Agricultural News
NCBA Sets as Priority Defeat of HSUS-UEP Federal Mandate on Egg Production
Fri, 03 Feb 2012 03:44:55 CST
Last July, the Humane Society of the US found a partner in the agricultural industry who was willing to help the animal rights activist organization achieve its goal of establishing a national standard for laying hens and the cages they live in. That group was the United Egg Producers. With that agreement in hand, the groups found lawmakers willing to help them turn that deal regarding a production practice into legislation, hoping to make it the law of the land.
A bill has already been introduced in the US House- and companion legislation will be introduced soon into the the US Senate to mandate a specific size of pen as being legal for the US laying hen industry. Other agricultural groups believe the precedent that will be set could mean multiple HSUS inspired laws in the next few years, telling animal agriculture how to raise their livestock, independent of sound science and closed to new innovations from the point the laws are passed.
Groups that have cried foul include the American Farm Bureau, the National Pork Producers Council and the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. In January, as the House legislation was being introduced, NCBA President Bill Donald spoke of the dangers the grass roots cattle organization saw. Click here for comments made at the time of the House bill being introduced by a couple of those groups.
"This legislation, while currently only affecting egg producers, could set a dangerous precedent to allow government bureaucrats in Washington to mandate how farmers and ranchers across the nation raise and care for their animals. This ill-conceived legislation could set the model for a one-size-fits-all approach to cattle production. Unfortunately, one-size-fits all doesn't work with cattle producers, who are in diverse settings in all 50 states. This legislation won't improve animal health or care and will result in further costly and burdensome regulations being placed on America's food producers.
On today's Beef Buzz, we talk about this measure with Kristina Butts of the Washington, DC office of the NCBA.
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network- but is also a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the listen bar below for today's show- and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
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