NewzIntel.com

Category: Farming

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville Demands Biden Administration Protect Farmers Amid Historic Inflation, Rising Input Costs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)

    “The issues plaguing American producers are directly linked to the harmful policies.”

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) spoke on the Senate floor about the how the Biden administration’s inflationary policies are hurting American farmers. He stressed the importance of passing a Farm Bill that puts American farmers first.

    Read Senator Tuberville’s remarks below or on YouTube or Rumble.

    “Mr. President, I rise today to talk about the dire state of our American farm economy and our farmers. American farmers and producers are the backbone of our nation’s agriculture economy and food security.

    Despite their critical role in our lives to feed, clothe, and fuel not only the United States, but the entire world, our farmers are struggling to survive—and that’s an understatement. The current state of the agriculture economy is bleak and on the verge of collapse. We have problems all over the world. We have problems in our country. There’s nothing more important. Nothing more important that we should be addressing than our food supply here in this country.

    Costs for farmers are rising. Commodity prices are falling. Our farmers cannot break even—much less, make a profit. According to the USDA, net farm income this year is projected to decline 4.4% from 2023 […]. That is a disaster. This follows a shocking—listen to this—a shocking 19.5% decline in 2022.

    Not one business in this country can survive with this kind of decline. And our farmers and our farms are no different. This means producer’s income has plummeted 23% in just two years. 23%. These figures represent over $40 billion in lost revenue for America’s hardworking producers. This is the largest two-year decline ever in our farm income, ever in the history of this country.

    Right now, our row croppers, especially, are facing considerable financial hardship. According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, row croppers had a $27.7 billion decline in cash receipts since last year. In Alabama, my state, our producers are yielding bumper crops of cotton, peanuts, corn, soybeans, and yet they can’t profit due to [the] rising cost of production. Our catfish producers are in the same boat. Rising input costs and falling fish prices are threatening to put them out of business. A multitude of factors that producers have no control over are impacting their bottom lines.

    And I wanna talk about one of them. This miraculous, this ‘world saving’ Inflation Reduction Act that we passed a few years ago, was supposed to ‘save our economy.’ It was supposed to save a lot of workers. You know what it’s done to our farmers? It’s almost put us out of business. The Inflation Reduction Act started a tax credit for imports and exports.

    Unfortunately, all the tax credits are going to people, and countries, and farmers from overseas—Brazil and China. [The tax credit] is supposed to go to our farmers, [but] no it’s not gonna do that. For some reason, this Administration [has] given all the tax credits to the farmers from other countries, and our farmers are struggling.

    The Biden administration has control, has total control, over our farm economy, but you hadn’t heard a peep out of them, not one peep about our farmers. And this is a disastrous year coming up. And right now, we are harvesting our crops and they’re bumper crops. The issues plaguing American producers are directly linked to the harmful policies, as I just said, from the Biden-Harris administration.

    This includes the lack of domestic energy production, skyrocketing inflation, which comes from the Inflation Reduction Act, and endless environmental hurdles. Let me say something about conservation and all the things that happen in our environment. There’s nobody, and I mean nobody on the face of the earth, that takes care and is more conscious of environmental problems than our farmers, because they make a living off our land. But we’re putting so many regulations on them. We’re closing our farms down and running them overseas, and we’re gonna have a national security threat because all of our food is gonna come from foreign countries.

    Farmers are experiencing rising high costs of labor [and an] increase [in the] price of feeds, fertilizer, and pesticides. And I’m not going to sugarcoat it. America’s agriculture producers are facing a very tough road ahead. And it’s something nobody, the media, this building, […] The House of Representatives—nobody’s even talking about. Folks, if we can’t eat. If we don’t have food to eat, we’re done.

    Many farmers fear that their farm loans this year will not be renewed. They have to have farm loans to put a crop in the ground. They fear cash flow is drying up and interest rates continuing to rise create an uncertain future for farming operations. Although Congress only has a few legislative days left to act, we must stop adding fuel to the Biden-Harris administration’s fire. We’ve got to quit adding fuel. We’ve got to help the farmers.

    We need to pass a Farm Bill that helps our farmers. Democrats are [in] control of that. […] A farm bill is for five years. […] Five years ago, the Farm Bill was $870 billion for [a] five-year period. It runs in a five-year period. So, this past year, we’re supposed to be working on a Farm Bill. I’m on the Ag Committee. We go by the control of the Democratic Party. Our Democratic Chairwoman has decided we won’t do a Farm Bill this year.

    We’re just throwing farmers underneath the bus. They need help. You would think by looking at everything going on, that my colleagues on the Left would rather our food come from other countries, take over our farmland, control it, and do something else with it. 

    Producers need a strong safety net—we’ve got to have a safety net for our farmers. Considering no farmer’s risks are the same, we cannot take a one-size-fits-all approach. Remember, we have a Farm Bill that covers livestock, hogs, row croppers, forest, fish. There’s a lot of things involved.

    Farmers across the country have fluctuating levels of risk impacted by land and equipment costs, access to irrigation, and variable input requirements. Southern row croppers rely heavily, heavily upon Title I Commodity Programs in the Farm Bill, particularly the Price Loss [Coverage] program and the Agricultural Risk [Coverage] program. Yet Midwest producers heavily utilize crop insurance.

    Where there may be an overlap across regions among these programs, we must fix the entire farm safety net, not just parts of it. Take the reference prices and commodity programs, for example. Reference prices are how much prices are in their commodity sells for. Our farmers […] are today operating on 2012 reference prices, 2012. Fourteen years later, the costs of production are 22-31% higher today than they were at that time a decade ago—making current reference prices completely inadequate for our farmers.

    We don’t have time to waste. Our farmers are facing an uphill battle to remain in business. […] The American people going to the grocery store are gonna find out pretty quick what it is to be hungry if we don’t wake up and smell the roses.

    Even if a Farm Bill is passed today, producers wouldn’t receive any commodity program support from this Farm Bill until 2026. Game, set, match before 2026 for our farmers in this country.

    That’s help our farmers need now to survive, not two years late. Senate Republicans stand ready to act on a solid bipartisan bill the House Agriculture Committee passed earlier this year. Yet, Senate Democrats and the Biden administration refused, they refused, to come to the table to find practical, bipartisan solutions to the many problems our farmers are facing today.

    ‘Let’s don’t worry about our farmers. Let’s worry about Ukraine. Let’s worry about people overseas. Eight hundred bases we have around the world. Let’s don’t worry about eating. We can without eating.’ That’s what this Administration’s saying. 

    This forces us to look to supplemental appropriation packages to help our producers, if we’re not gonna do a Farm Bill, to renew their farm loans and plan for next year’s crops. If they don’t get help this year, we’re gonna have huge problems. They won’t be pocketing this money. If we come up with some money to help the farmers get along, they’ll just be planting another crop.

    Without immediate action to assist producers, our nation’s agriculture industry may never, ever, make it back from the damage that we’re doing to them today. America has lost—listen to this—America has lost 150,000 farms and 25,000 farmers in our country over the last few years. What? 150,000 farms closed up. Why? They can’t make a profit. You’ve owned a farm for 100 years, you and your family. But you get to the point where you say, ‘you know, I’m not passing something down to our kids that really wanna farm, we’re not gonna put them in harm’s way. We’re gonna sell. We’re gonna get out of the business. And we’re gonna let somebody else worry about it. Let’s let the Federal Government worry about it.’ […]

    We can’t afford any more losses to our farms. Our farmers are hurting. They’re hurting real bad. But have you heard anybody talk about it, no.

    You’re gonna hear a lot of people complaining about it and there’s gonna be an uproar in the next few years when prices double and triple as what they are today because we’re not gonna have any food. And it’s gonna come from Brazil, it’s gonna come from China, it’s gonna come from Vietnam. 

    We are doing severe damage to the farmers across this country and nobody cares. I’ll continue to be the voice of our Southern agriculture producers in the Senate and ensure that we have a seat at the table on this Farm Bill upcoming. But as I just said a while ago, [even] if we do a Farm Bill today, we’re gonna lose at least half of our farmers in this country this year, this year if they don’t get some help.

    Mr. President, I yield the floor.”

    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, and HELP Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ernst Work to Fix FAFSA Fiasco for Farm Families Gains Support

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)
    WASHINGTON – In light of a new report revealing that it will take the Department of Education well into 2027 to complete the implementation of the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), U.S. Senator Joni Ernst’s (R-Iowa) work to fix this fiasco for farm families is gaining momentum with the endorsement of 24 education and agriculture groups.
    After the new formula changed a farm family’s expected annual contribution to their child’s education from $7,626 to $41,056, Ernst’s bipartisan Family Farm and Small Business Exemption Act would reverse these changes that could reduce or even eliminate access to need-based student aid for farm families.
    “As students across the country filled up their backpacks and picked up their pencils to head back to school this fall, too many families were left out of accessing financial aid. Chalk it up to poor leadership from the Biden-Harris administration and a Department of Education that is out of touch with rural America!” said Ernst. “There can be no more delay for fixing the Biden-Harris FAFSA fiasco for next year. My solution would support farm families trying to responsibly finance their child’s education, instead of forcing them to sell off the farm. Class is back in session, and the Department of Education must turn their homework in on time so students don’t miss out due to bureaucratic bungling.”
    The new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report revealed major errors made during the so-called “simplified” FAFSA rollout that led to a 9% decrease in 2024 FAFSA submissions for high school seniors, including that:
    74% of incoming calls for support went unanswered in the first five months of the new form,
    Graduate students were being incorrectly informed that they are eligible for Pell Grants,
    It took families an average of five days to complete a form that the Department claimed would take 15-20 minutes, and
    Students who submitted a paper FAFSA did not receive confirmation for more than seven months.
    To end the series of fumbles, here’s what others are saying about Ernst’s Family Farm and Small Business Exemption Act:
    “On the heels of a year where FAFSA was neither ‘better’ nor ‘simpler,’ Iowa families are bracing for more delays, disruptions, and unintended consequences as a result of the 25-26 financial aid processing season. Federal Student Aid and Congress have failed to address key issues – such as how assets related to small business ownership and family farms are counted on the FAFSA – leaving many hard-working Iowans unsure if they’ll have the resources needed to pursue education and training after high school,” said Rob Miller, President of Iowa College Access Network. “And while much attention has been focused on the new December 2024 FAFSA release date, big concerns remain over FSA’s ability to quickly and correctly process the forms and share accurate data with colleges for packaging.” 
    “Students decided not to attend Iowa Central Community College this year due to the newly imposed family asset in the Student Aid Index used for financial aid. If they have to take out loans for their education, many of our students will go right into the workplace or start working on their family farm instead of pursuing a degree,” said Jim Kersten, Vice President of Government Affairs at Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge, Iowa. “We faced many challenges following these changes including FAFSA completion delays, students not having FAFSA results in time to make their college decision, schools unable to make financial aid offers, and FASFA corrections not made until August. In addition, some parents with multiple children reached out to ask why their aid was so different from what their older children had received in years past. Their income was basically the same, but they no longer qualified for need-based aid which includes work-study jobs and subsidized loan funds. I am so pleased Senator Ernst is working together in a bipartisan manner with Senator Tester and others to get this important legislation approved as soon as possible.”
    “The second straight year of declining farm income only highlights the problems with changes that were made to asset calculations in the FAFSA Simplification Act,” said Dustin Sherer, Director of Government Affairs at the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF). “There are land rich, cash poor farmers who made no money this past year, yet their children won’t qualify for federal financial student aid. AFBF appreciates Senator Ernst’s focus on trying to correct this problem.”
    “Farm Credit commends Senators Ernst and Tester for their bipartisan work to rectify an unintended consequence of prior legislation impacting agricultural families,” said Todd Van Hoose, President and CEO of Farm Credit Council. “It’s essential that we provide our farm and ranch families with the financial aid and resources they need to support the next generation of agricultural leaders.”
    Background:
    The FAFSA form is typically accessible to students on Oct. 1 of each year to allow ample time to submit financial information before state and school-specific deadlines for aid eligibility. However, due to incomplete planning measures, the Department of Education released last year’s version three months late, drastically condensing the timeline for families to submit for aid. To make matters worse, the late rollout came with additional challenges, including changes that could reduce or eliminate access to need-based student aid for farm families and small business owners.
    To ensure more Iowa families are not left out, Ernst has conducted critical oversight, demanded answers on behalf of agricultural communities, and worked to get input directly from impacted Iowans.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Renewable Energy – Ruakākā Solar Farm gains planning consent – Meridian

    Source: Meridian Energy

    Meridian Energy has been granted resource consent to build a 120 MW solar farm in Tai Tokerau Northland.

    With up to 250,000 solar panels, the Ruakākā Solar Farm, south of Whangārei, will be capable of producing 150 to 200 GWh of electricity per year – enough to power more than half the homes in Northland.

    Meridian’s Head of Renewable Development, Rebecca Knott, says the project will boost resilience for the region by reducing Northland’s reliance on electricity generated from other parts of the country.

    “With the bulk of New Zealand’s electricity generation coming from the lower South Island and North Island, south of Auckland, we’re proud to be developing such significant generation capacity in Tai Tokerau. This region is blessed with phenomenal natural resources, and we’re looking forward to delivering a fantastic new project that takes full advantage of that.”

    The solar farm is Stage 2 of Meridian’s Ruakākā Energy Park, which includes a 100 MW battery energy storage system that is at an advanced stage of construction and due for completion in early 2025.

    “The Ruakākā Energy Park is one of a number of renewable energy developments Meridian has underway to improve the security of electricity supply and help create a low carbon future for all Kiwis,” says Rebecca Knott.

    “We’re committed to increasing the amount of renewable electricity we generate and store so that we can help meet New Zealand’s growing demand for clean energy. That commitment is backed by a $3 billion investment through to 2030, and a number of excellent projects already in or approaching the planning process. Solar farms and batteries, alongside our hydro stations and wind farms, are part of the solution to strengthening and growing our electricity system, building resilience for tough years and reducing the cost of electricity for homes and businesses.”

    Subject to the appeal period and final investment decision by the Meridian Board, expected by the end of the year, construction of the Ruakākā Solar Farm will get underway in early 2025. It is expected to be completed in late 2026.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Director Rachel Rossi Delivers Opening Remarks at the World Affairs Council’s “From Local to Global: Justice Reform & Community Engagement in the United States and Ukraine”

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    Remarks as Prepared for Delivery

    Thank you, Fraser, for that kind introduction and thank you to the World Affairs Council for organizing this panel. A big thank you to Jared Kimball and our colleagues with the Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) for inviting the Office for Access to Justice to partner in this engagement.

    It is an honor to be here in the company of distinguished representatives from Ukraine and Seattle – to learn about their respective community prosecution efforts and to think more deeply about the prosecutor’s role in ensuring equal access to justice for all.

    I must first acknowledge and applaud the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office for its pursuit of community driven approaches to prosecution – especially during such a complex and devastating time.

    Roman Shpyrka is here with us from the Office of Ukraine’s Prosecutor General with a number of his colleagues. Roman – thank you and your team for being here and for all you are doing in the face of unimaginable challenges. We are honored to stand with you as Ukraine plans for a future grounded in the rule of law.

    While our circumstances are quite different, through our collaboration we have seen that that community driven approaches to prosecution align with the mission of equal access to justice for all.

    Achieving “access to justice” requires that all communities can equally access public safety and the promise of justice. This requires equal enforcement of laws, but it also requires us to intentionally dismantle barriers many continue to face, to accelerate innovative strategies and to safeguard the integrity of our legal systems, so that justice doesn’t depend on income, status, who you are or where you live. This, in turn, promotes trust in the rule of law.

    This is the mission of the Office for Access to Justice. As a stand-alone federal office, we are housed within the Justice Department – the United States’ leading federal prosecuting agency – because closing access to justice gaps for all is central to the pursuit of justice.

    Attorney General Merrick B. Garland underscored the importance of our mission in quoting former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy who stated, quote “It must be our purpose … to insure that the department over which I preside is more than a Department of Prosecution and is in fact the Department of Justice.” Attorney General Garland further stated: “We are responsible not only for enforcing the law, but for upholding the Rule of Law. We are responsible for protecting civil rights and pursuing justice for all Americans.”

    As prosecutors stand at the forefront of this pursuit of access to justice, community prosecution strategies incorporate a multi-dimensional approach.

    First, this mission requires consistent engagement with the community. We’ll soon hear more about prosecutorial strategies to engage and collaborate with community members and community-based organizations in a variety of innovative ways.

    And it is with this commitment that our office is working to ensure engagement advances culturally responsive approaches, including for communities that don’t speak or write English. Through our Language Access Program, we have partnered with 38 United States Attorneys’ Offices and 24 other Justice Department offices to translate public-facing materials, include webpages, complaint forms and more.

    We’ve also launched the Access DOJ initiative, to make the Justice Department’s programs and services more efficient and accessible. And we lead the Federal Government Pro Bono Program, assisting federal prosecutors and government employees across the country to engage with communities by volunteering to provide pro bono legal help.

    Prosecutors can also support access to justice by supporting access to counsel for the accused. A robust public defense function helps to ensure the integrity of convictions and that due process rights are protected – central elements to the pursuit of justice. Just last year, our office launched a Public Defense Resource Hub for professionals providing public defense services and related organizations. And we recently partnered with the Federal Bureau of Prisons to conduct a first-of-its-kind comprehensive review of access to counsel in federal pretrial facilities.

    Prosecutors can further pursue equal access to justice through the development of and support for innovative approaches to ensuring justice. For example, our office is supporting leaders across the country who are moving away from the reliance on fines and fees to promote economic justice. We recently published a spotlight report to uplift promising practices across the country, including those lead by prosecutors, to reduce these economic burdens faced by low-income communities.

    And over the last year, our office, led by my colleagues Jarvis Idowu, Jesse Bernstein and Lauren Lambert, has joined OPDAT to support the exchange of knowledge by organizing virtual sessions with Ukraine and U.S. prosecutors and experts from around the country to uplift a variety of innovative prosecutorial strategies.

