Georgia Farm Bureau News Alert - May 17, 2017

GFB News Alert page 5 of 11 GEORGIA CONGRESSMEN URGE USDA TO RESCIND POULTRY REGS On May 5, members of the Georgia Congressional Delegation sent a bipartisan letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue urging him to rescind three Grain Inspection, Packers & Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) rules.

In the letter, which was signed by 10 of Georgia’s 13 current members of the House of Representatives, the members said the three rules “would inflict billions of dollars of economic harm to American agriculture, exceed GIPSA’s statutory authority and represent an arbitrary and capricious abuse of federal regulatory authority.”

The three rules, issued on Dec. 20, 2016, are an interim final rule regarding the scope of sections of 202 (a) and 202 (b) of the Packers and Stockyards Act, the proposed rule “Poultry Grower Ranking Systems,” and the proposed rule “Unfair Practices and undue Preferences in Violation of the Packers and Stockyards Act.” Reps. Austin Scott (R-8th District) and David Scott (D-13th District), both members of the House Agriculture Committee, signed the letter, as did republicans Rick Allen, Buddy Carter, Doug Collins, Drew Ferguson, Tom Graves, Jody Hice, Barry Loudermilk and Rob Woodall.

“We urge you to promote American business, eliminate stifling regulation, and make a clear statement of support for American agriculture by rescinding the GIPSA interim final rule and withdrawing the two GIPSA proposed rules,” the members wrote. “Even based on GIPSA’s own analysis, these rules are completely out of line with our priorities to eliminate burdensome regulations and to promote American businesses. Rescinding the rules would allow livestock and poultry producers to market their animals how, when, and where they want to without GIPSA dictating the transactions.”

Visit http://bit.ly/GAdelegationltr to read the letter in its entirety.

U.S. CATTLEMEN GET ACCESS TO BRAZIL, CHINA; USDA SETS UP TRADE POST U.S. beef producers received encouraging news regarding two international trading partners, and the USDA established an undersecretary for agricultural trade.

On May 4, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced the first shipments of U.S. beef to Brazil since 2003.

According to a USDA press release, Brazil closed its market to imports of U.S. fresh beef in 2003 over concerns about bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). Since then, the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) have worked with Brazilian officials to regain market access.

“With Brazil’s large market reopened to the United States, U.S. beef exports are poised for new growth. I look forward to Brazilians getting the opportunity to eat delicious American beef, because once they taste it, they’ll want more of it.” Perdue said.

On May 11, the U.S. and China agreed to a 100-day action plan under the U.S.-China Comprehensive Economic Dialogue. Included in the action plan is a provision for one more round of technical consultations between the two nations before China will begin accepting imports of U.S. beef no later than July 16.

Also on May 11, Perdue announced the creation of an undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs in the USDA. According to a USDA press release, agricultural and food exports account for 20 percent of the value of U.S. farm production, and every dollar of these exports creates another $1.27 in business activity. Every $1 billion in U.S. agricultural exports supports approximately 8,000 U.S. jobs.

The creation of undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs is part of a USDA restructuring directed by Perdue.