HSUS Dealt Significant Loss: Court Dismisses 'Pork, The Other White Meat' Lawsuit 

After spending significant amounts of donor dollars, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) was dealt a significant loss in U.S. District Court on Wednesday. In what was considered to be a futile legal challenge and a very personal attack on U.S. pork producers, a U.S. district judge Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit filed by HSUS over the National Pork Board's purchase of the "Pork, The Other White Meat" trademark from the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC).

HSUS, which was joined in the suit by a lone Iowa pork producer and the Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) - and Secretary Tom Vilsack - over approval of the trademark purchase and the Pork Board's annual payments to NPPC. HSUS argued that the sale and payments were unlawful since the Pork Board is prohibited from using checkoff dollars to influence legislation. The court dismissed the HSUS case, ruling that the plaintiffs lacked standing and that no one had suffered any injury from the Agriculture Secretary's actions.

NPPC applauded the Secretary's willingness to defend the case and pork producers across this country. The Secretary's actions should send a strong signal to HSUS supporters that frivolous lawsuits will not be tolerated and should not be pursued.

For a more information and a link to the lawsuit, please click here.  

Five Nations Beef Alliance Agrees on Core Principles for the TPP Agreement 

An alliance of cattlemen representing Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States recently signed a letter, announcing their support for a comprehensive Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement.

"As a collective global beef industry, if we are going to feed a growing world population we need to facilitate the open and unrestricted trade of food around the world," said Cattle Council president Andrew Ogilvie, from Kingston SE in South Australia. "By removing trade barriers and tariffs to create fair and open access for all nations, the world's population will have equal opportunity to a reliable and safe food supply without trade barriers inflating the cost of that food."

The agreement is based on ten core principles, ensuring any agreement must be comprehensive and must eliminate all tariffs and market access barriers while emphasizing the importance of unfettered trade.

"We are a strong supporter of this agreement and others like it, on the grounds that they increase market access and provide stable export markets based in internationally recognized scientific standards," said National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) president Scott George, a cattle and dairy producer from Cody, Wyo. 

Click here to read more. 

Kim Anderson Says Market Finally Realizes Grain Stocks are Low

In his preview to this week's SUNUP program, Oklahoma State University Extension Grain Marketing Specialist Kim Anderson discusses the wheat market rally with Lyndall Stout.

"I think the market finally realized that hard red winter wheat stocks and, to a certain degree, all wheat stocks were relatively low." 

He said prices were also buoyed by reports out of China that they will need to import more wheat, likely from the U.S. A frost in Argentina and the fact that Argentina no longer has any export means that Brazil will be in the market for more wheat. That, again, will likely mean more exports for U.S. producers.

Anderson says the USDA will release its quarterly stocks report Monday and that could have a big impact on markets if the reports are much different from what the trade is now expecting.

"Look back over the last five years. We've had limit moves in those years especially in corn and beans." 

You can listen to more from Kim Anderson as well as see the full lineup for this week's SUNUP show by clicking here.  

House Rules Committee Passes Rule to Allow Procedual Vote to Advance Farm Bill Conference While Senate Finance Committee Strips "Monsanto" Provision from CR

David Rogers reported yesterday at Politico that, "House Republicans took the first steps late Thursday toward a formal Farm Bill conference with the Senate, as the Rules Committee cleared the way for a floor vote Friday that would marry up the separate titles approved in July and then last week.

"The provisions are part of a larger 'martial law' rule approved 9-3 by the Rules panel and empowering the GOP leadership to move quickly over the weekend on debt and funding bills prior to the fiscal year ending Monday night.

"There's no chance of beginning before the current farm law - a one-year extension of the five-year program that already expired in 2012 - runs out Monday. And while the Senate has already appointed its conferees, it must repeat that process now - exposing Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) to more delays." (all of this courtesy of Keith Good at FarmPolicy.Com) 

While Rogers reported that a vote could occur today on that rule- it is not included in the Weekly Leader Email released by Eric Cantor's office last night- which indicates that today will mostly be a day of special order speeches and the naming of some courthouses for various dead people.  First and last votes are expected in the House this morning around 9 AM central.  

The delays continue that prevent a formal conference from happening.

