Direct Line Keeping Our Members Informed kpa@kspork.org • www.kspork.org
Volume XXVIII
2601 Farm Bureau Road • Manhattan, KS 66502 • (785) 776-0442
KPA Annual Meeting held in Topeka Three positions on the Kansas Pork Association Executive Board were elected during the KPA Annual Meeting held recently in Topeka. Each position serves a three-year term. Elected were: Tom Frederick, Hugoton, Jennifer Gerety, Seneca; and Jerry Morris, Sedgwick. The 2009 KPA Policy Handbook was adopted at the annual meeting. To review the document please contact the KPA office. The KPA Executive Board elected Ron Suther, Blaine, to his second term as KPA Chairman. Guest during the meeting included Senator Mark Taddiken, Clifton, which spoke to the KPA Executive Board. Senator Taddiken, who serves as the chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, provided an update to the group on issues working within his committee. The Board was also able to provide input on issues important to the pork industry. Chris Novak, CEO of the National Pork Board, provided the group with his insights into future issues the pork industry will be facing. Novak also talked about the work being done by the Pork Board to meet those challenges. Terry Medley, Chief of the Livestock Waste Division at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, reviewed the new EPA rules regarding Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) which were recently released.
Above: Senator Mark Taddiken, Clifton addresses the board.
Above: Chris Novak, CEO of the National Pork Board answering questions on the We Care Initative. Left: Terry Medley, Chief of the Livestock Waste Division at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment reviews EPA rules.
March 2009
EQIP Cutoff Dates Extended to April 10 The signup cutoff date has been extended from Friday, January 30, 2009, to Friday, April 10, 2009, for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). Although applications may be accepted on a continuing basis, they will be gathered at the close of business on April 10 for this ranking period. Producers with agricultural land, rangeland, or forestland with any concerns should apply at their NRCS local field office and work with them on a conservation plan.
USDA Announces Results of Pork Request for Referendum The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced the results of a pork request for referendum that shows too few pork producers and importers want a continuance referendum on the Pork Promotion, Research, and Consumer Information Order. The request for referendum was held from December 8, 2008, through January 2, 2009. If the results of the request for referendum showed that there was sufficient interest among pork producers and importers to have a vote on whether to continue the order, a referendum would have to be held within a year. If at least 15 percent of the 69,446 eligible pork producers and importers nationwide participated in the request for referendum, a referendum would have been conducted. Of the 96 participants, 94 valid requests for a referendum were cast -- far short of the 10,417 required to trigger a referendum.