    Topics have included youth justice, trauma-informed victims and witness engagement, community-based alternatives and partnerships, diversion programs and specialty courts, bail and pretrial detention, restorative justice, data-driven strategies and working with internally displaced persons and the veteran community.

    This week, we’re thrilled to learn more about the innovations driven by the King County Prosecutor’s Office — like their focus on access to justice for those struggling with addiction through LEAD, a community-driven partnership to direct people engaged in low-level drug activity into evidence-based, intensive wrap-around services.

    Finally, prosecutors pursue access to justice through efforts like this one today, to share best practices and engage with our partners at home and abroad. Our office proudly supports U.S. implementation of UN Sustainable Development Goal 16, focused on access to justice. We serve as the U.S. authority on access to justice internationally, like at the U.N. Crime Commission and the Cross Border Crime Forum, centering the importance of access to justice as we tackle complex cross-border criminal issues and pursue strengthened democracy and rule of law globally.

    Prosecutors carry a heavy burden and awesome privilege to pursue public safety. They regularly stand with those experiencing our society’s worst violence, trauma and unimaginable harm. They lead the charge to safeguard the integrity of the criminal justice process, advance community collaboration, uphold civil rights, protect due process and pursue the promise of access to justice for all. And in Ukraine today, it is undeniable that this burden has only become more complex and difficult.

    We’re impressed by the dedication of our colleagues, both here in Seattle and abroad in Ukraine to these principles. The Office for Access to Justice looks forward to continued collaboration as we stand shoulder to shoulder with you in this critical mission. Together, we can increase community trust and strengthen the rule of law. I’ll now turn it over to our moderator, and former King County Prosecuting Attorney, Dan Satterburg.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Seeds planted for $16.7 million agriculture precinct

    Source: Australian Ministers 1

    The Albanese Government is continuing to invest in the nation’s future as an agritech powerhouse, investing $16.7 million into the Western Sydney University’s Agri Tech Precinct.

    Once complete, the precinct will be a world-leading hub of research, innovation, incubation and production, working to advance sustainable and resilient food systems.

    It will create new education pathways for future students as well as collaborative opportunities with other agricultural institutions.

    The approximately $30 million project is jointly funded with Western Sydney University, and is an election commitment being delivered under the Priority Community Infrastructure Program.

    Western Sydney University has estimated the construction phase will create 150 direct jobs and up to an additional 240 jobs in the precinct’s day-to-day operations.

    Delivered in two stages, the Commonwealth’s contribution is for stage 1 of the roughly 50-hectare precinct on the Hawkesbury campus. 

    Planning for the precinct is well underway with construction due to commence in April 2025, and stage 1 of the precinct expected to open to students from late 2025 with Stage 2 to follow.

    For more information on the Priority Community Infrastructure Program visit the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts website.  

    Quotes attributable to Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King:

    “Agriculture makes up around13% of Australia’s export economy and 55% of its land mass. 

    “With growing demand for sustainable, resilient food systems, the Agri Tech Precinct will help keep Australia at the forefront of innovation in the agriculture sector.

    “This is a smart, long-term investment in both the economy of Western Sydney, and the future of agriculture across Australia.

    “Our commitment to this project is another example of our investment in infrastructure that will deliver benefits for all Australians for generations.”

    Quotes attributable to Federal Member for Macquarie Susan Templeman:

    “This is an important investment in the WSU Hawkesbury campus in Richmond.

    “The Hawkesbury is the heart of peri-urban farming in NSW, with a rich tradition in food production and land management, and this initiative opens up opportunities for 21st Century agri-tech.

    “Not only will the Agri Tech Precinct play a growing role in the future of agriculture in Australia, but it will create hundreds of exciting new jobs plus new higher education opportunities in the Hawkesbury and Western Sydney.  

    “I’m proud to have this election commitment become a reality and look forward to seeing the results of the investment in the WSU Richmond campus over many years to come.”

    Quotes attributable to Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Julie Collins:

    “Innovation is at the heart of growing the agriculture sector’s productivity. The new Western Sydney University Agri Tech Precinct will bring students, researchers, businesses and industry together to develop and use new technology and methods to continue Australian agriculture’s competitiveness and success, which is why our Government is backing it.

    “Agriculture is increasingly drawing on technology and scientific advances to manage resource use, monitor production and target pests and diseases. 

    “I am excited by the prospects of bringing our best minds and technology together in the Western Sydney University Agri Tech Precinct. Collaboration can encourage innovation and attract investment and will be crucial to growing the jobs Australian agriculture needs into the future.”

    Quotes attributable to Western Sydney University Vice-Chancellor and President, Distinguished Professor George Williams AO:

    “Western Sydney University’s Agri Tech Precinct is a multi-million dollar investment in the future of sustainable agriculture production. 

    “The precinct will draw on the University’s expertise and research innovation ecosystem, with a focus on challenges faced by communities globally, to be advanced in genuine partnership with industry, government and community.

    “Offering exceptional work-integrated learning opportunities for students in agriculture and food production, it will create much-needed career pathways and a future jobs pipeline for Australia’s agricultural sector. 

    “Critically, the precinct will also create skilled jobs for Western Sydney and capitalise on the proximity to Sydney’s premier international airport at Badgery’s Creek – strengthening our opportunity to rapidly-export fresh, high-yield produce to the rest of the world. 

    “Our Hawkesbury campus has a long history of agricultural education and cutting-edge research. We are delighted this facility continues that proud tradition, cementing Western Sydney’s position as a world-leading hub for agricultural research and innovation.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints supports WFP’s school meals programme in Haiti

    Source: World Food Programme

    NEW YORK CITY–Today, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomed a contribution of US$ 8 million from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints towards WFP’s home-grown school meals programme in Haiti. The announcement came at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) 2024 Annual Meeting taking place in New York City, where it was featured as a new CGI Commitment to Action.

    The grant from the Church to World Food Program USA will support WFP’s ongoing work with local governments and partners in Haiti’s Artibonite and Centre departments to scale up school meals that use food from local smallholder farmers. 

    “Building on more than a decade of work together, the Church continues to serve as an essential collaborator, supporting WFP’s global operations during emergencies, while simultaneously stepping up to build community resilience,” said Barron Segar, World Food Program USA President and CEO. “In addition to supporting work on the ground in Haiti, we are grateful for the Church’s generosity in helping us serve thousands of people in other countries around the world this year, as we combat the world’s global hunger crisis.” 

    In Haiti, half of the population is struggling to find enough to eat — one of the highest proportions of acute food insecurity worldwide. Home-grown school meals serve as an opportunity to provide much-needed nutrition to children and to support their education, while sourcing food locally supports local economies and ensures sustainability of the programme. In the upcoming 2024/25 school year, WFP is planning to provide school meals to nearly 500,000 students, 70 percent of which will be made entirely with Haitian-grown ingredients purchased from local farmers.

    “As followers of Jesus Christ, we strive to care for those in need as He would,” said Blaine R. Maxfield, Managing Director of the Church’s Welfare and Self-Reliance Services. “These efforts in Haiti will help ensure that children have access to the nutrition they need to focus on their education, while at the same time strengthening communities by sourcing meals locally.”

    As a longstanding collaborator of WFP, in 2024 alone, the Church has generously supported food assistance in multiple countries across the globe — from delivering emergency food in Ukraine and Nigeria, to feeding school children and ensuring mothers and their newborn children have access to the right nutrients in Chad, Ecuador, Cuba, Guinea, Honduras and Peru.

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    About WFP 

     

    The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change. Follow us on X, formerly Twitter, via @wfp_media. 

     

    About World Food Program USA   

    World Food Program USA, a 501(c)(3) organization based in Washington, DC, proudly supports the mission of the United Nations World Food Programme by mobilizing American policymakers, businesses and individuals to advance the global movement to end hunger. Our leadership and support help to bolster an enduring American legacy of feeding families in need around the world. To learn more, please visit wfpusa.org.  

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Department of Defense Approves Two Defense Community Infrastructure Programs for Colorado Springs

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Doug Lamborn (5th District of Colorado)

    Washington D.C., -On Friday, the Department of Defense, through the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation, awarded 14 Defense Community Infrastructure Program (DCIP) grants, amounting to approximately $100 million. Two of these grants were given to Colorado Springs.

    DCIP is a competitive program designed for states, territories, and communities to improve infrastructure that supports military operations, enhance cadet training at independent “covered educational institutions,” strengthen installation resiliency, and improve the quality of life for military families, all to benefit local military installations.     

    “I am pleased that Colorado Springs has been awarded these two important grants. Peterson Space Force Base is home to several units that perform “employed in place” operational missions, making base access critical to the combat readiness of those units.  Improved safety and enhanced North Gate Access to Peterson Space Force Base will ensure our guardians can get to their posts and mission centers expediently, so they arrive on station fully ready to maintain space dominance. The second project will enhance the reliability of electric power to the U.S. Air Force Academy by replacing several miles of existing overhead power lines between two substations with underground 34.5 kV lines. This reliability will reduce power-failure related disruptions to the education and training of the Corps of Cadets and will ensure the Academy accomplishes its mission of producing the next generation of Air and Space leaders to fight and win our nation’s wars,”said Congressman Lamborn.

    The Fiscal Year 2024 grant awarded to Colorado Springs are as follows: 

    1. City of Colorado Springs, Colorado, $10,710,000 to undertake a $15,300,000 project that provides safety improvements and North Gate access to Peterson Space Force Base. This project will address issues that impact operational readiness, the ability to accommodate future total force requirements, and operating costs.
    2. Colorado Springs Utilities, Colorado, $5,348,798 to undertake a $7,641,140 project to remove several miles of existing overhead power lines between two substations in the U.S. Air Force Academy grounds and replace them with underground 34.5 kV lines. This project will enhance the reliability of the primary electric power feed to the Academy, providing essential support to all aspects of the training and education mission.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Introduces LOCAL Foods Act to Better Support Rural Producers and Communities

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) led Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) in introducing the Livestock Owned by Communities to Advance Local (LOCAL) Foods Act, legislation to update the Federal Meat Inspection Act of 1906’s (FMIA) ‘Personal-Use Exemption’to better support small-scale meat producers in rural communities. The LOCAL Foods Act would codify current USDA guidance on Personal-Use and Custom Exemptions, allowing consumers to buy live animals from producers and designate agents to handle the slaughter and processing of their meat. 
    The Federal Meat Inspection Act requires all meat in the United States to be inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). However, the small number of USDA-inspected slaughterhouses creates bottlenecks for producers, especially small-scale producers that have to compete for slaughterhouse time with much larger operations. To address this, the LOCAL Foods Act will amend Personal-Use and Custom Exemptions to allow producers to sell a live animal to a consumer. The consumer will then have the freedom to either hire someone or slaughter and process the meat themselves, helping farmers to avoid bottlenecks to continue providing their communities with locally sourced food. 
    “For generations, Vermonters have depended on their neighbors for locally-grown produce and farm-fresh meat. However, regulations tailored toward large-scale farms have made it harder for smaller farms to sell in their own communities. Keeping our small-scale producers competitive means cutting through red tape to help them compete with companies that have massive operations,” said Senator Welch. “This bill will update federal guidelines to better support Vermont-sized producers, keep our food local, and strengthen our food systems.” 
    In 2013, Vermont adopted an on-farm slaughter law similar to the Food Safety and Inspection Service’s guidelines to allow owners to slaughter their livestock on the farm where it was raised while upholding food safety standards. This law helps reduce costs and emissions from animal transport, alleviate pressure on backlogged slaughterhouses, increase farm viability, and improve animal welfare and food security. However, USDA retains the authority to eliminate Vermont’s on-farm slaughter inspection program if the state fails to meet federal standards. 
    In 2018, the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service issued updated guidelines to create an avenue for producers to sell their produce locally and without an inspection. This guidance gives livestock owners the option to slaughter livestock themselves, or have an agent slaughter their livestock on the farm where it was raised. This change also allows producers to sell a live animal to a consumer, have it slaughtered on the farm, and then processed at a custom processing facility. Custom processing facilities are inspected periodically, in contrast to round-the-clock inspectors that are present at USDA-certified facilities. 
    The LOCAL Foods Act is endorsed by the Farm Action Fund, Farmers and Ranchers Freedom Alliance, Farm-to-Consumer Defense Fund, Kentucky Black Farmers Association, National Family Farm Coalition, and Rural Vermont. 
    “Updating the personal-use exemption to be based on ownership aligns with current USDA standards and is needed to protect the rights of livestock owners, producers, and itinerant slaughterers to practice on-farm slaughter in accordance with their state regulations,” said Caroline Sherman-Gordon, small farmer and Rural Vermont’s Legislative Director. “Protecting farmers from subjective interpretations of the personal-use exception will protect farmers from unfair sanctions and give the security they need to grow their business.” 
    “The LOCAL Foods Act will reduce both financial and regulatory burdens on small farmers and thereby improve consumers’ access to local foods,” said Judith McGeary, regenerative farmer, lawyer, and Executive Director of the Farmers and Ranchers Freedom Alliance. “So many consumers want to buy from local farmers instead of massive corporations, but the farmers are blocked by regulations written by and for Agribusiness.” 
    “Modernizing the personal-use exception reflects the realities of diverse communities demanding access to local food that honor their traditions,” said Kenya Abraham, member of the Kentucky Black Farmers Association. “We are observing a growing demand to access local producers like me, but we need legislation that gives us an incentive to continue our operations.” 
    “The LOCAL Foods Act protects the rights of farmers and consumers to engage in direct commerce by increasing small livestock farmers’ ability to expand their business, and by allowing consumers to buy meat from local farms instead of industrial meat providers, should they so choose. Essentially, it protects the rights of farmers to sell the products of the farm and the rights of consumers to access the foods of their choice from the source of their choice, achieving the kind of food freedom so many demand for themselves, their families, and their communities,” said Christine Dzujna, Farm-to-Consumer Defense Fund’s Policy Manager. 
    “Securing the independence of farmers and consumers is key to building a healthy food system in the Country,” said Antonio Tovar, Senior Policy Associate at the National Family Farm Coalition. “The fact that consumers are effectively forced to access their food from corporations has made us vulnerable to a weak and unreliable market. The LOCAL Foods Act offers a real opportunity to start building food sovereignty.” 
    Learn more about the LOCAL Foods Act. 
    Read the full text of the bill. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sorensen Announces $250,000 for Kewanee to Support Local Police and Fight Crime

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17)

    MOLINE, IL – As we approach the start of National Crime Prevention Month, Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17) is announcing $250,000 for the City of Kewanee to hire two law enforcement officers to increase community policing and crime prevention efforts.  

    “Our local police departments, especially in our small hometowns, often work under tight budgets with limited resources,” said Sorensen. “And despite these conditions, our brave men and women in law enforcement work around the clock to keep our neighborhoods safe. I am proud to announce this funding for the Kewanee Police Department, so our local police have the tools they need to fight crime and protect our communities. I will always work to bring tax dollars back home to make sure Northwestern Illinois is safe for our neighbors.”   

    “We are grateful for this grant from the COPS hiring program, which will allow us to expand our community policing efforts without placing additional strain on local budgets,” said Chief Stephen Kijanowski of the Kewanee Police Department. “These funds will also help us address local violent crime and the narcotics issues facing our community, enhancing our public safety initiatives and better serving the residents of Kewanee.” 

    The $250,000 in funding for the City of Kewanee is coming from the Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program, which builds trust between police departments and the communities they serve. These grants allow local police departments to hire community policing professionals, develop and test innovative policing strategies, and train local government leaders to best support their police officers and protect their communities.  

    This past May, Sorensen led a group of 24 of his colleagues in calling on Congress to fully fund the COPS program in direct response to roundtable discussions and meetings he has hosted with law enforcement from across Central and Northwestern Illinois.    

    Congressman Eric Sorensen serves on the House Committee on Agriculture and the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Prior to serving in Congress, Sorensen was a local meteorologist in Rockford and the Quad Cities for nearly 20 years. His district includes Illinois’ Quad Cities, Rockford, Peoria, and Bloomington-Normal.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Governments Investing to Increase Workforce Diversity in Agriculture

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $1.5 million in the new Agricultural Workforce Equity and Diversity Initiative (AWEDI) to help minority groups start and build businesses in the agri-food sector.

    Canada and Ontario strengthening entrepreneurial opportunities for under-represented groups in agri-food

    September 24, 2024 – Toronto, Ontario – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

    The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $1.5 million in the new Agricultural Workforce Equity and Diversity Initiative (AWEDI) to help minority groups start and build businesses in the agri-food sector.

    Funded through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), AWEDI provides grants of up to $100,000 to support business ventures led by primary agricultural producers and food processors who are Indigenous peoples, visible minorities, 2SLGBTQI+ people, persons with disabilities, youth, women or members of French linguistic minority communities.

    AWEDI is open to applications from organizations, research bodies, municipalities or Indigenous communities. Successful projects will support underrepresented groups in accessing spaces and equipment to grow or process agri-food products, as well as resources to help with financing.

    Applications open on October 8, 2024, and will remain open until December 3, 2024.

    The Sustainable CAP is a 5-year, $3.5-billion investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen competitiveness, innovation, and resiliency of Canada’s agriculture, agri‐food and agri‐based products sector. This includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities and a $2.5-billion commitment that is cost-shared 60% federally and 40% provincially/territorially for programs that are designed and delivered by provinces and territories.

    Annie Cullinan
    Director of Communications
    Office of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
    annie.cullinan@agr.gc.ca

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Translation: Governments invest to increase diversity in the agricultural workforce

    MIL OSI Translation. Canadian French to English –

    Source: Government of Canada – in French

    The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $1.5 million in the new Agricultural Equity and Diversity Initiative (AEDI) to help minority groups start and build businesses in the agri-food sector.

    Canada and Ontario strengthen entrepreneurial opportunities for underrepresented groups in the agri-food sector

    September 24, 2024 – Toronto, Ontario – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

    The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $1.5 million in the new Agricultural Equity and Diversity Initiative (AEDI) to help minority groups start and build businesses in the agri-food sector.

