agricurrents

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					Meat safety to remain critical issue
					Although the threat of mad cow disease is primarily a European issue, the need for increased government research and inspection budgets to ensure continued safety and consumer confidence in this country is sure to keep meat safety in the spotlight, according to industry experts. "Nothing would cast the fear in their hearts that mad cow disease would, because of the human health implications," said Lester Crawford, a former administrator of USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and current director of the Center for Food and Nutrition Policy in Washington, D.C. But the meat safety issue is not limited to mad cow or Europe. In the past year, South Africa lost thousands of sheep, cattle and pigs to foot-and-mouth disease. As of December, Great Britain had slaughtered 70,000 pigs to stop the spread of classical swine fever, which is not dangerous to humans but can severely threaten pig populations. And the U.S. livestock industry continued efforts to eradicate bovine tuberculosis and brucellosis. Humans crossing international borders with meat products makes the task of preventing animal diseases more difficult. "There are a whole bunch of other diseases that have cropped up around the world and are really quite alarming," said Keith Murray, director of USDA's National Animal Disease Center in Ames, Iowa. "You could be in the middle of India today and be back in the middle of the U.S.A. tomorrow. The consequences of that, people coming in through quarantine with different animal products, is just incredibly worrisome."
					FDA urges millers to test biotech corn
					The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday recommended that corn millers test their supplies of yellow corn for the presence of StarLink, a biotech variety unap-proved for human consumption that was recently found in human food products. StarLink has been genetically engineered to produce the protein Cry9C, a pesticide. The Environmental Protection Agency refused to approve Cry9C corn for human consumption because of concerns that it might cause allergic reactions. It was approved for use in animal feed and industrial applications, such as the production of ethanol. "FDA is now issuing recommendations to the dry-milling and masa industry on sampling yellow corn to prevent the introduction of Cry9C-containing corn into the food supply," FDA said in a letter to corn millers and corn food products manufacturers accompanying the guidance. "The FDA believes that the best strategy for keeping Cry9C protein out of the food supply is to focus on intervention as early as possible in the preparation of yellow corn products for human food use, i.e., at the level of corn milling rather than at the level of production of finished foods." Specifically, FDA recommends that milling operations sample incoming shipments of yellow corn and test 2,400 kernels for the presence of the Cry9C protein. Any lots that test positive should be redirected for animal feed or industrial uses. The agency also is urging that tests be conducted on stored meat or flour supplies prepared from shipments not tested upon arrival. More information is available at http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/starguid.html.
					LMA calls for beef checkoff referendum
					The Livestock Marketing Association filed a lawsuit Dec. 29 calling for a referendum on the beef checkoff program. LMA is concerned that not all producers support the program. The disgruntled producers asked a federal district court in Pierre, S.D., to order the Cattlemen's Beef Board to stop using checkoff funds for its "biased" public relations program. In addition, the lawsuit asks the court to require CBB to "make restitution for the funds that have been misspent and to provide funding for corrective communications to offset the money that has been spent to date opposing a referendum." The beef checkoff program is administered by the Beef Board, which is appointed by the Agriculture Secretary. The program funds, which come from a $1-per-head checkoff paid by producers, are used for promotion, research and information to promote the consumption of beef and veal. The National Cattlemen's Beef Association said the current "Beef. It's What's for Dinner" campaign is working, as the percentage of consumers who believe that beef contains important nutrients is rising. The Western Organization of Resource Councils and individual South Dakota producers also joined the suit.
					Farm prices steady
					Although prices received by farmers for their goods rose 4.3 percent in November 2000, they remained unchanged in December, according to a preliminary Agriculture Department report. But in comparison to December 1999's All Farm Products Index, the 2000 index was 7.7 percent higher than the previous year. Price increases from December 1999 for cotton, cattle, eggs and hogs were partially offset by lower prices for broilers, apples, oranges and lemons. The All Farm Products Index of Prices Received is compiled by USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Services and is available on the Web at http://www.usda.gov/nass/pubs/pubs.htm. The next "Agricultural Prices" report will be available on January 31.
					Notable Quotables
					"Santa Claus himself couldn't have done any better." —Texas Cattle Feeders Association Market Director Jim Gill, calling 2000 a turn-around year for cattle feeders.