11/07/05 RMA conference spotlites livestock issues

American Rancher November 7, 2005 USDA's Risk Management Agency invites everyone to attend their Northern Regional Successful Strategies for Farmers and Ranchers Conference coming up next week in Billings, Montana, November 15th and 16th. Jo Lynne Seufer with the RMA Regional office in Spokane says livestock initiatives will be in the spotlight. Seufer: "A lot of our primary objective includes the livestock programs that USDA has. And that includes Livestock Emergency Preparedness by Animal Plant Health and Inspection Service particularly when it comes to mad cow disease and exporting of cattle through our borders, as well as a new program USDA Risk Management Agency has called Livestock Risk Protection. And it is like an insurance revenue protection tool that livestock producers can purchase in 20 states currently." Seufer says the regional office is working to get the Livestock Protection insurance extended to the Pacific Northwest states. The National Animal Identification Program will also be addressed at the conference and there will be a presentation on Adjusted Gross Revenue Lite insurance which also covers livestock. Issues of interest to Tribes are also on the agenda. You can register at the Risk Management Agency's website or call Jo Lynne Seufer at 509-353-2147. I'm Bob Hoff.