    Funded through the Canadian Sustainable Agriculture Partnership (CSA), IEDSA offers grants of up to $100,000 to support commercial enterprises led by primary agricultural producers and processing businesses who are Indigenous, visible minorities, 2SLGBTQI people, persons with disabilities, youth, women or members of minority Francophone communities.

    IEDSA accepts applications from organizations, research organizations, municipalities or Indigenous communities. Successful projects will support underrepresented groups in accessing spaces and equipment to grow or process agri-food products, as well as resources to help them with financing.

    The application period begins on October 8, 2024 and will continue until December 3, 2024.

    The Canadian Sustainable Agriculture Partnership is a five-year (2023-2028) $3.5 billion investment by the federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen the competitiveness, innovation and resilience of Canada’s agriculture, agri-food and agri-based products sector. This includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities, as well as a $2.5 billion commitment of 60% federal and 40% provincial and territorial funding for provincially and territorially created and delivered programs.

    Annie CullinanDirector of CommunicationsOffice of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Foodannie.cullinan@agr.gc.ca

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL Translation OSI

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Government of Saskatchewan Rejects Federal Oil and Gas Emissions Cap and Methane 75 Regulations

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on September 24, 2024

    Province Would Face Royalty and Tax Revenue Losses up to $7 Billion, Lost Government Revenues of $43 Billion, and up to 34,000 Job Losses by 2050, According to Independent Report

    In its new independent report, the Saskatchewan Economic Impact Assessment Tribunal has found that the federal oil and gas emissions cap and federal Methane 75 regulations would cause substantial economic damage to Saskatchewan.

    By 2050, with production caps and methane mandates in place, Saskatchewan’s oil production would fall by between 38 and 52 per cent, the province would face cumulative royalty and tax revenue losses of between $4.8 and $7.1 billion, and total lost government revenues would be up to $43.3 billion, according to the independent Report.

    “The Tribunal has, in several cases, relied on the same experts as the federal government and presented undeniable, quantitative data that these two federal mandates would be economically devastating to Saskatchewan,” Justice Minister and Attorney General Bronwyn Eyre said. “These mandates will lead to industrial winners and losers across the country and represent a sweeping constitutional overreach into the province’s exclusive jurisdiction over natural resources. This report arms us with additional, independent evidence to constitutionally challenge the two mandates.”

    The Report also found that, with these federal mandates in place, Saskatchewan’s economy would contract by 4.3 per cent by 2030, by 6.4 per cent by 2050, and that there would be a cumulative GDP impact by 2050 of $230 billion. Employment losses by 2050, relative to the status quo, would range from between 12,800 and 34,000 people.

    “The Explorers and Producers Association of Canada (EPAC) remains fundamentally opposed to the imposition of a federal emissions cap on Canadian oil and gas production,” EPAC President and CEO Tristan Goodman said. “This is unnecessary and unacceptable given Canadian producers’ ongoing efforts to reduce emissions. A federal emissions cap will introduce further investment uncertainty and has a likelihood of being found unconstitutional as seen in recent Supreme Court decisions. EPAC supports the goal of reducing methane emissions from the oil and gas sector and we believe this is strictly provincial jurisdiction. We look forward to working with the province of Saskatchewan to achieve their methane emissions reduction target. Federal intervention is not required.”

    These two mandates will also not reduce any global emissions, according to the Report, and production cuts in Canada will simply be back-filled by jurisdictions with weaker environmental standards. Between 2015 and 2023, provincially-regulated methane emissions in Saskatchewan fell by two-thirds.

    The Economic Impact Assessment Tribunal conducted its analysis and developed this report under the authority of The Saskatchewan First Act, which came into force in September 15, 2023. The Report was released yesterday and can be accessed within the background documents at the bottom of this page.

    Additional information about the Economic Impact Assessment Tribunal can be found at:

    https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/news-and-media/2023/november/28/government-announces-first-impact-assessment-tribunal.

    https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/news-and-media/2024/april/08/media-advisory.

    The Government of Saskatchewan would like to thank the Economic Assessment Tribunal for its independent, in-depth report. Members of the Tribunal are as follows:

    • Michael W. Milani (Chair);
    • Dr. Janice MacKinnon (Vice-Chair);
    • Kenneth From;
    • Dr. Stuart Smyth; and 
    • Estella Petersen.

    • Michael Milani, KC (Chair) is a senior partner (commercial and insolvency) at McDougall Gauley in Regina. Mr. Milani has previously served as Estey Chair in Business Law at the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Law, as President of the Law Society and Federation of Law Societies of Canada, and is the current Chair of the Law Reform Commission of Saskatchewan. In a legal capacity, he has undertaken various green energy projects for SaskPower, including negotiating power purchase agreements for wind and solar energy, as well as agreements for the engineering, procurement and construction of combined cycle gas plants.
    • Dr. Janice MacKinnon (Vice-Chair) is a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, member of the Order of Canada, and former Saskatchewan Finance Minister. In 2017, she was appointed to the federal advisory panel on NAFTA and the Environment and, in 2019, was appointed by former Alberta Premier Jason Kenney to chair the Blue Ribbon panel on Alberta’s finances. She is a Professor of fiscal policy at the School of Public Health at the University of Saskatchewan and a senior fellow and member of the National Council at the C.D Howe Institute.
    • Kenneth From is the former President and CEO of SaskEnergy. He is also a former CEO of the Petroleum Technology Research Centre (PTRC) and the Technical Safety Authority of Saskatchewan (TSASK). Mr. From also previously served as an officer and director of Raven Oil Corporation from 2012-2016 and as President of Prairie Hunter Energy Corporation. A professional engineer, he was President (2003-2004) of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan (APEGS).
    • Dr. Stuart Smyth is a professor at the University of Saskatchewan in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics. His research focuses on sustainability, agriculture and innovation. As U of S Agri-Food Innovation and Sustainability Enhancement Chair, Dr. Smyth has published over 100 academic articles and is recognized as a leading expert on barriers to innovation and regulatory efficiency.
    • Estella Peterson is an oil sands heavy equipment operator in Fort McMurray, AB. Originally from Saskatchewan and Treaty 4 Cowesess First Nation, Estella is part of Suncor Energy’s Aboriginal Ambassador program and is a freelance contributor, including to The Globe and Mail, on the economic importance of the natural resources sector to Indigenous communities.

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reps. Mann, Kaptur and Sens. Marshall, Brown Introduce Bicameral Legislation to Put American Farmers First

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Tracey Mann (Kansas, 1)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representatives Tracey Mann (KS-01) and Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) alongside Senators Roger Marshall (R-KS) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH), introduced the Farmer First Fuel Incentives Act to restrict eligibility for the Clean Fuel Production Credit (45Z) to domestically produced feedstocks and to extend the credit to 2034.The ten-year credit will allow for more certainty as the U.S. ethanol industry builds infrastructure to open new markets for farmers, increase the production of ethanol across the country, and incentivize domestic feedstocks while continuing to support global renewable fuel production made from a wide array of feedstocks.

    “In no world should American tax incentives first benefit foreign producers,” said Rep. Mann. “While the use of foreign feedstocks can play an important role in producing domestically manufactured ethanol, biodiesel, renewable diesel, and sustainable aviation fuel, we must not displace harvest in America. Our legislation puts American farmers first by ensuring that American tax credits are incentivizing American-grown products.”

    “I joined my colleagues in this important bicameral and bipartisan effort because helping American farmers, producers, and growers goes beyond state and party lines,” said Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), senior member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture. ”We must ensure the Clean Fuel Production tax credit is structured in a way that benefits domestic producers, and not one that advantages foreign-produced feedstocks from China or Brazil. Our legislation will extend this credit through 2034 and bolster American energy independence by prioritizing American producers and the production of domestic biofuels.”

    “It’s very tough in farm country with high interest rates and low commodity prices, which is exactly why we can’t have a tax policy that will lower commodity prices even more,” said Senator Marshall. “While we support free trade and open markets, we do not believe foreign feedstocks should be incentivized through the hard-earned dollars of U.S. taxpayers to the detriment of American farmers. This legislation puts farmers FIRST to ensure they are the primary beneficiaries of renewable fuel tax incentives and provides businesses a decade of certainty.”

    “American tax dollars should support American farmers – not imported feedstocks,” said Senator Brown. “To continue to grow the biofuels industry and open new markets for Ohio farmers, we must stop taxpayer money from subsidizing a surge in Chinese cooking oil or any other foreign feedstock from infiltrating the American market. Our bipartisan bill ensures these investments benefit Ohio farmers and Ohio energy producers.”

    The legislation is cosponsored by Representatives James Comer (KY-01), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), and Don Bacon (NE-02) and Senators Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Deb Fischer (R-NE), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI).

    The Farmer First Fuel Incentives Act is supported by Growth Energy, National Oilseed Processors Association, National Corn Growers Association, American Soybean Association, Ohio Corn and Wheat Growers Association, Ohio Soybean Association, Kansas Corn Growers Association, Kansas Soybean Association, Kentucky Soybean Association, Scoular, and Louis Dreyfus Company.

    “Our farmers need policies that protect their ability to compete fairly as the United States strives to be a leader in renewable fuels markets,” said Ed Prosser, Senior Vice President at Scoular.  “We greatly appreciate Representative Mann and his colleagues for introducing this legislation that helps ensure American agriculture will have a well-deserved seat at the table in the journey to lower the carbon intensity of our energy supply.”

    “NOPA commends this bipartisan, bicameral legislative effort which puts U.S fuel producers, U.S. crushers and U.S. farmers first. We thank Senators Brown and Marshall and Representatives Mann and Kaptur for their leadership,” said NOPA President and CEO Kailee Tkacz Buller. “We support free trade and open markets, but do not believe foreign feedstocks should benefit on the backs of U.S. taxpayers to the detriment of U.S. farmers. Without this fix, the 45Z credit will incentivize the use of foreign feedstocks over those grown by U.S. farmers. Our industry has made significant investments to expand U.S. crush capacity by 30 percent and this fix is pivotal to ensuring these investments are delivered.”

    “Biofuel production paves a key path for our country to be a clean energy leader, and U.S. farmers who grow the crops going into those biofuels take pride in helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions while supporting the U.S. economy and energy independence,” said ASA President Josh Gackle, a North Dakota soybean farmer. “However, for continued growth of America’s promising biofuels industry, U.S. farmers need the support of a final 45Z rule that prioritizes domestically sourced feedstock.”

    “Farmers and bioethanol producers need to know they’ll be able to rely on the 45Z tax credit for more than just the next few years,” said Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor. “This bill gives them the certainty they need to unlock significant investments in their operations and in the rural communities that depend on them. We commend Representatives Mann and Kaptur for introducing this bill and all of our House champions for making a 45Z tax credit extension a top priority as we head into the tax reform process next year.” 

    “Ensuring American farmers reach maximum profitability and build resiliency to pass down their farms to the next generation should be our top priority,” said Adam York, Kansas Sorghum Producers CEO. “This legislation helps make sure the intended benefits of this program arrive into our rural economies.”

    “Corn growers are making every effort to help the airline industry lower its greenhouse gas emissions through the use of corn ethanol,” said Minnesota farmer and NCGA president Harold Wolle. “We are deeply appreciative of these leaders for introducing legislation that establishes requirements for the tax credit that will level the playing field for America’s corn growers.”

    “The Farmer First Fuel Incentive Act recognizes the vital role of American agriculture in 45Z,” said Craig Meeker, Chairman of National Sorghum Producers. “This legislation ensures that the guidance is designed and implemented in a farmer-focused manner, supporting domestic clean energy production and stimulating economic growth across rural America.”

    “U.S. soybean farmers have been at the forefront of our domestic clean-energy production through the booming biodiesel and renewable diesel industry over the last decade,” said Kaleb Little, CEO, Kansas Soybean Association. “The Farmer First Fuel Incentives Act ensures our Kansas soybean growers maintain access to this vital market sector going forward and strengthens the clean fuel production credit for the future.”

    Earlier this month, Representatives Mann and Kaptur led 39 of their colleagues in penning a letter to the U.S. Department of Treasury urging it to expedite the issuance of final guidance for 45Z.  Senators Marshall and Brown led a similar letter in the U.S. Senate.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: MOFA response to public comments by US Deputy Secretary of State Campbell on UNGA Resolution 2758 and cross-strait peace and stability

    Source: Republic of Taiwan – Ministry of Foreign Affairs

    MOFA response to public comments by US Deputy Secretary of State Campbell on UNGA Resolution 2758 and cross-strait peace and stability

    • Date：2024-09-20
    • Data Source：Department of North American Affairs

    September 20, 2024 

    The US House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs held a hearing on “Great Power Competition in the Indo-Pacific” on September 18. In response to a question concerning the fact that Taiwan’s status was not mentioned in United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758, US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell agreed, pointing out that China was using the resolution as a diplomatic tool to falsely portray Taiwan’s status as illegitimate and that China was conflating its interpretation with its “one China principle” in order to suppress Taiwan. Deputy Secretary Campbell reaffirmed the unwavering US commitment to Taiwan and the long-standing US efforts to preserve peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, emphasizing that this was a bipartisan consensus. 

     

    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) welcomes and appreciates that yet another high-level US diplomat has publicly pointed out China’s misrepresentation of UNGA Resolution 2758 and reiterated bipartisan US support for maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. The comments follow remarks made earlier by US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Mark Lambert and Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink. 

     

    MOFA is pleased that in addition to the United States, like-minded nations including Australia and the Netherlands have adopted friendly resolutions or motions stating that UNGA Resolution 2758 made no reference to Taiwan. MOFA calls on the international community to jointly take concrete actions to refute China’s misrepresentation of the resolution and oppose its spurious claims of there being an international consensus on its “one China principle.” Taiwan will continue to cooperate with the United States and other like-minded countries and together preserve peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and throughout the Indo-Pacific.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Shaheen, Van Hollen Urge Federal Housing Finance Agency to Implement Energy-Efficient Building Codes for New Federally-Backed Homes

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen

    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) joined U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) in sending a letter to Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Sandra Thompson urging the Agency to require that new homes with mortgages backed by government-sponsored enterprises, such as Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae, meet up-to-date building codes for energy efficiency. In their letter, the Senators ask Director Thompson for an updated timeline for a decision, while calling on FHFA to act swiftly in order to improve home energy efficiency and ultimately save Granite State homeowners and renters money.

    The Senators wrote, in part: “Aligning new home energy standards with updated model codes will save money for homeowners and renters across the country. HUD and USDA found that the increased initial costs of construction are more than made up for by lower monthly energy costs. […] Beyond these financial benefits, updated codes help save lives by protecting families from the impacts of extreme weather events, particularly utility outages during heat waves and cold snaps. Updated energy codes can also yield better indoor air quality and reduce exposure to pollutants that can have negative health impacts including asthma, heart disease and lung cancer.”

    They continued: “This year is an ideal time for FHFA to make these changes. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act provided over $1.2 billion of federal funding to help states and localities update their building codes. Already, multiple state and local governments, as well as HUD and USDA have adopted the updated building codes.”

    The Senators concluded: “We urge you to move quickly to adopt modern energy standards for new homes utilizing Enterprise-backed mortgages to align with other federally backed housing construction, and ask you for an update on your timeline for taking this action. These standards will support a stable, efficient housing market by reducing wasted energy, improving health outcomes, and lowering costs for both renters and homeowners across the country.”

    The letter was cosigned by Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Peter Welch (D-VT). This letter is supported by Americans for Financial Reform, Rocky Mountain Institute, and the National Electrical Manufacturers Association.

    The full letter text can be found here.

    Shaheen has championed work to secure federal investments in clean energy and energy efficiency initiatives and to lower energy costs across New Hampshire, especially by fighting for updated building energy codes standards. Earlier this year, Shaheen sent a letter to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) urging it to require that new homes with mortgages backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac meet up-to-date building codes for energy efficiency. The Senator also recently applauded action by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to adopt updated Minimum Energy Standards for new single and multifamily federally-backed homes.

    Shaheen was a lead negotiator of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which made huge investments in clean energy, including $225 million to support the adoption and implementation of updated building energy codes based upon her longstanding bipartisan legislation with Senator Rob Portman. Shaheen also helped secure $1 billion in the Inflation Reduction Act, of which New Hampshire is eligible for nearly $2.5 million to support modern code adoption, implementation, enforcement, training and workforce development. Shaheen recently wrote an op-ed in the Union Leader urging the State of New Hampshire to adopt the latest building energy codes and use this federal funding.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman David Scott Calls on GaDOE to Strengthen Standards and Expand Access of African American Studies Courses

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman David Scott (GA-13)

    WASHINGTON- Today, Congressman David Scott (GA-13), Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Committee, alongside Georgia’s congressional Democrats, Reps.  Hank Johnson (GA-04), Nikema Williams (GA-05), Sanford Bishop (GA-02), and Lucy McBath (GA-07), sent a letter to State Superintendent Richard Woods urging him to expand and strengthen instruction of African American Studies courses.

    “Home to the cradle of the Civil Rights Movement, Georgia’s connection to Black history and culture cannot be understated,” said Congressman David Scott. “While GaDOE should be commended for its recent adoption of social studies diversity course offerings, the lack of standards and materials associated with teaching the Introduction to African American/Black Studies course is deeply concerning. Disparate training levels across dozens of school districts have resulted in of some educators lacking any training or qualification altogether. Superintendent Woods must work with educators, experts, and other important stakeholders to develop stronger standards and expand the number of school districts that offer the course.”

    Since 2020, Georgia’s Introduction to African American/Black Studies course has been included in the catalogue of state-funded courses. However, the lack of any standards associated with the course requires school districts to develop their own curriculum and materials, including textbooks, leading to wide discrepancies in rigor and content between school districts. The lack of standards and uniform curriculum, along with a lack of supplemental training for educators, presents a barrier to some districts that lack the resources to develop new curriculum, materials, and supplemental training. Developing standards for the course will lift the burden from school districts to expand and improve instruction of African American Studies courses in Georgia.

