MCOOL final rule

[kato]

Waiting for the first R-Calf press release now. ;-) We've been told time and time again that the MCOOL rules had the power to override any other agreements such as NAFTA, and that we should get used to it and live with it. I wonder if they are willing to "live with it" now? I doubt it....

Let the games begin.

Final U.S. Country-of-Origin Labeling Rule Draws Criticisms
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By Alan Bjerga

Jan. 12 (Bloomberg) -- Longtime supporters of U.S. regulations requiring meat and fresh produce to be labeled by country of origin say the government’s final rule on the matter doesn’t do enough to distinguish U.S. meat from competitors.

The rule announced today allows U.S. meat produced in a domestic facility that also is processing imported animals to carry a multicountry designation. That blurs the distinction between U.S. and foreign meat, according to critics, especially ranchers in northern states who compete with Canadian cattle. They pushed for a U.S.-only label to spur consumer purchases.

Country-of-origin labeling, also called COOL, “is supposed to let Americans know where their steaks come from, and to help American ranchers market their products,” said Senator Jon Tester, a Montana Democrat, in an e-mailed statement. “It’s not supposed to be complicated or watered- down.”

The labeling requirements will take effect March 16. They were originally passed as part of the 2002 farm bill and first took effect under an interim rule Sept. 30. Some lawmakers and consumer advocates have also criticized provisions in the rule that exempt mixed vegetables and many processed foods.

Meat companies have opposed the rule, saying it will result in additional expenses for labor, labels and changes to facilities needed to separate foreign and domestic products.

Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer said the new rule should resolve many rancher and company concerns, especially if they focus on its purpose.

Not ‘Food-Safety’

“This is not a food-safety issue,” he told reporters last week. “This is not a competitive issue or trade issue. This is a marketing issue. This is the ability of U.S. producers to label our beef.”

The Canadian government, which was concerned that country- of-origin labeling would harm trade, said the new rule shouldn’t disrupt integration of the North American livestock industry.

“The bottom line is that the changes to the final rule will help to keep livestock trade moving throughout the integrated North American market and will benefit producers, consumers and processors,” said Stockwell Day, Canada’s minister of international trade.

Tom Buis, head of the National Farmers Union, the second- largest U.S. farmer group and one that often allies with the Democrats who control Congress, said he was disappointed with the final rule.

In a statement, Buis said the group “will not hesitate to go to Congress for changes” should it not be implemented “in the best interest of consumers, farmers and ranchers.”

COOL was also included in the 2008 farm bill passed in June. The final rule was posted on the department’s Web site today and is to be published in the Federal Register on Jan. 15.

[vagabonddreamer]

LOL...Kato....this has GOT to be the E-PIT-O-MEEE of the adage that a good compromise pisses EVERYONE off...

packers will still sit on the fence...and avoid Canadian cattle...and the American ranchers...will be LOBBYING as only the American ranchers can...

but it seems...on the surface...that there is a TINY bit of room for optimism???

waiting for FS and GF...to provide entertainment and edification...lol..vs

[Willowcreek]

Oh- I don't think anything on M-COOL is finalized yet...Remember in 4 days- a whole new administration moves into D.C.- and hopefully the direction returns toward the producers rather than the multinational corporations and importers..Remember Senator Obama was one of the 40 some Senators from both parties that signed on to a letter that told the USDA not to do what they did- and to write up the final rule the way Congress intended it to.....

Wed. night C-SPAN replayed Vilsacks confirmation hearing in front of the Senate Ag committee that was held that day.

During the whole hearing he talked little or none of the corporate farms or multinationals..He did talk of the importance of the family farms- and small producers...
I hope the impressions I got were right....He made numerous references to the importance of PRODUCERS at all levels-- from the 50 cow seedstock man- to the 100 cow "organic" direct marketer and the roadside vegetable/truck farm seller , to the 2,000 acre wheat farmer in Kansas--as to the importance of them to agriculture-- but no word of the mulitnational corporations or Packer conglomerates- or importers....

He commented more than once about having been an attorney in Ag country and doing the taxes for producers- and how little producers actually bring in- in comparison to the cost that ends up to the consumer- and how US producers need to be given every opportunity and advantage to make a fair living....

This is the first Ag Secretary in years that I have heard talk of the PRODUCERS- and their importance-- and not all about the multinational corporates....

Vilsack will be easily confirmed- as I never heard any opposition from either party-- and nothing but praise...Some of the Repub Senators were sharing Minnesota/Iowa jokes with him...I think most of them too are tired of the fiasco of the Bush regimes rule of USDA--especially when they talked about the Administration not implementing the farm bill as Congress intended- after all their hard work and compromise....

It was quite clear that he intends to use Agriculture as an alternative fuel source- and clean air/enviro tool- which may not be good for the feeders relying on cheap grains for feeding out cattle- but could be a boon for grain producers and folks that have the genetics or position to grass fatten/fast finish their cattle...

Makes me thankful I stayed diversified-grain and cattle- and have headed toward the easier to finish genetics with cattle- rather than the old "bigger, better, faster high performance cattle pushed by the semen pimps and some of the big breeders the last few years...

One thing that became very apparent is the committee- both Repubs and Dems are very upset at the Bush Administration and its interpretation and implementation of the 2008 Farm Bill...It was brought up that the committee members spent too many hours working on compromises and wording--to just have the Bush crew/Schafer throw it all out and reinterpret/rewrite the law the way they want it...But Bush hasn't followed the law since day one..

Vilsack assured all the members that he would work with the committee to get the Farm Bill implemented the way Congress intended it to...

Altho I never heard him speak directly to M-COOL (I missed the first part of the hearing) I did hear him speak to such terms as "organic" and "all natural" and said he opposed letting the Packers/Factory Farm types water down the definition...

He commented that "he wanted to get back to truth in Labeling- and when USDA puts its stamp or label on a product- people can be assured that whatever the stamp/label says is exactly what they are getting--not a watered down version."

[Willowcreek]

Vilsack has told the Congressmen on the Ag Committee that he will work with them to implement the Farm Bill and the rules the way Congress intended--not the way interpreted by Bush/Shafer as their final gift to Tyson/Cargill/Monsanto/Multinatiional Packers and Importers...

Two of the rules this directly affects is the M-COOL rule- and the OTM cattle rule which never has been finalized.....


{COOL, other laws on hold for Obama review

By Tom Johnston on 1/22/2009


The long, winding and very bumpy road for mandatory country-of-origin labeling law and other legislation could continue as President Barack Obama's administration on Wednesday ordered all federal agencies to freeze new or pending regulations of the Bush administration until the new camp approves them.

White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel issued a memorandum to all federal agencies that, among other things, directs them to consider extending for 60 days the effective date of regulations that have been published but have not yet taken effect "for purposes of reviewing questions of law and policy raised by those regulations." In such a case, a notice-and-comment period of 30 days would be reopened.

Published Jan. 15 in the Federal Register, the final COOL law is slated to take effect March 16. However, the memo indicates Obama is asking agency heads to use discretion.

"It appears that there is some discretion given as to whether or not published final rules will be enacted as is or reviewed," American Meat Institute spokesman Dave Ray told Meatingplace. "So it's not certain what will happen with COOL."}