03/17/05 Clarify Cuba; Step up anti-bse effort

The House Ag Committee spent time this week hearing testimony on a bill designed to clarify rules that would assure U.S. farm goods would continue to be sold to Cuba without greater regulation. The Agriculture Export Facilitation Act includes language mirroring a similar bill in the Senate. That includes defining cash payment in advance as receipt of payment before transfer of title and release of physical control of goods to the seller. The measure also gives banks and similar financial institutions clear guidance as to the authorized terms of payment. The House bill co-sponsored by Idaho Representative Butch Otter, and the Senate version led in part by Idaho's Larry Craig, is in response to the Office of Foreign Assets Control's announcement they were redefining payment rules to Cuba that would restrict sales of U.S. ag goods. If the U.S. Government Accountability Office's report is correct, the U.S. is still deficient in its effort to keep b.s.e. out of the country. The investigation requested by two farm state Democratic Senators shows weaknesses in the Food and Drug Administration's ability to enforce our nation's ruminant-to-ruminant feed bans, such as lack of determination on how many plants are in compliance with the ban, and detection of prohibited material in animal feed. Other deficiencies cited include failure to set consistent standards in cleaning machinery that handled prohibited feed materials, and failure to conduct timely inspections of all known plants. Now with today's "Food Forethought", here's Susan Allen. ALLEN: One listener recently e-mailed me his opinion that in order for agriculture to connect with today's younger generation it needs to be repackaged. In essence, to attract bright young minds one must speak their language. In light of the fact that land grant universities are experiencing declining enrollment in the school of agriculture, this fellow could have a valid point. He credits the success of the environmental movement with their ability to connect with an audience by "creative rephrasing." To be politically correct, in environmental lingo, swamps became wetlands and weeds 'native grasses". Being in the business of fertilizer this listener shares his frustration with "public perception" by reminding me that through the early 1900's and Great Depression era, agricultural chemicals were considered to be miracles. When he is introduced to people, he simply rephrases his vocation from the fertilizer industry to the industry that enables plants to flourish, and says if you really want to "wow em", throw in word 'sustainable". Whatever works! I'm Susan Allen and this is Food Forethought