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	Conservation Stewardship Program Regulations Released The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released an interim final rule for the new Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) which was established by the 2008 Farm Bill. The CSP contains the rotation program developed by the University of Georgia's National Center for Peanut Competitiveness. Producers can send written comments concerning the regulation to USDA through September 28, 2009. View USDA News release View Federal Register notice [pdf document] [html file] Conservation Stewardship Program Info on the NRCS Web site Congress urges USDA to consider increase in peanut butter purchases U.S. Congressman Sanford Bishop, D-Ga., along with a number of other congressmen and senators recently sent a letter to Tom Vilsack, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, requesting an increase in peanut butter purchases for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) feeding programs. Congressman Bishop and other key agricultural members of Congress highlighted in the letter that America’s peanut farmers are faced with a significant surplus from the 2008 crop, and have received very few contracts for the 2009 crop. Read the complete letter Energy and Commerce Subcommittee Hearing on "The Salmonella Outbreak: The Continued Failure to Protect the Food Supply" The Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing titled, “The Salmonella Outbreak: The Continued Failure to Protect the Food Supply” on Wednesday, February 11, 2009, in 2123 Rayburn House Office Building. The hearing examined the recent salmonella outbreak associated with peanut products manufactured by the Peanut Corporation of America. Download witnesses' testimony: Jeffrey Almer (Son of Shirley Almer, who passed away) Lou Tousignant (Son of Clifford Tousignant, who passed away) Peter K. Hurley (Father of child that became sick) Stewart Parnell, President, Peanut Corporation of America* Sammy Lightsey, Plant Manager, Peanut Corporation of America Stephen Sundlof, D.V.M., Ph.D., Director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug Administration Oscar Garrison, Consumer Protection Division, Georgia Department of Agriculture Darlene Cowart, President, J. Leek Associates, Inc. Charles Deibel, President, Deibel Laboratories * The Committee voted on February 10, 2009 to compel the testimony of Stewart Parnell. Senators Express Concern About Global Agricultural Trade Negotiations in Geneva Twenty-four U.S. Senators recently signed a letter to U.S. President George Bush regarding global agricultural trade negotiations. According to the letter the senators said the potential modalities framework now under consideration by negotiators in Geneva is not sound or balanced from the perspective of U.S. agriculture. GAO Releases Report on Farm Programs The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report (GAO-09-67) to the Ranking Member, Committee on Finance, U.S. Senate. The report focuses on federal farm programs. The GAO recommends that USDA work with IRS to develop a system for verifying the income eligibility for all recipients of farm program payments. Download complete report. USDA ANNOUNCES 2008 DCP The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Act) was enacted into law on May 22, 2008. The 2008 Act provides for continuing DCP for 2008 through 2012. The 2008 DCP signup period will start June 25, 2008, and will end September 30, 2008. The 2008 DCP will be administered exactly like the 2007 DCP, except that a producer on a farm may not receive direct or counter-cyclical payments if the sum of the base acres on the farm is 10 acres or less with exceptions. This provision is discussed in the following notice. To view the entire notice click here. Farm Bill On May 14, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the conference report on H.R. 2419, the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 by a vote of 318-106. The Senate followed suit on May 15 and passed the conference report by a vote of 81-15. The bill will now be sent to President Bush for his signature. The Senate Ag Committee and the U.S. House Ag Committee has direct links to all Title by Title summaries of the 2008 Farm Bill. Click on one of the following links for more details: House Ag Committee Web site Senate Ag Committee Web site

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