Agriculture News
NMPF, dairy co-ops agree to settle milk-price lawsuit
Capital Press | Posted on September 19, 2016National Milk Producers Federation and member dairy cooperatives have agreed to pay $52 million in a class action lawsuit alleging the Cooperatives Working Together herd-retirement program reduced the supply of milk, eliminated competition and artificially raised the price of milk and milk products to consumers. Plaintiffs claimed the program — which ran from 2003 to 2010 and paid dairy farmers to destroy their herds — was responsible for the removal of more than 500,000 cows and reduced the supply of milk by approximately 10 billion pounds, according to court records. The complaint cites studies by University of Missouri ag economist Scott Brown, commissioned by NMPF to analyze the CWT program, to allege the program was responsible for a cumulative increase in milk price revenue on the farm of $9.55 billion. The plaintiffs claimed violation of antitrust statutes and unjust enrichment and had sought a jury trial. The lawsuit was originally filed in September 2011 in U.S. District Court in Northern California. In Addition to NMPF, the lawsuit named Dairy Farmers of America, Land O’ Lakes, Dairylea and Agri-Mark — all dairy cooperatives that participated in the CWT program. Herd retirement was discontinued after 2010, but CWT retains an export assistance program.
Cooperation key to Idaho raw goat milk producers’ success
Capital Press | Posted on September 19, 2016Kami Jenkins describes her regional competitors in the raw goat milk industry as a second family — and a key reason why her sales continues to grow. She’s among about 10 small-scale raw goat milk producers in Eastern Idaho who have banded together to find strength in greater numbers. The competitors share advice, cooperate in breeding, sell each other excess milk to keep up with spikes in demand and even lend goats when someone’s business is really booming. Jenkins — who has 15 does and a single buck — said she may lend a goat to a competitor, or borrow one to bolster her supply — for anywhere from a few days to five months. “It gets us what we need because we all have milk clients, and we all need to keep up with demand,” Jenkins said. Jenkins sells handmade goat milk soap, lotion, cheese, wool and raw milk. She explained goat milk is an ideal fit for breast feeding mothers, and it can also be consumed by some clients with lactose intolerance.
Iowa Supreme Court Mulls Water Works Farm Drainage Lawsuit
Ag Web | Posted on September 19, 2016The Iowa Supreme Court heard arguments and must now decide whether to weigh in on a federal lawsuit that pits the water supplier to 500,000 central Iowa residents against upstream farmers accused of contaminating rivers with nitrates from crop fertilizer. The case was filed by Des Moines Water Works, which is asking the court to decide whether agriculture drainage districts have immunity from lawsuits and whether the water utility can seek monetary damages. Water Works says it spent $1.5 million last year alone to remove nitrate from water to meet federal health standards. The utility draws water from the Raccoon and Skunk rivers, which have sometimes in recent years exceeded the 10 milligrams per liter considered safe to drink by the Environmental Protection Agency. Water Works sued three northwest Iowa counties that oversee 10 agricultural drainage districts. The lawsuit is seeking to overturn a century of legal precedent that has protected the drainage systems from lawsuits. But this is the first time the courts have had to consider the public health impact of pollution sent downstream by the drainage systems, said Des Moines Water Works attorney John Lande.
NRDC petitions FDA to withdraw approval of animal antibiotics
Agri-Pulse | Posted on September 19, 2016The Natural Resources Defense Council, Center for Science in the Public Interest, Earthjustice, Food Animal Concerns Trust, Public Citizen, U.S. Public Interest Research Group, and California Public Interest Research Group submit this petition under section 512(e) of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360b(e), to request that the Commissioner of Food and Drugs withdraw approval of the use of medically important antibiotics in livestock and poultry for disease-prevention or growth-promotion purposes.
Independent Seed Companies Facing Consolidation and Economic Challenges
Hoosier Ag Today | Posted on September 19, 2016There was a time when most seed companies were local and family-owned. Today, global corporations dominate the seed business. As a result, family-owned, seed operations are facing some tough challenges. The Dow DuPont merger, the Syngenta buyout, and the proposed Monsanto Bayer merger are changing the nature of the seed business. How are small family companies surviving? Scott Beck, with Beck’s Hybrids, says the mega-mergers will not impact what they can offer their customers, “We have good relationships with all of the major suppliers and our agreements will move with them when they merge or are bought out.” He does not think the globalization of the seed industry will change what Beck’s is able to offer.
