Canadian Government Prepares Retaliatory Strike Against U.S. Over MCOOL 

Canada released a list of U.S. products that will be subject to retaliatory tariffs if the U.S. does not modify its mandatory country of origin labelling requirements.

In a news conference in Vancouver Friday, Canadian agriculture minister Gerry Ritz said the release of a comprehensive list is intended as a pressure tactic to encourage changes to mandatory COOL legislation that has cost the Canadian beef and pork industries an estimated $1 billion per year since it was implemented in late 2008.

The list must be presented to the World Trade Organization for approval before retaliatory tariffs can be implemented.  The process is expected to take 12 to 18 months.

Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, and Gerry Ritz, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board, issued the following statement on U.S. Country of Origin Labelling (COOL):

"Despite consistent rulings by the World Trade Organization, the U.S. government continues its unfair trade practices, which are severely damaging to Canadian industry and jobs.

"We are preparing to launch the next phase of the WTO dispute settlement process on the new U.S. rule, which we had hoped to avoid by the United States living up to its trade obligations.

"When the United States failed to comply by the May 23 deadline, we said we would pursue all options available. Today, we are also releasing a list of U.S. commodities for possible retaliation, to be published as soon as possible in the Canada Gazette, as a way to formally launch the consultation process.  (Click here to read more of their statement and the full list of products facing retaliatory tariffs.)

In response to Canada's actions, National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) President and Cody, Wyo. cattle and dairy producer, Scott George said, "Cattlemen and women have long known MCOOL not only violates our international trade obligations, but also that it provides no value to the consumer. It is a failed experiment in boosting beef demand and a tremendously successful experiment in creating a trade barrier.

"This list of products brings home the real-world consequences of the USDA's adherence to MCOOL. Our members have warned both the USDA and members of Congress that should this program continue, there will be a true cost to not only cattle and pork producers but to many other segments of the U.S. economy as well. This is too high a price to pay for a program that has proven it has no value."  (You can read more from Scott George by clicking here.)

Field of TEAMS Swarm Wheat Fields to Clear Out Debris in Advance of Harvest

Field of TEAMS is a volunteer "farmer organized" effort to clean up the ripe and ready winter wheat fields in southern and eastern Canadian County that saw debris drop in, courtesy of the EF5 tornado that ripped through that county in central Oklahoma on May 31st.

The effort is being coordinated by a pair of farm wives- Levi Clifton and Jennifer Freeman. Clifton told us that while her farmstead was missed- she lives in Cogar and was several miles west of the wide swath of land that the tornado hit- she could quickly see the devastation the next morning as she drove in and around Union City. She approached a couple of the farmers with impacted fields- and they really had not thought about how they were going to clean up the amount of debris on so many acres dead ahead of the 2013 harvest.

She estimates that there are more than 10,000 acres of wheat land that may at least some debris that could puncture a combine or tractor tire- or worse- get into a combine and cause massive damage to a $400,000 machine.

Realizing the urgency, Clifton said that was the start of Field of TEAMS. They have recruited volunteers intially on FACEBOOK and have now picked up the support of the American Farmers and Ranchers- Oklahoma Farmers Union who will be coordinating a day of picking up debris on Tuesday, June 11- this is cooperation with the El Reno FFA. Any and all volunteers are welcome to show up Tuesday morning at 8:30 AM at the Heaston Community Church south of El Reno to pick up debris. Click here for the brochure for details on Tuesday's planned efforts.

To hook up with Levi Clifton and set a time when you could bring a few folks or a lot- call her at 405-301-1626.  She has several farmers who really could use your help- and the clock is ticking as the race is on to get the debris out before the combines show up.

Click here for our story with Levi- you can hear our interview with her there and also get the link to the set of pictures we have on FLICKR from Saturday.

Oklahoma Flood Control Dams Save Millions of Dollars During Recent Rains 

The heavy rains that hit our state over the period of May 29 to June 2 have once again shown the importance of Oklahoma's 2100 plus upstream flood control dams, said Kim Farber, president of the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts. Without this flood control protection system, Farber said nearly $12 million in additional flood damage would have taken place in our state.

