I recently spoke with KFLP's Tony St. James regarding several hot Texas agriculture issues.
We talked about TDA's boll weevil program, Country of Origin Labeling, the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act and how these issues are affecting Texas farmers and ranchers.
Click here to listen to the interview.
Showing posts with label COOL. Show all posts
Showing posts with label COOL. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Tangible evidence the market responds
An East Texas friend of mine was pretty upset (most Texans get this way pretty quickly when the federal government tries to impose a mandate on them) when our federal government proposed to mandate a national animal identification system and when they mandated Country of Origin Labeling, referred to as COOL. My initial thought was this: if consumers want their food sources verified, they will demonstrate it through their buying preferences.
A recent article found in the on-line version of cattlenetwork provides tangible proof the market will respond without Washington imposing a costly and certainly burdensome system. Because of an international market demand and trade agreement with Japan, U.S. Premium Beef is offering an age and source verification premium on cattle. Notice the theme in the drivers behind that decision? Answer: the market.
A recent article found in the on-line version of cattlenetwork provides tangible proof the market will respond without Washington imposing a costly and certainly burdensome system. Because of an international market demand and trade agreement with Japan, U.S. Premium Beef is offering an age and source verification premium on cattle. Notice the theme in the drivers behind that decision? Answer: the market.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Listening session on Animal ID System held in Austin
Let your voice be heard! In Austin, on Wednesday, May 20, USDA will host a listening session to gather public opinion on the future of animal identification and traceability in the United States.
The animal ID system is designed to enable producers and animal health officials to respond quickly to disease outbreaks. The system is created to pinpoint the source of disease within 48 hours, contain its spread and track infected animals. Read more about it here.
According to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, even after a five-year effort to create the animal identification system, many producers are still uneasy with the program because of additional costs related to the new system and what they believe is government infringement on their operations.
Keep in mind, USDA could act on this issue very soon, so don’t miss the chance to voice your thoughts. The session runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. this Wednesday at the Embassy Suites Hotel, located at 5901 N IH-35, in Ballrooms C, D, and E. For more information on the public feedback sessions, click here.
The animal ID system is designed to enable producers and animal health officials to respond quickly to disease outbreaks. The system is created to pinpoint the source of disease within 48 hours, contain its spread and track infected animals. Read more about it here.
According to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, even after a five-year effort to create the animal identification system, many producers are still uneasy with the program because of additional costs related to the new system and what they believe is government infringement on their operations.
Keep in mind, USDA could act on this issue very soon, so don’t miss the chance to voice your thoughts. The session runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. this Wednesday at the Embassy Suites Hotel, located at 5901 N IH-35, in Ballrooms C, D, and E. For more information on the public feedback sessions, click here.
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