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October 28, 2011  
Inside This Issue.....
Free Trade Agreements, TAA Reauthorization Signed by Obama
November 1 Deadline Looms for Specifics on Ag Cuts
Bill to 'Clarify' Ag Hours Of Service Exemption Introduced
'Worst-case' Scenario says "Clean Energy" Mandate Could Increase Costs by 30%
Methyl Bromide Phase-out Permitting Comments Sought
PPQ Stakeholder Registry
Texas A&M Plant Breeding Bulletin
Upcoming Meetings
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Free Trade Agreements, TAA Reauthorization Signed by Obama

  

President Obama wasted no time signing the Colombia, Panama and South Korea free trade agreements into law October 21, and following that action signed the Trade Assistance Authority (TAA) reauthorization legislation. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack declared the trade agreements "a major piece of President Obama's jobs agenda," the political spin the White House has put on the free trade pacts since the President embraced their ratification as part of his jobs bill. The TAA law will reauthorize and expand federal assistance to U.S. workers whose hours or wages are negatively impacted by trade agreements, including retraining and health care cost assistance. "Farm exports help support 1 million American jobs," Vilsack said. "This year and next, U.S. agricultural exports are on track to reach new highs, leading to a trade surplus of over $42 billion - eight times greater than five years ago. When implemented, these three agreements will increase farm exports by an additional $2.3 billion - supporting nearly 20,000 American jobs - by eliminating tariffs, removing barriers to trade and leveling the playing field for U.S. producers." The three agreements were negotiated by the Bush Administration and have been stuck in the Senate for the last several years.

 

November 1 Deadline Looms for Specifics on Ag Cuts
 

With the chairs of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees submitting a consensus letter estimating agriculture can withstand about $23 billion in cuts over the next 10 years to the Joint Special Committee on Deficit Reduction, the ag committees must now make good by November 1 on a pledge to provide the super committee details of how those cuts should be achieved. Generally it's agreed that of the $23 billion, at least $15 billion would come out of farm program payments, $4 billion could be shaved off conservation programs, and another $4 billion could come out of nutrition programs, including food stamps, according to Sen. Charles Grassley (R, IA). But further reconstruction of direct program payments into some form of revenue protection insurance is still underway, and it's expected the money needed to create these new programs will come in part from a shift in spending from direct payments to risk management which would impact the overall savings.  

 

New to the mix and getting a lot of talk is the Aggregate Risk and Revenue Management (ARRM) program proposal put forward last week by Sens. Sherrod Brown (D, OH), John Thune (R, SD), Dick Durbin (D, IL) and Dick Lugar (R, IN). This plan is predicated on creating crop-specific revenue insurance-type protection based on a producer's planted acres. ARRM, says the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), would save $19.8 billion over 10 years and would go a long way to freeing up cuts in other programs. The four committee principals must sign off on the detailed plan, and then they must convince their respective committee members. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack publicly urged this week the super committee to go easy on ag research cuts because such programs are necessary to increasing crop and livestock production to meet global food needs over the next several decades. He also said federal disaster programs must be preserved, particularly in the wake of natural disasters experienced this past year. Lastly, the super committee must approve the approach.  

 

Rep. Frank Lucas (R, OK), chair of the House Agriculture Committee, said this week he's concerned about the "regional competitions" in the various proposals that have emerged over the last month. It's Lucas' contention corn and soybean farmers in the Midwest seem to be favored over producers in other parts of country, part of the regional disputes always seen in Farm Bill debates. But Lucas told an Oklahoma radio station he wants equitable treatment of all producers, not just those in regions "where soil is measured in feet and where it rains when it's supposed to." Lucas went as far as to say the abbreviated budget cutting process driving the Farm Bill debate may wind up with a Farm Bill written - with the new numbers in hand - next summer so as to allow input from both committees, amendments and other input based on drafts, etc.


Bill to 'Clarify' Ag Hours Of Service Exemption Introduced
 

In a move to clarify ag transportation regulations, including the hours of service exemption for agriculture, Reps. Sam Graves (D, MO) and Blaine Leutkemeyer (R, MO) introduced a bill this week "intended to resolve questions regarding the applicability of the agriculture hours of service exemption." The bill was praised by the Agricultural Retailers Assn. (ARA), the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives (NCFC), The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) and the Agricultural & Food Transporters Conference of the American Trucking Assn. (ATA). The bill amends parts of the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act to clarify the ag exemption and facilitate interpretation and enforcement by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), said the two House members.  