    Further, in July, Superintendent Woods declined to recommend the Advanced Placement (AP) African American Studies course for approval for the 2024-2025 academic year. Instead, he recommended that school districts use an existing course code associated with an existing Introduction to African American/Black Studies class, suggesting that teachers and schools develop their own curriculum for the course. Even though Superintendent Woods ultimately reversed his decision by allowing state funding for the AP African American Studies course, his decision came too late, as some school districts already began instruction for the year. Others were forced to reduce the number of AP African American studies courses they could offer. Superintendent Woods must be fully committed to helping school districts increase the number of AP African American Studies classes offered.

    The text of the letter can be found HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kaptur, Mann, Brown, Marshall Lead Bipartisan and Bicameral Legislation Fighting For American Farmers

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09)

    Washington, DC — Today, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Congressman Tracey Mann (KS-01), Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Senator Roger Marshall, MD (R-KS), introduced the bicameral and bipartisan Farmer First Fuel Incentives Act requiring the Treasury Department to restrict the eligibility of the 45Z Tax Credit to renewable fuels made only from domestically sourced feedstocks and extending the tax credit to make it a full ten-year credit.

    “I joined my colleagues in this important bicameral and bipartisan effort because helping American farmers, producers, and growers goes beyond state and party lines,” said Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), senior member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture.” We must ensure the Clean Fuel Production tax credit is structured in a way that benefits domestic producers and not one that advantages foreign-produced feedstocks from China or Brazil. Our legislation will extend this credit through 2034 and bolster American energy independence by prioritizing American producers and the production of domestic biofuels.”

     “In no world should American tax incentives first benefit foreign producers,” said Congressman Tracey Mann (KS-01). “While the use of foreign feedstocks can play an important role in producing domestically manufactured ethanol, biodiesel, renewable diesel, and sustainable aviation fuel, we must not displace harvest in America. Our legislation puts American farmers first by ensuring that American tax credits are incentivizing American-grown products.”

    “American tax dollars should support American farmers – not imported feedstocks. To continue to grow the biofuels industry and open new markets for Ohio farmers, we must stop taxpayer money from subsidizing a surge in Chinese cooking oil or any other foreign feedstock from infiltrating the American market. Our bipartisan bill ensures these investments benefit Ohio farmers and Ohio energy producers,” Said Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH).

    “It’s very tough in farm country with high interest rates and low commodity prices, which is exactly why we can’t have a tax policy that will lower commodity prices even more. While we support free trade and open markets, we do not believe foreign feedstocks should be incentivized through the hard-earned dollars of US taxpayers to the detriment of American farmers,” said Senator Roger Marshall, MD (R-KS). “This legislation puts farmers FIRST to ensure they are the primary beneficiaries of renewable fuel tax incentives and provides businesses a decade of certainty.”

    “The federal clean fuel production tax credit is meant to foster a domestic market for cleaner burning fuels that promote American jobs and energy independence,” said Rusty Goebel, President, Ohio Soybean Association. “Foreign imported feedstocks shouldn’t benefit from American taxpayer investments in this industry. Ohio Soybean farmers support Congresswoman Kaptur’s efforts to ensure Ohio-grown feedstocks aren’t undercut by foreign suppliers.”  

    “NOPA commends this bipartisan, bicameral legislative effort which puts U.S fuel producers, US crushers and US farmers first. We thank Senators Brown and Marshall and Representatives Mann and Kaptur for their leadership,” said NOPA President and CEO Kailee Tkacz Buller. “We support free trade and open markets but do not believe foreign feedstocks should benefit on the backs of U.S. taxpayers to the detriment of US farmers. Without this fix, the 45Z credit will incentivize the use of foreign feedstocks over those grown by US farmers. Our industry has made significant investments to expand US crush capacity by 30 percent and this fix is pivotal to ensuring these investments are delivered.”

    “Corn growers are making every effort to help the airline industry lower its greenhouse gas emissions through the use of corn ethanol,” said Minnesota farmer and NCGA president Harold Wolle. “We are deeply appreciative of these leaders for introducing legislation that establishes requirements for the tax credit that will level the playing field for America’s corn growers.”

    “Biofuel production paves a key path for our country to be a clean energy leader, and US farmers who grow the crops going into those biofuels take pride in helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions while supporting the US economy and energy independence,” said ASA President Josh Gackle, a North Dakota soybean farmer. “However, for continued growth of America’s promising biofuels industry, US farmers need the support of a final 45Z rule that prioritizes domestically sourced feedstock.”

    “The Farmer First Fuel Incentive Act recognizes the vital role of American agriculture in 45Z. This legislation ensures that the guidance is designed and implemented in a farmer-focused manner, supporting domestic clean energy production and stimulating economic growth across rural America,” said Craig Meeker, Chairman of National Sorghum Producers.

    “This important bill sends a strong signal that extending the 45Z credit is going to be a top, bipartisan priority in this Congress and the next,” said Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor. “We applaud all our rural champions for working to give biofuel producers and our farm partners the long-term certainty we need to accelerate innovation in America’s bioeconomy. With a longer runway from Congress, and clear, flexible, and timely guidance from the US Department of the Treasury, we’ll have the pieces in place to unlock billions of dollars in new clean energy investments across rural America,” Emily Skor, CEO of Growth Energy, said.

    The 10-year credit will give the ethanol industry the time and financial incentive to build up the infrastructure needed for the US to be less reliant on foreign fuel, open new markets for farmers, and increase ethanol production across the Midwest. However, we recently learned that 45Z has a glaring flaw that needs to be fixed for farmers wanting to sell feedstocks to the biodiesel and renewable diesel industry. If 45Z goes into effect as is, taxpayers will be massively subsidizing Chinese used cooking oil and would all but eliminate the use of homegrown soy or corn oil in renewable diesel.

    House cosponsors include: Representatives Don Bacon (NE-02)  Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), and Representatives James Comer (KY-01).

    Senate cosponsors include: Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Tina Smith (D-MN). 

    The Farmer First Fuel Incentives Act is supported by Growth Energy, National Oilseed Processors Association, National Corn Growers Association, American Soybean Association, Ohio Corn and Wheat Growers Association, Ohio Soybean Association, Kansas Corn Growers Association, Kansas Soybean Association, Kentucky Soybean Association, Scoular, and Louis Dreyfus Company. 

    Background:

    Prior to introducing this legislation, Congresswoman Kaptur joined Senators Brown and Marshall in a July bipartisan letter they led calling for the US Treasury Department to restrict the eligibility of the 45Z Tax Credit to renewable fuels made only from domestically-sourced feedstocks, like Kansas soybean oil and corn oil. You may click here to read Senator Brown and Marshall’s full letter. Representatives Kaptur and Mann led 39 House colleagues in a subsequent letter September. A similar letter calling for 45z to be restricted to domestic feedstocks was sent by the American Farm Bureau Federation, American Soybean Association, National Corn Growers Association, and National Farmers Union to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and US Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young. 

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: The IAEA’s Vital Support of Development and International Security

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

    (As prepared for delivery)

    President, Secretary-General, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

    “The best way to predict the future is to build it.” It is a truth worth remembering, especially when political division, climate change, war, hunger, and disease seem to overshadow our effort.

    We have the tools to deal with these challenges. We have the knowledge, the technology, the financial means, the diplomacy and the robust international institutions.

    The IAEA serves its 180 Member States with the lifesaving and lifeaffirming tools of nuclear science and technology. These contribute directly to the SDGs.

    Health comes first. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 we jumped into action, harnessing our equipment and knowledge for quick and reliable testing against COVID with the portable RT-PCR machines, or “labs in a suitcase”.

    We launched what would become the largest emergency operation in the history of IAEA to nearly 130 States. In so doing, we reached tens of millions of people. For some countries these kits were the first, and sometimes the only equipment they had to conduct reliable testing against COVID-19.

    Drawing on this and earlier experiencessupporting the fight against Ebola, avian influenza and Zika, we launched – in that same year – the Zoonotic Disease Integrated Action (ZODIAC). Under ZODIAC we have trained people from more than 95 countries in dealing with zoonotic diseases. Laboratories in developing countries have received equipment for 3 serology and molecular diagnostic or genetic sequencing. Many of these labs are now being used to combat Mpox.

    The IAEA has more than 6 decades of experience in radiotherapy and medical imaging. But today the cancer crisis is hitting low and middleincome countries particularly hard and I am determined to make a greater impact in partnership with our Member States. That is why we launched Rays of Hope: Cancer Care for All at the African Union Summit in February 2022, with firm support from the World Health Organization (WHO). Africa is where the cancer care gap is the starkest: more than 20 African nations lack even a single radiotherapy machine. So far, 86 countries have reached out to the IAEA for support under Rays of Hope and concrete actions have been initiated in more than 30 States.

    Under our new initiative, NUTEC: NUclear TEchnology for Controlling Plastic Pollution, 86 States around the world are participating in marine microplastic monitoring using nuclear and isotopic tracing techniques. This will help them to put in place better-informed policies that combat the plastic pollution threatening the ocean, its plants and creatures and therefore also the communities that rely on them for their livelihoods. Some 39 States are participating in plastic recycling using radiation technology, four of which are progressing towards establishing pilot-scale plants. This will allow them to reduce plastic waste and advance towards a circular economy. The Global Marine Monitoring Network continues to grow with 99 States now benefiting from capacity building efforts.

    Atoms4Food was launched by the IAEA and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in October 2023. It offers tailor-made approaches in 4 Food and Agriculture, which for years has been the number 1 area of support sought by our Member States. Atoms4Foods supports countries in using innovative nuclear techniques to enhance agricultural productivity, reduce food losses, ensure food safety, improve nutrition, and adapt to the challenges of climate change. This supports farmers as well as the fight against deadly malnutrition.

    There is no development without energy. Nuclear power provides about a quarter of the world’s low-carbon electricity. Much more is needed if we are to meet the climate goals set out on the Paris Agreement. In their historic first Global Stocktake, approved at COP28 in Dubai last year, the signatory countries to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change called for accelerating the deployment of low-emission energy technologies including nuclear power. The Pact for the Future adopted yesterday, in Action 26 reaffirmed the inalienable right of all countries to develop research, production and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes without discrimination, in conformity with their respective obligations.

    Today, in addition to the 415 nuclear power reactors operating in 31 countries there are 62 reactors under construction in 15 countries, most of them in Asia. The IAEA is assisting States, many of them developing countries, either with enlarging their civilian nuclear programs, or with safely embarking on them. We are working with industry and regulators on small modular reactors (SMRs) which will make more affordable the price of entry to the nuclear energy club.

    The IAEA is also playing an important role in maintenance of 5 international peace and security.

    Mandated by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), we conduct nuclear safeguards, making sure the increased amount of nuclear material around the world does not result in the secret proliferation of nuclear weapons. There is material for thousands of nuclear warheads in the world. Thanks to the robust international safeguards regime and our inspection system, who never stopped even during the COVID pandemic, the number of nuclear weapon States around the world is far fewer than had been feared before the IAEA was established and the NPT came into force.

    The IAEA assists States in the creation and implementation of nuclearweapon-free zones, which already cover vast regions of the world. These are important steps towards a world without nuclear weapons.

    Our work in Iran, Syria, other countries of the Middle East, and on different continents, contributes to international stability through nonproliferation and through the peaceful uses of nuclear technology.

    Since February 2022 a large-scale conventional conflict has raged in a country with a large civilian nuclear program. Ukraine used to generate more than half its electricity from nuclear power plants. From the first months of the war, the IAEA has focused on assisting Ukraine in preventing a radiological or nuclear accident, which could have a serious transborder impact. Today, the IAEA has advisory and assistance missions stationed at all five of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants, including Zaporizhzhia, which is located right at the front line. Following months 6 of negotiations and consultations, on 30 May 2023 at the UN Security Council I outlined five concrete principles to help ensure nuclear safety and security at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya NPP. It received strong support from the Members of the Council.

    The IAEA continues to monitor the safe discharge of water from the Fukushima Daichi Nuclear Power Station and engages in consultations with neighbouring and coastal countries with strong interest in the process. Our independent analysis and the data we publish relating to the discharge offer facts that dispel misunderstandings and fears about the process.

    Ladies and gentlemen,

    I firmly believe in supporting the ability of everyone, regardless of gender, to fully benefit and contribute to the IAEA’s work.

    Conviction requires action. When I began my tenure as the IAEA’s Director General five years ago, one of my very first actions was to set a goal for gender parity by 2025 and to put in place the policies to achieve a more diverse workforce.

    Five years ago, women represented less than 30% of the Agency. Today, they have surpassed 48%.

    Mindful of the need to continue helping future generations, I also launched the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship Programme (MSCFP) in 2020. It drives diversity as well as scientific and technological innovation by encouraging women to pursue a career in the nuclear field. Since its launch, hundreds of women from over 120 countries have been awarded fellowships with generous stipends. They have studied in more than 70 7 countries and have also benefited from internships in many areas of the field. Our follow-up program, named after the scientist Lise Meitner, empowers early- and mid-career through career-enhancing opportunities like site visits.

    The IAEA is a key multilateral player to make the Pact of the Future a reality. Thank you.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Ron DeSantis Issues Updates on State Preparedness Efforts Ahead of Helene

    Source: US State of Florida

    TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—At 9:30AM today, Governor DeSantis was joined by Kevin Guthrie, Executive Director for the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM), for a press conference at the State Emergency Operations Center to provide updates on Tropical Storm Helene. Governor DeSantis issued Executive Order 24-209 on September 24, updating EO 24-208 and declaring a state of emergency for 61 counties, which allows for state officials to make critical resources available to communities ahead of any potential storm impacts.

    As of 11AM ET, Tropical Storm Helene officially formed over the Northwestern Caribbean Sea.

    Watches and warnings in effect include:

    Hurricane Watch: Bay, Calhoun, Charlotte, Coastal Collier, DeSoto, Gulf, Hardee, inland Hillsborough, Lake, Lee, inland Manatee, eastern Marion Mainland Monroe and Middle Keys (Monroe County), Orange, Osceola, Polk inland Sarasota, Seminole, and Sumter counties

    Tropical Storm Warning: Lower Florida Keys & Dry Tortugas (Monroe County)

    Tropical Storm Watch: Citrus, eastern Columbia, Dixie, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Hernando, Coastal Hillsborough, Jefferson, Liberty, Leon, Levy, Coastal Manatee, western Marion, Pasco, Pinellas, Coastal Sarasota, Suwannee, Taylor and Wakulla counties

    Floridians are encouraged to know their risks from hurricane hazards and prepare for potential impacts from Tropical Storm Helene. To learn more, residents can visit FloridaDisaster.org/Guide.

    Counties have begun their preparation efforts including measures like sandbag stations. For updates on county resources available visit FloridaDisaster.org/Counties for a list of all 67 county emergency management contacts.

