Duke Energy, One of the Largest Electric Power Companies in the United States, Supplies

March 18, 2013

Duke Energy, one of the largest electric power companies in the United States, supplies and delivers energy to approximately 4 million U.S. customers. The company has approximately 36,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity in the Midwest and the Carolinas, and natural gas distribution services in Ohio and Kentucky. In addition, Duke Energy has more than 4,000 megawatts of electric generation in Latin America, and is a joint-venture partner in a U.S. real estate company. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is a Fortune 500 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available on the Internet at:

Washington NEWS

Slaughter Introduces Antibiotics Bill: Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (NY-25), the only microbiologist in Congress, introduced the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act (PAMTA) in the U.S. House. The legislation is designed to stop the” overuse of antibiotics on the farm.” Slaughter has introduced PAMTA four times since 2007. This year, the legislation is updated to reflect the “severity of the growing crisis.” Slaughter has explicitly named Cephalosporins as an 8th class of antibiotics that would be prohibited from non-therapeutic use on animals (previous versions of the legislation explicitly named 7 classes.) The new text also clarifies the term “non-therapeutic use” to ensure that any use of medically important antibiotics outside of treatment of a sick animal is not permitted.
FDA Seeks Comments on Antimicrobial Use in Livestock: TheFDA is announcing plans for five meetings to provide an opportunity for public dialogue and feedback on challenges faced by the animal agriculture industry and practicing veterinarians as FDA implements its initiative for the judicious use of medically important antimicrobials in medicated feed or drinking water of food-producing animals. The meetings are jointly sponsored by FDA and the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). The meeting dates are April 9 in KY, April 23 in WA, May 8 in CO, May 21 in SD, and June 4 in TX. Comments may be submitted at for 60 days after the last of the five meetings.

N.C. Legislative NEWS

Bill Would End Green Energy Requirement: A bill, HB 298, that would end the state requirement on power companies to purchase renewable energy has been introduced in the N.C. House. The bill’s lead sponsor, Republican Rep. Mike Hager, representing Burke and Rutherford counties, says that companies should purchase energy based on cost and not state laws. NC's Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard (REPS) currently requires power companies to offset 12.5 percent of retail sales with renewable energy, including energy generated from hog waste, and efficiency programs by 2021. The bill would cap the requirement at 3 percent and would not allow power companies to charge customers for renewable energy development. However, Duke and Progress Energy would still be able to charge customers for existing solarfarms and projects already in progress. Reps. Marilyn Avila of WakeCounty, George Cleveland of OnslowCounty, and Jeff Collins of Franklin and Nash counties are also sponsors of the bill.

Immigration NEWS

Revised I-9 Handbook Now Available: The Handbook for Employers, Guidance for Completing the Form I-9 (M-274), has been updated to include information about the revised Form I-9 (Rev. 03/08/13)N.The name of the Handbook has also changed slightly. The word “Guidance” has replaced “Instructions.” Helpful new images have been added to illustrate how employees and employers can complete Section 1-3 of the new form. Please also see page 23 for updated guidance on recording changes of name and other identity guidance. To access the handbook, click here.

Business NEWS

House of Raeford Closing N.C. Turkey Slaughter and Production: House of Raeford Farms announced that it will focus its resources on increasing chicken production volumes and expanding its fully cooked turkey and chicken product lines over the next two to three years, phasing out its commodity turkey growing and slaughter operations in eastern NC. The effect of high corn prices, multiple years of flat to declining per capita turkey consumption, and rapidly falling commodity turkey prices contributed to the company’s decision. This decision will result in closure of its Rose Hill turkey hatchery and Raeford turkey slaughter plant and turkey growing operations in eastern NC over the next four to six months. The company will continue to operate its Raeford cook plant and will expand its production of fresh ready-to-cook chicken, tray pack ground turkey and chicken, battered and breaded nuggets and patties, and fully cooked turkey and chicken products. The Raeford turkey slaughter plant, which will be idled after producing holiday turkeys for customers, currently employs 950 workers. The Rose Hill turkey hatchery currently employs 30, most of whom will be offered jobs at other company facilities in the surrounding area. The Raeford cook plant, which will remain open, currently employs 400 workers. This decision will not affect the cook plant or the remaining 5,300 House of Raeford employees, of which approximately 2,300 are employed in North Carolina. House of Raeford will proactively assist all employees affected by this decision and will also begin working with individualturkey growers to determine interest in transitioning their turkey farm operations into chicken operations.

Panel Approves Tobacco Settlement Agreement: The arbitration panel in the pending Non-Participating Manufacturer (NPM) adjustment proceeding has issued a Stipulated Partial Settlement and Award, which will allow the settlement agreement reached in December toproceed. PMUSA, R.J. Reynolds other cigarette manufacturers reached the agreement with seventeen states, including N.C., the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico to resolve long-standing disputes related to the NPM adjustment provisions of the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) for the years 2003 to 2012. The tobacco companies agreed in 1998 to make payments, roughly $206 billion over 20 years, to the states for cigarette-related healthcare costs as a result of the MSA. Due to the recent settlement, the state Attorney General’s Office estimates N.C. would receive $108 million in payments.

