A hearing by the House Agriculture Committee today (Wednesday) focuses on setting the stage for the next farm bill. House Agriculture Chairman Mike Conaway says farmers and ranchers are enduring challenging times. The Texas Republican referred to a recent Department of Agriculture report that shows net farm income fell 45 percent from 2013 to 2016, the largest three-year percentage drop …
Rising Demand for Organic and Non-GMO Grains Outpaces U.S. Production
Rising demand for organic and non-GMO foods led to a sharp rise in organic grain imports last year. A new report by CoBank says U.S. production of non-GMO crops has risen, but domestic production for organic corn and soybeans remains well short of current U.S. demand.
Trudeau Talks Dairy Trade with House Speaker Ryan
House Speaker Paul Ryan says he asked Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (True-doh) regarding Canadian market access for U.S. dairy producers. The Wisconsin Republican met with Trudeau Monday as part of Trudeau’s visit to Washington, DC this week.
Trump Tells Canada to Expect Only “Tweaking” of NAFTA
During his visit with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (true-doh), U.S. President Donald Trump said there would only be “tweaking” needed to the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Florida Suffers Setback in Water Wars
by Lloyd Dunkelberger, The News Service of Florida In a major setback to Florida, a special master appointed by the U.S. Supreme Court sided Tuesday with Georgia in a decades-old legal fight over water flow into the Apalachicola River.
USDA Seeks Nominators to Cattlemen’s Beef Board
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is accepting applications from any state cattle association or state general farm organization that wants to be certified as eligible to nominate beef, dairy, or veal producers or importers to the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board. Applications are due by March 16, 2017.
APHIS Extends Comment Period on Proposed Rule
Revises Requirements for Importation and Interstate Movement of Plant Pests, Biocontrol Agents, and Soil The comment period for APHIS’ proposed rule to revise the regulations in 7 CFR part 330 that govern the movement into and within the United States of plant pests, biological control agents, and soil, has been extended until April 19, 2017. This 30 day extension will …
U.S. Distillers Grains Exports Reached 11.48 Million Metric Tons in 2016
U.S. exports of distillers grains (DG) — a high protein co-product of dry mill ethanol production used to feed livestock and poultry — totaled 11.48 million metric tons (MMT) in 2016, down 10 percent from 2015’s record-high but still the second-highest on record, according to a 10-page summary of 2016 ethanol co-product trade data published today by the Renewable Fuels …
New FARM Program Environmental Stewardship Module Helps Measure Improvements in Dairy Sustainability
In its continued effort to share the compelling story of continuous improvement on America’s dairy farms, the National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Program has opened participation in its third component, FARM Environmental Stewardship (ES). The Environmental Stewardship module joins the FARM Program’s two other pillars, FARM Animal Care and FARM Antibiotic Stewardship. The voluntary FARM Environmental Stewardship program …
Cotton Acres Forecasted to Increase 10 Percent
The Annual Planting Intentions survey by the National Cotton Council estimates U.S. cotton acres will expand near 10 percent in 2017, compared to 2016.