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| News from Around the Farm Worl |
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| Canadian cattle over 30 months to be allowed into U.S.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) — Canadian cattle over 30 months of age will be allowed into the U.S. market starting Nov. 19, USDA said Friday in expanding its policy on Mad Cow disease.
In May 2003, the discovery of an Alberta cow with Mad Cow caused the United States to slam the border shut to cattle imports from Canada. The border between the world’s largest trade partners reopened for Canadian beef from younger cattle within months of the original ban. Live cattle under the age of 30 months have been allowed to move across the border since July 2005.
Bruce Knight, undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs, said the change is firmly based in science and ensures that U.S. regulators will protect the country against the disease.
Eating meat products contaminated with Mad Cow, known scientifically as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, has been linked to more than 150 human deaths, mostly in Britain, from variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
There have been three cases of Mad Cow disease in the U.S. The first, in December 2003 in Washington state, was in a cow that had been imported from Canada. The second, in 2005, was in a Texas-born cow. The third was confirmed last year in an Alabama cow. There have been 10 cases of Mad Cow in Canada.
North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson said cattle producers should be “deeply disappointed” by the decision.
“Until Canada can prove that they are strictly enforcing the proper safeguards, it is risky to allow these higher risk animals into the U.S.,” he said in a statement. “Infected Canadian animals have already been responsible for millions of dollars in lost U.S. exports.
“USDA should take all steps to immediately and fully implement mandatory, country-of-origin labeling to avoid weakening our standards on Canadian beef imports,” he said.
Hearing scheduled for Illinois soybean marketing referendum
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — As a result of petitions filed by soybean producers throughout the state, Illinois Agriculture Director Chuck
Hartke has scheduled a public hearing for Illinois soybean producers to submit their views and opinions regarding a proposed soybean checkoff referendum.
The hearing will be held Sept. 26, beginning at 11 a.m. in Room 66 of the Illinois Department of Agriculture’s (IDOA) administration building on the fairgrounds in Springfield.
Since 1991, the soybean checkoff program has been governed by a nationally-legislated rate of one-half of one percent per bushel and checkoff dollars have not been collected under the state marketing program. The proposed amendment would change the state rate from one cent per bushel assessed to one-half of one percent of the selling price of each bushel assessed.
The proposed change in the underlying state program would not go into effect unless the national program ceases operation. There would not be two assessments collected and producers would not experience any change in the rate they currently pay.
The proposed amendment allows the state rate to match the national rate so that if the national program were terminated, producers and first purchasers would have a smoother transition to the state program.
Pursuant to the Soybean Marketing Act, Hartke has named a temporary operating committee consisting of seven Illinois soybean producers: Mike Cunningham of Bismarck, Ken Dalenberg of Mansfield, Pat Dumoulin of Hampshire, David Hartke of Teutopolis, Ron Moore of Roseville, Ross Prough of Greenfield and Steve Scates of Shawneetown.
The committee will review all comments presented. If it approves the proposed amendment, IDOA will hold a referendum on the proposed amendment within 90 days. Producers of soybeans are eligible to vote in the referendum.
Copies of the proposed amendment to the marketing program are available through the IDOA Marketing and Promotion office. Those unable to attend the hearing may submit written comments by Sept. 24 to the Director of Agriculture, P.O. Box 19281, Springfield, Ill. 62794-9281.
Breeder files for Chapter 11
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — A top thoroughbred breeder in Kentucky has filed for bankruptcy protection, listing nearly $70 million in debts and more than 300 creditors.
ClassicStar LLC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Friday in Lexington. Many of its top creditors were investors who are suing the company. Former investors have sued ClassicStar, ClassicStar Farms and parent company GeoStar in five states over its mare lease program. The lawsuits claim that ClassicStar improperly diverted investors’ money.
ClassicStar, which has two farms in Versailles, has been accused of defrauding investors of more than $500 million and has been sued in Kentucky and Utah federal courts. Some lawsuits claim the company inflated the value of its mares, leased more mares than it owned and tried to substitute cutting horses for thoroughbreds.
According to court records, the IRS raided ClassicStar’s offices in February 2006 as it conducted a criminal probe into its breeding operation, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported. No criminal charges have been filed.
Cruelty charges dismissed against 4-H queen’s family
LAPEER, Mich. (AP) — Felony animal abuse charges have been dismissed against an Imlay Township family.
The Flint Journal says Mark and Ellen Mills, and their son, Andrew, still face misdemeanor charges of failure to provide animals with adequate care. They also face charges for improper animal burial and having an unlicensed dog. Seven dead lambs, a dead horse and three undernourished dogs had been removed in March from their farm.
A district judge says no abuse or neglect had been proven.
The couple’s daughter, Kate, had been cleared earlier in the case because she wasn’t home during the alleged abuse. Kate Mills originally had been stripped of her title as Oakland County’s 4-H Queen, but it later was reinstated.
University bans eating contest
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The University of Iowa is taking a stand for healthy lifestyles. It has canceled an annual corn-on-the-cob eating contest, saying it sends the wrong message with the number of obese Americans on the rise. “Promoting eating contests is the same as promoting gluttony,” said Phillip Jones, vice president of student services.
The contest was part of the annual “Beat State Week” celebration leading up to the Iowa-Iowa State football game on Saturday. But Jones asked his staff to veto eating contests. He said events that promote overeating contrast the “educational position” the university has taken.
This farm news was published in the Sept. 19, 2007 issue of Farm World, serving Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan and Tennessee. |
| 9/19/2007 |
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