Congress approved US$55 million on Thursday to prevent the furlough of all U.S. meat inspectors this summer, a step that could have driven up meat prices and created spot shortages in grocery stores and restaurants. The money for meat inspectors was part of a bill to pay for federal operations through the end of this
U.S. avoids meat inspector furloughs, Congress approves funds
USDA details some furlough plans
All U.S. meat inspectors will be furloughed on the same days as the federal meat safety agency, a top U.S. ag department official said, leading to spotty meat shortages in the summer and fall as automatic spending cuts shave US$53 million off the agency’s budget. Agriculture undersecretary Elizabeth Hagen told a U.S. House of Representatives’
U.S. seeks upgrade in its BSE rating
Reuters / The United States is expected to get the top safety rating for mad cow disease in spring, under a recommendation from international livestock health experts that was greeted Feb. 20 as a surefire boost to U.S. beef exports. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the recommended upgrade, to “negligible” from “controlled” risk, was
Drought projected in parts of the U.S.
Reuters / U.S. farmers will plant crops this spring under the shadow of a persistent drought that grips prime farmland from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains, with grain supplies already tight from drought losses in 2012. In all, 56 per cent of the contiguous United States is under moderate to exceptional drought, twice
Budget cuts won’t hit U.S. meat inspectors immediately: USDA
Although U.S. federal budget cuts are scheduled for March 1, it could be months before a threatened shutdown of meat plants would occur in that country because of a furlough of meat inspectors, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said on Thursday. Vilsack said work rules vary for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s employees, who get
U.S. deserves lightest BSE rating, health officials say
The United States is expected to get the top safety rating for BSE in spring, under a recommendation from international livestock health experts that was greeted on Wednesday as a sure-fire boost to U.S. beef exports. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the recommended upgrade, to "negligible" from "controlled" risk, was proof that U.S. beef
‘Fiscal cliff’ fallout could shut down meat packers
The Obama administration warned Feb. 8 that across-the-board spending cuts set to take effect in March may result in furloughing every U.S. meat and poultry inspector for two weeks, causing the meat industry to shut down. By law, meat packers and processors are not allowed to ship beef, pork, lamb and poultry meat without the
Farm group backs U.S. immigration reform
The largest U.S. farm group is throwing its weight behind a new immigration law reform that would allow undocumented workers already in the country to gain legal status. Delegates at the annual meeting of the six-million-member American Farm Bureau Federation issued the call after U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack asked them to speak up for
Separate path for farm labour in U.S. Senate immigration plan
Reuters / Agricultural labourers would be on a separate path to U.S. citizenship than other undocumented workers in the immigration reforms proposed by eight senators Jan. 28 that cited the importance of feeding America. Many of the 1.5 million farm workers employed in the United States annually — perhaps 500,000 to 900,000 in all —
Fiscal battles block work on new U.S. farm subsidy bill
Reuters / Fiscal battles in Congress could prevent lawmakers from writing a new Farm Bill for weeks or months, prolonging disputes over farm subsidy reforms and cuts in food stamps for the poor that together could save up to $35 billion. Agricultural leaders in Congress originally hoped for speedy work on the overdue Farm Bill
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