NEWS BRIEFS...
Obama Administration Details
Healthy Food Financing Initiative
The Obama Administration Feb. 19 released details of a $400-million-plus Healthy Food Financing Initiative, intended to bring grocery stores and other healthy food retailers to underserved urban and rural communities. The initiative was announced in Philadelphia by Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. The two cabinet members appeared with First Lady Michelle Obama, who recently launched the Let's Move! campaign to solve the epidemic of childhood obesity within a generation. The initiative is a partnership between the Departments of Treasury, Agriculture, and Health and Human Services.
The Healthy Food Financing Initiative will promote a range of interventions that expand access to nutritious foods, including developing and equipping grocery stores and other small businesses and retailers selling healthy food in communities that currently lack these options. Residents of these communities, which are sometimes called "food deserts" and are often found in economically distressed areas, are typically served by fast-food restaurants and convenience stores that offer little or no fresh produce. Lack of healthy, affordable food options can lead to higher levels of obesity and other diet-related diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
Through this new multi-year Healthy Food Financing Initiative and by engaging with the private sector, the Obama Administration says it will work to eliminate food deserts across the country within seven years. With the first year of funding, the Administration's initiative will leverage enough investments to begin expanding healthy foods options into as many as one-fifth of the nation's food deserts and create thousands of jobs in urban and rural communities across the nation.
To help community leaders identify the food deserts in their area, USDA recently launched a Food Environment Atlas (www.ers.usda.gov/FoodAtlas/). This new online tool allows for the identification of counties where, for example, more than 40% of the residents have low incomes and live more than one mile from a grocery store. Nationwide, USDA estimates that 23.5 million people, including 6.5 million children, live in low-income areas that are more than a mile from a supermarket. Of the 23.5 million, 11.5 million are low-income individuals in households with incomes at or below 200% of the poverty line. Of the 2.3 million people living in low-income rural areas that are more than 10 miles from a supermarket, 1.1 million are low-income.
Federal funds will support projects ranging from the construction or expansion of a grocery store to smaller-scale interventions such as placing refrigerated units stocked with fresh produce in convenience stores.
Argentina May Limit Beef Exports
Citing La Nation, Bill Faries reported Feb. 13 on Bloomberg.com that Argentina may limit beef exports to reduce domestic food prices. Farmers there, he noted, say the government has "largely blocked beef exports since December." Click here for the report.
USDA Addresses Veterinary Shortages
with Education Loan Repayment Program
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Feb. 12 that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has taken the first step toward implementing a plan to address veterinary shortages throughout rural America by repaying the student loans of qualified veterinarians in return for their services in areas suffering from a lack of veterinarians.
"USDA can help ensure there is a first line of defense against animal diseases across the United States by placing qualified veterinarians in areas where there is a critical need," Vilsack said. "This program will help reduce veterinary shortages, especially in the area of food animal medicine, which will reduce stress on producers and improve the health of the livestock industry."
USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) administers the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP), which was established in the National Veterinary Medical Services Act of 2003. NIFA expects to begin accepting applications from veterinarians wishing to participate in the program on April 30, 2010. In return for a commitment of three years of veterinary services in a designated veterinary shortage area, NIFA may repay up to $25,000 of student loan debt per year. For more information, visit www.nifa.usda.gov.
USDA Issues Final Rule
on Organic Access to Pasture
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Feb. 12 announced details of the final regulation regarding access to pasture for organic livestock operations. This rule amends the National Organic Program (NOP) regulations to clarify the use of pasture in raising organic ruminants.
The main components of the rule include:
• Animals must graze pasture during the grazing season, which must be at least 120 days per year;
• Animals must obtain a minimum of 30% dry-matter intake from grazing pasture during the grazing season;
• Producers must have a pasture management plan and manage pasture as a crop to meet the feed requirements for the grazing animals and to protect soil and water quality; and
• Livestock are exempt from the 30% dry-matter intake requirements during the finish feeding period, not to exceed 120 days. Livestock must have access to pasture during the finishing phase.
Although this is a final rule, comments on the exceptions for finish feeding of ruminant slaughter stock may be submitted before April 19, 2010. This 60-day comment period pertains to the finish feeding provisions only. The specific questions to consider and instructions for submitting comments are available on the NOP web site at www.ams.usda.gov/NOP. Copies of the final rule and additional information are on display online at www.ams.usda.gov/NOP.
Yamaha Motor Co. To Transfer
ATV Production to U.S. by 2013
Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd. (YMC) announced Feb. 12 plans to transfer its all-terrain vehicle (ATV) production currently in Japan to the United States. With this transfer, the production capacity of YMC's Japanese subsidiary Yamaha Motor Powered Products Co. Ltd. (YMPC) will be integrated into YMC's U.S. subsidiary based in Newnan, Ga., Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Corporation of America (YMMC).
The move, currently in the planning stages, is scheduled to begin in early 2011 and is intended to optimize manufacturing capacity and improve productivity. The transfer will facilitate the consolidation of both production management and manufacturing technologies, as well as afford an increased level of responsiveness to market needs by maximizing production in the United States, the country with the largest demand for ATVs. The production transfer to Newnan is expected to be complete by 2013.
Producer Survey Shows Continued
Approval Of Beef Checkoff
A survey of 1,200 beef and dairy producers nationwide was conducted in late December 2009 and early January 2010 by the independent firm Aspen Media & Market Research. Despite finding that seven in 10 producers said the current economic recession had affected their operations negatively, their approval of the beef checkoff increased from 68% in 2009 to 69% in 2010. While not a 'significant shift,' researchers noted the economic impact on producer support of the checkoff has been small.
"Knowledge about the checkoff continues to be a predictor of favorability toward it," says Wesley Grau, cow-calf farmer from Grady, N.M., and chair of the Joint Producer Communications Committee (JPCC). "Producers who are 'very' or 'somewhat' well-informed are more likely to approve of the checkoff, particularly among those who say they are very well-informed. Among this group, 78% approve of the program (45% of them strongly), while only 16% disapprove. When you factor in the tough times, all farmers and ranchers have been facing, this is encouraging news."
To that measure, the underlying value of the checkoff remains strong: a large majority (77%) feels the checkoff program has helped contribute to a positive trend in consumer demand for beef; a similar number believe the program has value in weak economic conditions or are confident it is on their side during a crisis.
And, when it comes to their own operations, many producers believe the program has benefited them. A majority (61%) believe it helps contribute to the profitability of their operations, although this is down from a year ago.
"A key goal as identified by the JPCC is that farmers and ranchers have a positive view of the way the checkoff is being managed, that they trust in the leadership and the decisions being made about their checkoff investment," Grau says. "This research shows that management of the checkoff is viewed favorably with 62% saying they believe it is being managed well."
For more information about your beef checkoff investment, go to www.MyBeefCheckoff.com. A copy of the research report is available online. For coverage of the 2010 Cattle Industry Annual Convention and NCBA Trade Show, visit the newsroom at www.4cattlemen.com.
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