    State Preparedness Efforts

    • The Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) activated the State Emergency Operations Center to a Level 1 on Tuesday, September 24 and is leading coordination efforts for the State Emergency Response Team.
    • FDEM is hosting twice-daily calls with all 67 counties to identify needs and to ensure the state is prepared to respond quickly and efficiently.
    • Additionally, FDEM is coordinating with state agencies, non-governmental organizations, and private sector partners to facilitate ongoing resource requests for counties, including requests for water, generators and support personnel.
    • Nearly 500 missions are being facilitated by the State Emergency Response Team to assist counties in their preparation efforts. These missions accomplish vital tasks like prestaging response resources, protecting critical infrastructure facilities like hospitals and utility stations, and coordinating personnel statewide.
    • The Florida State Guard (FSG) has prepared the following:
      • 250+ Soldiers ready to deploy.
      • 10 shallow water vessel boat teams
      • 7 flat-bottom-flood rescue skiffs
      • 2 amphibious rescue vehicles
      • 12 UTV’s
      • 15 Cut and toss crews
      • 7 search and rescue teams
      • 1 UH-60 Blackhawk for daytime aerial assessment and logistics missions
    • The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) is making plans to ensure continuity of operations in several critical areas including Missing Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse and the Watch Desk.
    • FDLE logistics teams are moving and staging assets.
    • FDLE is identifying squads for deployment and staffing for local emergency operations centers.
    • FDLE’s mutual aid team is at the State Emergency Operations Center coordinating law enforcement missions.
    • The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has readied high-water vehicles and all other storm response resources statewide so they may be rapidly deployed to assist Floridians in need in the event of damage or flooding.
    • The FWC is fully integrated into the State Emergency Operations Center, and local FWC law enforcement representatives are coordinating closely with county and city emergency operations centers.
    • FWC officers are ready to deploy and respond with a variety of specialized equipment as necessary, such as:
      • Airboats
      • Shallow draft boats
      • ATVs/Side-by-sides
      • Larger platform vessels
      • Four-wheel vehicles
    • FWC Special Operations Group (SOG) teams will serve as reconnaissance units for the State EOC and report on damage after the storm has made landfall.
    • FWC Aviation Section has been placed on standby and has readied all appropriate aircraft for potential deployment for EOC aerial assistance, reconnaissance, and post-storm damage assessments when needed.
    • The Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) is monitoring the storm and preparing mitigation measures, including:
      • Mobilizing evacuation assets
      • Locating areas of evacuation
      • Establishing liaisons in our local county and municipal EOCs for storm assistance
    • The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) offices and facilities are finalizing storm preparations to ensure the safety and security of staff and youth.
      • These actions include fueling all vehicles, moving vehicles in low-lying and flood-prone areas to higher ground, testing and ensuring adequate fuel supplies for generators in the event of loss of power, and ensuring food, medicine, and emergency supplies are stocked and ready.
    • The Florida Department of State has been monitoring the storm for potential impacts and making preparations to secure historical properties.
    • The Florida Department of State, Division of Elections has been monitoring the storm and has been providing updates and information to Supervisors of Elections about potential impacts and resources available to their offices.
    • All Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT)  7 Districts, Central Office, and FDOT’s Turnpike Enterprise initiated statewide internal preparedness conference calls beginning Monday, September 23, which continue daily.
    • FDOT continues close coordination with State EOC officials and partners.
      • FDOT team members have begun staffing the State EOC.
      • Responding to county requests for personnel and assets.
    • FDOT Statewide Preparedness Efforts Include:
      • 667 team members working in offices, and EOCs conducting pre-storm preparations.
      • 490 team members working in the field conducting pre-storm preparations.
      • 193 pieces of heavy equipment being used for pre-storm preparations.
      • 164 team members staged for cut and toss operations
      • 90 bridge inspectors staged for deployment
      • 28 team members staged for UAV (drone) deployment
      • 20 large pumps staged
      • 634 generators staged to assist with traffic signal power
      • 4 ITS trailers staged.
      • Clearing shoulders in preparation for potential Emergency Should Use (ESU).
      • Currently analyzing flooding vulnerabilities for major roadways and bridges.
      • Inspecting and clearing drainage systems, monitoring flood-prone and currently saturated areas, and pre-positioning pumps as appropriate.
      • Securing high mast lighting, maintenance yards, active construction projects, rest areas/welcome centers, service plazas, and weigh stations.
        • Howard Frankland Bridge barges and cranes anticipated to be fully secured by Wednesday, 9/25
      • Replenishing fuel reserves, checking generator readiness, and pre-positioning assets as appropriate.
      • Completing repairs on malfunctioning vehicles and equipment in preparation for deployment.
      • Initiated communication with modal partners – seaports, airports, railroads, transit, and spaceports. All partners are currently in monitoring posture.
      • Staging ITS trailers, as well as drone teams and equipment are being prepped and ready to deploy as needed.
    • FDOT encourages drivers to download the FL511 app or visit FL511.com for road/bridge closures and potential detours that may be activated. Remember to always follow the direction of local law enforcement and emergency personnel.
      • Seaports are open and preparing for storm.
      • Airports are open and monitoring the storm.
      • Railroads are open and monitoring the storm.
      • Transit agencies are open and monitoring the storm.
      • Spaceport partners are open and monitoring the storm.
    • The Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs (FDVA) has alerted the home administrators of its nine State Veterans’ Homes of the approach of the coming storm. They are implementing their hurricane preparation checklists.
    • FDVA’s facilities have main generators in case of loss of power.
    • FDVA is in contact with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs leadership in Florida to coordinate potential clinic closure announcements.
    • Volunteer Florida has begun the following preparation efforts:
      • Daily Coordination calls with Florida Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD);
      • Identifying partner capabilities, needs and gaps;
      • Ongoing coordination efforts with Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT); and
      • Identifying pre-staging locations of flood/cleanup kits, hygiene kits and tools.
      • Key Messaging to Partners:
        • Emphasizing the importance of “Cash, Confirm, Connect” strategy.
        • Promoting volunteer opportunities through Volunteer Connect.
        • Encouraging documentation of all donated resources and Volunteer hours.
        • Current rate of volunteer hours in the state of Florida is $31.61.
    • Florida Department of Management Services (FDMS) are working to identify potential evacuation shelter sites for special needs and pet friendly evacuees as far east as Lake City and west as Panama City.
    • FDMS identified a specific location to land helicopters and staff to potentially COOP from the EOC to Escambia County
    • FDMS is making early preparations with their vendors and have commenced for commodities as well as services.

    Health and Human Services

    • The Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) is hosting calls with regional leadership and partners to provide storm information and determine any anticipated unmet needs.
    • APD is preparing policy documentation for anticipated storm event actions and providing regional staff with curfew letters for providers in potential counties with issued curfews.
    • The Florida Department of Health’s (DOH) Office of Communications is distributing information on social media platforms regarding emergency health topics, including flood water safety, special needs shelters, boil water notices and more.
    • DOH and the Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) sent information regarding early prescription refills permitted under Executive Order 24-209. This information was sent to the public, health insurers, managed care organizations, pharmacy benefit managers, pharmacy chains and health care providers.
    • DOH is deploying over 130 emergency response vehicles. Staging is currently in Leon and Osceola counties.
    • The Pinellas County WIC office will close at 12:00 p.m. on 09/24/2024 and plan to re-open on 09/26/2024.
    • DOH’s Healthy Start program is reaching out to coalitions and providers located in areas of potential impact to ensure continuity of care for clients. Additionally, Healthy Start is alerting clients of potential weather impacts and connecting them to resources.
    • DOH’s Bureau of Women, Infant and Children (WIC) is alerting coordinators in areas of potential impact and preparing for remote operations, if needed.
    • DOH’s Bureau of Childcare Food is alerting providers in areas of potential impact and having them prepare for grab-and-go meals for clients post-landfall.
    • The Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) has been in communication with health care facilities as they are evaluating any potential evacuation plans.
    • AHCA will hold and participate in provider calls for TS9 preparation ahead of landfall. As of 10am today there are 4 facilities (3 ALFs and 1 nursing home) reporting that they are evacuating.
    • E-PLUS update:
      • 34 of the 41 (83%) counties in the EO have access to E-PLUS
      • Outreach is being conducted for counties with no access
      • Monitoring of the system will ramp up today
      • ENS Subscribers were notified of Special Needs Shelters Encounters that they may receive

    Infrastructure, Roads and State Closures

    • The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) is Relocating FHP command bus from Jacksonville to Washington County for staging for post-landfall use due to the State EOC possibly being in the storm’s path.
    • Communication established with Troop Commander’s in the potential impacted areas.
    • FHP is staffing ESF-16 with four (4) sworn members and one (1) non-sworn member effective today 7:00 a.m.
    • FHP high-water rescue vehicles are prepared for use.
    • FHP is preparing high-water rescue vehicles.
    • Florida Highway Patrol’s Quick Reaction Force teams consisting of more than 120 members statewide stand ready to provide immediate response.
    • FHP remains in close communication with law enforcement and transportation partners and stands ready to assist with any potential impacts across the state.
    • FLHSMV issued Emergency Order 24-05, which: waives specific requirements for commercial motor vehicles providing emergency relief; and waives the replacement fees for driver’s license and identification credentials, vehicle registrations and titles, vessel registrations and titles and temporary parking permits for impacted individuals.
    • The Department of Children and Families (DCF) is preparing for Tropical Storm Helene and has secured supplies should the Hope Bus need to be deployed.
    • DCF is working with the Community-Based Care Lead Agencies to contact foster families and group home providers to ensure preparedness.
    • The State Mental Health Treatment Facilities have activated their disaster preparation plans and are assessing facility readiness.
    • DCF has begun contacting adult protective services clients to assess any needs and to ensure they have a plan in place.
    • DCF has begun contacting Continuums of Care, licensed child care facilities, and licensed Substance Use Disorder treatment facilities to ensure they are prepared.
    • DCF’s behavioral health staff and the Managing Entities stand ready to deploy behavioral health resources, as needed.
    • Through ESF 6, DCF is making preliminary preparations for staffing shelters, delivering emergency supplies, and directing generators to critical human services infrastructure.
    • The Department of Elder Affairs (DOEA) contacted all our Area Agencies on Aging partners and received the following updates:
    • Elder Options (PSA 3)
      • Staff have initiated call-downs to clients to assess their needs.
      • Providers have ordered emergency meals in case meal sites close.
      • You Thrive Florida meal sites in Hernando, Lake, and Sumter counties will be closed on Thursday and Friday, and clients will receive shelf-stable meals.
    • ElderSource (PSA 4) 
      • Staff have initiated call-downs to clients to assess their needs.
      • Area Agency on Aging of Pasco-Pinellas, Inc. (PSA 5)
      • Staff have initiated call-downs to clients to assess their needs.
      • Clients who require assistance with registering for the special needs registry are receiving assistance.
    • Senior Connection Center (PSA 6) 
      • Staff have initiated call-downs to clients to assess their needs.
      • Shelf-stable meals are being provided to individuals who express a need in case meal delivery services are disrupted later this week.
    • Area Agency on Aging for Southwest Florida, Inc. (PSA 8) 
      • Staff have initiated call-downs to clients to assess their needs.
    • The Florida Department of Education (FDOE) is contacting all school districts to assess needs in preparation for Tropical Storm Helene. For more information on school closures, visit https://www.fldoe.org/em-response/storm-info.stml.
    • The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is working with Florida’s Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network, the Florida Rural Water Association and other response agencies to ensure preparations are underway to support drinking and wastewater facilities ahead of the anticipated heavy rains.
    • All significant hazardous waste facilities in potentially affected counties are being notified to ensure all pre-storm preparations are being made.
    • DEP has completed pre-storm beach surveys in all shoreline counties and staff are beginning to develop their post-storm response plan.
    • Florida’s water management districts are engaging to engage local governments and drainage operators throughout the state and are available to provide technical and other support, including deploying temporary pumps to alleviate localized flooding. As part of standard operations, DEP and Florida’s water management districts continue to monitor water systems and river levels as the storm’ develops.
    • DEP published a storm updates webpage to keep state park visitors updated of closures: FloridaStateParks.org/StormUpdates. Visitors with existing camping and cabin reservations at closed parks have been notified of their reservation status.

    Resources for Employees, Businesses and Consumer

    • The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) has organized Emergency Response Teams across 13 offices statewide, who are ready to deploy once it is safe to complete damage assessments and disaster inspections of licensed establishments.
    • DBPR has begun preparing personnel and securing and preparing fleet and resources ahead of potential impacts. DBPR is positioned to initiate continuity of operations protocols in all offices statewide.
    • Today, DBPR has proactively communicated with more than 137,000 restaurant and lodging licensees to provide storm preparation and food safety resources.
    • DBPR encourages Florida’s licensed contractors who provide post-storm construction-related services to register with its Florida Disaster Contractors Network at DCNOnline.org.
    • FloridaCommerce is communicating and coordinating with private sector partners, encouraging them to review their emergency plans for their businesses and prepare their employees in advance of the weather event.
    • Updates on business closures and business resources are consistently being updated at FloridaDisaster.biz/CurrentDisasterUpdates.
    • CareerSource Florida hosted a call with 21 Local Workforce Development Boards and 38 Community Action Agencies across the state to prepare teams to assist local employees and employers after the weather event. To find your local career center visit careersourceflorida.com.
    • FloridaCommerce is working with private sector partner, the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, to assist with sheltering needs in advance of the storm.
    • The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) is coordinating with Florida’s ports and fuel industry partners to ensure adequate fuel supplies are available across Florida, as well as with Florida’s agricultural partners to ensure producers have adequate resources and support.
    • The Florida Forest Service is staging equipment, like high-water vehicles, to support recovery operations.
    • The Insurance Commissioner Yaworsky of the Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) has begun calling property and casualty insurance companies with consumers in the projected path of Tropical Storm Helene and directed insurers to be prepared to implement their disaster claims-handling procedures and be able to provide prompt and efficient claims-handling service to impacted policyholders.
    • Insurers have been put on notice that the OIR is monitoring for appropriate and timely claims handling, and reminded of OIR’s fine authority for noncompliance.
    • The OIR, in coordination with the Florida Department of Health (DOH), sent information regarding early prescription refills permitted under Executive Order 24-208. This information was sent to the public, health insurers, managed care organizations, pharmacy benefit managers, pharmacy chains, and health care providers.
    • The OIR’s IMT has been activated.

    Follow FDEM on X, Instagram, and Facebook for updates and visit FloridaDisaster.org/Updates for information relating to Tropical Storm Helene.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Assistant Leader Neguse Unveils Series of Bills to Improve Wildfire Mitigation, Research, and Management

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Joe Neguse (D-Co 2)

    Founder and Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Wildfire Caucus announces proposals to support communities impacted by the wildfire crisis. 

    Washington, D.C. — Today, House Assistant Minority Leader Joe Neguse, founder and Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Wildfire Caucus, unveiled a series of impactful reforms aimed at improving wildfire prevention, mitigation, and management in affected communities. The bills are derived from recommendations put forth by the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission, and consist of the bipartisan Cross-Boundary Wildfire Solutions Act, the Wildfire Coordination Act, and the Wildfire Risk Evaluation Act. The entire legislative package is co-led by Congressman Josh Harder (D-CA). Reps. Young Kim (R-CA) and Marc Molinaro (R-NY) also co-lead the Cross-Boundary Wildfire Solutions Act, and Rep. Marc Molinaro additionally co-leads the Wildfire Risk Evaluation Act. 

    “Today, as wildfires continue to ravage communities across America, I’m proud to be joined by a bipartisan coalition of Members in introducing a series of bills that will implement urgent new approaches to addressing this growing challenge. These initiatives are rooted in the non-partisan work of the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission, and take important steps to mitigate against the impact of wildfires in our communities. This package will ultimately invest in wildfire science and the overall resilience of our communities to reduce the future threat of these disasters.” said Assistant Leader Joe Neguse. 

    “We’re in the middle of a wildfire crisis and we can’t afford to wait to tackle this threat,” said Rep. Josh Harder. “This isn’t a partisan political issue – fires and their toxic smoke affect everyone. America’s top firefighters and wildfire experts came together to tell us what they need to tackle the wildfire crisis and the package of bipartisan bills we’re introducing today are in direct response to the needs of our firefighters. They endure hellish conditions to keep us safe and they deserve our full support. Our families and our communities are counting on us to get this done.”

    “As we introduce this bill, firefighters are working around the clock to contain the Airport fire on federal land in the Cleveland National Forest in Trabuco Canyon and surrounding communities. We also saw earlier this week how a fire miles away can negatively impact the air quality in our area,” said Rep. Young Kim, co-lead of the Cross-Boundary Wildfire Solutions Act. “Reducing barriers to wildfire mitigation can save lives. The Cross Boundary Wildfire Solutions Act aims to bridge any barriers to wildfire mitigation and ensure our first responders can do their jobs as effectively as possible. I am proud to co-lead this bipartisan, commonsense effort with Reps. Neguse, Harder, and Molinaro, and I will keep doing all I can to keep our communities safe and support first responders.”

    “As recent wildfires to the North have demonstrated, wildfires pose an ongoing threat to Upstate New York communities and our legislation mitigates these risks by ensuring wildfire prevention and response is effective and efficient. I’m proud to partner with my colleagues on these crucial steps to identifying gaps and improvements in wildfire management and strengthening federal agency interaction to improve wildfire preparedness,” said Rep. Marc Molinaro. 

    As wildfires continue to devastate communities nationwide, the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission, created as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, has been tasked with bringing together federal agencies, state, local, and Tribal governments, as well as representatives from the private sector to come up with solutions for best addressing this crisis. Co-chaired by the Departments of Agriculture, the Interior, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency this commission unites a rare diversity of backgrounds, experiences, and expertise, including several members from Colorado

    Last year, the Commision submitted their report to Congress: “ON FIRE: The Report of the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission,” which included strategies to improve aerial firefighting efforts and meet equipment needs through 2030. Based on this report, the bills introduced by Assistant Leader Neguse, include the reforms outlined below: 

    • The Cross-Boundary Wildfire Solutions Act, co-led by Reps. Josh Harder (D-CA),  Young Kim (R-CA), and Marc Molinaro (R-NY) will help inform recommendations for improving the effectiveness and efficiency of wildfire mitigation by identifying gaps and opportunities in current federal rules and regulations and supporting increased collaboration across agencies and land boundaries.

    • The Wildfire Coordination Act, co-led by Rep. Josh Harder (D-CA), establishes an advisory board composed of members from various federal, State, local, Tribal, and non-federal partners that will be responsible for coordinating federal wildfire research, translating it into practical applications, and developing future research.

    • The Wildfire Risk Evaluation Act, co-led by Reps. Josh Harder (D-CA) and Marc Molinaro (R-NY)  requires a comprehensive review of the wildfire landscape in the United States every four years, outlining the changes in environments, assessing wildfire management challenges, and evaluating the intersection of wildfires and public health. This federal review will help inform the development of long-term strategies to enhance wildfire preparedness and response and strengthen interagency coordination. 

    Find a one-pager on the wildfire legislative package here. 

    Find endorsements and quotes of support here. 

    Background

    Assistant Leader Neguse has made tackling the wildfire crisis and improving working conditions for federal firefighters a consequential issue for his office since first being elected to Congress in 2018. Earlier this week, Neguse helped to host a Special Order Hour where he called for Congress to enact permanent pay increases for federal wildland firefighters. He also recently partnered with Reps. Josh Harder (D-CA) and Scott Franklin (R-FL) in introducing a landmark piece of legislation to improve fire readiness through the implementation of a first-of-its-kind approach to modernizing how the United States combats the wildfire crisis.

    The Colorado Congressman has also shown continued support for cross-boundary collaborative efforts, including by leading his colleagues in a letter to House Appropriators on the importance of supporting the work being conducted by the Southwest Ecological Restoration Institute to help restore and reimagine fire-adapted forest landscapes. Neguse has also spoken to the work being conducted by Colorado State University’s Colorado Forest Restoration Institute (CFRI). 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Highlights – Election of the fourth Vice-Chair and exchanges on topical issues – Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development

    Source: European Parliament

    On 3 October, the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development will elect its fourth Vice-Chair. Members will also attend a workshop devoted to food price inflation, and discuss the Commission Communication on force majeure and exceptional circumstances in the CAP legislation.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Translation: 24/09/2024 Varsovia Council of Ministers – aid for flood victims

    MIL ASI Translation. Region: Polish/Europe –

    Fuente: Gobierno de Polonia en poleco.

