it more of a
chance to mutate to a strain that spreads easily among humans. Whether such
cases exist still has to be put to the test and will be the focus of a
planned Egyptian government study backed by the global health body, said
John Jabbour, a Cairo-based emerging diseases specialist at WHO. "This is a
concern only, now. It is a question to be asked," Jabbour told Reuters. He
said a change in the pattern of human bird flu infections this year in Egypt
had raised concerns about the existence of so-called sub clinical cases.
<more> April 9, 2009 Reuters
March for Water will highlight state's water disaster -
- By Henry T. Perea and Mario Santoyo. Henry T. Perea is a Fresno City
Council member and board member of the California Latino Water Coalition.
Mario Santoyo is technical adviser to the California Latino Water Coalition
- - Early morning gatherings of farm workers, farmers and others involved in
irrigated agriculture may not be unusual in Mendota, but the assemblage that
will take place Tuesday promises to be extraordinarily unique and
exceptionally urgent. At 8 a.m. Tuesday in Rojas Pierce Park, a rally will
signal the start of the four-day California March for Water. This is to be
no ordinary demonstration. Although sponsored by the California Latino Water
Coalition, rally and march participants will be from many ethnic groups and
all walks of life. Many will march because what has happened has dried up
their jobs and turned their personal expectations to dust. They are joining
in a common cause motivated by a combination of natural drought and severe
environmental-protection mandates. The March for Water seeks to call the
nation's attention to California's rapidly worsening and expanding
drought-caused suffering while seeking support for restoring lost supplies
of water.
<more> April 9, 2009 Fresno Bee
Obama to Push Immigration Reform Bill Despite Risks - - While acknowledging that the recession makes the political battle more difficult, President Obama plans to begin addressing the country’s immigration system this year, including looking for a path for illegal immigrants to become legal, a senior administration official said on Wednesday. Mr. Obama will frame the new effort — likely to rouse passions on all sides of the highly divisive issue — as “policy reform that controls immigration and makes it an orderly system,” said the official, Cecilia Muñoz, deputy assistant to the president and director of intergovernmental affairs in the White House. Mr. Obama plans to speak publicly about the issue in May, administration officials said, and over the summer he will convene working groups, including lawmakers from both parties and a range of immigration groups, to begin discussing possible legislation for as early as this fall. <more> April 9, 2009 NY Times
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Soaps and detergents 'could help tackle bird flu'
- - Commercially available soaps and detergents could kill the bird flu
virus that causes extensive damage to poultry and can infect humans,
scientists in Pakistan report. Their findings — published in the 28 March
issue of Virology Journal — reveal that simply washing poultry shed floors
and equipment, transport vehicles and workers' clothing can go a long way in
containing the virus. The scientists — at the Poultry Research Institute,
Rawalpindi, and the National Veterinary Laboratory, Islamabad — claim theirs
is the first published peer-reviewed study on the use of commercially
available soaps and detergents to kill the bird flu-causing H5N1 virus,
although the practice was previously recommended as early as 2005. They
tested the effect of common soap brands such as Lifebuoy and detergents such
as Surf Excel, as well as heat, ultraviolet light and pH (the degree of
acidity of the sample) on the virus obtained from infected poultry samples
during an outbreak in Pakistan in 2006.
<more> April 8, 2009 Environmental News Network
Antibiotics pose concern for ethanol producers
-- Ethanol's main by-product, which is sold as livestock feed, has
raised potential food safety concerns. Several studies have linked the
byproduct, known as distillers grain, to elevated rates of E. coli in
cattle. And now, distillers grain is facing further scrutiny because the
Food and Drug Administration has found that it often contains antibiotics
left over from making ethanol. Ethanol production relies on enzymes, yeast
and sugar to convert corn into fuel. And just as the wrong bacteria in the
body can sicken people, it can also cause a variety of ailments in a batch
of ethanol. Mark von Keitz with the University of Minnesota's Biotechnology
Institute said in ethanol production, the main enemy is a bacterial bug that
makes lactic acid. "What these organisms do is they also compete with the
yeast for the sugar," said von Keitz. "But instead of making alcohol, they
make primarily lactic acid."
