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Nebraska Farmers Union submits supportive comments on Country of Origin Labeling

Nebraska Farmers Union submitted supportive comments on April 11, the final day for comments to USDA relative to their proposed rule to strengthen Country of Origin Labeling regulations. The USDA proposed changes to the rules for COOL implementation are in response to the World Trade Organization decision on COOL. In their comments, NeFU stated: “NeFU is in general support of the proposed revised rule relative to the implementation of COOL. [Read More]

NRCS announces drought recovery initiative in Kansas

U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service continues to work to provide as much relief to drought-impacted producers as possible. The drought has caused serious degradation to many natural resources in Kansas including wildlife, wildlife cover, livestock forage, livestock water, and soil quality. Additional information about drought resources is located on the Kansas NRCS drought web site at www.ks.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/drought/index.html or stop by a local ... [Read More]

5 Neb. meat workers hurt after chemical reaction

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP)—Five workers at a beef processing plant in Grand Island were exposed to dangerous chemicals during an accident that forced part of the plant to be evacuated. Grand Island Fire Chief Cory Scmidt says the mixture of chemicals caused a reaction that produced toxic gas. Five workers were treated for exposure at a Grand Island hospital and released. [Read More]

U.S. Cattlemen's Association files comments on COOL rule

The United States Cattlemen’s Association filed comments on April 11 with the U.S. Department of Agriculture on the agency’s proposed Country of Origin Labeling regulatory amendments to bring the U.S. into compliance with the World Trade Organization appellate body’s rule on COOL. In particular, the proposed rule requires that production steps now be identified on meat labels, thus providing the product information that the sppellate body said is tracked but not communicated to consumers. ... [Read More]

KLA leaders call on Congress, agency officials in Washington

Kansas Livestock Association officers and staff joined other livestock producers from across the country recently for the NCBA Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. With the release of an immigration reform proposal by eight U.S. senators, KLA leaders made clear to the Kansas congressional delegation the livestock industry’s priorities for a final plan. KLA leaders heard from Ambassador Isi Siddiqui, chief ag negotiator for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. [Read More]

Congressman Huelskamp discusses Kansas beef with Japanese ambassador

Congressman Tim Huelskamp, R-KS, was Ambassador Kenichiro Sasae’s guest at the residence of the ambassador of Japan. The U.S. Meat Export Federation projects this change will increase U.S. beef exports to Japan by 45 percent in 2013. I thanked Ambassador Sasae for his government’s decision to open the Japanese market to more Kansas beef. [Read More]

KARL training ends on high point

Members of KARL Class XI include: Blake Angell, Ellis, Ellis County; Dan Atkisson, Stockton, Rooks County; Amy Bickel, Burrton, Harvey County; Debra Bolton, Garden City, Finney County; Jarrod Bowser, Circleville, Jackson County; Randall Debler, Alma, Wabaunsee County; Brandon Depenbusch, Great Bend, Barton County; Tyler Ediger, Meade, Meade County; Tanner Ehmke, Healy, Lane County; Andrea Feldkamp, Manhattan, Riley County; Mark Fowler, Manhattan, Riley County; Mandy Fox, Ulysses, Grant County... [Read More]

Kansas' economy shows growth in the first quarter 2013

April’s revenue receipt collections, released April 30, showed individual income tax receipts had grown almost 6 percent from the prior fiscal year to date. Overall, the state collected $25 million more in individual income tax receipts in April 2013 versus April 2012. Corporate income tax receipts for April 2013 are about 44 percent more than those for April 2012. [Read More]

Miss Kansas contestant brings spotlight to agriculture

By mixing her platform “Cultivating Healthy Lifestyles” and the Miss America platform for the Children’s Miracle Network, Hill has created Kernels for Kids. Hill promotes agriculture through a philanthropy she created called Kernels for Kids, a charity that collects bushels of grain from grain elevators across Kansas. All donations raised by Kernels for Kids directly benefit the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Via Christi Hospital in Wichita, and St. Francis Health Center... [Read More]

G-8 open data conference builds food security alliances

The virtual Food, Agriculture, and Rural data community launched on Data.gov—the U.S. government’s data sharing website—to catalogue America’s publicly available agricultural data and increase the ability of the public to find, download, and use datasets that are generated and held by the federal government. As part of that commitment, attendees agreed to share relevant agricultural data available from G-8 countries with African partners and convene an international conference on Open Data ... [Read More]

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