PETA says feds ignoring livestock abuse
The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Tuesday filed a petition accusing the Agriculture Department of not enforcing federal laws meant to ensure the humane treatment of livestock on factory farms.
The animal rights group said that the Agriculture Department is only enforcing the Humane Slaughter Act with regard to animals at slaughterhouses and ignoring their treatment elsewhere.
The result, the group says, is animals suffer without inspection from the time they are born until just before the moment they are killed at meatpacking plants.
"Animals don't suddenly develop the capacity to suffer on the day they arrive at the slaughterhouse. They possess that capacity their entire lives," said Matthew Penzer, an attorney for PETA.
"A ruling in PETA's favor would make a world of difference to animals who live in pain every day and die horribly, by the millions, on farms every year," Penzer said.
The petition was filed at the Agriculture Department's offices in Washington. Agriculture Department officials had no immediate response.
The petition contends nearly 150 million animals are mistreated prior to being killed for food each year. Among the mistreatment cited in the petition is the castration and dehorning that can take place without use of anesthesia.
The animals sometimes are kept in cramped conditions that restrict their ability to move, forcing them to lie in their own excrement, which can cause limb ulceration and upper-respiratory diseases.
While being moved from one place to another, they can suffer from being exposed to extreme weather conditions. The petition cites alleged instances where the skin of pigs and cows was torn off because it froze to the sides of trucks transporting them.
PETA also claimed animals were beaten with gate poles, hammers and wrenches, shot with captive-bolt guns and sometimes left to starve or dehydrate until dead if they were too weak to reach food or water.
Ag Dept helped with Sept. 11 relief efforts
Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman used memorial services Tuesday at the Pentagon to highlight her agency's help with relief efforts following the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington.
During a brief statement, Veneman cited agency employees who made donations to charitable organizations and the use of Forest Service employees to help with search and rescue efforts at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
Also, food, nutrition and consumer service employees are providing emergency aid and food stamps to victim families.
"We must also keep in our hearts the brave men and women in the military who are serving our country this holiday season to preserve and protect the very freedoms that make our nation so strong and vibrant," she said.
Supreme Court approves seed patents
The Supreme Court this week approved the ability of the crop-biotechnology industry to patent their plants and seed.
The high court ruled 6-2 to keep intact hundreds of utility patents issued by the Patent and Trademark Office during the past 16 years.
Recipients of those patents included companies such as Monsanto Co. and DuPont Co.'s Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc.
Attorneys for the biotechnology industry successfully argued their research on genetically modified crops deserved legal protection. Farm-related groups complained the patents interfered with the ability of farmers to develop their crops.
Trade authority, not farm bill, may progress
The Senate's finance committee may proceed this week with reviewing a bill granting trade promotion authority to President Bush.
Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Colo., and Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, the ranking Republican member of the committee, say they want to work together on a trade authority bill.
While they admit there are differences in what Republicans and Democrats would like to see in a bill, "we felt there was considerable value in restoring a greater degree of bipartisanship."
The committee's willingness to move forward is not shared by the Democratic leadership in the Senate. Another agriculture-related measure being stalled by Senate leadership includes the farm bill. The National Farmers Union sent Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., a letter urging him to approve a bill by Wednesday so that final approval could be given by Bush by the end of the year.
Feds approve Nestle purchase of Ralston Purina
The Federal Trade Commission Tuesday announced a consent order allowing Nestle Holdings Inc. to complete a $10.3 billion purchase of Ralston Purina Co.
The consent order, which does not become final until next month, would require Nestle to divest both Ralston's Meow Mix and Alley Cat brands to J.W. Childs Equity Partners by Jan. 31, 2002.
Nestle also would have to relinquish all international trademarks related to the two brands, and would be required to co-pack both brands for Childs for a set period of time.
FTC officials say the conditions are meant to prevent Nestle from having too large a share of the dry cat food market. Without the conditions, Nestle would have a 45 percent share of the U.S. market across all levels of distribution.
Grains mixed on CBOT
Grains futures were mixed at the close Tuesday on the Chicago Board of Trade.
Soybeans fell on concerns over favorable weather forecasts throughout South America that could improve the quality of crops and reduce the demand for U.S.-grown crops.
Corn was up slightly on word of a 220,000-ton purchase of U.S.-grown corn by China. Also helping to boost prices was the expected reduction in production estimates for Argentina's corn crop.
Wheat rose on shortcovering activity.
Oats were higher on large delivery notices.
The prices:
Soybeans: Jan 4.37 1/2 off 5 1/2, Mar 4.40 3/4 off 5 1/2, May 4.44 1/4 off 5, Jul 4.49 1/2 off 4 1/4.
Corn: Dec 2.09 1/2 up 1/2, Mar 2.19 1/2 unch, May 2.25 3/4 unch, Jul 2.31 1/2 up 1/4.
Wheat: Dec 2.77 3/4 up 4, Mar 2.86 3/4 up 3 1/4, May 2.88 1/2 up 2 1/2, Jul 2.88 1/2 up 1 3/4.
Oats: Dec 2.35 1/4 off 2 3/4, Mar 1.98 1/2 up 3 3/4, May 1.85 1/4 up 4 1/4, Jul 1.68 up 2.
