September 30th has come and gone, and no new farm bill. House Agriculture Committee Chairman, Mike Conaway, notes the frustration that he and his colleagues have in being unable to get the bill done on time. Frustrated with Farm Bill Process But Conaway did note his commitment to completing a farm bill before the end of the year. Sponsored ContentCIR …
Groups Respond to New US-Mexico-Canada Agreement
AFBF: Farm Bureau Applauds Trade Progress with Canada The following statement regarding the announcement of trade progress with Canada can be attributed to American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall: “Today’s announcement regarding the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement is welcome news. This was a hard-fought win and we commend the administration for all the efforts to solidify the trading relationships we have with …
China May Be Getting U.S. Soybeans Through the Backdoor
It’s possible that Chinese soybean buyers could still be getting American soybeans by purchasing their beans from Argentina. Export reports show that Argentina is buying soybeans from the U.S. and exporting its own production to China. However, a grain market expert says that’s not likely because a drought left Argentina grain stocks in short supply. “The issue is that Argentina …
NCBA Update on Trade Issues
A trade deal has been reached between the United States, Canada and Mexico. The new pact is being called the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, basically replacing the North American Free Trade Agreement. Last week, another trade deal made the news, as the United States signed a new deal with South Korea. Kent Bacus, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) director of international trade, says …
UF Study: Large Termite Colonies Less Vulnerable to Sprays Than Baits
Liquid sprays don’t control large subterranean termite colonies as well as baits, giving more credence to the benefits of baits as a way to minimize the bugs’ damage to structures, a new University of Florida study shows. Formosan and Asian subterranean termites are responsible for most of the $32 billion in economic damage to structures worldwide, UF Institute of Food …
Roberts Offers Hope for Temporary Farm Bill Program Funding
Senate Ag Committee Chair Pat Roberts says he’s working on getting the U.S. Ag Department to extend a “lifeline” to programs that will lack funding if a farm bill doesn’t pass by the Sunday deadline. The current farm bill runs out over the weekend and funding for a lot of smaller initiatives will be in limbo. Politico says there are …
Trade Deal Reached Between United States, Canada and Mexico
Canada has agreed to join the trade accord between the United States and Mexico, effectively replacing the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The announcement comes after Mexico and the United States reached a deal in late August. The new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) will allow better access to Canada for American dairy products and also provides for more imports of …
USDA Back to The Drawing Board on GIPSA
When the U.S. Ag Department (USDA) sets its 2019 regulatory agenda, it will deal with the unsettled matter of rules governing interactions between contract producers and meatpackers. USDA is looking at bringing back the rulemaking process designed to balance the power between the two sides. Last year, Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue made the decision to withdraw the final rule drafted …
Farm Groups Keep Pressure On to Formalize Meat Definition
The National Farmers Union has sent a second letter to the Food and Drug Administration regarding the labeling of cell-cultured meat. The letter calls for officials to finally formalize the definition of protein products that don’t come from livestock and are currently labeled as cell-cultured “meat.” The industry website Meating Place Dot Com says the group wants the FDA to …
Bipartisan Support for Biodiesel Tax Incentive Extension
The National Biodiesel Board is grateful for the 46 members of Congress who voiced strong support for a multi-year extension of the biodiesel tax incentive. The members of Congress represent states all the way from California to Connecticut, and they asked for a resolution in the coming weeks from House leadership. The biodiesel tax incentive was retroactively renewed for 2017 …