U.S. Poultry May Be Heading to Russia & Cougar Trouble

U.S. Poultry May Be Heading to Russia & Cougar Trouble plus Food Forethought. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report. The egg industry is reeling from tainted eggs but that doesn't seem to be stopping Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack. He is hoping current work with Russia will soon result in the reopening of that market to U.S. poultry. VILSACK: There are approximately 26 facilities that we would like Russia to do business with. They have basically given us the sign off on about half of those facilities. The other half we are working through a process that will open up opportunities in the very near future. So I'm convinced this market is going to be pretty robust and that we're going to see shipments very, very soon. Cougars have attacked and killed a number of sheep and alpaca outside Corvalis, Oregon prompting ranchers in the area to voice their fears to local officials. Last year, trappers killed 110 cougars for preying on livestock, two more than the yearly average. Another 31 cougars were killed for personal safety, the highest number for that reason in 10 years. Cougar numbers have doubled in the past 16 years since voters approved a ban on hunting them with dogs. There's no ceiling population, but livestock damage, prey populations of deer and elk and safety concerns all play a role in determining target areas where state or federal agents reduce cougar numbers. A recent town hall meeting was packed and officials are looking into a solution. Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Lacy Gray. The huge mountain of manure that represents Mexico levied tariffs affecting eighty-nine crops and products here in the United States just keeps growing bigger and smellier. At the top of this mountain are the bureaucrats and politicians, at the bottom, American farmers and ranchers. This pile of manure has been a long time in the making, and like the proverbial mole hill has grown to such mammoth proportions it can no longer be ignored by Congress and the present administration. Tariffs that border on the ridiculous are nothing new. They have long been used by governments to pressure, punish and manipulate other governments under the guise of propping up their own failing industries; often having the same result as "cutting one's nose off to spite one's face". That being said, in defense, Mexico's actions are a direct result of the present administration doing their best imitation of an ostrich. By sticking their heads in the sand and ignoring the warning signals the Obama administration has put American farmers and ranchers' heads on the chopping block, all in the hopes of saving their own heads at election time. Thanks Lacy. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.