    The government meeting took place today in a unique format. In the public part of the meeting, the ministers presented reports on the activities of their ministries in connection with the flood. El primer minister Donald Tusk announced that this formula will be in force during the next government meetings. Later in the meeting, the Council of Ministers adopted a draft act amending the Act on special solutions related to removing the effects of floods. Tomorrow the government will present information on its activities in the Sejm. In the afternoon, the head of government went to a meeting of the crisis staff in Wrocław. Concrete actions Today’s government meeting was devoted to the situation in southwestern Poland after the flood. In the public part, Prime Minister Donald Tusk asked ministers to present the activities of their ministries and propose specific solutions. “My intention is that each government meeting – in this dramatic time of flood and post-flood reconstruction – should begin with a specific report that should reach people immediately,” explained the head of government. The second part of the meeting of the Council of Ministers was devoted to the draft act amending the act on special solutions related to removing the effects of floods. “Para bromear 100 pages of amendments that will improve the existing law; they will make assistance easier and more flexible,” announced Donald Tusk. The government will be able to secure – together with European funds – up to PLN 23 billion for the “Reconstruction Plus” program. “It was very important for us to provide financing for aid and then reconstruction for the coming months and years – because some projects will last for many years,” the Prime Minister said. The government remains directly involved in supervising activities in the areas affected by the disaster – a meeting of the crisis staff will be held in Wrocław this afternoon. Los dos ministros se multiplican Internal Affairs and Administration The first information during the meeting of the Council of Ministers was presented by the Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration. Tomasz Siemoniak emphasized that the State Fire Service and the army are currently focusing on two goals. The first is to ensure safety in connection with the peak wave on the Odra River. “We are moving forces and resources, moving helicopters and various types of equipment, so that we have forces and resources in all places of danger – especially backwaters, seepage through embankments or water pouring through embankments in some places” – reported the head of the Ministry of Interior and Administration. The second priority is to support residents in restoring normal functioning in the affected municipalities. “Here we do not reduce our commitment in any way. As for the forces of the Ministry of Interior and Administration, the Bromear couple approximately 25,000. professional firefighters, volunteer firefighters and policemen,” said Tomasz Siemoniak. The police continue to ensure the safety of residents of flooded areas, including: guarding their property against looters, running mobile posts and providing psychological support. The Central Office for Combating Cybercrime is also carrying out intensified activities. It focuses primarily on the fight against disinformation and the practice of conducting false collections. “I am asking you to follow our announcements carefully. Please check carefully whether this is a fake collection. This is what we are trying to eliminate,” the Minister of Interior and Administration emphasized the importance of the problem. The Ministry of Interior and Administration cooperates with voivodes in the field of paying benefits to the injured. Nearly 20,000 families have already received such support. The aid is also organized by the Government Agency of Strategic Reserves, which has released funds in the amount of PLN 12 million and provides, among others, temporary housing. Ministrosdos of National Defense Prime Minister of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz reminded that from the very beginning, all the armed forces of the Republic of Poland were involved in the fight against the flood: land forces, air forces, navy, special forces and Territorial Defense Forces. “The lines of effort of the army: help and evacuation of the population, taking care of life and health – the most important thing is para bromear. The second thing is securing the embankments, strengthening them as the wave moves. The third issue is the tidying up of the area – matters related to cleaning, unblocking communication routes,” the Minister of National Defense listed the activities of the services subordinated to him. The army also got involved, among others: in the organization of the field hospital in Nysa and the disinfection process.  On Monday, September 23, the Feniks military operation began. “We immediately launched another operation – Operation Phoenix, aimed at reconstruction, returning to normality. In fact, it is about raising the level of reconstruction to an even better infrastructure than what was destroyed,” announced the head of the Ministry of Defense. The operation is scheduled at least until the end of the year. Soldiers will be present in areas at risk and affected by flooding until the effects of the flood are removed. The cost of Operation Feniks is estimated at approximately PLN 175 million. Our NATO and EU partners offer their help, for example by sending engineering teams to rebuild roads and bridges. “Para bromear is an expression of solidarity that Poland has always shown to countries in need,” noted the Minister of National Defense. El primer ministro Donald Tusk thanked for the information about offers of international assistance. “Good comes back in different situations, in different forms. We helped the Turks, we helped the Swedes not so long ago… The Greeks, of course, with forest fires. Today, the Swedes are sending us dehumidifiers, the Turks and Germans want to build bridges…” Poland will definitely benefit from the offer of help wherever it is useful. Ministrosdos of Digitization Primer Ministro y Ministro of Digitization Krzysztof Gawkowski presented, among others: actions his ministry took to launch satellite communications. 160 Starlink terminals were handed over to the State Fire Service, and 70 terminales – to the Police. The Ministry of Digitization also cooperates with mobile network operators to provide residents of disaster-affected areas with access to mobile networks. “We have gone from several tens of thousands of people cut off from the mobile network to less than a thousand” – político Krzysztof Gawkowski. Audit activities were commissioned to develop solutions that will avoid disconnection in similar situations in the future. The ministry cooperates with the Police in the fight against disinformation. Recently, increased hostile actions have been recorded on the Russian and Belarusian sides. 80-90% of this false content is removed as soon as it appears. Another important action is to launch flood alerts in the MObywatel application. Thanks to this, residents of individual voivodeships can quickly obtain information about the situation in the region. Citizens are also provided with information by the government-created website podz2024.gov.pl. Together with Prime Minister Donald Tusk, the Minister of Digitization decided to donate 16,000 laptops to the affected areas to be used by children. Ministrosdos Infraestructura El ministro Dariusz Klimczak announced that all roads in Lower Silesia have already been made passable. The situation is worse in the Opole Voivodeship. The head of the ministry reported, among others, from activities aimed at rebuilding the bridge in Głuchołazy. The section of the Kłodzko Główny – Kłodzko Miasto railway route is still impassable.  “We anticipate that we will clear traffic on this section by September 30,” Dariusz Klimczak reported the good news. The railway organizes detours on some sections. We appeal to travelers to
    analyze the information provided by carriers. The head of the Ministry of Infrastructure provided detailed data on alarm and warning states, meteorological and hydrological warnings and the condition of reservoirs. He paid particular attention to hydrological warnings against third-degree floods for the Lubusz, West Pomeranian, Lower Silesian and Greater Poland voivodeships. Ministrosdos of Finance El ministro Andrzej Domański reminded that his ministry had secured PLN 2 billion in the state budget for the implementation of the most urgent aid tasks related to combating the effects of the flood and was working to increase this amount.  “We regularly issue decisions activating funds for voivodes, including the payment of flood benefits. We are also working together with the local government to provide direct assistance to the affected municipalities. We have, among other things, funds at our disposal from the reserve in the amount of PLN 738 million. The decision on the division of this reserve will be made together with the local government,” said Andrzej Domański. They can count on support, among others: borrowers whose mortgage obligation will be taken over by the state for 12 months, as well as entrepreneurs – it is possible, for example, to apply for a waiver of tax liabilities. Ministros dos Funds and Regional Policy The Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy, in accordance with the Prime Minister’s instructions, carried out a comprehensive review of the Cohesion Funds.  “Up to several billion zlotys can be transferred for reconstruction and resilience purposes,” informed Minister Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz. The ministry she manages is creating a new priority within the Cohesion Funds. Dedicated to Bromea Sobre rebuilding in flooded areas and at the same time building resilience to such events. “These will be funds for energy infrastructure, water and sewage infrastructure, road infrastructure, but also funds for private beneficiaries, supporting budget funds for the reconstruction of houses that were destroyed during the flood,” said the Minister of Funds and Regional Policy. The process of redirecting funds is consulted with local government officials from flood regions. Ministry of Climate and Environment Led by Minister Paulina Hennig-Kloska, the ministry clima observes, among others, the situation of environmental infrastructure and the state of groundwater. The State Geological Service has introduced a state of hydrogeological threat for the period from September 17 to 30 for the Lower Silesian and Opole voivodeships and the southern parts of the Lubuskie and Greater Poland voivodeships. The Ministry of Climate and Environment directed resources and forces to post-flood areas, thanks to which the number of households without access to electricity significantly decreased.  “1,738 customers remain without electricity. At its peak there were almost 80,000 households. The biggest problem in this respect is still the Lower Silesian Voivodeship,” said Paulina Hennig-Kloska. At the request of the Ministry of Climate and Environment, the Council of Ministers adopted an amendment to the regulation on the state of natural disaster, which is intended to facilitate the removal of waste from areas affected by flooding. The ministry also launched subsidies for local governments for the purchase of, among others, aggregates, pump, dryers. Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk, the Minister of Family, Labor and Social Policy, reminded what the activities of her ministry focus on. “While the ministries and services directly involved in the fight against the element are putting a stop to it, we at the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy have been looking from the very beginning where the wave is already receding, where the water is receding and where the people of the flooded areas need immediate, urgent social assistance and financial assistance” – emphasized Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk. The total funds paid for these benefits are 100 million 409 thousand. PLN. This number is still growing. The Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy has facilitated access to aid by simplifying the form for flood victims. The application may be submitted orally, and the entire procedure works according to the so-called one window. Social workers often come to injured people themselves.  El primer ministro Donald Tusk thanked Minister Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk for the initiative to introduce paid leave for those who clean the homes of their loved ones. “A couple of pretty obvious help. Everyone who gets involved and devotes their time, is not at work, but helps their loved ones and family in drying, cleaning, pumping water, etc., will be able to count on state support,” assured the Prime Minister. A provision on this form of assistance will be included in the draft bill developed by the government. Minister of Health Izabela Leszczyna announced that the main task of her ministry is to provide residents of flooded areas with access to medical services. Ministrosdos has launched 3 hotlines. “One, the general one, where the patient can find out where the nearest clinic is, where the nearest pharmacy that has not been flooded is; where to go for help. And two more hotlines that concern people in mental health crisis – separately for adults and separately for children and adolescents,” explained Izabela Leszczyna. Psychological and psychiatric help also reaches flood victims through the mobile center. The Minister of Health thanked the employees of all hospitals and clinics who are showing great commitment during the crisis. The hospital in Nysa is at the stage of drying and disinfection. “There is great determination of the employees of the local community, the starosta of Nysa, to open this hospital. Both the Ministry of Health and the National Health Fund absolutely support these efforts,” emphasized the head of the ministry. The State Sanitary Inspection focuses on collecting water samples, conducting laboratory tests and issuing disinfectants.  Anyone can call the district sanitary and epidemiological station to ask for water testing or help with disinfection. Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Adam Nowak, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, informed that according to data collected by the Restructuring Agency, 4,318 farmers who had a registered farm number were affected by the flood. “In accordance with the Prime Minister’s instruction to ensure that this assistance is quick and well-addressed, the first program will be support of approximately PLN 5,000 for a hectare of field containing unharvested agricultural produce, unharvested cereals – mainly corn, partly also soybeans, corn, potatoes and sugar beets” – Adam Nowak presented one of the proposals to help farmers. The ministry will also support farmers, among others: ensuring the possibility of remission of rents for arable land, exemption and remission of social security contributions in KRUS, and compensation for cereals and other agricultural produce that came into contact with flood waters. Another solution is quick advance payments for direct payments to farmers from flood-affected areas. The Minister of Agriculture, Czesław Siekierski, requested the European Commission to activate the crisis reserve at the disposal of the Commissioner for Agriculture, and also asked voivodes for support in initiating the work of estimating commissions.  Ministrosdos of National Education Thanks to the determination of school principals and teachers, currently only 63 institutions have suspended classes. Remote teaching is conducted in 9 schools.  “In no case is the safety of the educational course of children and young people at risk at this time. All exams and all activities will take place as planned,” assured Barbara Nowacka, the Minister of National Education. Affected schools have formal and legal options to organize classes in other places. The Ministry of Education has prepared a number of supports for those affected. “To meet
    the needs reported by teachers and parents, we organize green schools for children from flood areas. There is a special website at zielonaszkoly.gov.pl with a 24-hour hotline where you can report schools that need help and appropriate assistance. Currently, nearly 850 people have registered – students from schools in flood areas – and are ready to leave,” said Barbara Nowacka. The Ministry plans to extend the program until the holidays. There is a special telephone line of the Ministry of National Education for psychological support. More than 40 psychologists provide assistance around the clock. The ministry, headed by Barbara Nowacka, also coordinates the “Schools for Schools” project, under which willing school communities in the country can support students and institutions from flood-affected areas.  Ministros dos Sportu i Turystyki El Ministro Sportu i Turystyki Sławomir Nitras presented information on the forms of support prepared by his ministry. The Ministry will allocate funds for the reconstruction of sports infrastructure, especially school facilities, as well as public and tourist facilities – tourist trails and parks. 50 millones de was secured to support tourist institutions and enterprises that suffered losses due to the cancellation of their stay or the impossibility of carrying it out. “We have secured 2 million PLN in the tourist budget for a program to promote Lower Silesia as a safe place for organizing tourism,” declared Sławomir Nitras. The resort will also support sports clubs.  The government’s plans for the coming days. Today, the Prime Minister will take part in a meeting of the crisis staff in Wrocław. During Wednesday’s session of the Sejm, the government will present information on actions in the flood-affected areas. On Thursday, the first reading of the special act that was discussed by the Council of Ministers should take place in the Sejm. . So I am asking for full mobilization,” the Prime Minister asked the politicians. The head of government thanked the heads of ministries for urgently preparing legislative projects and announced the next meeting of the Council of Ministers, which will be held next Saturday.

    MILES AXIS

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL Translation OSI

  • MIL-OSI Global: Lebanese civilians are fleeing the south, fearing an Israeli invasion − a look back at 1982 suggests they have every reason to worry

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Mireille Rebeiz, Chair of Middle East Studies & Associate Professor of Francophone & Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies, Dickinson College

    Israeli soldiers in armored vehicles drive through a Lebanese village in 1982. Bryn Colton/Getty Images

    Lebanese families have been fleeing the country’s south in the thousands amid escalating tensions and an Israeli bombardment that has so far killed hundreds.

    Their fear, echoed by many onlookers, is that Israel will accompany the airstrikes with something that has the potential to have far worse consequences: a ground invasion of south Lebanon.

    The rational behind such a move, from the Israeli government’s perspective, is that a ground offensive may be its best chance to push Hezbollah fighters beyond the Litani River in the middle of the country. This would achieve an Israeli war goal of securing its northern borders and allowing an estimated 60,000 residents who have been forced to flee northern Israel to go back to their homes.

    Irrespective of motive, a ground invasion and potential occupation is more than wild speculation. Israel has placed thousands of soldiers on standby close to the Lebanon border for such an eventuality.

    Nor is such a move without precedent.

    As a scholar of Lebanese history, I know Israel and Lebanon have been here before. In 1982, Israel invaded Lebanon in the middle of the latter’s civil war, imposing a siege on the capital Beirut. The results were catastrophic for the whole region. Not only did the ground invasion result in the death of thousands of civilians, the occupation of Lebanon plunged an already fragile nation into lasting political and economic chaos and led to the birth of Hezbollah, the very group that threatens northern Israel today.

    Refuge and armed resistance

    The Israeli invasion of Lebanon in June 1982 had its roots in the Palestinian–Israeli conflict, much as the fighting between Hezbollah and Israel does today.

    The creation of the state of Israel in 1948 was accompanied by the Nakba, or “catastrophe,” for the Palestinians. In the violent birth pangs of a Jewish state on land inhabited by, among others, Arab populations with deep ancestral ties to villages, more than 750,000 Palestinians were expelled or fled.

    Many refugees entered Lebanon, where in 1964 the Palestine Liberation Organization was born. By the mid-1970s, the armed resistance group had recruited and trained over 20,000 fighters who actively participated in launching attacks on Israel from Lebanese soil.

    By 1982, Lebanon was already seven years into its civil war, with violence flaring between Lebanese Christians and Lebanese and Palestinian Muslims. On June 6, 1982, Israeli Defense Minister Ariel Sharon, a future leader of the country, launched Operation Peace for Galilee and invaded Lebanon with the purpose of eliminating the PLO.

    More than 40,000 Israeli troops with hundreds of tanks entered Lebanon from three points: by land across the border into south Lebanon; by sea from the coast of Sidon; and by air as the Israeli forces bombed the Beqaa Valley, Beirut and its Palestinian refugee camps.

    For two months, Beirut was under siege, with water and electricity cut off. As a result of the heavy bombardment and lack of access to basic needs, an estimated 19,000 Lebanese, Syrian and Palestinian civilians and combatants died, of which 5,500 were civilians from West Beirut.

    The Lebanese authorities appealed to the United States, France, Italy and the United Kingdom for help. These countries formed the multinational peacekeeping force, which was designed to restore peace in Lebanon, assist the Lebanese armed forces and evacuate PLO fighters to Tunisia.

    By August 1982, the multinational force had successfully relocated PLO fighters and began pulling out of Lebanon. They were called back, however, as violence flared.

    After the assassination of Lebanese President-elect Bashir Gemayel on Sept. 14, 1982, the Christian Phalangist militia entered the two Palestinian refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila and killed over 2,000 Palestinian civilians. The Israeli government later set up the Kahan Commission of Inquiry to look into the killings, which concluded that Israel was indirectly responsible for the massacres.

    The birth of Hezbollah

    All of this history remains relevant to the current situation in the region. Israel’s invasion and occupation of Lebanon, its siege on Beirut and the massacres that followed all led to the birth of Hezbollah.

    While members of Lebanon’s marginalized Shiite community in the south had long sought to mobilize through pan-Arab political parties and militias, it was Israel’s invasion that galvanized members of the community to ultimately create Hezbollah in 1985. As former Israeli Defense Minister and Prime Minister Ehud Barak noted in a 2006 interview: “It was our presence there that created Hezbollah.”

    Israel’s invasion also soured Lebanon’s relations with the West. Many Lebanese and Palestinian Muslims considered the multinational force – especially the United States – to be a failure and even an accomplice to Israel.

    From 1982 onward, Americans and other Westerners became a target. In the following decade, more than 80 Americans and Europeans were taken hostage by Hezbollah fighters. Some were tortured for months; others died in custody.

    And on Oct. 23, 1983, a terrorist attack targeted the American barracks in Beirut, killing over 300 people, including 220 Marines, 18 sailors and three soldiers. Minutes later, a second suicide attack killed 58 French paratroopers. The Islamic jihad claimed responsibility for the two attacks; some of its members are thought to be among those who officially founded Hezbollah in February 1985.

    Aiding Hezbollah recruitment

    Israel’s 1982 invasion of Lebanon failed to accomplish its goals of stemming attacks on Israel from southern Lebanon. If anything, it had the opposite effect by turning many Lebanese against Israel and creating the conditions in which Hezbollah could recruit.

