Agriculture Spending Bills move to Conference

August 10, 2009 — 

The Senate this week passed a fiscal 2010 agriculture appropriations bill which must now be reconciled in a conference committee with the House version passed in early July. Lawmakers are expected to work out differences in their respective bills during their August recess.

The Senate version includes $7.3 million for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Animal Identification System (NAIS). The NAIS, which NPPC strongly supports, would allow animal health officials to trace back an animal to its farm of origin in case of a disease outbreak. The House agriculture spending bill does not include funding for the ID system.

The U.S. pork industry for several years has been implementing a swine ID system that is compliant with the NAIS. To date, more than 85 percent of swine premises have been registered. Registration includes public information, such as phone number and physical location, housed in state-maintained databases.

Also included in the Senate bill, but not in the House legislation, are funds -- $350,000 - for a national trichinae certification program, which will be used to confirm to U.S. trading partners that U.S. pork is trichinae-free. Both bills cut funding for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), which helps the agriculture industry meet environmental standards. The Senate legislation also authorizes a Government Accountability Office study on the effects of banning horse slaughter.

NPPC will work with lawmakers to ensure that pork industry priorities are addressed in the final report approved by the conference committee, including funding for the trichinae program and for the NAIS. During Congress’ summer recess, which runs through Sept. 7, NPPC is asking all pork producers to visit with their lawmakers to urge them to support efforts, such as the ones proposed by some pork state governors, to help the U.S. pork industry through its current economic crisis.

Source: NPPC, Capital Update, August 7, 2009