<more> April 8, 2009 AP
Lose our water, lose our food - - Valley
farmers continue to be urged to cough up more money to lobby for what some
call their contractual "LEGAL" rights. West Side water-users have regularly
been promised water under contract with the federal government, only to be
cut short year after year. I once heard someone compare it to a civil matter
in which the party that broke the contract was sued for large sums of money.
How is it the federal government can continually break a contract and not be
held legally liable? Now with California facing a very real drought, farmers
will idle land because the water is simply not there for them to use for
irrigation.
<more> April 8, 2009 Visalia Times Delta
Judge denies request for animal ID records -
- An activist's demand to access National Animal Identification System
livestock data has been shot down by a federal court. Attorney and freelance
writer Mary-Louise Zanoni of Russell, N.Y., initially filed suit against the
USDA in June 2008, demanding that the agency comply with her Freedom of
Information Act request to view livestock and premises records collected as
part of NAIS. The lawsuit also asked a federal judge to prevent the USDA
from using federal privacy law to shield those records from disclosure. U.S.
District Judge Emmet Sullivan rejected the complaint Tuesday, March 31,
ruling that the NAIS records in question were exempt from public disclosure
under the Freedom of Information Act. Sullivan also ruled that Zanoni lacked
legal standing to challenge federal privacy law.
<more> April 8, 2009 Capital Press
Leader-author calls for 'major' animal rights
counter-movement - - You could say Patti Strand of Portland, Oregon
wrote the book on the animal rights movement. Strand, who is the founder and
chairperson of the National Animal Interest Alliance, authored a book 17
years ago entitled “The Hijacking of the Humane Movement: Animal Extremism”.
Strand has been battling the animal rights movement ever since and she says
it’s not going away. “So I would say that the people who imagine that they
can just keep doing their own thing and the bad guys will disappear are
living in a bit of a fantasy land at this point,” says Strand. “They’re not
going to go away. This is how these groups earn their living. They’re
conflict fund-raising groups. They need conflict in order to make money.”
<more> April 8, 2009 Brownfield Ag News
Feds: Bay-delta longfin doesn't warrant
protection - - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Wednesday,
April 8, that longfin smelt in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and San
Francisco Bay cannot be protected as a subpopulation under the federal
Endangered Species Act. Because some longfin travel out the bay and up the
coast, they can breed with other populations and therefore cannot be
genetically different, FWS said. The decision, resulting from a 12-month
study, answers a 2007 petition that requested the designation. Researchers
have measured longfin populations in the delta since 2000.
<more>
April 87, 2009 Capital Press
Feds vote to halt Calif. chinook salmon fishing -- Federal fisheries managers have voted to call off California's commercial fishing season for chinook salmon after record low returns were recorded in the Central Valley last year. The decision Wednesday marks the second year in a row that the Pacific Fishery Management Council has voted to shut down commercial and limit recreational fishing for natural and hatchery chinook, or "king" salmon, in California. The managers also voted to greatly limit Oregon's commercial fishing season. The council estimated that 66,264 salmon adults returned to the Sacramento River basin in 2008 to spawn. The estimate was down from 90,000 in 2007. The decision will be forwarded to the National Marine Fisheries Service for approval. April 8 2009 AP
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Avian Flu Found in Kentucky Chicken Farm - -
State and federal authorities are investigating an outbreak of bird flu on a
poultry farm in western Kentucky. State Veterinarian Robert C. Stout said
the strain discovered is "nonpathogenic or low-pathogenic" and poses a
minimal risk to human health. Stout said it is not the "high pathogenic
strain" associated with human and poultry deaths in other countries. Stout
quarantined the farm, which produces hatching eggs for Perdue Farms Inc. He
said some 20,000 chickens have been euthanized. "It does occur naturally in
wild birds and it can spread to domestic birds, which is why we have the
occurrence in Kentucky," said Cindy Ragin, a spokeswoman for the U.S.
Department of Agriculture. "This is something that is not uncommon."
<more> April 7, 2009 AP
Maine egg producer pledges to be cage-free -
- Animal cruelty charges at a Turner-based egg farm prompted national egg
seller Egg-land's Best to break its contract with East Coast egg producer
Radlo Brothers early Monday. Hours later, Massachusetts-based Radlo Brothers
pledged to stop distributing eggs from chickens kept in cages. According to
a statement issued by Egg-land's Best, after "a thorough investigation, we
have discovered that Radlo Foods violated the terms of our agreement by
working with a farm that is not in compliance with our strict animal welfare
standards." It continues: "As a result, we have also sent Radlo Foods a
letter of termination that will affect the production and processing of our
classic brown eggs." Egg-land's decision led Radlo to change its company
practices, Chief Executive Officer David Radlo said.
