KDA is working with federal leaders
to get help on enhanced feed ban

 

 

Commissioner Richie Farmer

 

Most cattlemen and other livestock producers are aware of a new U.S. Food and Drug Administration rule that takes effect soon and the potentially devastating effect it might have on their operations.

 

The rule, 21 CFR Part 589, on “Substances Prohibited from Use in Animal Foods or Feeds,” will go into effect April 27. The rule is designed to prevent any brain or spinal cord tissue from cattle more than 30 months old from entering the food or animal feed production process. An unintended consequence of the rule is that it is prompting rendering companies and haulers to either discontinue providing their services or sharply increase the costs of those services. That, of course, means higher costs for you – if you can get these services at all – and potential environmental and public heath problems.

 

Some of you have asked me why the grants to help local governments with the costs of dead animal removal were discontinued. The state’s budget crisis eliminated funding for those grants. But that’s a side issue. Even if we had twice or three times as much funding for those grants as we had before, there still would not be enough money to deal with this problem. The central issues are the impacts of the new FDA rule and the economic crisis on the rendering industry.

 

Recently I went to Washington for the mid-year meeting of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture. There, I intensified my efforts to delay the implementation of this rule until some other means can be found to dispose of the millions of pounds of animal carcasses. I talked to other state leaders, particularly those whose states have large livestock sectors. Through both informal and formal discussion, I was able to change the meeting’s agenda so we could urge our representatives in Washington to seek a delay.

 

I also talked to members of the new Obama administration and with congressional leaders about the issue. I secured support from more than a dozen influential senators from both parties; they have sent a letter to FDA asking them to delay implementation.

 

In fairness, the FDA has a difficult task balancing competing interests and concerns. But it’s frustrating that Washington is increasingly unresponsive to the concerns of agriculture. In part, that’s a negative side effect of the amazing productivity of American farms. Less than 2 percent of the American population is directly involved in production agriculture. We no longer can take for granted that politicians and federal officials will understand, let alone sympathize with, our positions.

 

With that in mind, it is important for you to make your voices heard on this matter. Congressmen and women hear from representatives of organized interests every day. They do not necessarily hear from individual producers every day. The voices of voters in their states and districts – your voices – can carry more weight than those of commodity group leaders, even though they represent thousands of people, or those of elected officials like me, even though I was elected to this office with broad majority support.

 

In the meantime, I have instructed the state veterinarian’s office to share information and possible options with producers, local governments and other stakeholders. Go to our home page, www.kyagr.com, and find the link to the latest information.

 

It will take all of us working together and getting involved to resolve this issue so that livestock producers again can have an accessible and affordable means of disposing of dead animals.