A42-Lancaater Farming, Saturday, November 4, 2000 Pennsylvania Grangers Set Policies At State Convention CARLISLE (Cumberland Co.) About 325 Pennsylvania State Grange members set new policy on important issues, in cluding prescription and generic drug programs, Food Handler Certification, the importation of dairy cattle from foreign coun tries, anti-trust and dairy price support programs during the 128th annual convention here. “As a grass-roots organiza tion, the policies determined here will influence our legisla tive efforts on Capitol Hill as we work on legislation that will affect agriculture and rural Pennsylvania,” Brenda Sham baugh, legislative director, said. “These issues are of greatest concern to our membership, and the Pennsylvania State Grange will see that these policies are ad dressed at the state and federal level.” Summaries of the key issues approved by the delegates include: • Prescription drug programs. The Penn sylvania State Grange supports the recently passed Act 68, which deals with HMOs. Im portant components of the Act, as adopted by the Grange, include the requirement that a HMO must provide the prescriptions deemed “medically necessary” by the doctor and the right of the doctor to order continued hospitaliza tion without retribu tion by the hospital or provider. “Provisions have also been put in place for formally address ing medical care and/or coverage con cerns for self or a family member in a prompt, expeditious manner,” Shambaugh said. “Many rural Pennsylvanians depend on HMOs for their medical cover age, but in recent months, have been dropped by their car rier. We encourage all Pennsylvanians to become familiar with insurance law and programs.” • Food handler cer tification. With legis lation set to take effect July 2001 requiring all nonprofit organiza tions selling food to the public to have someone certified in proper food handling techniques, the Grange passed a reso lution that seeks to exempt nonprofit groups from paying the cost of training volunteers. “Food safety is an issue of paramount impor tance to our mem bers,’’ Shambaugh said. “But groups like the Grange, which provide many hours of community service to the public, shouldn’t have the added finan cial burden required by the law to require food handling certifi- cation. We believe the training program should be provided free to nonprofits so they can con tinue to provide the type of ser vice they offer to communities across the commonwealth.” • Importation of dairy cattle from foreign countries. The Pennsylvania State Grange is gravely concerned about the im portation of cattle from Uru guay and the effect it may have on domestic herds in Pennsylva nia. “It is our concern that all im ported livestock, such as the one proposed from Uruguay, may not meet the USDA and Penn sylvania health standards,” Shambaugh said. “We believe the Pennsylvania Animal Health WHITEW ADVANTAG Commission and the Pennsylva nia Secretary of Agriculture should be involved so farmers can be assured that these cattle are certified to meet USD A and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture health regulations before they are imported.” • Anti-trust. Another issue of utmost importance to the mem bership is anti-trust since farm ers have not had the right to bring anti-trust activities against retailers since 1977. Some 23 years later, four meat packers in the U.S. control 81 percent of beef slaughter, 73 percent of sheep, and 57 percent of pork processing, while four major processors control nearly two thirds of flour milling. More over, dairy mergers are occurring like wildfire and dair ies and other well-known brands are now owned by foreign owned firms. “In the interest of protecting consumer and farmer interests from the concentration of power that has taken place in the food industry,” Shambaugh said, “The Pennsylvania State Grange adopted policy requiring the State and National Granges to work for the repeal of the —I MJY. aU.THADt OB MHT THROUGH THt I—^^ kiH I d b=l -M- 1 PHONE: 717-828-1184 or 717-384-5047 FAX 717-733-8058 Ms*.. Turn.. Wed.. Prt. 8 AM to 5 PM; Thun. 7 AM to 5 PM court decision that took the anti trust option away from farm- ers.” • Dairy price support pro gram. With farm prices at record lows and milk prices at 20-year lows, the Grange modi fied its policy concerning the dairy price support program which is set to expire on Dec. 31, 2000, Shambaugh said. “We modified our policy to reflect that of the National Grange,” Shambaugh said. “We now support the National Grange’s position that seeks a permanent extension of the dairy price support program.”
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