<more> April 7, 2009 SunJournal.com
FDA announces delay of BSE final rule
implementation - - The Food and Drug Administration today announced a
delay in the implementation of the final rule entitled, "Substances
Prohibited from Use in Animal Food or Feed" or more commonly referred to as
the 2008 BSE final rule. The final rule, which would have gone into effect
on April 27, 2009, is now delayed 60 days to June 26, 2009. The agency is
taking this action in response to comments from affected parties expressing
concerns about their ability to fully comply with the rule by the April 27,
2009 effective date. In addition, some affected parties are finding it
difficult to identify appropriate alternate ways of disposing of material
that may no longer be rendered for animal feed use once the rule takes
effect. The FDA is also providing 7 days for public comment solely on the
question of whether to delay the effective date. Comments must be submitted
within 7 days of publication in the Federal Register of the notice of
proposed delay of effective date.
<more> April 7, 2009 FDA Press Release
Agriculture 3, environmental antagonists 0 in air
quality rulings - - It has been nine years since the 30-member
Agribusiness Presidents Council achieved one of the biggest political
victories ever for California agriculture — repeal of agricultural tractor
and diesel fuel taxes by the California Legislature. There have been three
similar victories of late that have not drawn the attention of the tax
repeat, yet rank with it. They were achieved by many of the same leaders who
played key roles in the tax triumph. The three triumphs came in an even more
hostile arena than the state Legislature, the Ninth Court of Appeals in San
Francisco. This court has been anything but sympathetic to agriculture over
the years. Money provided from the Air Coalition Team (ACT), a group of
commodity organizations, agricultural associations and seven San Joaquin
Valley county farm bureaus earned the three legal successes.
<more> April 7, 2009 Western Farm Press
San Joaquin, Sacramento rivers top endangered list-- The Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers together are the most endangered rivers in the nation, an environmental group claims in a new report. Pressed by population growth and irrigation demands, and imperfectly restrained by outdated levees, the two Central Valley rivers are said to be "on the verge of collapse" in the latest assessment by American Rivers. This marks the first time either river has topped the subjective most-endangered rankings. "We really have to overhaul how we manage this river system," Amy Kober, communications director for American Rivers, said Monday. Based in Washington, D.C., American Rivers has been producing the "America's Most Endangered Rivers" report since 1986. Like similar assessments produced by groups such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation -- which publishes an annual "America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places" -- the river rankings have neither regulatory nor legislative significance. <more> April 7, 2009 Fresno Bee
Monday, April 6, 2009
Poultry groups join forces on safety, health
- - The following three poultry industry organizations have partnered to
form the Joint Poultry Industry Safety and Health Council in order to
streamline efforts in the area of worker safety and health: * National
Chicken Council * National Turkey Federation * U.S. Poultry & Egg
Association. This council will essentially replace the existing NTF/NCC
Safety and Health Committee by combining with the respective committee at USPOULTRY.
The JPISHC will represent the entire poultry industry on issues relating to
worker safety and health.
<more> April 6, 2009 WattPoultry.com
Oklahoma bill looks at preemptive responses to
caged legislation - - House Bill 2151, introduced into the Oklahoma
legislature by Rep. Don Armes, was designed to simplify the regulation of
livestock producers by making the state the single-source regulator in
Oklahoma. The bill states, "The Legislature occupies and preempts the entire
fields of legislation in this State but concerns in any way the regulation
and enforcement of the care and handling of livestock to the complete
exclusion of any order, ordinance, or regulation by any municipality or
other political subdivision of this State." A similar motion was introduced
into the Georgia House of Representatives reading "no county, municipal
cooperation, consolidated government, or other political subdivision of this
State shall adapt any ordinance, rule, regulation or resolution regulating
crop management or animal husbandry practices." <more>
April 6, 2009 WattPoultry.com
Avian influenza found on Kentucky poultry farm -
- Kentucky State Veterinarian Robert Stout has quarantined a western
Kentucky poultry farm that produces hatching eggs for Perdue Farms Inc.
following the detection of a non-pathogenic or low-pathogenic form of avian
influenza was discovered in the birds. “The state and federal government and
Perdue are acting aggressively to contain and eliminate the disease,” Dr.
