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USDA Releases
DEIP Allocations, But No Invitations
After repeated prodding by NMPF, the U.S.
Department of Agriculture has finally announced DEIP allocations
of 68,021 tons of nonfat dry milk, 21,907 tons of butterfat
and 3,030 tons of cheese for the July 2006 -June 2007 DEIP
marketing year.
However, the Department issued no invitations
for offers, saying it would monitor market conditions to determine
when invitations on these allocations may be used. DEIP allocations
have gone unused for the past two years and USDA has given
no indication that 2006/2007 will be any different.
NMPF has requested that the DEIP be used for
developed markets when world prices are below domestic prices,
such as is the case currently for cheese and butterfat - but
not nonfat dry milk powder, which is in short supply.
In a letter to Agriculture Secretary Mike
Johanns, NMPF expressed its appreciation for the DEIP allocation
decision, but urged the USDA to consider accepting invitations
as soon as possible.
NMPF Asks Congress to Consider
Permanent Normal Trade Relations with Vietnam
Several U.S. agriculture organizations, including NMPF, sent
a letter to Congress last week urging the passage of legislation
creating permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) status for
Vietnam.
The letter pointed out that Vietnam's accession
to the World Trade Organization (WTO) is imminent. In order
for the United States to be in compliance with its WTO obligations
and receive the full benefit of Vietnam's accession to the
WTO, Congress must pass PNTR for Vietnam. In return, the U.S.
will agree to provide the same normal trade rights to Vietnam
on a permanent basis that we already provide to Vietnam on
a temporary basis. Approval of Vietnam PNTR would cut tariffs
on U.S. dairy exports to this dairy-importing country, thereby
providing benefits by way of more favorable export terms.
The Bush Administration is particularly eager
to have Congress grant Vietnam PNTR status before President
Bush travels to Vietnam for a meeting there in mid-November.
This trade initiative enjoys fairly broad support in Congress,
and is expected to be dealt with early on in this year's Congressional
Lame Duck session following the Nov. 7 elections.
New
Report Says FDA Approval of Cloned Livestock is Imminent
An article in last week's Washington
Post says that the Food and Drug Administration is soon
to issue a report finding that there is little risk to the
public from the consumption of the milk and meat of cloned
livestock.
The FDA has been examining several new scientific
studies comparing the health of cloned cattle and pigs with
those of sexually-produced livestock. The FDA is expected
to find that the new data, along with previous studies, finds
that cloned livestock and their offspring pose no unique risks
to consumers.
The FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine anticipates
releasing a formal draft risk assessment by the end of the
year, along with a proposed "risk management" plan.
Those documents would allow the marketing of clones and their
offspring for food and milk after a final period of public
comment. FDA officials told NMPF last Friday that much of
the research data will appear in the January 2007 issue of
Theriogenology,
a scientific periodical dedicated to animal reproduction.
NMPF's position is that it does not support
the milk from cloned cows entering the marketplace until the
FDA determines that milk from cloned cows is the same as milk
from conventionally bred animals.
NMPF
Annual Meeting Fast Approaching
 The
members of NMPF will meet next week for the 90th Annual Meeting
in Las Vegas, from Oct. 31 - Nov. 2nd.
Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns will speak
at 11 am on the 2nd. Other speakers include former Pittsburgh
Steelers player Rocky Bleier, national political analyst Charlie
Cook, Royal Ahold executive Allen Noddle, as well as the producer
chairmen of NMPF, UDIA, NDB and DMI.
NMPF thanks the sponsors of the annual meeting,
including Berkeley Farms, Co-Bank, Flair Communications, Humboldt
Creamery, Kraft Foods, McLeod Watkinson & Miller, Monsanto
Dairy Business, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association,
Sargento Foods, T.C. Jacoby & Co., and U.S. Dairy Export
Council.
NMPF also thanks those that make the scholarship
program possible, donations came this year from:Cass-Clay
Creamery, Inc., Dairy Marketing Services, LLC, Flair Communications,
The Garrison Group LLC, Humbolt Creamery, Land O’Lakes
Inc., McLeod, Watkinson & Miller, Maryland and Virginia
Milk Cooperative Association, Inc., Prairie Farms, Tillamook
County Creamery Association and United Dairymen of Arizona.
Associate Member Focus:
O-AT-KA Milk Products Cooperative, Inc.
O-AT-KA Milk Products Cooperative, Inc. is headquartered in
Batavia, NY and is a producer of Bulk Condensed Milk, Dairy
Blends, Ultrafiltrated Skim Milk Concentrate, Grade A Milk
Powders and Buttermilk Powders and Canned Evaporated Milk.
To learn more about O-AT-KA contact Clyde
“Mac” McCampbell at 585-343-0536 or visit their
website at www.oatkamilk.com.
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