"These huge rain events again show the benefit our state receives every year from our flood control structures," Farber said. "Oklahoma has more flood control dams built under the USDA watershed program than any other state in the union, dams that according to economists at the Natural Resources Conservation Service provided an additional $11.79 million in savings during these last storm events. Once again our flood control system has proven its worth."

Designed to stop the dangerous flash floods, Farber said that these dams, in both rural and urban settings, have for over 50 years protected Oklahomans from the ravages of out of control water, saving countless lives and billions of dollars.

Click here to read more.  

 

Kansas City Fed Examines Financing Challenges of Young and Beginning Farmers

Young and beginning farmers represent the next generation of farm operators, but entering the profession can be challenging. In the latest issue of the Main Street Economist, Nathan Kauffman, economist, explores the obstacles young and beginning farmers face in securing financing for capital-intensive operations. In addition to lower levels of equity and higher debt ratios, surging farmland prices compound the difficulties young and beginning farmers must overcome.

Recent trends point to a decline in the share of young farmers who are full owners of the land they operate. Record farmland prices, rising production costs, and agricultural consolidation have contributed to the decrease in farm ownership. Moreover, young and beginning farmers present greater risk, causing banks to require additional collateral for farmland purchases. As a result, a growing number of young and beginning farmers are choosing to rent land before taking on the fixed costs associated with land purchases.

Current federal and state policies support the owner-operator model of U.S. farm enterprises. However, the future of farming could transition more toward a renter-operator model - especially if market forces continue to drive up the fixed costs of production.

Click here for a link to the full article from the Kansas City Fed.

Largest Endowment in FFA History to Impact Thousands

A new endowment that has been established with the National FFA Foundation will allow thousands of future FFA members to attend the organization's largest leadership development conference - free of charge.

Once active, the Glenn and Maggie Stith Leadership Development Fund Endowment could provide about $1,500 each for 110 eligible FFA members from throughout the country to attend the annual Washington Leadership Conference each year. The scholarship will be awarded to the National FFA Organization to cover the cost of each recipient to attend the conference and provide a stipend to cover travel, meals, lodging and other conference-related expenses.

Glenn Stith of Ankeny, Iowa, who grew up on a family farm in Kentucky and was an FFA member in high school, was vice president of U.S. Branded Business for Seeds, Biotech Traits and Chemistry and Global Lead of Seminis Vegetable Seeds at Monsanto for 35 years. After retiring in 2010, he was named senior associate at Context Network, a business management and strategy consulting firm providing services to global agriculture, biotechnology and food companies.

You can read more by clicking here.

 

World Bank Study Identifies Crude Oil as Biggest Influencer of World Food Prices

According to a recent study by the World Bank, crude oil prices bear the lion's share of responsibility for most of past decade's jump in food prices. Oil prices, not stocks to-use, exchange rates, interest rates or income, were the most important driver of food prices since 2004-a time period where dramatic and devastating spikes in global food prices occurred, and one that also coincides with record profits for the oil industry.

Following the release of this new study, Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis said: "Not only has the oil industry been responsible for the sky-rocketing gas prices each time you fill up your car, now it turns out they are responsible for the price increases you face at the grocery store. While they enjoy record profits, populations around the world suffer at their expense and struggle to pay for the basic staples of life." 

Click here for more and a link to the full World Bank study.

 

Proper Attire Key Part of Safe Pesticide Application

Some people stand in front of a closet for what seems like hours deciding what to wear; practicing that same diligence could prevent potential health problems when preparing to apply pesticides to a home garden or agricultural crops.

Charles Luper, Cooperative Extension associate with the Oklahoma State University Pesticide Safety Education Program, said proper choice of clothing often is overlooked as a simple preventative measure against unwanted pesticide exposure.

"People sometimes get in a hurry," he said. "Most know better but often fail to listen to that little voice inside warning them of potential danger. These folks need to realize they have no idea how much of the chemical may be absorbed through their skin over time." 

You can read more of this article on our website.  Click here to go there.