The conference report will now be considered by the House of Representatives and the Senate, and then sent to the President for approval.

2005 Crop Year Counter-Cyclical Payments - USDA announced first partial 2005 crop year counter-cyclical payments. The 2002 farm bill requires these payments to be made in October when possible. The partial payment rates equal to 35% of the projected total rate. Announced partial payments rates are: corn - 14 cents/bu.; sorghum - 9.45 cents/bu.; barley - 5.25 cents/bu.; upland cotton - 4.81 cents/lb.; rice - 19.25 cents/cwt.; and, peanuts - $36.40/short ton.

Japan Sanctions - Senators Pat Roberts (R-KS), Kent Conrad (D-ND) and 19 other Senators introduced legislation that would impose economic sanctions on Japan if it does not reopen its market for U.S. beef by Dec. 15. The legislation would require the U.S. Treasury to impose additional tariffs on selected items grown, produced or manufactured in Japan in an amount equal to $2.7 billion by Dec. 31, 2005. The tariffs will continue until the administration can certify to Congress that Japan has reopened its market to U.S. beef. In introducing the legislation, Senator Roberts said, "Japan has chosen to ignore internationally recognized science and has instead based their food safety on emotional, politically-driven arguments. This comes at a high price for the American beef industry." Congressman John Salazar (D-CO) plans to introduce similar legislation in the House.

Japan Reacts to Sanctions Legislation - The Japanese Ambassador to the United States reacted quickly after the sanctions legislation was introduced in the Senate. In a statement the Ambassador said, "We are disappointed to learn that a group of Senators proposed a legislation that would oblige the United States Government to impose arbitrary tariffs on selected Japanese products to the United States if Japan fails to reopen its market to U.S. beef by the end of this year. The domestic procedures in Japan necessary to reopen its market to U.S. beef are in the last stage, and tangible progress was made on Oct. 4. A threat of retaliation is not helpful in solving the problem based on science." The Japanese Prion Committee is expected to meet next week to make its final recommendation to the Food Safety Commission.

Long-Distance Animal Trucking Petition - The animal rights groups, the Humane Society of the United States, Farm Sanctuary, Compassion Over Killing, and Animals' Angels have filed a petition with USDA to limit truck transport of animals to no more than 28 hours, as required currently for animals hauled by train. The petition would require that for every 28-hour period of confinement in interstate transport, animals would need to be off-loaded for five hours and watered and fed.