Ohio Farmers Union

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United to Grow Family Agriculture Since 1934

Petition to USDA to Adjust Regional Farm Milk Prices

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A special alert from the NFU:

Several dairy organizations are circulating a petition to USDA to convene a national federal milk order pricing hearing in response to severe reductions to net income for dairy farmers in recent months. USDA has statutory powers to enforce emergency milk prices and the current situation calls for action. The petition urges the Secretary to act and a long list of signatories will help to encourage USDA to assert its authority. Please read the “September 3, 2012-Petition…” document for further clarification.

Please consider signing on as an individual by completing the attached petition form and sending it to dana.coale@ams.usda.gov. Another attachment is also included to collect signatures. Both forms are below as downloadable links.

Petition Form

Petition Signatures Form

 

Ohioan among new appointees to United Soybean Board

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Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack named Ohio’s John B. Motter along with sixteen others to the United Soybean Board this morning.

“These appointees represent a cross section of the soybean industry and I am confident that they will serve the soybean producers well,” said Vilsack.

The 69-member board is authorized by the Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act. The Secretary selected the appointees from soybean producers nominated by Qualified State Soybean Boards. All appointees will serve 3-year terms beginning December 2012.

Research and promotion programs are industry-funded, authorized by Congress, and date back to 1966, when Congress passed the Cotton Research and Promotion Act. Since then, Congress has authorized the establishment of 20 research and promotion boards. They empower farmers and ranchers to leverage their own resources to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets, and conduct important research and promotion activities. AMS provides oversight, paid for by industry assessments, which ensures fiscal responsibility, program efficiency and fair treatment of participating stakeholders.

How does the USDA disaster declaration process work?

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For the past several weeks, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has announced dozens or even hundreds of additional counties across the U.S. that have been declared primary drought disaster areas. What’s it mean? If you’re a farmer worried about crop loss or early livestock sales, can you get help?

An agricultural disaster declaration for your county – or a county adjacent to yours – means that USDA guaranteed, low-interest emergency loans will be available to help farmers and ranchers meet cashflow requirements in the face of lost crops or livestock. The loan program is administered through USDA’s Farm Service Agency, meaning you can assistance at the state or local level. Farmers and ranchers in declared counties can get help. In some cases, there may be FSA emergency programs available in addition to the emergency loans.

[Read more…]

USDA $170 million meat purchase to help farmers and ranchers affected by drought

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USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said Monday that the Obama Administration remains committed to pulling out all the stops for U.S. farmers and ranchers affected by the drought and followed up with an announced purchase of $170 million in meat products.

The purchase will include pork, poultry, lamb and fish. USDA hopes it will help producers having difficulty raising livestock in drought conditions. The meat purchases will go to the nation’s food banks, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and other U.S. safety net programs that fight hunger.

“President Obama and I will continue to take swift action to get help to America’s farmers and ranchers through this difficult time,” said Vilsack. “These purchases will assist pork, catfish, chicken and lamb producers who are currently struggling due to challenging market conditions and the high cost of feed resulting from the widespread drought. The purchases will help mitigate further downward prices, stabilize market conditions, and provide high quality, nutritious food to recipients of USDA’s nutrition programs.”

USDA’s intention is to purchase up to $100 million of pork products, up to $10 million of catfish products, up to $50 million in chicken products, and up to $10 million of lamb products. Through the Emergency Surplus Removal Program, USDA can use Section 32 funds to purchase meat and poultry products to assist farmers and ranchers who have been affected by natural disasters. The pork, lamb and catfish purchases are based on analyses of current market conditions. A major factor affecting livestock producers is the value of feed, which is currently running high because of the drought.

In Ohio, USDA’s Merrigan announces new opportunity for small meat and poultry producers

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USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan in Columbus, Ohio. August 2012

Ohio’s small, state inspected meat and poultry processors got some good news from USDA last Thursday — their market is expanding.

While speaking at a conference on farm and food issues sponsored by U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan made some news by announcing the agency’s new Interstate Shipment Program. Under the program, smaller, state inspected processors who were formerly not able to ship their products outside the state will be able to ship across state lines.

Where the market for a sausage maker, specialty poultry product producer or other meat or poultry processor was just the state of Ohio prior to the program, it’s now the entire United States.

“This agreement allows a small processor in Ohio to sell products to neighbors in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Indiana, and beyond,” said Deputy Secretary Merrigan. “Expanding market opportunities for meat from local processors makes these small businesses more viable, while also ensuring that participating establishments have robust food safety systems in place to produce safe food for consumers.”

“With one out of every seven jobs in Ohio tied to agriculture, today’s announcement means bolstering Ohio’s agricultural economy and connecting Ohio’s rural businesses with new opportunities across state lines,” Brown said.

Under the cooperative agreement, small, state-inspected businesses with 25 or fewer employees will be allowed to sell meat products across state lines. Meat products produced in selected establishments will be subject to the same regulatory sampling programs as those established in the Federal inspection program.