    Although Israel retreated from Beirut in August 1982, it continued to occupy south Lebanon until 2000. During that period it unlawfully detained many Lebanese suspected of resisting the Israeli occupation. Some were detained without charges in inhumane conditions, while others were illegally transferred into Israel.

    The debris at the site of an overnight Israeli strike in the southern Lebanese village of Akbiyeh on Sept. 24, 2024.
    Mahmoud Zayyat/AFP via Getty Images

    With such a backdrop, Hezbollah’s legitimacy in the eyes of many Lebanese grew – as did its support. So much so that in 1989, at the end of the Lebanese civil war, the authorities signed an agreement that, although not referencing Hezbollah directly, asserted Lebanon’s right to resist the Israeli occupation in the south.

    This clause was interpreted by Hezbollah as legitimizing its armed fight against occupation.

    After occupation ended in 2000, Hezbollah had to reinvent its role, claiming that it would continue fighting against Israel until the liberation of the disputed Shebaa Farms, the Golan Heights and occupied Palestine.

    In 2006, Hezbollah entered Israeli territory for the first time, killing three soldiers and kidnapping two, demanding the release of Lebanese prisoners in exchange. In retaliation, the Israel Defense Forces attacked Lebanon by air, sea and land, with Israeli ground forces entering Lebanon and carrying out a number of operations on Lebanese territory. A subsequent war saw no such prisoner swap but resulted in the deaths of about 1,100 Lebanese civilians and 120 Israelis, mostly soldiers.

    History repeating?

    Until Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, there had been hopes that decades of hostilities between Lebanon and Israel could be on the cusp of turning. In October 2022, Lebanon and Israel signed a maritime border agreement brokered by the U.S – interpreted as the beginning of normalizing relations between two countries technically at war.

    But the magnitude of the human crisis in Gaza and the series of events that followed in Lebanon have ended such hopes for now. Hezbollah’s vow of solidarity with Hamas has resulted in a running series of tit-for-tat attacks with Israel that have escalated over the past year.

    The attack using booby-trapped pagers that targeted Hezbollah fighters and killed several civilians across Lebanon on Sept. 17, 2024, has set off a chain of events that have now seen nearly 500 Lebanese killed and Hezbollah extend the geographical scope of its missile attacks in Israel. Its long-range ballistic missiles can reach 250-300 kilometers (155-186 miles) and have reached Haifa and the city’s Ramat David Airbase.

    The next step in this deadly escalation could well be a ground invasion. But in 1982, such an operation resulted only in catastrophic results for all concerned – and set in place the conditions for decades of hostilities across the Lebanon-Israel border. A similar offensive today would almost certainly have similar results – especially for the people of Lebanon.

    Mireille Rebeiz is affiliated with American Red Cross.

    – ref. Lebanese civilians are fleeing the south, fearing an Israeli invasion − a look back at 1982 suggests they have every reason to worry – https://theconversation.com/lebanese-civilians-are-fleeing-the-south-fearing-an-israeli-invasion-a-look-back-at-1982-suggests-they-have-every-reason-to-worry-239653

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sens. Marshall, Brown, and Reps. Mann, Kaptur Lead Bipartisan Legislation Fighting For Farmers with Biofuel Tax Credit

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. introduced the bicameral and bipartisan Farmer First Fuel Incentives Act requiring the Treasury Department to restrict the eligibility of the 45Z Tax Credit to renewable fuels made only from domestically sourced feedstocks and extending the tax credit to make it a full ten-year credit.  This bill is co-led with Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) with companion legislation introduced by Representatives Mann (R-KS-01) and Kaptur (D-OH-09) in the House of Representatives. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Tina Smith (D-MN) also cosponsored the legislation. 
    The 10-year credit will give the ethanol industry the time and financial incentive to build up the infrastructure needed for the U.S. to be less reliant on foreign fuel, open new markets for farmers, and increase ethanol production across the Midwest. However, we recently learned that 45Z has a glaring flaw that needs to be fixed for farmers wanting to sell feedstocks to the biodiesel and renewable diesel industry. If 45Z goes into effect as is, taxpayers will be massively subsidizing Chinese used cooking oil and would all but eliminate the use of homegrown soy or corn oil in renewable diesel.
    “It’s very tough in farm country with high interest rates and low commodity prices, which is exactly why we can’t have a tax policy that will lower commodity prices even more. While we support free trade and open markets, we do not believe foreign feedstocks should be incentivized through the hard-earned dollars of U.S. taxpayers to the detriment of American farmers,” said Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS). “This legislation puts farmers FIRST to ensure they are the primary beneficiaries of renewable fuel tax incentives and provides businesses a decade of certainty.”
    “American tax dollars should support American farmers – not imported feedstocks. To continue to grow the biofuels industry and open new markets for Ohio farmers, we must stop taxpayer money from subsidizing a surge in Chinese cooking oil or any other foreign feedstock from infiltrating the American market. Our bipartisan bill ensures these investments benefit Ohio farmers and Ohio energy producers.” Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) said.
    “In no world should American tax incentives benefit foreign producers,” said Congressman Tracey Mann (R-KS-01). “While the use of foreign feedstocks can play an important role in producing domestically manufactured ethanol, biodiesel, renewable diesel, and sustainable aviation fuel, we must not displace harvest in America. Our legislation puts American farmers first by ensuring that American tax credits are incentivizing American-grown products.”
    “I joined my colleagues in this important bicameral and bipartisan effort because helping American farmers, producers, and growers goes beyond state and party lines,” said Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), senior member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture.” We must ensure the Clean Fuel Production tax credit is structured in a way that benefits domestic producers and not one that advantages foreign-produced feedstocks from China or Brazil. Our legislation will extend this credit through 2034 and bolster American energy independence by prioritizing American producers and the production of domestic biofuels.”
    “U.S. soybean farmers have been at the forefront of our domestic clean-energy production through the booming biodiesel and renewable diesel industry over the last decade. The Farmer First Fuel Incentives Act ensures our Kansas soybean growers maintain access to this vital market sector going forward and strengthens the clean fuel production credit for the future,” Kaleb Little, Kansas Soybean Association CEO, said. 
    “We appreciate the efforts of Senator Marshall and his colleagues on this bill to ensure imported feedstocks do not receive tax credits funded by American taxpayers in the 45Z program for Sustainable Aviation Fuel. Companies have a right to import feedstocks from foreign countries, but those foreign producers should not receive tax credits funded by U.S. taxpayers,” said Kansas Corn Growers Association CEO Josh Roe.
    “Ensuring American farmers reach maximum profitability and build resiliency to pass down their farms to the next generation should be our top priority,” said Adam York, Kansas Sorghum Producers CEO. “This legislation helps make sure the intended benefits of this program arrive into our rural economies.”
    “NOPA commends this bipartisan, bicameral legislative effort which puts U.S fuel producers, U.S. crushers and U.S. farmers first. We thank Senators Brown and Marshall and Representatives Mann and Kaptur for their leadership,” said NOPA President and CEO Kailee Tkacz Buller. “We support free trade and open markets but do not believe foreign feedstocks should benefit on the backs of U.S. taxpayers to the detriment of U.S. farmers. Without this fix, the 45Z credit will incentivize the use of foreign feedstocks over those grown by U.S. farmers. Our industry has made significant investments to expand U.S. crush capacity by 30 percent and this fix is pivotal to ensuring these investments are delivered.”
    “Corn growers are making every effort to help the airline industry lower its greenhouse gas emissions through the use of corn ethanol,” said Minnesota farmer and NCGA president Harold Wolle. “We are deeply appreciative of these leaders for introducing legislation that establishes requirements for the tax credit that will level the playing field for America’s corn growers.”
    “Biofuel production paves a key path for our country to be a clean energy leader, and U.S. farmers who grow the crops going into those biofuels take pride in helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions while supporting the U.S. economy and energy independence,” said ASA President Josh Gackle, a North Dakota soybean farmer. “However, for continued growth of America’s promising biofuels industry, U.S. farmers need the support of a final 45Z rule that prioritizes domestically sourced feedstock.”
    “The Farmer First Fuel Incentive Act recognizes the vital role of American agriculture in 45Z. This legislation ensures that the guidance is designed and implemented in a farmer-focused manner, supporting domestic clean energy production and stimulating economic growth across rural America,” Craig Meeker, Chairman of National Sorghum Producers, said.
    “This important bill sends a strong signal that extending the 45Z credit is going to be a top, bipartisan priority in this Congress and the next,” said Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor. “We applaud Senators Brown, Marshall, and all our rural champions for working to give biofuel producers and our farm partners the long-term certainty we need to accelerate innovation in America’s bioeconomy. With a longer runway from Congress, and clear, flexible, and timely guidance from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, we’ll have the pieces in place to unlock billions of dollars in new clean energy investments across rural America,” Emily Skor, CEO of Growth Energy, said.
    Background:
    Prior to introducing this legislation, Senator Roger Marshall also led a bipartisan letter calling for the U.S. Treasury Department to restrict the eligibility of the 45Z Tax Credit to renewable fuels made only from domestically-sourced feedstocks, like Kansas soybean oil and corn oil. You may click HERE to read Senator Marshall’s full letter. 
    Representatives Mann and Kaptur led a similar letter in the House.
    A similar letter calling for 45z to be restricted to domestic feedstocks was sent by the American Farm Bureau Federation, American Soybean Association, National Corn Growers Association, and National Farmers Union to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and U.S. Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville, Britt Call Out Biden-Harris Abuse of Unaccompanied Alien Children Program

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) and Katie Britt (R-AL) joined U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and 41 bicameral Republican colleagues in signing a letter urging President Biden and Vice President Harris to work with Congress to root out abuses in the unaccompanied alien children (UAC) program and stop the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) cover-up of its gross mismanagement of the program. As an example, HHS has failed to comply with two out of every three Department of Homeland Security (DHS) subpoenas and other information requests issued amid its investigation into more than 100 identified suspicious UAC sponsors.

    “As a result of your open-borders policies, overseen by Vice President Harris, who was tasked with ‘stemming the migration’ at our border with Mexico, more than 500,000 unaccompanied alien children (UACs) have crossed the southwest border without a parent or guardian to provide care since you took office, a massive increase when compared to previous administrations. These UACs often experience horrible sexual, physical, and emotional abuse on the journey and are victims of cartel trafficking and exploitation, a business that surged an estimated 2,500 percent from the Trump Administration to the middle of your term in 2022,” wrote the Senators.

    U.S. Senators Tuberville, Britt, and Grassley were joined by U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Mike Braun (R-IN), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), John Cornyn (R-TX), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Steve Daines (R-MT), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Josh Hawley (R-MO), John Hoeven (R-ND), Ron Johnson (R-WI), John Kennedy (R-LA), James Lankford (R-OK), Mike Lee (R-UT), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Jim Risch (R-ID), Rick Scott (R-FL), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), John Thune (R-SD), and Roger Wicker (R-MS) in signing the letter.

    Additional co-signers in the House include Representatives Cliff Bentz (R-OR-02), Dan Bishop (R-NC-08), Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05), Ben Cline (R-VA-06), Russell Fry (R-SC-07), Matt Gaetz (R-FL-01), Harriet Hageman (R-WY-At-Large), Wesley Hunt (R-TX-38), Jim Jordan (R-OH-04), Laurel Lee (R-FL-15), Tom McClintock (R-CA-05), Barry Moore (R-AL-02), Chip Roy (R-TX-21), Michael Rulli (R-OH-06), and Scott Fitzgerald (R-WI-05).

    Read the full letter below or here. 

    “President Biden and Vice President Harris:

    As a result of your open-borders policies, overseen by Vice President Harris, who was tasked with “stemming the migration” at our border with Mexico, more than 500,000 unaccompanied alien children (UACs) have crossed the southwest border without a parent or guardian to provide care since you took office, a massive increase when compared to previous administrations. These UACs often experience horrible sexual, physical, and emotional abuse on the journey and are victims of cartel trafficking and exploitation, a business that surged an estimated 2,500 percent from the Trump Administration to the middle of your term in 2022. Sadly, the suffering these children endure does not end at the border. Your Administration also fails them when they arrive in the United States by rushing them out of the custody of your Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) into the hands of unvetted sponsors who often continue to exploit and abuse them. 

    Even as the trafficking business and the number of children entering the U.S. surged, HHS ORR cut back significantly on background checks and vetting procedures to speed up the process, despite knowing children were being trafficked through HHS ORR’s UAC program. Your Administration likewise continued Vice President Harris’s longtime priority of cutting back on information sharing between HHS ORR and law enforcement related to unaccompanied children and sponsors. When the Trump Administration implemented a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to provide for robust information sharing between the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and HHS ORR, then-Senator Harris called this attempt to protect children and communities “outrageous.” She also introduced legislation in response to the Trump MOA that slashed funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement by $220 million. Her bill was so extreme it failed to allow HHS information to be used by DHS for immigration enforcement even for potential sponsors and household members with convictions or pending charges of child abuse, sexual assault, child pornography, or any other crime. Even House Democrats considered Harris’s approach too radical and added these exceptions to counteract the extreme nature of her legislative proposal. Their approach, unlike Harris’s, allowed HHS information to be used to deport child predators and those convicted of serious felonies. Given her stated policy priorities, it is no wonder your Administration later revoked the Trump Administration’s MOA, seriously hampering the work of law enforcement, and promulgated a final rule enshrining the bar on sharing such information with law enforcement officials.

    Your Administration further stripped Customs and Border Protection officials of their ability to conduct familial DNA testing, as was implemented by the Trump Administration to verify adults’ claims that they are related to children they bring across the border. This made the smuggling and trafficking of these kids that much easier. Early into your term, your Administration also canceled protections the Trump Administration proposed to provide post-release services for all children placed with sponsors, including in-person visits and extended follow-up after placement. These protections would have helped ensure children were safe. Instead, the actions of your Administration have been disastrous and now, HHS ORR is actively attempting to cover up the results of its egregious decisions. We call upon you to put an end to that cover-up.

    When Senator Grassley and Senator Cassidy, ranking members of the Senate Budget Committee and Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, asked HHS ORR contractors and grantees whether they took necessary steps to protect children, HHS obstructed those inquiries, directing the entities not to respond. This included Southwest Key, which Senator Grassley asked, among other things, about its vetting of staff before they have access to minors. The Department of Justice has since sued Southwest Key for turning a blind eye to nearly a decade of child rape and sexual abuse by its staff. During this same time, HHS ORR provided Southwest Key with more than $3 billion to house UACs. These contractors and grantees receive large sums of taxpayer dollars, a lucrative business that has boomed during your Administration. Yet HHS ORR told them not to answer Congress when it asked whether basic protections were afforded to these kids. This is completely unacceptable.

    At the same time, since early 2023, the House Judiciary Committee has sought information on the total number of UACs HHS ORR has lost contact with after placement during your Administration. According to the New York Times, as of February 2023, ORR had been unable to contact at least 85,000 UACs after placement with sponsors, or roughly 34 percent of total UACs released up to that point in your term. Applying the 34 percent figure to the most up-to-date number of 432,938 UACs the Administration has released to sponsors, we estimate ORR has been unable to contact nearly 150,000 UACs through Safety and Well-being calls after their release. When confronted by the House Judiciary Committee with an estimate based on the Times’s findings, ORR did not dispute it. Although the House Judiciary Committee twice subpoenaed HHS for internal agency data relating to the total number of UACs with whom it has lost contact after placement, HHS has refused to provide the subpoenaed data.

    Unfortunately, the cover-up does not end there. Recently, DHS informed Senator Grassley’s office that HHS ORR has not sufficiently complied with two out of every three subpoenas and other information requests that resulted from his referral of possible child trafficking rings across the U.S. to DHS in January. By not supplying the information law enforcement requested, ORR denied Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents critical information, including the last known addresses of children and sponsors and the identity of other household members. In part because of HHS ORR’s lack of cooperation, DHS has so far only been able to locate less than four percent of sponsors identified as investigative targets, and a similarly small number of UACs.

    At a recent Senate roundtable forum, “The Exploitation Crisis: How the U.S. Government is Failing to Protect Migrant Children from Trafficking and Abuse,” senators and members of the public heard from a panel with direct knowledge of this crisis. What the witnesses told the oversight panel was shocking. For example, HHS retaliated against one of the witnesses, Ms. Tara Lee Rodas, after she blew the whistle and tried to stop the placement of young children with a household in Ohio connected to the violent MS-13 gang. In addition, witnesses described how HHS and its contractors prioritized UAC placement speed over UAC safety by failing to verify the legitimacy of identity documents, failing to obtain criminal history from the countries of origin of UACs and sponsors, and failing to conduct legally required home studies for UACs who had endured sexual or other abuse. Other whistleblowers continue to come forward with similar information. Congress has the right to obtain information necessary to conduct oversight of these widespread failures to protect the lives of children without HHS standing in the way.

    HHS’s failure to ensure UACs are in appropriate placements and to adequately vet sponsors is harmful not only to the UACs, but also to American citizens. As the Attorney General under the Trump Administration recognized, the UAC program has for years suffered from exploitation by criminals, including “gang members who come to this country as wolves in sheep[’s] clothing” and “use th[e UAC] program as a means by which to recruit new members.” As the House Judiciary Committee’s oversight has shown, under Secretary Becerra’s leadership, HHS has ignored the potential criminality and gang affiliation of UACs.

    Indeed, as revealed in the House Judiciary Committee’s May 2023 interim report, in May 2022, HHS ORR released to a sponsor a UAC with a previous arrest record for “illicit association with MS13.” That UAC, released by your Administration, went on to brutally assault and murder 20-year-old American citizen Kayla Hamilton. Incredibly, HHS noted on several occasions to the House Judiciary Committee its focus on protecting the privacy of Kayla’s murderer. Although local police quickly identified Walter Javier Martinez as the primary suspect in the murder and expressed their concern about the threat he posed to society, according to new investigative reporting, Martinez was placed in a Maryland foster home with other children and enrolled in high school. Later, while in custody for murdering Kayla, the alien authored a letter in which he “admitted to committing [four] murders, [two] rapes, and additional other crimes.” Martinez has since been sentenced to more than 70 years in prison.

