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Monday,
July
26
DEMAND
FOR U.S. BEEF IMPROVING RAPIDLY IN
A major South Korean
supermarket chain recently
launched a promotion for U.S.
T-bone steaks in 85 stores. This
marks the first time this cut has
been offered in the retail sector
since
The U.S. Meat Export
Federation (USMEF), with support
from the beef checkoff, began
promoting high-end steaks to South
Korean retailers several months
ago. Part of the promotion
involved USMEF hosting nine
representatives from Lotte Mart
for a tour of the
“Lotte Mart will focus on
increasing sales of T-bone steaks
with consistent in-store
promotions such as intensive
tasting demonstrations at
high-demand outlets and
distributing a steak recipe
brochure to help consumers know
how to prepare the product,”
said Ji-young Yoon, the
company’s imported meat
merchandiser.
Through May, # # # COMMENT
PERIOD EXTENDED ON CONTROVERSIAL
GIPSA RULES
USDA has responded to
requests from NCBA, the National
Pork Producers Council, Congress
and other ag interests to extend
the comment period on
controversial livestock marketing
rules proposed by the Grain
Inspection, Packers and Stockyards
Administration (GIPSA). The
comment period will be extended
until November 22 on proposed
rules that will make major changes
in how ranchers and feeders can
market their cattle.
NCBA Vice President of
Government Affairs Colin Woodall
said the extension will give
industry stakeholders additional
time to analyze this complex rule
and its potential implications on
the beef sector.
“On the surface, this
rule has the potential to take the
beef industry back 30 years by
stifling the innovative efforts of
U.S. cattle producers to add value
and enhance the quality and safety
of their products for consumers in
the United States and abroad,”
said Woodall.
The USDA GIPSA proposal is
a result of language in the 2008
Farm Bill requiring the agency to
conduct rulemaking that
“improves fairness in the
marketing of livestock and
poultry.” Industry analysts,
including legal counsel for KLA,
suggest the GIPSA rule goes much
further than congressional intent.
Cattle producers will have
several opportunities, starting
this week, to hear more about the
proposal and provide input. A
special policy forum Friday (7/30)
at the NCBA Summer Conference in
The GIPSA rule likely will
be addressed during a livestock
industry competition workshop
hosted next month by USDA and the
U.S. Department of Justice. NCBA
and KLA members will provide input
during the August 27 event at # # # U.S. REPRESENTATIVES CONCERNED WITH GIPSA PROPOSAL
Members
of
a
U.S.
House
agriculture
subcommittee
expressed
deep
concern
with
USDA’s
proposed
rule
on
livestock
and
poultry
contracts
and
marketing
arrangements.
The
regulation
would
limit
pork
producers’
options
in
selling
pigs
to
processors,
according
to
the
National
Pork
Producers
Council
(NPPC). # # # PROPOSED
GIPSA RULES DRAW FIRE FROM NCBA,
CONGRESS
NCBA
Vice President of Government Affairs
Colin Woodall says ranchers and
feeders ultimately would be hurt by
sweeping changes USDA is proposing
in the Packers and Stockyards Act.
He said the requirement for packers
to report and justify contractual
purchases from cattle producers
could result in packers taking a
position of risk avoidance by
discontinuing marketing agreements
with producers.
Marketing
agreements are the foundation for
producer financing and
profitability. Without these
agreements, which cover about 60% of
the beef marketed, all cattle would
be valued on the average, regardless
of quality, resulting in a generic
market and generic product.
“History
has proven generic products do not
meet consumer demand,” said
Woodall. “Without consumer demand,
prices to producers fall.”
Earlier
this week, a bipartisan group of
U.S. House members expressed deep
concern with the marketing rules
proposed by USDA. U.S.
Reps. David Scott (D-GA) and Randy
Neugebauer (R-TX), the chairman and
ranking member, respectively, of the
House Agriculture Committee’s
Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry
Subcommittee, said during a July 20
hearing they are troubled the
proposed rule amending the Packers
& Stockyards Act (PSA) goes
beyond the congressional intent of
the 2008 Farm Bill. House
Agriculture Committee Chairman
Collin Peterson (D-MN), who attended
the hearing, and other subcommittee
members also voiced concerns with
the broad scope of the rule and its
likely adverse effects on the
livestock and poultry industries. # # # Friday, July 23
STUDY
FINDS BENEFITS OF ORGANIC OVERHYPED
BY NEWSPAPERS
News
reports about organic food are
likely to be favorable and
inaccurately claim organic items are
safer than conventionally produced
food, according to media analysis
conducted by Kansas State University
Associate Professor of Food Safety
Doug Powell. He and two other
colleagues conducting the study from
1999 to 2004 found 41.4% of the
articles had a neutral tone toward
organic agriculture and food, 36.9%
had a positive tone, 15.5% were
mixed and only 6.1% were negative.
The study explored how organic food
and organic agriculture topics
were covered in 618 articles
appearing in five North American
newspapers. Researchers also found
50% of food safety statements in
news articles about organic
agriculture were positive, while 81%
of the health statements and 90% of
the environmental statements were
positive. According to Powell, this
indicates an “uncritical press.” “Organic agriculture was often portrayed in the media as an alternative to allegedly unsafe and environmentally damaging modern agriculture practices,” said Powell. # # # |
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