Stout said. “There is no evidence that any infected poultry are in the human
food supply as a result of this infection. We will do what is necessary to
minimize the disruption to overseas trade.” Perdue plans to depopulate the
20,000 chickens in two houses on the farm, and the Kentucky Department of
Agriculture is also conducting surveillance of backyard flocks within a
2-mile radius of the farm.
<more> April 6, 2009 Brownfield Ag News
Producers look to next generation of biofuels
- - For America's biofuel industry, these are times of incredible promise -
and serious pain. The Bay Area teems with entrepreneurs trying to replace
oil with new, renewable fuels. Their experiments are attracting investment
despite the global recession, with venture capitalists pouring $96 million
into the industry in this year's first quarter. The federal government wants
to expand biofuel production by nearly two-thirds in the next five years,
with specific quotas for advanced biofuels made from such ingredients as
grass, algae, enzymes or yeast. But older biofuel companies are facing
financial ruin, hammered by low fuel prices. California's largest ethanol
producer, Pacific Ethanol of Sacramento, closed its plants in Madera and
Stockton earlier this year, laying off nearly 80 people in the process. The
Stockton plant had been open less than five months. The firm warned
investors last week that it could run out of cash by the end of April. The
nation's second-largest ethanol producer, VeraSun Energy Corp. of South
Dakota, went bankrupt last fall.<more>
April 5, 2009 SF Chronicle
Florez uses Web to announce lieutenant governor
bid- - It was hardly new news -- but was delivered in a pretty new way
-- when state Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez announced his bid for
lieutenant governor Friday. Florez, D-Shafter, did it via a live Web cast
during which he also answered questions submitted from people throughout the
state. In his introduction and in answering queries, Florez highlighted his
work on issues including farmworker safety, air quality, food protections
and keeping government accountable and efficient.
<more> April 5, 2009 Bakersfield Californian
Agriculture needs a bright new image - - What if California agriculture can come up with a symbol of itself that appeals to the non-farm population? People seem to connect easier with a symbol than a gigantic industry. Maybe agriculture needs its own Marlboro Man. Many California farmers fit that square-jawed, rugged-framed, hardy image of one ready to take on all challenges. It makes me wonder where they find those models, since the ads in the consumer magazines for everything from deodorant to cell phones feature slack-jawed, tousle-haired, young men with sulky expressions and phenomenal abs. They probably wouldn't last half a day picking grapes. But some in agriculture favor a more business-like image, especially since so many young farmers have completed leadership programs that have lent culture and perhaps a bit of savoir faire to their personalities. Should they sport crew cuts, even skin heads, glasses and a Rolex? <more> April 6, 2009 Visalia Times Delta
Friday, April 3, 2009
NCC
and USPOULTRY challenge EPA’s CAFO regulations and guidance - - The
National Chicken Council and the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY)
filed suit this week in the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New
Orleans to challenge certain aspects of the Environmental Protection
Agency’s (EPA) new regulation on water pollution discharges from so-called
confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs). The new regulation was issued in
response to the industry’s victory in the Second U.S. Circuit in 2005, in
which the court said EPA could not require growers to apply for permits
merely because they have a “potential to discharge” pollutants to the waters
of the United States. EPA has replaced that portion of the rule with a new
provision that would require permits where there is a “proposal to
discharge.” The lawsuit will challenge the new requirement as not conforming
to the Second Circuit’s ruling. In addition, the lawsuit challenges recent
guidance documents, issued by EPA in the form of letters, that interpret the
CAFO regulation. The letters essentially say a grower has a “proposal to
discharge,” and therefore must apply for a permit, if poultry housing has a
ventilation fan that may potentially exhaust dust or other substances on the
ground where rain water might wash them into a ditch leading to surface
waters. NCC and USPOULTRY will argue that Congress did not intend to
regulate these normal agricultural practices when it enacted the Clean Water
Act. April 3, 2009 NCC Newsletter
The other
recycling business- - Cars fueled with dead cow? That's what Jim
Andreoli of Baker Commodities has in mind, and he's building a huge
biodiesel plant near downtown Los Angeles to prove it. Baker Commodities,
which he runs with his father and two brothers, is the oldest rendering
business in L.A. and the largest on the West Coast. The nation’s largest
rendering company, Darling International, announced plans last fall to erect
a biodiesel facility in San Francisco, and Baker is building a
10-million-gallon biodiesel plant in Vernon. Andreoli hopes biodiesel will
re-label the most repellent form of recycling with a term anybody would
love: “green.”