    Despite having released to a sponsor a UAC with gang tattoos and a history of “illicit association” with MS-13, HHS told the House Judiciary Committee that it does not have a policy to refer known or suspected gang members to the Justice Department for investigation or, where appropriate, prosecution. At the same time, ORR Director Robin Dunn Marcos, the HHS official in charge of the UAC program, admitted that, while HHS sometimes contacts the consulate or embassy of a UAC’s country of origin or last habitual residence to verify some documents or claimed familial relationships, HHS does not even request UACs’ criminal records. Troublingly, HHS has also admitted that it does not currently have any secure facilities “in-network”—that is, facilities designed for the secure placement of UACs who pose a danger to themselves or others or who have been determined to have a criminal record.

    An August 2024 House Judiciary Committee report highlighted yet another case of UAC criminality, detailing how Juan Carlos Garcia Rodriguez, a UAC from Guatemala released by your Administration, horrifically assaulted and murdered 11-year-old Maria Gonzalez. Maria’s father found “his daughter’s body wrapped in a trash bag and stuffed in a laundry basket that was put beneath her bed.” Garcia Rodriguez was encountered by Border Patrol after entering the U.S. illegally in El Paso in January 2023, smuggled to the U.S. border by a “guide” paid for by his parents. Despite being overheard commenting about his desire to run away while in HHS custody, HHS placed Garcia Rodriguez with an unrelated adult sponsor who had twice previously sponsored unrelated UACs. Unsurprisingly, shortly after the Biden-Harris Administration’s release of Garcia Rodriguez, he became one of the estimated 150,000 UACs with whom HHS has lost contact. Just months after HHS lost contact with Garcia Rodriguez, he ran away from his sponsor. Not long after his 18th birthday, and mere months after his release from HHS custody, Garcia Rodriguez, brutally assaulted and murdered Maria.

    This is not a partisan issue. It can and should bring us together, as we try to protect Americans and UACs placed in HHS ORR custody alike. Your Administration must make changes to its policies and procedures for UACs to end this public safety crisis. It must also take urgent steps to provide information to law enforcement and Congress, to reveal the crisis’s full scope. We request that you immediately instruct HHS Secretary Becerra to take urgent steps to this end: HHS must provide access to the UAC Portal, HHS’s system of record for UACs, to federal law enforcement, HHS’s Inspector General, and Congress, allowing them to quickly conduct investigations and oversee the UAC placement program, and to analyze data regarding suspicious UAC placements; it must fully cooperate with DHS’s HSI and other federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies seeking to locate children and investigate trafficking, smuggling, and other forms of child exploitation; and it must thoroughly respond to congressional oversight requests and instruct HHS’s contractors and grantees to do the same.

    HHS must stop its cover-up and cooperate with law enforcement and Congress to end this crisis and protect unaccompanied children and the American people. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

    Sincerely,”

    BACKGROUND:

    More than 500,000 unaccompanied migrant children have crossed the southwest border under the Biden-Harris administration, while cartel trafficking activity surged an estimated 2,500 percent. Amid this crisis, the lawmakers note the Biden-Harris administration limited background checks for sponsors of unaccompanied children, cut back on familial DNA testing at the border, and decreased information sharing with law enforcement.

    In December 2023, Senators Tuberville and Britt joined Senator Grassley and 36 colleagues in calling on HHS ORR to overhaul its harmful and deficient policies regarding the treatment of unaccompanied alien children in the U.S.

    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, and HELP Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville, Hagerty Introduce Legislation to Protect American Assets

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville

    In violation of USMCA, the Mexican President has repeatedly threatened to declare an American company’s property as a “Protected Natural Area” to unjustifiably seize their assets

    WASHINGTON – Yesterday,U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) and colleagues in introducing the Defending American Property Abroad Act, legislation to impose retaliatory prohibitions that deter and punish any Western Hemisphere nation that unlawfully seizes American assets. This legislation responds to ongoing efforts by the Government of Mexico to seize a deep-water port owned by Alabama-based Vulcan Materials Company, which is a flagrant violation of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) governing trade between the two nations.

    Specifically, this legislation would prohibit vessels from entering a U.S. port if they had previously used a port, land, or infrastructure that had been illegally seized from a U.S. entity by a foreign nation in the Western Hemisphere. It also requires the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to identify and ban illegally seized ports from U.S. trade and requires the United States Trade Representative to report to Congress on how such expropriations would be addressed during the upcoming review of the USMCA, scheduled for 2026.

    “For more than a year, Mexican President López Obrador has continued to show undue aggression toward American businesses, primarily Alabama’s Vulcan Materials,” said Senator Tuberville. “The continued escalation against Vulcan’s operation in Mexico is a disgrace to the longstanding trade agreement between our two countries that has been in place for 30 years. The Biden-Harris administration has refused to stand up to President López Obrador’s threats, which is why it’s time for Congress to take action and urgently move this legislation to ensure this doesn’t happen to more American companies under a new Mexican president.”

    U.S. Senators Tuberville and Hagerty were joined by U.S. Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), Katie Britt (R-AL), Ted Budd (R-NC), and Tim Kaine (D-VA) in co-sponsoring the legislation. 

    Full text of the bill can be found here. 

    BACKGROUND:

    In May 2022, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) abruptly shut down Vulcan’s operations with false claims that the firm was violating its contract, and since then the Mexican Government, under AMLO’s direction, has waged an unceasing pressure campaign against Vulcan, including multiple lawsuits and, at times, sending military and law enforcement to its facility in Quintana Roo, Mexico. Last month, AMLO announced that he is pushing to designate the port and mine a “Protected Natural Area.”

    The Alabama delegation has been united in advocating for Vulcan in its ongoing dispute with Mexico. Earlier this year, Senators Tuberville, Britt, Hagerty, and Kaine sent a letter to Alicia Bárcena, Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, urging her to take action regarding the Mexican government’s mistreatment of Vulcan Materials Company.

    Last year, the Alabama delegation met with Mexico’s Ambassador to the U.S. Moctezuma to advocate for Vulcan. In 2022, Senator Tuberville sent a letter with former Senator Richard Shelby and eight other U.S. senators calling on the Biden-Harris administration to discourage Mexican aggression against American companies with investments or operations in Mexico.

    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, and HELP Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare organizes the National Conference on Implementing Digital Public Infrastructure under the Digital Agriculture Mission in New Delhi today

    Source: Government of India

    Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare organizes the National Conference on Implementing Digital Public Infrastructure under the Digital Agriculture Mission in New Delhi today

     Conference aims to discuss the implementation of DPI in continuation of the Centre-State collaboration to integrate digital technologies in agriculture

    Posted On: 24 SEP 2024 7:41PM by PIB Delhi

    The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare (MoA&FW), Government of India, organized the National Conference on Implementing Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) under the Digital Agriculture Mission in New Delhi today. The conference aimed to discuss the implementation of DPI in continuation of the Centre-State collaboration to integrate digital technologies in agriculture, focusing on the implementation of components of the Digital Agriculture Mission such as Agri Stack, Krishi DSS, soil profile mapping and others to streamline service delivery and enhance the efficiency of agricultural schemes. Senior officials from all parts of the country attended the conference. It was a crucial platform for addressing technical and administrative reforms required to implement the farmer registry, avail the Special Central Assistance (SCA) Scheme funds and synergise national effort with state-level implementations.

    The conference began with a formal inaugural session, where Secretary (DA&FW), Shri Devesh Chaturvedi presented an overview of the Digital Agriculture Mission and the Special Central Assistance (SCA) Scheme, highlighting the government’s vision to revolutionize agriculture through technology enablement. This was followed by a presentation by Secretary Department of Land Resources, Shri Manoj Joshi discussing the synergy between land reforms, the Farmer Registry and the role of States in implementing these reforms.

    The unveiling of the Guidelines of Digital Agriculture Mission and SCA for Farmer Registry implementation and the Farmer Registry Handbook marked a significant milestone for the sustainability of digital agriculture initiatives, signalling a commitment by the Government of India to provide technical and financial support to the States.

    Key Sessions and Discussions:

    Throughout the day, a series of interactive sessions were convened, fostering vibrant discussion that delved deep into the multifaceted landscape of digital agriculture initiatives such as Farmer Registry implementation, Digital Crop Survey etc. These session discussions served as an invaluable platform for stakeholders to exchange perspectives, insights, and experiences, shedding light on the states’ issues and challenges in nurturing a farmer-centric technology ecosystem. The Centre and the States discussed the issues, clarified their doubts and discussed solutions encouraging seamless collaboration between the Centre and the States-

    The session featured an insightful presentation on implementing Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and the SCA scheme funds to states on Farmer Registry implementation by Dr Pramod Kumar Meherda, Addl. Secretary (Digital), DoA&FW.

    Smt. Varsha Joshi, Addl Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, spoke about implementing Live Stack (DPI for livestock and animal husbandry sector), while Shri Sagar Mehra, Jt. Secretary (Do Fisheries) provided a vision for Aqua Stack (DPI for the fisheries sector) and integrated digital solutions in fisheries.

    • Session II

    The second session consisted of a context-setting presentation by Shri Rajeev Chawla, Chief Knowledge Officer and Advisor, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare, Govt. of India.

    The second session consisted of 3 panel discussions-

    • The first-panel discussion was on the State Farmer Registry implementation as part of Agri Stack, chaired by Shri Devesh Chaturvedi, Secretary (DA&FW), with participation from senior Central and State officers.

     

    • Dr Pramod Meherda, Additional Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, chaired the second panel discussion with states. The session delved into challenges and opportunities in integrating Farmer Registries, Digital Crop Surveys, and Supporting Registries for enhanced service delivery, data accuracy, and addressing gaps in existing systems.

     

    The second session included a context setting by Smt. Ruchika Gupta, Advisor (DA), Department of Agriculture, on the adoption of Support Registers.

     

    • The third discussion focused on the issues in implementing the Digital Crop Survey (DCS) taken by CKO&A and Advisor (DA). The issues were discussed in detail, and solutions were presented to the states.

     

    Technical Discussions:

    The event concluded with technical discussions led by the Agri Stack Technical Team, emphasizing the operational details and future roadmap for advancing DPI across the agricultural value chain.

    The conference not only facilitated in-depth deliberations on the potential of digital technologies but also underscored the role of Digital Public Infrastructure in achieving the goals of the Digital India Mission.

    Shri Ravi Ranjan Singh, Director (DA), delivered the Vote of Thanks.

    *****

    SS

    (Release ID: 2058352) Visitor Counter : 42

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare organizes the National Conference on Implementing Digital Public Infrastructure under the Digital Agriculture Mission in New Delhi today

    Source: Government of India

    Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare organizes the National Conference on Implementing Digital Public Infrastructure under the Digital Agriculture Mission in New Delhi today

     Conference aims to discuss the implementation of DPI in continuation of the Centre-State collaboration to integrate digital technologies in agriculture

    Posted On: 24 SEP 2024 7:41PM by PIB Delhi

    The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare (MoA&FW), Government of India, organized the National Conference on Implementing Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) under the Digital Agriculture Mission in New Delhi today. The conference aimed to discuss the implementation of DPI in continuation of the Centre-State collaboration to integrate digital technologies in agriculture, focusing on the implementation of components of the Digital Agriculture Mission such as Agri Stack, Krishi DSS, soil profile mapping and others to streamline service delivery and enhance the efficiency of agricultural schemes. Senior officials from all parts of the country attended the conference. It was a crucial platform for addressing technical and administrative reforms required to implement the farmer registry, avail the Special Central Assistance (SCA) Scheme funds and synergise national effort with state-level implementations.

    The conference began with a formal inaugural session, where Secretary (DA&FW), Shri Devesh Chaturvedi presented an overview of the Digital Agriculture Mission and the Special Central Assistance (SCA) Scheme, highlighting the government’s vision to revolutionize agriculture through technology enablement. This was followed by a presentation by Secretary Department of Land Resources, Shri Manoj Joshi discussing the synergy between land reforms, the Farmer Registry and the role of States in implementing these reforms.

    The unveiling of the Guidelines of Digital Agriculture Mission and SCA for Farmer Registry implementation and the Farmer Registry Handbook marked a significant milestone for the sustainability of digital agriculture initiatives, signalling a commitment by the Government of India to provide technical and financial support to the States.

    Key Sessions and Discussions:

    Throughout the day, a series of interactive sessions were convened, fostering vibrant discussion that delved deep into the multifaceted landscape of digital agriculture initiatives such as Farmer Registry implementation, Digital Crop Survey etc. These session discussions served as an invaluable platform for stakeholders to exchange perspectives, insights, and experiences, shedding light on the states’ issues and challenges in nurturing a farmer-centric technology ecosystem. The Centre and the States discussed the issues, clarified their doubts and discussed solutions encouraging seamless collaboration between the Centre and the States-

    The session featured an insightful presentation on implementing Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and the SCA scheme funds to states on Farmer Registry implementation by Dr Pramod Kumar Meherda, Addl. Secretary (Digital), DoA&FW.

    Smt. Varsha Joshi, Addl Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, spoke about implementing Live Stack (DPI for livestock and animal husbandry sector), while Shri Sagar Mehra, Jt. Secretary (Do Fisheries) provided a vision for Aqua Stack (DPI for the fisheries sector) and integrated digital solutions in fisheries.

    • Session II

    The second session consisted of a context-setting presentation by Shri Rajeev Chawla, Chief Knowledge Officer and Advisor, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare, Govt. of India.

    The second session consisted of 3 panel discussions-

    • The first-panel discussion was on the State Farmer Registry implementation as part of Agri Stack, chaired by Shri Devesh Chaturvedi, Secretary (DA&FW), with participation from senior Central and State officers.

     

    • Dr Pramod Meherda, Additional Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, chaired the second panel discussion with states. The session delved into challenges and opportunities in integrating Farmer Registries, Digital Crop Surveys, and Supporting Registries for enhanced service delivery, data accuracy, and addressing gaps in existing systems.

     

    The second session included a context setting by Smt. Ruchika Gupta, Advisor (DA), Department of Agriculture, on the adoption of Support Registers.

     

    • The third discussion focused on the issues in implementing the Digital Crop Survey (DCS) taken by CKO&A and Advisor (DA). The issues were discussed in detail, and solutions were presented to the states.

     

    Technical Discussions:

    The event concluded with technical discussions led by the Agri Stack Technical Team, emphasizing the operational details and future roadmap for advancing DPI across the agricultural value chain.

    The conference not only facilitated in-depth deliberations on the potential of digital technologies but also underscored the role of Digital Public Infrastructure in achieving the goals of the Digital India Mission.

    Shri Ravi Ranjan Singh, Director (DA), delivered the Vote of Thanks.

    *****

    SS

    (Release ID: 2058352) Visitor Counter : 42

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan starts a series of dialogues with farmers and farmers’ organizations in Delhi today

    Source: Government of India

    Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan starts a series of dialogues with farmers and farmers’ organizations in Delhi today

    As discussions starts with different farmer organizations, I meets today around 50 farmer leaders: Shri Shivraj Singh

    We have received many suggestions from farmers, we will try our best to solve these suggestions by working out: Shri Chouhan

    A lot of research has been done on stubble management, there is no need to burn stubble after cutting the stubble, it becomes wealth instead of waste: Union Minister

    Posted On: 24 SEP 2024 5:22PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Minister for Agriculture, Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan started a series of dialogues with farmers and farmers’ organizations in Delhi today. Chouhan stated, as I have said before, agriculture is the backbone of India’s economy and farmers are its soul and serving farmers is like worshiping God for us. He said that last time when I was discussing the achievements of 100 days, I decided that I will start a series of meetings with farmers or farmer organizations every Tuesday because many times we do not understand the problems while sitting in the office. It is our duty to directly communicate with those who have problems, discuss them and if any issue comes up, solve it. Officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) were also present during the dialogue.

    Union Minister Shri Chouhan said that continuous work is being done under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for the overall development of the agriculture sector. Many schemes related to agriculture have been implemented in the last 10 years and this sequence is continuing. So far, 7 major schemes have been approved in the first 100 days of the third term of the Modi government. The central government will spend Rs 15 thousand crore on these schemes, which will benefit the farmers. Rs 2817 crore will be given for the Digital Agriculture Mission and agricultural reforms will continue through technology. Decisions are being taken in the interest of farmers and the country; efforts are being made to solve their problems by sitting together with the farmers.

    Shri Shivraj Singh said that today I have started talking to different farmer organizations. Today I met about 50 farmer leaders, we have received many suggestions from them, some of them are related to the price of crops and some are about the crop insurance scheme. Some suggestions are also about the problem of stray animals and the losses caused by them. He said that many suggestions have also come about which decisions should be taken when the new crop arrives.

    He has said that he will sit with the officials and work out all the suggestions seriously and after working out, he will try his best to do whatever is possible. We will leave no stone unturned for the welfare of the farmers and their upliftment. He further said that discussions have been held with the farmers’ organizations in a cordial atmosphere and the farmers have praised many decisions of the Modi government.

    The Union Minister said that we will sit with the team of officials and work out all the suggestions and after working out we will try our best to do whatever is possible. He said that discussions have been held with the farmers’ organizations in a cordial atmosphere and the farmers have praised many decisions of the Modi government.

    He said that the import duty on palm oil has been increased to 27.5%, minimum export price has been removed from Basmati, export duty on onion has been reduced from 40% to 20%, the government will buy all tur, urad and masoor etc. Many recent decisions were appreciated by farmers.

    Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that the dialogue we have started with the farmers has won everyone’s heart and this dialogue will continue. We will talk to our own farmers and will also try to solve their problems honestly.

    Regarding stubble management, he further said that a lot of research has been done, machines have also been made, stubble will not have to be burnt after cutting the stubble, it becomes wealth instead of waste. We will make better use of it and we will try to convince the farmers by creating awareness.

    *****

    SS

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