Agbiosciences Driving Economic Growth,Job Creation in Southern U.S.: Agbioscience, and its value-chain in production agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, and downstream industrial activity, is vital to providing a sustainable global and domestic economic future, according to a study released by Battelle called “Impact and Innovation: Agbioscience in the Southern United States.” Agriculture, forestry, and fisheries production generates $240 billion in regional economic activity within the Southern Region and supports over 2.2 million jobs with labor income totaling $62 billion, underscoring the importance of the tie between the Land-grant University Extension Service and Experiment Station System and agriculture’s significant contribution to the economy and other quality of life factors. In addition, the downstream processing of agriculture, forestry, and fisheries output into value-added food and industrial products adds an additional $1 trillion in output across the Southern Region’s economy, and almost 4.6 million jobs with labor income totaling over $200 billion. To read the full report, click here.

Commodity NEWS

Time to Treat for Cereal Leaf Beetles in N.C. Wheat Fields: NCSU crop scientist Randy Weisz urges wheat farmers to be on the lookout for cereal leaf beetles. During the first weeks of March, the beetles lay their larvae in the wheat fields. While the adults do no damage, the hatching larvae cause defoliation and loss. Most of the eggs hatch the third week of April, so Weisz advises that applying insecticide is best done in April. Some growers have tried combining CLB residual insecticide with their March nitrogen applications, mixing the two in the tank. However, if the insecticide wears off before all the adults have laid their eggs, then another application of insecticide is necessary. NCSU entomologist Dominic Reisig has studied this practice on more than 170 farms in N.C. and found that 7%-8% of the time that practice wasn’t effective. Coverage can be tricky when spraying the two together because nitrogen is applied in large droplets with low coverage and insecticide is applied in small droplets with heavy coverage. And sometimes, the application was too early to catch all the larvae.

Japan Announces New Rules for Imports of U.S. Beef: In a decision that removes much of the import restriction on U.S. beef imposed at the end of 2003, Japan has allowed imports of beef from U.S. cattle less than 30 months of age, effective February 1, 2013. The latest action is expected to increase the volume of U.S. beef and byproducts exported to Japan; allow somewhat lower prices in Japan for U.S. beef; and raise the value of U.S. beef carcass. Click hereto read USDA’s Economic Research Service report detailing the effects this will have on U.S. beef exports.

People NEWS

Nominate a Mom for Farm Mom of the Year:Monsanto is accepting nominations for the 2013 Farm Mom of the Year and a chance to win $10,000. Nominations accepted through April 23. To enter, describe in 300 words or fewer how the farm mom you are nominating contributes to her family, farm, community and agriculture. For more info, click here.

NCDA NEWS

NCDA&CS Accepting Applications for Specialty Crop Grants: The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is offering about $1 million in grants to government, collegiate and nonprofit agencies interested in improving the competitiveness of specialty crops across the state. NCDA&CS will accept Specialty Crop Block Grant Program applications starting at $20,000 from nonprofit organizations, commodity associations, state and local government agencies, colleges and universities. The application deadline is April 26. For grant manuals and an application, click here.

Conference Offers Advice for Food Businesses: Local food businesses will have two opportunities to take part in the annual Food Business Conference sponsored by the NCDA&CS. The event, aimed at helping small-business owners grow their food businesses, has expanded to include two conference locations in Raleigh and Burnsville. Conference East will be held at the JamesG.MartinBuilding at the State Fairgrounds in Raleigh on April 11. The registration deadline is April 2. Conference West will be held at the BurnsvilleTownCenter in Burnsville on April 19. Registration deadline for the Burnsville event is April 10. For more info or to register, contact Annette Dunlap at 919-707-3117 or .

Troxler Announces Staff Appointments: Ag Commissioner Steve Troxler announced several staff appointments at the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Joe Reardon of Willow Springs has been named assistant commissioner for consumer protection. He succeeds Howard Isley, who retired Feb. 28 after eight years with the department. Reardon oversees divisions responsible for food safety, agricultural emergency response, animal health, and regulation of the structural pest control industry, pesticide use and various weighing and measuring devices. Scott Bissette of Spring Hope, interim assistant commissioner overseeing the N.C. Forest Service since December, has been named to the post permanently. Greg Pate of Goldsboro, the division’s deputy director, has been named state forester. Their appointments followed the Nov. 30 retirement of Wib Owen, who worked in state government for 34 years.

USDA NEWS

Deputy Secretary Resigns: USDADeputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan, second in command at the department, announced her resignation last week. In a statement, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said that Merrigan, an advocate for local and regional food systems, played a vital role in the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food initiative and the National Organic Program, and in helping the department achieve budget efficiencies. Merrigan said she plans to stay with the agency through April but gave no reason for her departure.

Furloughs to Happen on 11 Scheduled Days: USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety Elisabeth Hagen told the U.S. House Agriculture Subcommittee the plan for the furlough days for federal meat inspectors. Hagen said that there would be 11 scheduled furlough days from July to Sept. 20. Inspectors would take the same days off and there would be no more than one furlough day per week and no more than two per pay period.

NASS Suspends Some Reports: USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service is suspending a number of statistical surveys and reports for the remainder of the fiscal year due to reduced funding caused by sequestration. The following reports will be suspended: all catfish and trout reports including catfish feed deliveries and catfish processing; July cattle report; potato stocks reports; all non-citrus fruit, nut and vegetable forecasts and estimates; June rice stocks report; all hops and hops stocks estimates; mink report; milk production reports including production, disposition and income; June on- and off-farm stocks for Austrian winter peas, chickpeas, dry peas and lentils; July acreage forecasts for Austrian winter peas, dry edible peas and lentils.

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