<more> April 3, 2009 Los Angles Magazine
Tyson
Said To Be Looking For Global Acquisitions - - Tyson Foods could acquire
pork and red-meat companies in China, India, Brazil and Argentina, according
to mergermarket.com. Declining U.S. demand, a growing and relatively
fragmented international market, and the ability to save on production costs
are likely to drive more acquisitions in those regions, the report says. A
spokesperson for the Springdale, AR-based Tyson confirmed it is focused on
building its international markets. When asked further, the spokesperson
identified India, China and South America as targets for desired expansion.
April 3, 2009 BeefMagazine.com
APHIS
amends National Poultry Improvement Plan -- The U.S. Department of
Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is amending
the sampling and testing procedures in the voluntary National Poultry
Improvement Plan (NPIP). The changes will keep the provisions of the plan
current with advancements in the poultry industry. Specifically, APHIS is
increasing the number of approved tests for avian influenza (AI) used in
breeding and commercial poultry from two to four. The two additional tests
can provide highly specific results quickly, making them extremely useful as
screening tests for AI and as part of an initial state response and
containment plan in the event of an outbreak. Any positive test results
would continue to be confirmed by federal reference laboratories and an
official determination of a flock as positive for the H5 or H7 subtypes of
AI would be made only by APHIS’ National Veterinary Services Laboratories.
<more> April 3, 2009 APHIS Press Release
Country singer at center of animal rights debate
- - Country singer Carrie Underwood is at the center of an intensifying
online debate between animal rights supporters and backers of hunting and
animal agriculture. Underwood is a vegetarian and a supporter of the Humane
Society of the United States. In fact, she is donating proceeds from one of
her new songs to HSUS. And HSUS is reportedly trying to return the favor by
encouraging its supporters to vote online for Underwood for the Academy of
Country Music’s (ACM) Entertainer of the Year award. Meanwhile, hunting and
animal ag supporters are fighting back. On one web site, a blogger is urging
readers to go to the ACM web site and vote for a country artist other than
Underwood.
<more> April 1, 2009 Brownfield Ag News
CDFA
accepting applications for specialty crop grants - - The CDFA is seeking
proposals for a grant program designed to enhance the competitiveness of the
Golden State’s specialty crops. Up to $15 million will be made available to
award grant amounts ranging from $75,000 to $500,000 per project. CDFA
receives funding for this grant program from the USDA through its
Agricultural Marketing Service. The competitive solicitation process begins
with submission of concept proposals by eligible non-profit organizations;
local, state and federal government entities; for-profit organizations; and
universities. Applicants with the most competitive proposals will be
invited to participate in the second phase of the solicitation process by
submitting a more formal application.
<more> April 3, 2009 CDFA Press Release
New leadership at State Water Resources Control Board - - Gov. Schwarzenegger has designated Charlie Hoppin as Chair of the State Water Resources Control He was first appointed to the Board in May, 2006. He replaces Tam Doduc who served since 2005. Frances Spivy-Weber was chosen as Vice-Chair. April 3, 2009 Water Board Notice
Thursday, April 2, 2009
TLC
addresses Institute of Medicine on enhanced chicken - - The Truthful
Labeling Coalition (TLC) , which counts Foster Farms Inc., Sanderson Farms
Inc. and Perdue Farms Inc. among its members, addressed the Institute of
Medicine Committee on Strategies to Reduce Sodium Intake on Monday, March
30, 2009 regarding the increased sodium content of “enhanced” or “injected”
fresh chicken. TLC has led an effort to have the USDA change its labeling
rules so that “enhanced” chicken which is injected with a brine solution in
an effort to improve eating qualities of the meat cannot be labeled as “100%
Natural” or “All Natural.” The TLC campaign urges the USDA to allow only
100 percent natural chicken, with no additives such as saltwater or seaweed
extract, to be labeled as "100% All Natural," and it has asked for a
requirement that all added ingredients be prominently displayed on the
label.
