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Today is the final day the USDA will accept public comments from interested parties for the Obama Adminstration's revised Mandatory Country of Origin rule. Passions are high on both sides of this issue- supporters of COOL praise the administration for wanting to provide consumers with even more information than the original rule offered- opponents say that it's a further punishment of US livestock producers as well as two of our biggest trading partners- Canada and Mexico.


If you would like to offer comments to USDA on the proposed rule- you may do so electronically. Click here for the page that will allow you to comment, view comments submitted to date and to pull up the full language of the proposed rule.

Steve Dittmer is a former agricultural journalist and currently is the Executive Vice President of the Agribusiness Freedom Foundation. He is strongly opposed to the proposed mCOOL rule- and has written extensively about it in a series of emails he has sent out. His most recent email was released early Thursday morning and offers his final thoughts on the rule- and why he views it as a disaster for the US livestock industry. Here are a few of his comments:

"The stated reason for this law and proposed intensification is based upon false premises. The only supposed benefit proponents of the law and further tightening can come up with is that the consumer deserves more information. Everyone says they want more information but in the real world -- not the one inhabited by disconnected bureaucrats, overweening politicians or overwrought activists -- that information has to be valuable enough to the customer for them to pay for it. We are not talking here about assurances consumers deserve and have a right to expect from government and the meat chain -- safe, wholesome meat. This labeling has nothing to do with that. Consumer activists make continually escalating demands for more information, just as they want to save every species and subspecies on earth, no matter the cost. Taken to extreme, the government could require each piece of meat bear the name of the sire and the dam and a DNA certificate verifying that parentage as well as county, state/province and country for each stage of life. It's possible technically but not cost effective."


Dittmer also talked about the agenda of livestock groups supporting COOL- "Something else needs to be said. Populist farm groups claim to be concerned about getting full consumer information for customers but that is a smokes screen for their real purpose -- keeping imported meat and feeder animals out of the country to drive the value of domestic livestock above world market value. They believe the sky is the limit, that they can drive consumer prices up and up without losing market share, with no impact on customers and without destroying their own industry. They do not understand economics and markets."

You can read all of Dittmer's comments from his latest email on this subject by clicking here.

WASDE Supply and Demand Numbers Roil Grain Markets 

The April World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report released today by the Agriculture Department forecast tight corn and soybean stocks for the U.S., confirming the ongoing impact of the extensive drought of 2012, according to analysis by the American Farm Bureau Federation.  (Click here for more from the AFBF.)

U.S. wheat exports for 2012/13 were projected to be 25 million bushels lower this month boosting projected ending stocks by the same amount. Continued strong competition, particularly from EU-27 and FSU-12, further reduced prospects for U.S. wheat shipments. Projected exports for Hard Red Winter wheat were lowered 25 million bushels. Exports were also lowered 10 million bushels and 5 million bushels, respectively, for White and Hard Red Spring wheat, but raised 15 million bushels for Soft Red Winter wheat. All-wheat imports are unchanged, but small adjustments were made among the classes. The projected range for the season-average farm price for wheat was lowered 10 cents at the midpoint and narrowed to $7.65 to $7.95 per bushel.

Tom Leffler of Leffler Commodities said the numbers stirred up traders today, with wheat coming out on the short end of the stick.

"The trade was pretty crazy today. In the end, we saw the wheat take the brunt of the downside. Corn came back late and soybeans were slightly lower. Keep in mind this wheat crop's going to continue to watch what's going on out there with Mother Nature and these cold temperatures."

You can hear more analysis from Tom Leffler by clicking here.  You'll also find a link to the full WASDE report.

 

Beef, pork, and poultry producers groups hailed a bill introduced in the House of Representatives to reform the Renewable Fuel Standard mandate.

Representatives Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), Jim Costa (D-Calif.), Steve Womack (R-Ark.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.), at a press conference yesterday said they would introduce the Renewable Fuel Standard Reform Act to "help ease concerns created by the ethanol mandate and protect consumers, energy producers, livestock producers, food manufacturers, retailers and the U.S. economy."

"Cattlemen and women are self-reliant, but in order to maintain that we cannot be asked to compete with federal mandates like the Renewable Fuels Standard for the limited supply of feed grains," said National Cattlemen's Beef Association Policy Vice Chair Craig Uden, an Elwood, Neb., cattle feeder. "In light of the worst drought to hit our country in over 50 years and the ever increasing renewable mandates, we are seeing many of our members not only failing to profit, but taking a loss."  (Click here for more reaction from the NCBA and the National Pork Producers.)

Ethanol supporters found little to commend in legislation proposed in the House that would reform the Renewable Fuel Standard. 

Brooke Coleman of the Advanced Ethanol Council said the RFS Reform Act "actually guts the RFS by eliminating key provisions that require oil companies to actually change their behavior and buy renewable fuels."  (You can read more of Coleman's comments by clicking here.)

Tom Buis of Growth Energy also responded negatively, saying the bill "is a gift to special interest groups who are only concerned with only their record profits. The RFS Reform Act is nothing more than a way for Big Oil to prevent market access of a superior, price competitive product, such as E15."  (Click here for more from Tom Buis.)

