BILLINGS — Russell Nemetz has the Montana Ag Network report for Thursday, March 5, 2020.
#1: A BI-PARTISAN GROUP OF U.S. SENATORS INCLUDING MONTANA’S JON TESTER AND STEVE DAINES HAVE SIGNED A LETTER TO AGRICULTURE SECRETARY SONNY PERDUE EXPRESSING CONCERNS OVER THE AGENCY’S RECENT DECISION TO LIFT THE U.S. BAN ON BRAZILIAN BEEF IMPORTS. THE LETTER SAYS GIVEN THAT THE UNITED STATES HALTED BRAZILIAN RAW BEEF IMPORTS LESS THAN ONE YEAR AFTER BRAZIL WAS GRANTED ACCESS IN 2016, SERIOUS CONCERNS REMAIN ABOUT BRAZIL’S ABILITY TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE FOOD SAFETY STANDARDS OVER THE LONG RUN. THE U.S. CITED CONCERNS OVER PUBLIC HEALTH, POOR SANITARY CONDITIONS, AND ANIMAL HEALTH WHEN IT LAST HALTED BRAZILIAN RAW BEEF IN 2017. WYOMING SENATORS MIKE ENZI AND JOHN BARRASSO ALSO SIGNED THE LETTER.
#2: THE RISK MANAGEMENT AGENCY IS REMINDING PRODUCERS IN MONTANA AND WYOMING THAT THE FINAL DATE TO PURCHASE OR MAKE CHANGES TO CROP INSURANCE ON SPRING-PLANTED CROPS IS MARCH 15. FARMERS ALSO NEED TO NOTIFY THEIR AGENT IF THEY HAVE PLANTED WINTER WHEAT IN A COUNTY WITH ONLY SPRING WHEAT COVERAGE BY THIS DATE. PRODUCERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO VISIT THEIR CROP INSURANCE AGENT SOON TO LEARN SPECIFIC DETAILS FOR THE 2020 CROP YEAR. CROP INSURANCE AGENTS CAN HELP PRODUCERS DETERMINE WHAT POLICY WORKS BEST FOR THEIR OPERATION AND REVIEW EXISTING COVERAGE TO ENSURE THE POLICY MEETS THEIR NEEDS. YOU CAN ALSO FIND MORE INFORMATION BY VISITING THE RISK MANAGEMENT AGENCY’S WEBSITE.
#3: LAND MANAGEMENT AUTHORITIES HAVE COMPLETED REMOVING MORE THAN A THOUSAND WILD HORSES IN NEVADA AND UTAH. MORE THAN 1,700 WILD HORSES WERE GATHERED BY THE BLM. OFFICIALS SAY THE PURPOSE OF THE GATHER WAS TO REMOVE ALL EXCESS WILD HORSES FROM AREAS NOT DESIGNATED FOR OR SUITABLE TO THEIR LONG-TERM MANAGEMENT AND PREVENT FURTHER DEGRADATION OF PUBLIC LANDS. TWENTY-EIGHT FEMALE HORSES WERE GIVEN FERTILITY TREATMENTS AND RELEASED BACK INTO THE WILD WITH 19 MALE HORSES. THE MAJORITY OF THE HORSES CAPTURED WERE MOVED TO THE PALOMINO VALLEY CENTER WILD HORSE AND BURRO CORRALS NEAR RENO, AGENCY OFFICIALS SAID. THOSE HORSES WILL BE ADOPTED, SOLD OR PLACED IN LONG-TERM PASTURES.
#4: THE MONTANA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE CHRISTY CLARK HAS ACCEPTED THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR POSITION. CHRISTY HAS SERVED AT THE DEPARTMENT SINCE 2015, MOST RECENTLY AS THE AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES ADMINISTRATOR, AND FORMERLY AS THE AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT AND MARKETING BUREAU CHIEF. CHRISTY HAS A DEEP CONNECTION TO AGRICULTURE AND HER WORK ACROSS THE AGENCY MAKES HER THE RIGHT PERSON TO HELP LEAD THE DEPARTMENT,” SAYS DIRECTOR BEN THOMAS. A NATIVE OF CHOTEAU AND 5TH GENERATION RANCHER, SHE PREVIOUSLY SERVED THREE TERMS AS A REPRESENTATIVE IN THE MONTANA LEGISLATURE. CHRISTY SAYS SHE’S EAGER TO BUILD ON MY EXPERIENCES AND TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT OUR HARD-WORKING AG PRODUCERS IN THIS NEW ROLE.”
