Wednesday was a difficult day for The American Independent News Network, which is the larger entity that operates The Iowa Independent. Our chief executive and founder announced two of our sister sites would close and their content would be moved to The American Independent.
A recently introduced bill could have far-reaching impact on the U.S. sugar industry, including American Crystal Sugar, a farmer-owned cooperative that locked out 1,300 Midwest workers on Aug. 1.
The chairman for Herman Cain’s Iowa effort says the campaign “relied more on the word of farmers than Washington regulators” in deciding to run an ad containing claims the Environmental Protection Agency says are false.
The Iowa Senate will remain under the control of a slim 26-25 Democratic majority when it reconvenes in January 2012.
Mexico has suspended meat imports from several U.S. processing plantsb and Iowa businesses were not left unscathed.
Iowa plants now listed as ineligible to export on the U.S. Department of Agriculture Web site include:
All export certifications for the listed plants were removed effective Dec. 23. In all, 8 percent of Iowa companies on the Mexico export list were impacted by the change.
News of these suspensions, as well as those in 13 additional states, prompted beef and pork futures to dip on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Hog futures for February delivery fell 3.1 percent while cattle futures fell 2.5 percent. Even with the recent dip, hog futures have a net gain of 1.9 percent for the year. Cattle, however, are down 11 percent overall.
According to Mexico’s office of Agriculture Ministry, the certifications were pulled as a part of a U.S.-Mexico accord that mandates any plant that fails three consecutive attempts for sanitary and quality standards lose its right to export. The certifications can be reinstated in the future, although it will take time.
The Associated Press is speculating that the move could “reflect Mexico’s objection to a recently-enacted law that requires meat products to bear country-of-origin labels.” The legislation became effective on Oct. 1 and, on Dec. 18, Mexico filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization. Canada had also filed a complaint on Dec. 1. Both cited discrimination and indicated that U.S. plants have been less willing to accept foreign cattle or hogs under the new law, which requires separation of such livestock in feedlots and packing plants and additional documentation.
Archie Schaffer, a spokesman for Tyson, indicated the company had no prior warning about the ban and that it would begin working Monday to restore certification.
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