National Corn Growers Association President Pam Johnson, a farmer from Floyd, Iowa, said her group would stand firm "in its support of the Renewable Fuel Standard and will strongly oppose legislation to alter or repeal the RFS."  (You can read more from the NCGA by clicking here.) 

Pittsburg County 4-H'er Elisabeth Willis Earns National Recognition

Thanks to hard work, dedication and a strong conviction in doing what she believes in, a Pittsburg County 4-H'er is getting the opportunity to check off something from her bucket list.

Elisabeth Willis, a 4-H'er from Canadian, will be recognized as a National 4-H Youth in Action Award recipient at a special 4-H Legacy Award Gala in New York City slated April 18. This prestigious award is presented to outstanding 4-H'ers and corporations for their work on behalf of the 4-H youth development movement.

"This trip is a dream come true and I was truly speechless when I was notified I'd won," Willis said. 

You can read about Willis's honor and her work with an equestrian program for handicapped riders by clicking here.

 

Obama Administration Lines Up With HSUS in Wanting to Ban Horse Slaughter in the US

Congress could once again ban the use of federal funds to inspect horse slaughter plants in the United States if it follows the lead of the White House-a move that is strongly supported by The Humane Society of the United States, the ASPCA (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI). President Obama's FY 2014 budget proposal includes a request for Congress to block spending by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to inspect U.S. horse slaughter plants. A similar spending prohibition was put in place in 2005, which effectively shut the door to the grisly horse slaughter industry on U.S. soil. However, it was not renewed in 2011, leading to the potential for horse slaughter plants to reopen in the U.S at the expense of American taxpayers.

There are no horse slaughter facilities operating in the U.S., but the USDA confirms it has received at least six applications and is processing those requests. Humane organizations oppose the slaughter of American horses for human consumption because the practice is inherently cruel to horses. Additionally, horse meat poses a potential human health risk, as horses are not raised for food in the U.S. and are consequently treated with a wide range of drugs that are not approved for use in animals intended for human consumption.

Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS, said: "It's a fool's errand to inspect tainted horse meat, and this Administration is wise to reject that path and to embrace the idea, even indirectly, that horses belong in the stable and not on the table."

Click here to read more on the White House and animal activists lining up on the horse slaughter issue.

This N That- Canola Meetings Go Inside, Wheat Freeze Fears Part Deux and Southern Plains Farm Show Contest Changes Days

The 2013 OSU Extension Canola plot tours continue, but inside for the three Thursday locations.   The three sessions have being moved indoors- due to the wet field conditions. Here are the locations and times:


Alfalfa Co. meeting will be moved to the Agri-Services building just north of the plots --- 10:00 AM

Major Co. meetings will be held in the Major County Fairground in Fairview, Lunch will be provided...as a result we will start serving at 11:30am and will try to start the presentations by 12   noon.

Dewey Co. Meetings will be moved to the Community Building at the Golf course in Seiling -- 3:00 PM


Anyone interested in winter canola production in Oklahoma is invited to attend.

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Ice coated a lot of wheat in western Oklahoma early Wednesday- and now this Thursday morning- the fear of cold temps and the damage that may be happening as we write this hangs in the air.

State wheat specialist Dr. Jeff Edwards has put his fears into words (as of Wednesday late afternoon)- ""Large amounts of freezing rain, sleet, hail, etc. hit the Oklahoma wheat belt on April 10, 2013 and temperatures are expected to drop to the mid to upper 20's this evening. Wheat development ranges from early heading in southern Oklahoma to just past jointing in northern Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Panhandle. If forecasts are correct, wheat tillers in southwest Oklahoma that escaped the first freeze have a good chance of being taken out by this freeze." 

You can read more of the fears being expressed by Dr. Edwards- and see pictures of the crop as iced down courtesy of the Oklahoma Wheat Commission- just click here.

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The 2013 Commercial Cattle Grading Contest for FFA and 4-H Youth

will start at 9:00 AM Friday, April 19, 2013 at the SOUTHERN PLAINS FARM SHOW- to be held in Barn 6.  Registration begins at 8:00 AM that morning. The top scoring individual overall will receive the Rick Jones Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $2000.00. Rick Jones was a lifelong cattleman and a founding partner of OKC West Livestock Market, Inc.; El Reno, OK. Rick always realized the importance of having a good eye for cattle, feeling it was the single most important key to success in any aspect of the cattle business.

Over $6,000 in scholarships will be handed out to top finishers of this contest. Those participating will first attend a one-hour seminar on grading presented by Gary Bledsoe, Oklahoma Department of Agriculture Consultant on Rural Developmentand Jason Harvey Oklahoma Department of Agriculture Market Development Coordinator. Following the presentation, teams of 4 contestants will grade 15 head using the criteria covered in the seminar- the contest is open to all 4-H and FFA members.

This is a date change for the contest- the date originally circulated was Thursday April 18- but due to conflicts with several district speech contests- the contest moves to Friday April 19.