 

Since the exemption was authorized in 2009, the ag groups supporting the exemption said FMCSA interpretations have restricted the movement of some agricultural supplies. The bill says the ag exemption - which covers feeds and feed ingredients - specifically applies to drivers transporting ag commodities within a 100-air-mile radius; drivers transporting farm supplies for ag purposes from a wholesale or retail business to a farm or other location where the farm supplies are to be used within a 100-air-mile radius, and drivers transporting farm supplies from a wholesale location to a retail location so long as the transport is within a 100-air-mile radius.

 

'Worst-case' Scenario says "Clean Energy" Mandate Could Increase Costs by 30%

 

When President Obama proposed a federal mandatory "clean energy standard" earlier this year, the goal was to improve the environment, jump start alternative energy industries and reduce costs by weaning the U.S. off foreign oil. However, Rep. Ralph Hall (R, TX), chair of the House Science, Space & Technology Committee, this week said such a standard would increase national electricity costs by 30% and cost the average U.S. household an additional $211 a year. Hall cited an EPA Energy Information Administration (EIA) report which he requested that looked at a federal mandate under which 80% of the power generated by utilities come from wind, solar, nuclear, clean coal or natural gas by 2035, similar to the Obama plan. Hall said the report demonstrates the clean energy standard is "an expensive new electricity tax on the American people." House critics said Hall's study request was designed to look at only a "worst-case cost scenario." EIA said that under the best-case scenario it was asked to examine clean coal that would be ultimately be displaced by cleaner-burning natural gas, leading to higher gas prices, but that the policy would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 50% between 2009-2035.


Methyl Bromide Phase-out Permitting Comments Sought

 

EPA wants public comment from ag sectors demonstrating they have no viable or economical alternative to methyl bromide on the paperwork and "regulatory burden" associated with its program allowing pesticide registrants to apply for continued use permits for the chemical. The information request is routine and required by the Office of Management & Budget (OMB). The notice can be found in the October 24 Federal Register, or by going to  

 http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011-10-24/html/2011-27438.htm.


PPQ Stakeholder Registry
 

Importation of Plants for Planting; Risk-Based Sampling and Inspection Approach and Propagative Monitoring and Release Program  

USDA is advising the public of the decision to implement a risk-based sampling approach for the inspection of imported plants for planting.  In the previous approach, they inspected 2 percent of consignments of imported plants for planting regardless of previous evidence of the risk posed by the plants for planting.  The risk-based sampling and inspection approach will allow them to target high-risk plants for planting for more extensive inspection to help ensure that plants for planting infested with quarantine pests do not enter the United States, while providing a speedier inspection process for lower-risk plants for planting.  In addition, for taxa of plants for planting that pose an extremely low risk, we are establishing a Propagative Monitoring and Release Program under which consignments of those taxa will be periodically monitored but not every consignment will be inspected.

 

For additional information go to:

 

 http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS-2011-0092.

 

Plants for Planting Whose Importation Is Not Authorized Pending Pest Risk Analysis; Notice of Availability of Data Sheets for Taxa of Plants for Planting That Are Quarantine Pests or Hosts of Quarantine Pests - Reopening of Comment Period


USDA is reopening the comment period for a notice that advised the public that they have determined that 41 taxa of plants for planting are quarantined pests and 107 taxa of plants for planting are hosts of 13 quarantine pests and therefore should be added to the lists of taxa of plants for planting whose importation is not authorized pending pest risk analysis.  The notice also made available to the public for review and comment data sheets that detail the scientific evidence we evaluated in making the determination that the taxa are quarantine pests or hosts of quarantine pests.  This action will allow interested persons additional time to prepare and submit comments.   

 

All comments will be considered that are receive on or before November 25, 2011.   

 

For additional information go to:

 
http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS-2011-0072.

 

Texas A&M Plant Breeding Bulletin
  
October 2011

Two of our outstanding undergraduates participated in our Plant Breeding Internship program during the summer of 2011. This program is completely supported by Texas A&M and Texas AgriLife Research Plant Breeders and provides the participants with exposure to three plant breeding programs during the summer months. We have conducted this program for three years and are pleased with the exposure and enthusiasm of the students.

click here for bulletin.... 

 

Upcoming Meetings

 

Mark Your Calendars:

 

 

CSA Annual Convention is  February 19-21, 2012 at the Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego, CA