Does not matter: Farmers still plagued by hog backlog — Another push for dietary guidelines — USDA misses organic livestock rule deadline

Jun 19, 2020

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Quick Fix

— Producers in the top hog states are still grappling with an excess of pigs caused by meatpacking plants shutting down. Hundreds of thousands of hogs have been killed on farms, and growers have been scrambling to find other solutions, such as shipping animals out of state.

— Nutrition groups are again calling for USDA to delay the 2020 dietary guidelines process to fix a number of problems they see with the scientific review process.

— The Agriculture Department missed the deadline set by Congress to finish its organic livestock rulemaking that's been a top priority of the organic industry for years.

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Driving the Day

FARMERS STILL PLAGUED BY HOG BACKLOG: States hit hardest by the meatpacking industry crisis are just now starting to ease the backlog of hogs unable to be processed, reports yours truly this morning . So far, hundreds of thousands of hogs have been killed by producers, and while still falling short of the initial slaughter estimates in the millions, the pork industry says it needs additional funds from Congress to cover the cost of euthanizing animals and price losses associated with the pandemic, as well as mental health resources for farmers disturbed by having to kill their animals for disposal.

Businesses on the line: "The drain on equity and the financial and emotional crisis that farmers are facing is not resolved," said Dave Preisler, chief executive officer of the Minnesota Pork Producers Association. "Really, without an infusion of cash, it's going to be difficult for folks to continue on."

Producers have gone to great lengths to reduce the backlog and avoid on-farm slaughter. Some have been shipping hogs to processors out of state or selling directly to individuals looking to stockpile meat. Others have started contracting with small processors, who have seen an unprecedented surge in business.

Farmers have been building additional barns to house hogs ready for slaughter but waiting for plants to accept them. They've also opted to put hogs on "diets" by using slower-growth feed and increasing water intake.

Still, those measures have not fully solved the pileup and producers in some of the top hog states have had to resort to morbid ways to reduce their herds. The American Association of Swine Veterinarians recommends several approaches, including electrocution, anesthetic overdose or by gunshot.

Animal welfare groups like the Humane Society want to see bans on certain types of euthanasia that they say are cruel and unnecessary yet are suggested by vets, such as blunt force trauma or shutting off access to ventilation so that hogs die from overheating.

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ANOTHER PUSH FOR DIETARY GUIDELINES TO ADDRESS OBESITY: A coalition of nutrition and health groups on Thursday repeated its call for USDA to delay publishing the 2020 dietary guidelines scientific advisory report following a meeting of the advisory committee this week. The group, whose members include the NAACP and Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, said it's concerned about incomplete scientific reviews and cited "the urgent need" for the guidelines to address Americans with chronic, diet-related diseases often caused by obesity.

The guidelines don't specifically address the needs of most Americans, as 60 percent of the population is considered overweight or obese, according to a letter signed by the Food4Health Alliance. People of color stand to be disproportionately ignored as they have higher rates of obesity.

The advisory committee didn't address any of the calls for delay during its meeting on Wednesday. Read more about the high points from that 8-hour meeting from our Helena Bottemiller Evich.

USDA MISSES ORGANIC LIVESTOCK RULE DEADLINE: The Agriculture Department blew past the 180-day deadline set by Congress to finalize its origin of livestock rule, and senators who sit on the panel overseeing the agency's budget are turning up the heat on USDA to finish the job. The organic industry has been pushing for years for USDA to close a loophole in the rules governing how livestock are transitioned to organic production. But the Trump administration has dragged its feet in making the fix, leading Congress to set a timeline for completion in last year's appropriations law.

Because of the loophole, "some producers continuously cycle cows in and out of organic management, putting smaller producers in states like ours at a significant financial disadvantage and placing the integrity of the organic label at risk," wrote Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) in a letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. The pair urged USDA to finish the rulemaking "without further delay."

USDA is also facing pressure from 70 farm organizations that said the department "is letting down organic dairies" and that "continued delays in implementing this rule will prolong the dire economics facing organic dairy farmers, as well as jeopardize consumers' trust in the organic label," per a letter sent to members of Congress.

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Row Crops

— The House is planning to merge a set of bills to form a $1.5 trillion infrastructure package that would include funds for roads, bridges and transit systems, as well as broadband deployment in rural areas. Pro Transportation's Kathryn A. Wolfe has more details.

— Nearly 2,500 organizations are asking the Senate to boost food stamp benefits by 15 percent in the next coronavirus relief package.

— The EPA has received 52 new petitions from refineries seeking economic hardship designations from the Renewable Fuel Standard for years going back to 2011, reports Pro Energy's Eric Wolff. It's an effort by the companies to meet a court's requirement that could make them eligible to receive waivers freeing them from current biofuel blending requirements.

— A measure banning flavored tobacco advanced out of the California Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday with an exemption for shisa, the flavored tobacco used in hookahs, reports Pro California's Jeremy White.

— Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) rolled out a bill on Thursday that would deliver a top priority for restaurants: a dedicated relief fund for the industry. The bill would set up a $120 billion grant program to help restaurants with fewer than 20 locations that aren't publicly traded.

— CNN dives into how the rise of supermarkets over the last 60 years has left out black Americans.

— Dan Turton will be the new head of global government affairs at Tyson Foods, starting on June 29. Turton was most recently a senior adviser to the House Rules Committee, per POLITICO Playbook.