White House Announces New Executive Actions to Combat Antibiotic Resistance

The Obama administration announced on Thursday a comprehensive set of new federal actions to combat the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and protect public health. Additionally, the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) is releasing a related report on Combating Antibiotic Resistance.


The discovery of antibiotics in the early 20th century fundamentally transformed medicine; antibiotics now save millions of lives each year in the United States and around the world. Yet bacteria repeatedly exposed to the same antibiotics can become resistant to even the most potent drugs. These so-called antibiotic-resistant bacteria can present a serious threat to public health, national security, and the economy.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, antibiotic-resistant infections are associated with an additional 23,000 deaths and 2 million illnesses in the United States each year. The estimated annual impact of antibiotic-resistant infections on the national economy is $20 billion in excess direct health care costs, and as much as $35 billion in lost productivity from hospitalizations and sick days.  

National Pork Producers Council President Howard Hill responded by saying "NPPC is pleased that the administration agrees that more research is needed and looks forward to working further with FDA and USDA on determining the most informed and appropriate solutions for combating antibiotic resistant bacteria."
 

American Meat Institute Vice President of Scientific Affairs Betsy Booren, Ph.D. responded in a statement "We appreciate the White House's careful look at the complex issue of antibiotic resistance and we share the view that antibiotics are assets to human and veterinary medicine that should be used thoughtfully and appropriately.  The recommendations that have been shared echo what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conveyed last year -- that you cannot attack a complex problem in a simple manner and that we must employ a multi-faceted solution." 

American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman said in a statement, "We encourage those developing a strategy on this issue with the goal of protecting our nation's farms and the American people to continue a dialogue with farmers and ranchers in order to ensure a successful outcome."

The Cattlemen's Beef Board will invest about $39 million into programs of beef promotion, research, consumer information, industry information, foreign marketing and producer communications in fiscal year 2015, if this week's recommendation of the Beef Promotion Operating Committee is approved by USDA, following review by the full Beef Board.


In action concluding its Sept. 16-17 meeting in Denver, the Operating Committee - including 10 members of the Beef Board and 10 members of the Federation of State Beef Councils - approved checkoff funding for a total of 18 "Authorization Requests," or proposals for checkoff funding, in the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, 2014. The committee also recommended full Beef Board approval of a budget amendment to reflect the split of funding between budget categories affected by their decisions.


"As both a producer and a checkoff leader, it's rewarding to see the tremendous efforts that go into responsible investment of producers' and importers' hard-earned dollars into solid checkoff programs that produce results," said Beef Board and Operating Committee Chairman Kim Brackett, a cattle producer from Idaho. "I am truly excited about the opportunities that we have before us as an industry and so pleased that we have our checkoff to take those on."


In the end, the Operating Committee approved proposals from eight national beef organizations for funding through the FY15 Cattlemen's Beef Board budget.  Click here to read out the proposals that were proposed and accepted this week.  

A representative of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association contends the beef checkoff is not broken, but it is underfunded. NCBA Past President and Wyoming dairy producer Scott George has been serving as a representative for NCBA in the beef checkoff enhancement working group. For the past three years the group has been meeting and discussing how to make the nation's beef checkoff better. George believes the checkoff is doing extremely well as indicated by a checkoff funded project that quantified producers return on investment from the checkoff.


"The beef checkoff is returning $11.20 for every dollar invested," George. "That is best return of any checkoff that I have ever heard of. So the program is working in my opinion very very well and quite honesty there are a lot of the groups in this group of 11 that have been meeting that feel that very way that this program is working very well. That we don't need to making any drastic changes, but we could make some tweeks that will help to be a little more efficient. No one has been opposing that."  


The beef checkoff enhancement working group has been making changes over the past three years. In the first meeting stakeholders shared their displeasure that organizations that came into existence after 1985 and they couldn't become contractors. George said the group agreed and US Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack made that change so now all these other ag organizations are eligible. While the policy allows newer organizations to become contractors of the checkoff, so far none of them have stepped forward. Click here to read or to listen to our interview where George addresses why some groups don't propose projects for checkoff funding. 

Milk is an essential part of a healthy diet, but thousands of Oklahomans are missing out in getting the important nutrients through milk. Unfortunately those in the greatest need can rarely get milk through their local food bank. Dairy Max Spokesperson Susan Allen said food bank recipients typically receive about one gallon of milk per year.


"Milk is actually one of the most requested items at a food bank, but its the most rarely given item at a food bank," Allen said.  


