Farm and Dairy Newspaper 12-24-2020

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Meat processing bills gain steam, but labor an issue By Ra chel Wagoner

rachel@farmanddairy.com

Lawmakers are trying to help the bottlenecked meat processing industry, but will it be enough to help packers catch up with demand? Policy fixes are good, but above all else what meat processors need is help with labor, say meat science specialists with Ohio State University and Pennsylvania State University. “The core issue and solution is labor,” said Lyda Garcia, meat extension specialist in fresh meats at Ohio State University. “The other pieces are important, but without workers, you’re left up a creek.” Local processing. Republican Sen. John Thune, of South Dakota, and Oregon Democrat Sen. Jeff Merkley introduced the Strengthening Local Processing Act, Dec. 18, the same bill introduced in the house by Democratic Rep. Chellie

Pingree, of Maine, and Nebraska Republican Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, in September. The Strengthening Local Processing Act would do a couple of things. First, it would increase the federal government’s cost-share for state meat and poultry inspection programs from 50% to 65% to encourage more states to start their own inspection programs. There are 27 states operating their own meat inspection programs, including Ohio. Second, it would create two grant programs. One, funded at $10 million annually, would be for small processing plants to help with costs to meet state or federal inspection requirements or to expand to increase harvest or processing capacity. The other program, also to be funded at $10 million annually, would be to train butchers, plant operators and (Continued on Page A1 8 )

Ohio bill creates state watershed program By Sarah Donaldson

sarah@farmanddairy.com

Ohio lawmakers recently passed a bill that legislators and groups involved in water quality efforts say is an important step forward for the state. Near the end of the legislative session, Dec. 17, House Bill 7 passed its final vote. It heads to Gov. Mike DeWine’s desk now. As the state approaches the end of the H2Ohio program’s first year, supporters say the bill will create more infrastructure for monitoring and managing those efforts. The bill establishes a State Watershed Planning and Management Program. As part of this program, the director of agriculture will categorize watersheds in the state and appoint watershed planning and management coordinators in each region.

The watershed districts and coordinators will help collect data and coordinate local and statewide efforts on water quality issues. The bill would also give the department of agriculture the option to establish a pilot program to assist farmers, ag retailers and soil and water conservation districts in reducing phosphorus in watersheds. Whether or not the pilot program is established will depend on funding. “While this bill has changed quite a bit ... it still seeks to achieve the same goal: cleaner water and soil for Ohio,” said Rep. Haraz Ghanbari (R-Perrysburg), one of the bill’s sponsors, in Dec. 17 testimony to the House. Important. The bill’s other sponsor, Rep. John Patterson (DJefferson), told Farm and Dairy he is hoping once the pandemic and re(Continued on Page A3)

Volume 107 - No. 15 | Three Sections ©LYLE Ptg. & Pub. Co. - ISSN 0014826

All About Grazing .........................A8 Antique Collector........................B11 Around the Table ........................A19 Auction Calendar ..........................B1 Baxter Black ...............................A14

Home Delivery - Call 8 00-8 37-34 1 9

Black Ink .....................................A14 Calendar........................................B5 Commodities ................................A6 Crossword/Sudoku ....................A16 Dairy Excel ....................................A5

Dirt on Conservation ....................A9 FFA News......................................B4 Julie Geiss ....................................C1 Hazard A Guess ............................B5 Markets .......................................A12

| FarmandDairy.com/subscribe | P.O. Box 38 - Salem, Ohio 4 4 4 60

Opinions ........................................A4 People .........................................A10 Religion .......................................A17 Rubes ............................................C6 Kymberly Foster Seabolt .............B1


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