Klamath Basin Water Decision and American Beef Export Records

**After three years of drought and little to no water allocated to Klamath Basin farmers and ranchers, new temporary operating procedures for the Klamath Water Project are prioritizing protected fish over needs of agriculture.

The directive for meeting Endangered Species Act requirements for suckerfish is increasing frustrations for irrigators.

Despite recent rainfalls that boosted accumulated water to 100% of normal, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation said the Klamath Basin remains in a “severe to extreme drought status.”

**Senators Jon Tester, Chuck Grassley, and Mike Rounds reintroduced their “Meat Packing Special Investigator Act” to fight consolidation and enforce the national anti-trust laws.

The bill would create the “Office of the Special Investigator for Competition Matters” within the USDA.

The office would be made up of a team of investigators with subpoena power and would be responsible for preventing anti-competitive practices among large players in the meat and poultry industries.

**American beef exports set records for both volume and value in 2022, reaching 1.47 million metric tons, 2% above the 2021 high.

Export value climbed to a record $11.68 billion, 10% higher than 2021 and 40% above the five-year average.

US Meat Export Federation President, Dan Halstrom says, last year was a groundbreaking year for American beef’s international presence.