House Agriculture Committee Passes GMO Labeling Bill on Voice Vote- Proponents Hope for Floor Vote Soon

On a voice vote, the House Agriculture Committee Tuesday approved H.R. 1599, the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act of 2015. First introduced by Reps. Mike Pompeo (R-KS) and G.K. Butterfield (D-NC), the legislation has evolved through bipartisan discussions between the Agriculture Committee and the Energy and Commerce Committee. The latest draft instructs the FDA to write definitions for what a "natural" food is- and requires that GMO free milk include the stipulation that the cows producing the milk be fed GMO free feed stuffs. 

It is expected that the Energy and Commerce Committee will waive their right to consider the bill within Committee- setting up a possible House vote as early as this month before the August recess.

Chairman Mike Conaway said in a statement "I appreciate the collaborative efforts of the Energy and Commerce Committee in getting this bipartisan legislation completed and approved today. H.R. 1599 is the solution to an urgent and growing problem. The current patchwork system of varied labels interferes with the free flow of goods across the country, posing a real threat to interstate commerce and typically results in inconsistent and confusing information for consumers. 

"Creating a uniform national policy regarding biotechnology labeling is the free market solution that will allow consumers access to meaningful information, create market opportunities for those on the production and processing side, and will facilitate future innovation,:


"Consumers increasingly want to know more about where their food comes from and how it is produced. I think H.R. 1599 satisfies that demand while also recognizing what we know about the safety of the foods that our farmers produce. The bill is a workable solution that will alleviate the potential mess of 50 states with 50 different labeling schemes," said Ranking Member Peterson.


Click here for more information, including the text of the amendment in the nature of a substitute, Chairman Conaway's opening statement, and the archived webcast.
 

American Farm Bureau's President Bob Stallman Announces Departure in January

American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman announced Tuesday that he will not seek reelection in January 2016 following 16 years at the helm of the nation's largest, most influential general farm organization. Stallman, a cattle and rice producer from Columbus, Texas, is the 11th president during AFBF's almost 97-year history.


"It has been a tremendous honor to serve the nation's Farm Bureau members and represent agriculture and rural America," Stallman said. "After 16 years as AFBF president, six as Texas Farm Bureau president and several more in other Farm Bureau roles, it is time to hand over the reins of leadership-a decision that is made easier by knowing the great leadership and foundation that exist to continue moving Farm Bureau forward. I am as optimistic as ever about the future of American agriculture and Farm Bureau.


"On the wall of the AFBF office is a quote by President Thomas Jefferson: 'Agriculture is our wisest pursuit because it will in the end contribute most to real wealth, good morals and happiness.' I couldn't agree more, and I would add that a most rewarding pursuit is working for the men and women who make up American agriculture. I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to do so."


Click here to read more about Stallman's accomplishments during his presidency. 

New OSU Economist Says Beef Demand Central to Profitability for Cattlemen and Price Outlook

Cattle producers are enjoying better prices and better profitability than they have seen in years. Speaking at the Beef Improvement Federation annual convention in June, Oklahoma State University Ag Economics Professor John Michael Riley share how the linchpin for profitability has been the outstanding demand for beef over the last couple of years. In spite of the high prices, U.S. beef demand is growing and that makes him less timid about where prices are going.


"The fact that producers and industry participants have made the strides to get out of that steep decline that we were experiencing in the 80's and 90's and to get into a state of increase is just absolutely fabulous," Riley said.


Excellent beef demand is supporting high cattle prices and providing cattle producers with an opportunity to make money. Although producers with high variable costs are able to make money with current market prices, historically they would be eliminated. In order to be a low-cost operation and receive the highest incentives on a dollar value basis, producers should aim well below their break-even point. Regardless of management practices, he said the market is offering producers an incentive to continue producing beef cattle and an incentive to grow their herd. 

I featured Riley on our latest Beef Buzz, as heard on great radio stations across the southern great plains. Click or tap here to listen to this feature.  

Weather Tests the Winter Hardiness of K-State/OSU Canola Variety Trials in 2015

More than 75 producers turned out for the 11th annual winter canola conference on Tuesday in Enid, Oklahoma. Kansas State University Canola Breeder Mike Stamm presented the results of this year's variety plots in Oklahoma and Kansas. He said the plots in Oklahoma turned out well.


"Yields that were anywhere from about 25 bushel to the acre to approaching 60 bushel to the acre, just depending on the environment and where those locations were and we saw good performance from both the Roundup Ready products that have been grown for a number of years now and some of the conventional hybrids that are becoming more and more popular in the region," Stamm said.


Meanwhile, the plots in Kansas had the roughest year in the past 25 years of the K-State canola breeding program. Kansas had very warm conditions last fall and the crop was growing very rapidly and there was no acclimation period to colder weather. Stamm said a cold snap in November hurt the crop when temperatures went from 70 degrees to about 17 degrees in 24 hours and then it stayed cold for the next week.


"In those kind of temperatures on a crop that is not acclimated to cold temperatures can be very detrimental and in some cases that one cold event caused significant damage to the crop," Stamm said. 


Radio Oklahoma Network's Leslie Smith caught up with Mike Stamm at the Canola Conference in Enid. Click or tap here to listen. 


The results of the K-State and OSU variety trials will be available online at www.canola.okstate.edu. 

Stewardship of Antimicrobial Use in Livestock Focus of 12 Workshops

Stewardship of medically-important antimicrobial drugs in food-producing animals is the focus of 12 workshops organized across the United States by Farm Foundation, NFP.


These regional workshops are an opportunity for livestock producers, their feed suppliers and veterinarians to gain a comprehensive understanding of two Guidance for Industry (GFIs) issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding the use of medically- important antimicrobial drugs in food-producing animals, as well as the FDA's revised Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) rule. The workshops are also an opportunity for other stakeholders, such as state and federal agencies, colleges of veterinary medicine and university extension personnel, to gain insights into the changes needed to meet the requirements.


Successful adaptation to the policy changes is critical to public and animal health, ensuring consumer confidence in food safety and the future viability of animal agriculture in the United States. "The success of achieving this goal--for both public health and the economic health of animal agriculture--hinges on producers having access to the information they need to adjust production practices, and the capacity of veterinarians to provide the additional oversight needed," says Farm Foundation President Neil Conklin.


The workshops will be Aug. 14 in Raleigh, NC; Aug. 18, Dover, DE; Aug. 20, Albany, NY; Aug. 25, Birmingham, AL; Sept. 9, Flagstaff, AZ; Sept. 11, Amarillo, TX; Sept. 16, Ames, IA; Sept. 28, Denver, CO; Oct. 6, Davis, CA; Oct. 13, Rapid City, SD; Oct. 15, Twin Falls, ID; and Oct. 22, Lexington, KY. Click here to read more.  

This N That - Big 3 Underway, Big Iron Wednesday and Cattlemen Gather

The mid July tradition of the Big 3 is underway in Stillwater at the Totusek Animal Science Arena at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater- yesterday the spotlight was on sheep evaluation- today, it's Beef Cattle and Thursday will be reserved for the hogs.  

Click here for details about the event- designed to help 4-H and FFA members learn how to evaluate a group of animals- and then how they can defend those choices in the reasons they are learning to give.  

********** 

It's Wednesday- and that means the Big Iron folks will be busy closing out this week's auction items - all 202 items consigned.  Bidding will start at 10 AM central time.                

Click Here for the complete rundown of what is being sold on this no reserve online sale this week.

If you'd like more information on buying and selling with Big Iron, call District Manager Mike Wolfe at 580-320-2718 and he can give you the full scoop.  You can also reach Mike via email by clicking or tapping here.  

**********