Beef Recall & Tax Relief

Fruitland American Meat, a Jackson, Mo. beef company, is recalling more than 4,000 pounds of beef due to a potential risk for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, also referred to as mad cow disease. USDA made the announcement last week but it looks as if the beef was distributed only in the New England states although bone-in ribeye roasts were distributed to two restaurants: One in New York City and one in Kansas city, Mo.

You can sure tell that it's an election year. By a vote of 272 to 144 - the U.S. House passed a permanent extension of small business expensing, key for farmers and ranchers who want to buy new equipment. But election year politics is getting in the way of tax relief. The extension was passed over the objection of Democrats - like Wisconsin's Ron Kind who charged the unpaid-for-break would add 70-billion to the deficit and short-circuit sweeping tax reform.

KIND: And that's why I encouraged my colleagues to vote, no, and continue focusing on comprehensive tax reform. And earlier this year I give the chairman of our committee, Dave Camp, credit for introducing a draft discussion proposal on comprehensive reform.

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

The pork industry has once again been hit a devastating blow in having to deal with the loss of millions of baby pigs to the PED virus. The USDA recently issued a federal order for the mandatory reporting of the virus. The virus does not have an affect on human health, but it most certainly is going to have an affect on the price of pork in the near future. It stands to reason that with the loss of so many pigs the price for remaining pigs will go up. Knowing this, the National Pork Board will be working with retailers around the country this summer to offer consumers price breaks through special sales promotions, such as the Pork Checkoff "Perfect Pair Promotion" matching swine and wine. Through the month of July in Stater Brothers supermarkets bottles of Columbia Crest wines will include a recipe on the wine necker for bacon wrapped tenderloins, when consumers buy a package of Farmer John bacon, they will also receive a $2 off coupon for any Farmer John pork tenderloin. So, be sure to watch for pork promotions this summer at your local supermarket and remember you can "Grill It Like a steak".

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