Advocates
to ask for federal assistance to eradicate fever ticks
Statewide representatives of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, the
Texas Wildlife Association, the Texas Farm Bureau, and the Texas Independent Cattlemen's Association will conclude a conference on Oct. 9 in Zapata by challenging South Texas property owners to lead the call for Federal action to
eradicate fever ticks. The fever tick conference, being jointly hosted by the Zapata Chamber of Commerce and the South Texans' Property Rights Association, is open to the public and
free of charge. more
COOL regulations in effect, TSCRA submits comments to USDA
The mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL) of retail meat and other covered commodities is now in effect for beef producers in the U.S. TSCRA submitted comments to the USDA yesterday in regard to the final rule of COOL implementation, which requires retailers to notify their customers of the country of origin of beef, veal goat meat, lamb, pork, poultry, fish and other perishable agricultural commodities. In August, the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) issued an interim final rule and requested comments on setting the requirements for retailers and their suppliers for the mandatory COOL program beginning Sept. 30. AMS will now conduct a six-month industry education and outreach program concerning the provisions and requirements of the rule. TSCRA has made available the forms and affidavits required for COOL compliance on our Web site, along with answers to frequently asked questions and other pertinent information. more
Cattle ranchers feel pinch of credit
crunch
Tight
credit and high wheat prices are preventing ranchers and farmers from placing
their cattle at feedlots and from grazing them on wheat pastures, which could
continue to weaken prices for the animals. more
Bill to amend beef checkoff introduced
Senator Jon Tester has introduced the Beef Checkoff Modernization Act, a bill that would amend the beef checkoff. In Billings, Mont. on Tuesday, Sept. 30 announcing
the legislation, Tester called the amendments, "common sense
modifications." more
Texas crop, weather, 10-1-08
Already hammered by drought and storm damage, growers are being caught in a "price squeeze" as production costs rise and agricultural lenders become more cautious. Meanwhile, production prices – especially the cost of diesel and nitrogen fertilizer – continue to climb, and producers need to reconsider doing business as usual. more
Country-of-Origin Labeling forms now available
Cattle raisers now have forms available
for download to help them easily fulfill their part of the country-of-origin
labeling (COOL) law that goes into effect at the end of September. Visit TSCRA's COOL information Web site to download the forms. go