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 Also courtesy of Farm Policy.Com- Holly Yeager reported in today's Washington Post that, "The short-term spending plan moving through the Senate would eliminate legislative language that allows farmers to continue growing genetically modified crops even if a court has blocked their use.

"The Farmer Assurance Provision - dubbed the Monsanto Protection Act by its critics - was inserted into an earlier government funding bill that expires Monday and would have remained in place under the stop-gap funding bill approved by the House last week."

Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), Chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued a statement yesterday on the Monsanto provision not being included in the Senate Amendment to the House Continuing Resolution, which indicated in part that, "My promises made are promises kept. I have never supported the Monsanto provision, and I continue to oppose it. When I became Appropriations Chairwoman and inherited this problem, I promised I would work to solve it. The Monsanto provision is not included in either of the Senate or House FY14 Agriculture Appropriations bills, and that is a good thing. There's no reason for it to be included in a short-term CR, either."

Groups like the Environmental Working Group are delighted with the move by Mikulski- Ken Cook, EWG's president, said, "The Monsanto rider would have set a dangerous precedent by stripping federal courts of their authority to approve GE crops."

United States and Japan Streamline Organic Trade Across the Pacific

The United States and Japan announced that beginning January 1, 2014, organic products certified in Japan or in the United States may be sold as organic in either country.This partnership between two significant organic markets will streamline U.S. farmers' and processors' access to the growing Japanese organic market, benefiting the rapidly growing organic industry and supporting job creation and business growth on a global scale.

"This partnership reflects the strength of the USDA organic standards, allowing American organic farmers, ranchers, and businesses to access Asia's largest organic market," said U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "It is a win for the American economy and sets the foundation for additional organic agricultural trade agreements in Asia. This partnership provides economic opportunities for farmers and small businesses, resulting in good jobs for Americans across the organic supply chain."

You can read more about the partnership by clicking here.

"This is welcome news for the U.S. organic grain industry, which will see its products more easily traded and welcomed in the burgeoning Japanese market. Organic grains are a vital part of organic offerings, and crucial to global trade," said Lynn Clarkson, president of Clarkson Grain Co. Inc.

You can read more reactions from U.S. organic agriculture leaders by clicking here.  

DuPont Pioneer Drought Research Council Indicates Need for Collaboration, Objectivity and Funding

The DuPont Pioneer Drought Research Council (DRC) published its first article this month titled 'The U.S. Drought of 2012 in Perspective: A Call to Action'. The paper outlines recommendations for improving food security, including an emphasis on research collaborations; objective, science-based regulations; and, appropriate funding for public agricultural research.

"The DuPont Pioneer Drought Research Council brings together experts in the field of drought research from across the public and private sector to nurture collaboration, share ideas and, ultimately, identify solutions for sustainable agricultural production," said Jonathan Lightner, vice president, agricultural biotechnology, DuPont Pioneer.  

The paper concluded that the U.S. is the world's largest exporter of corn and oil seeds.  A disruption in the production of these crops can have a substantial impact on world grain markets.

You can read more and find a link to the study's complete findings by clicking here.

This N That- USDA Developing Youth Farm Safety Curriculum and Oklahoma Youth in Arkansas at Beef Ambassador Contest

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced funding to provide safety training for the more than 2 million youth working in agricultural production.

USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics Ann Bartuska made the announcement at the North American Agricultural Safety Summit in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Dr. Bartuska noted "Agriculture is one of the most dangerous industries in the nation, as such, thousands of youth are injured and hundreds are killed every year by hazards found on the farm." She continued, "As these youth play a vital role in the productivity of American agriculture, USDA has a responsibility to the education and resources needed to train youth in safe farming practices."

Click here to read more.

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On Saturday, the 2014 National Beef Ambassador team will be selected in a national competition that is happening in Springdale, Arkansas.   

the new National Beef Ambassador team will come from the top finishers in the senior division.  Representing Oklahoma in the senior division is K.C. Barnes of Porter.   

There is also a Junior Division, and for the second year in a row, Sydnee Gerkin of Kingfisher will represent our state.

We wish both  the best of luck- click here for the National Beef Ambassador website- and note that the contest will be streamed live on the internet.