peanut fallout & states stimulus approved

peanut fallout & states stimulus approved

Peanut Fallout & State Stimulus Approved plus Food Forethought. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.

The Peanut Corporation of America troubles are also causing some issues downstream as the USDA has cancelled all government contracts with them and now Congress is calling on the FDA to submit records detailing contracts with State Departments of Ag. Somehow a number of companies are slipping through the cracks when it comes to inspections and now Congress is trying to fix these problems. Food safety needs to be made a high priority and Senate Ag Committee Chair Tom Harkin is leading that charge.

HARKIN: I am nothing short of outraged at the increasing number of outbreaks of food borne illnesses in our country.

Meanwhile Idaho and California officials are looking into the possibility that tainted peanut products from PCA were sent to schools for the free lunch program.

A state stimulus plan aimed at creating public works jobs for 3,000 Oregonians won final approval Thursday in the Oregon Legislature. Democratic Gov. Ted Kulongoski immediately signed the public works legislation into law. He predicted that the 2009 Legislature will also approve larger public works proposals, including his road and bridge improvement package.

Now with today’s Food Forethought, here’s Lacy Gray.

Obama’s agriculture agenda reads like a wish list for rural farming communities. With a long list of proposals that includes payment limitation, meat packer bans on livestock ownership, renewable fuel development, support of rural economic development, and establishing new programs to identify and train the next generation of farmers perhaps this administration is stepping up to the plate and will actually acknowledge our countries hard working farmers and rural communities who are our nation’s backbone. The focus on family farms is refreshing to say the least after a long succession of administrations whose agendas were not always rural agriculture friendly or supportive. Obama’s ag agenda promises to be beneficial to rural farmers and businesses and help them achieve success in the global market. Perhaps President Obama and his administration realize that by investing in the future of rural farm communities they are investing in the future of America.

Thanks Lacy. That’s today’s Northwest Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.

 

Previous ReportCensus of Ag & Digital Switch
Next ReportLooking Ahead & Food Safety