Assessment Matrix valuable tool for Nebraska livestock siting
Nebraska.gov | Posted on September 19, 2016Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) Director Greg Ibach, in consultation with an appointed committee, has approved a matrix designed to assist local officials in evaluating livestock siting applications. The development of the assessment matrix is a result of LB 106 which was passed by the Nebraska Legislature and signed by the Governor in 2015. Under the bill, NDA was directed to create the assessment matrix based on input from a committee appointed by the NDA director. The committee is comprised of representatives from several entities involved in zoning and livestock development, including producers and county officials. “The evaluation guidelines in the matrix are based on sound science, professional expertise and personal experiences from people who have a lot of knowledge about this process,” said Director Ibach. “Livestock development is critical to the state’s agricultural industry. It adds value to the millions of bushels of feed grains we produce annually. I urge counties to consider utilizing the matrix as another tool to aid in the locally-controlled siting process.”
Mapping the Farm Bill: Farm and Farm Operators
Farm Doc Daily | Posted on September 19, 2016According to the 2012 Census of Agriculture, the United States is home to 2,109,303 farms. The Census defines a farm as any place from which $1,000 or more of agricultural products were produced and sold, or normally would have been sold, in the reference year. The distribution of farms across Congressional districts (114thCongress) is shown in Figure 1. As expected, farms are heavily concentrated in the Great Plains, Midwest, and Mississippi Delta regions. As we discussed previously, the traditional farm coalition is comprised of three major commodities: corn, cotton, and wheat. We used recent USDA production information to identify the widest possible political footprint of each of these three commodities. That included every county in a Congressional district that contains at least some portion identified as a major production county for the crop. In sum, the entire coalition spans 152 Congressional Districts. According to the Census, the Congressional districts within that traditional coalition are home to approximately 63% of U.S. farms (1,333,289 farms). The number of farms, however, is only one part of the picture for the farm coalition. Each farm recorded in the Census likely impacts the livelihood of several individuals. All of politics eventually boils down to votes and voters; therefore, a fuller picture of the political strength of the farm coalition requires an indication of the potential voters in the footprint. Accordingly, we examine the distribution of farm operators by Congressional district as a measure of potential votes in Figure 2.
EPA: Glyphosate Not Carcinogenic
DTN | Posted on September 19, 2016Glyphosate is likely not carcinogenic to humans, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says, again, in an issue paper posted to a federal regulatory website. The paper's release comes ahead of a scientific advisory panel meeting scheduled to run from Oct. 18 to Oct. 21 in Washington, D.C. The paper, titled "Glyphosate Issue Paper: Evaluation of Carcinogenic Potential," is a 227-page document outlining the voluminous studies examined by EPA to this point on the cancer-causing potential of the herbicide.
A conversation on animal welfare
Meat + Poultry | Posted on September 15, 2016More than ever, consumers care about not only where their food comes from, but how and under what conditions the animals in the food system are raised. A 2013 American Humane Association poll showed 89 percent of consumers surveyed stated they were very concerned about animal welfare with 74 percent willing to pay more for humanely raised meat, dairy and eggs. Participants of the survey also ranked humanely raised food the highest in importance over organic, natural and antibiotic-free.
Contest aims to highlight agriculture start-ups in Michigan's Thumb
Detroit Free Press | Posted on September 15, 2016Craft food and beverage makers in Michigan's Thumb area will soon compete for a $2,000 prize to help fund their new business. The I-69 Thumb Region Catapult Your Craft Food and Beverage Business Competition will start with a local competition, before winners move on to a regional competition that includes seven counties. The regional competition will award $5,000 to the first place winner. It's targeted at businesses like breweries, wineries, distilleries, candy makers, popcorn makers, honey producers and meat processors, said Dan Casey, director of the Economic Development Alliance of St. Clair County.