AGRICULTURE
From ANIMAL PEOPLE, December 1993:
The USDA on November 5
approved the sale of milk produced with the
use of a genetically engineered bovine
growth hormone, bovine somatotropin,
effective when a Congressionally imposed
moratorium expires February 3. In the interim,
the anti-genetic engineering Foundation on
Economic Trends and small dairy farmers are
trying to form a national boycott of dairies that
buy milk from BST users. The potential
impact of BST is indirectly illustrated by newly
released statistics showing California is the top
dairy state in the US., with only 2,000 farms
and 1.2 million cows, compared with 29,000
farms and 1.5 million cows for Wisconsin, the
runner-up. Most Wisconsin farms are family-
run; most California production comes from
mega-scale factory farms, whose cows may
never go outdoors or taste fresh grass. BST is
expected to tilt farm economics further in favor
of the factory farmers.
Western Senators filibustered to
kill an attempt to legislate higher grazing
fees on November 9––shortly after higher graz-
ing fees cleared the House of
Representatives––but the action left Interior
Secretary Bruce Babbitt free to unilaterally
impose even steeper fees along with environ-
mental regulations. Babbitt said he would;
ranchers pledged to challenge him in court.
Meat prices are likely to rise next
year as result of this summer’s midwestern
flooding, which cut the Iowa corn crop by
52%. Corn makes up two-thirds of the poultry
diet, and is the staple of the hog diet, while
beef cattle are typically fattened on a mixture of
three parts chicken manure to one part corn.
Ann Champagne and Betty Waters
of Newport, Vermont, have begun a statewide
campaign against the spreading practice of
docking cows’ tails so that they won’t flip
manure at farmers doing barn chores. Docking
is not only cruel, they warn; it’s likely to turn
off tourists. Tourism is Vermont’s leading
industry, and, they state, “Visitors expect to
see a complete cow.”