The Cooperative Interstate Shipment Program was established by the 2008 Farm Bill. In 2011, USDA finalized regulations to allow state employees to administer federal regulations and use federal marks of inspection at selected establishments. Prior to the establishment of this program, state-inspected businesses could only sell products within their state.

State-inspected establishments interested in shipping interstate should contact their state’s meat inspection program. In addition, USDA will shortly publish a directive detailing how states and small businesses can join the Cooperative Interstate Shipment Program. The USDA’s Small Plant Help Desk is also available to help small meat businesses understand regulatory requirements. The Help Desk can be reached between 8am and 4pm EST, Monday through Friday, at 1-877-FSISHelp.

Ohio getting federal funding to fight Asian Longhorned Beetle

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Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the availability of $14.8 million in funding to prevent the spread of the Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) in Ohio.

“The USDA, together with our partners in Ohio, is working hard to contain and eradicate the Asian longhorned beetle from Clermont County,” Vilsack said. “With this funding, USDA reinforces our shared goal of stopping this destructive pest and protecting as many trees as possible. The additional funds will allow for an increased effort in fighting the beetle and help prevent the beetle from spreading to surrounding areas.”

The additional funding will be used to increase tree inspection surveys in order to determine the extent of the infestation and ensure the timely removal of infested trees.

[Read more…]

CRP Lands: Emergency Haying and Grazing for all Ohio counties

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Ohio Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced additional drought relief for Ohio’s livestock producers today. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack authorized the release of emergency haying and grazing lands for all Ohio counties for certain practices and acres enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).

USDA will allow acres under CRP to be used for haying or grazing under emergency conditions, for the following approve practices: Permanent Grasses and Native Grasses, Permanent Wildlife Habitat Noneasement, and Vegetative Cover (Grass) already established, the following practices are not eligible for haying and grazing Water Ways and acreage under the SAFE program. This will allow lands that are not yet classified as “under severe drought” but that are “abnormally dry” to be used for haying and grazing. This will increase available forage for livestock.

[Read more…]

USDA: Macro picture could be worse …

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Although it’s cold comfort if your corn is dying or you’ve been feeding hay to grass fed beef for 6 weeks this summer, the USDA released this infographic to basically say: “It could be worse.”

The department says this is the greatest environmental challenge to U.S. agriculture since 1988, but that advances over the ensuing years have made the industry more resilient. Perhaps this message is aimed more at consumers. Leave a comment and tell us your thoughts in the comments. (Click the graphic for a full-size, pdf version.)

 

U.S. Drought Facts and Resources

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According to the USDA’s Economic Research Service, 62 percent of U.S. farms are now affected by drought conditions which stretch across the country from Rhode Island to California in the continental U.S. and includes most of Hawaii.

In Ohio there are currently four counties in the state’s northwest corner with USDA drought designation: Williams, Defiance, Paulding and Van Wert. Ohio’s four counties are listed as “contiguous designations” as they are adjacent to four counties in Indiana which are counties with “primary” designations.

The ERS says on its website that it’s impossible to say exactly how much food prices will be impacted by the drought, but does say based on past experience and how inputs move through our system of food that consumers can expect the following:

  • Beef, pork, poultry and dairy prices will likely begin to be impacted in two months. Packaged and processed foods with corn and soybean inputs could take 10 to 12 months for full price impacts.
  • When herds are culled during droughts, there could be some short-term price reductions in certain meat products due to increased short-term supply.
  • Historically, if the farm price of corn increases 50 percent, then retail food prices as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increases by 0.5 to 1 percent. More generally, as an overall commodity price index increases, about 14 to 15 percent of that increase is passed on to retail prices for products that use that commodity as an ingredient.
  • Based on 2010 data 2/3 of U.S. crops and 2/3 of U.S. livestock are in drought areas.

A few online resources

  1. The USDA’s Drought Page – contains the latest news releases and other information from USDA focusing on agency actions and farmer assistance due to the drought.
  2. The U.S. Drought Monitor – is a multi-agency effort focused on recording the drought levels and severity across the U.S. The map on this page is related the severity of drought, not whether a particular county has been designated by USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack or any other official as in an emergency or other special status.
  3. The National Drought Mitigation Center – focuses on drought impacts and the science of droughts.
  4. The Office of the State Climatologist for Ohio – contains many links to climate and weather-related information regarding Ohio.
  5. Ohio Dept. of Agriculture Drought Information Page – contains links to information including SBA loan information for those affected by the drought.
  6. OSU Extension – Managing the Drought of 2012 – tons of information and links covering farm and home topics.

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Ohio Farmers Union
P.O. Box 363
1011 N. Defiance Street
Ottawa, Ohio 45875
Phone: (419) 523-5300
Toll Free: (800) 321-3671