News Releases and other News Material/Number 01194/0013

by United States Department of Agriculture

Release No. 0013.94
Becky Unkenholz (202) 720-8998
Ron Hall (202) 720-3310

USDA TO HOLD FOUR HEARINGS ON ORGANIC LIVESTOCK

WASHINGTON, Jan. 5 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture will hold four public hearings in early 1994 on the production and processing of organic livestock.

Lon Hatamiya, administrator of USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service, said the hearings will be held Jan. 27-28 in Washington, D.C., Feb. 10 in Chicago, Ill., Feb. 24 in Denver, Colo., and March 22 in Sacramento, Calif. All hearings will run from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m.

The purpose of the hearings is to provide the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) and the Department with additional information as they develop regulatory standards for organic livestock and livestock products.

USDA seeks input from the public on a broad range of issues, including:

• Production standards needed to regulate the purchase of slaughter stock intended for sale as organic meat products;
• Criteria needed to ensure that subtherapeutic doses of antibiotics and routine applications of synthetic internal parasiticides are not applied to organically labeled livestock;
• Reasonable exceptions for feed for organically raised livestock;
• Safeguards necessary to permit organically and non-organically raised animals of the same species to be produced on the same farming operation;
• Safeguards for ensuring the separation of organic and non-organic products or penetration of prohibited chemicals in processing facilities; and
• Management and audit trail records necessary to ensure the integrity of the retail organic livestock product.

Persons planning to give oral testimony at any of the hearings should notify USDA at least seven days in advance of the hearing. Those who are unable to attend the hearings may submit written testimony up to 15 days following the last hearing.

Notice of the hearings appeared in the Dec. 30 Federal Register. For more information, or to receive a copy of the notice, contact Dr. Harold S. Ricker, Staff Director, National Organic Program, Transportation and Marketing Division, Agricultural Marketing Service, Room 4006-S, P.O. Box 96456, Washington, D.C. 20090-6456.

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