<more> April 2, 2009 WattPoultry.com
Poultry Safety Issues Kit available - - U.S. Poultry & Egg Association’s
Poultry & Egg Institute has released a Poultry Industry Workplace Safety
Issues Kit highlighting the progress achieved by the industry in workplace
safety. The poultry industry’s injury and illness incident rate has declined
by 73% since 1994. The kit may be accessed on-line at
www.poultryegginstitute.org. The Issues Kit outlines the safety
challenges the industry has faced over the years and the interventions
employed to meet them. It also describes educational efforts and
collaborations pursued with Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA), not just to comply with safety regulations, but to
address industry safety concerns directly in a proactive and progressive
approach.
<more> April 2, 2009 WattPoultry.com
GOP's soft-spoken, hard-line state Senate leader
- - Up close, the state Senate's new minority leader is soft-spoken and
seems perhaps shy. But he definitely is not shy. And through his soft voice,
he is an outspoken advocate for a conservative ideology. Sen. Dennis
Hollingsworth, 42, of Murrieta is a hard-right Republican who gives every
indication of being a legislative leader who won't budge on taxes. Not now,
not ever. He could be Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's worst nightmare, not to
mention the Democrats'. Hollingsworth says he and the governor have only
chatted briefly, not substantively, since the senator landed his job in a
February coup that toppled the then-minority leader, Dave Cogdill of
Modesto. Cogdill had become a Schwarzenegger ally on budgeting and taxes.
"It was one of those unfortunate, ugly situations where the [GOP] caucus
decided to go in a different direction because of our opposition to the [tax
increase] deal that had been negotiated" by Cogdill, other legislative
leaders and the governor, Hollingsworth says.
<more> April 2, 2009 LA Times
Sharon
Runner pulled from Agriculture Board - - Former Assemblywoman Sharon
Runner has been appointed to the Unemployment Insurance Board, a job that
pays more than $128,000 per year. Runner's appointment means she will not
serve on the Agriculture Labor Relations Board, which she was originally
appointed to last month. "Sharon is a great public servant with experience
in addressing the critical needs of Californians," said Schwarzenegger
spokeswoman. "We feel she is better utilized in this position at this time."
As a member of the UI Appeals Board, Runner will replace Fred Aguiar, who
was named State and Consumer Services Agency after Rosario Marin was forced
to resign earlier this month.
<more> April 2, 2009 Capitol Weekly
Bell
named to ag seat on Central Valley Water Board - - Nicole Bell, 40, of
Sacramento, has been appointed to the Central Valley Regional Water Quality
Control Board, filling the vacant agricultural seat on the board. She has
served as the alumni and industry relations manager for the California
Agricultural Leadership Foundation since 2008 and has owned and served as a
consultant for Valley Agricultural Consulting Service since 2005.
Additionally, Bell has served as a realtor for Lyon Real Estate and
secretary for Lower Cosumnes Resource Conservation District since 2005. From
2006 to 2008, she was the manager for the Sacramento-Amador Water Quality
Alliance and, from 1994 to 2005, Bell was the executive director for the
U.S. Department of Agriculture-Sacramento/Amador County Farm Service Agency
and the Imperial County Farm Service Agency from 1993 to 1994. She is the
vice president of the Sacramento Farm Bureau Agriculture Education
Foundation and serves on the Sacramento County Farm Bureau. This position
requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Bell is
a Republican. April 2, 2009
Report outlines possible effects of warming on California - - As California warms in coming decades, farmers will have less water, the state could lose more than a million acres of cropland and forest fire rates will soar, according to a broad-ranging state report released Wednesday. The document, which officials called the "the ultimate picture to date" of global warming's likely effect on California, consists of 37 research papers that examine an array of issues including water supply, air pollution and property losses. Without actions to limit greenhouse gas emissions, "severe and costly climate impacts are possible and likely across California," warned state environmental protection secretary Linda Adams. The draft Climate Action Team Report, an update of a 2006 assessment, concludes that some climate change effects could be more serious than previously thought. By the final decades of the century, acreage burned across much of the state's northern forests could easily double and under some scenarios quadruple, said Anthony Westerling, an assistant professor of geography and environmental engineeri