The state's dairy producers are working with Feeding America with a brand new program called the "Great American Milk Drive". Allen said this is a program to get milk into the homes of those who are hungry. By giving a small five dollar donation online or by texting, this creates a coupon for milk based on the donor's zip code. This donation is made to the closest food bank so a family can go in and receive a coupon to go get a fresh gallon of milk at the store.


"This project is just another great example of how dairy farmers have gotten behind a program to help other people and in this case its hungry Oklahomans," she said.

Click here to learn more on how to donate to the "Great American Milk Drive". At this link, you can listen to our full conversation with Allen about the Great American Milk Drive and other promotional efforts that Dairy Max has working on behalf of dairy farmers in central and western Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and southwest Kansas. 

AND- Susan Allen will be our featured 'In The Field' guest this Saturday morning. Watch our interview on KWTV, News9 at 6:40 am Saturday morning.  

National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) Chief Executive Officer John Larson testified Thursday at a House Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation, Energy and Forestry hearing examining "the benefits of promoting soil health in agriculture and rural America." In his remarks, Larson highlighted the role of soil and water conservation districts in both the history and the future of the national soil health movement.


"Conservation districts are proud to be leading the way in soil health," Larson said. "Without question, we believe that soil health is the key to the future productivity of agriculture and the protection of our natural resources."


The benefits of improved soil health reach far beyond the farm. Healthy soils lead to higher water quality, by allowing for better nutrient cycling and reducing sediment runoff; a better ability to manage water and reduce flood damage; and an increase in the amount of carbon sequestered in the soil itself.


Click here to learn more about how NACD and its member conservation districts and associations have been working hard to put a renewed national focus on soil health.  

The outlook for wheat prices is showing more downward potential. Oklahoma State University Grain Marketing Economist Dr. Kim Anderson said between now and May 2015 the nearby Kansas City Board of Trade nearby contract wheat price could get down to $4.25/bu. He is basing his outlook on the 2008 - 2009 marketing year and 2009 -2010 marketing year price trends and current corn price trends.


"If you look back at '08 and '09 the stocks to use ratio was somewhere around 28 - 29 percent," Anderson said. " In '09 - '10 it increased to up over 40 percent. Right now our stocks to use ratio is around that 27 - 28 percent and next year if we get this wheat planted good, we got moisture, looks like we're having a big crop, then we could follow the same price patterns or near the same patterns as we followed back in '08 - '09 and '09 - '10."


Next year's harvest will determine the outlook for prices. On OSU's SUNUP TV program Anderson tells Lyndall Stout that he has been predicting a cash price at $5.50 with a futures price at $6/bu. He said he is looking to lower that futures price down to around $5.50 and it could be as low $4.75. With a short crop the price could go as high as $6.25


If the US produces a large wheat crop coupled with a large world wheat crop, Anderson said then wheat prices could head down to $4.50 on the Kansas City wheat futures contract. In taking 50 cents off that price for the cash price farmers are looking at about $4/bu.    

Click here to read or to listen to the full interview including Anderson's recommendations in selecting a Farm Bill safety net program.  You will also find the full lineup for this Saturday's SUNUP program.

Coming Up- McAlester Stock Cow Sale, Caddo Research Station Tour Talking Peanuts and Cotton and Heart of America Farm Show 

The McAlester Stock Cow Sale is set for tomorrow- Saturday, September 20th- these folks will be selling over 750 head of Bred Cows, Pairs, Bred Heifers, Open Heifers and Bulls.

More details are here.  You can also call the McAlester Union Stockyards for info as well- 918-423-2834.

**********

They will be talking cotton and peanuts this coming Tuesday afternoon/evening in a Twilight edition of the Caddo Research Station Tour, starting at 4:30 pm, Tuesday, September 23rd.  Bring your peanut samples for hull blasting at 4:30- the wagons will roll about 5:30 pm for the actual tour to update you on peanut and cotton research at the Caddo Station. (Mostly peanut updates- but cotton specialist  Randy Boman will be on hand to discuss variety performance at this event) 

Our buddy Mike Kubicek and the Oklahoma Peanut Commission invite area farmers growing peanuts this year or thinking about adding them back into their rotation next year to come on out on Tuesday afternoon.

Here are the details of that event as found in our OklahomaFarmReport Calendar.

*********

The Heart of America Farm Show gets into ROAD GEAR today as the second day of the three day run begins at 9:00 AM this morning.  Our colleague and friend Travis Meyer from the News on 6 checked things out at the Show yesterday- and here's his report last night- We will be there today so stop by and say Howdy at the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network booth.  

And- Leslie Smith will be on hand tomorrow- so come out and meet our newest addition to our RON and Oklahoma Farm Report team!

Details are here from a story we did recently on the 2014 Show.