Simplicity the Goal for Market Facilitation Program Sign-Up

Sign-up for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Market Facilitation Program officially starts today, Sept. 4. The $12 billion package was put together to cover three phases. The first phase includes payments to producers, the second phase has USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service administering a Food Purchase and Distribution Program to purchase commodities targeted by “unjustified” retaliation, and the third phase …

ASTA Outlines Priorities for Final Farm Bill

The American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) urges members of the Farm Bill Conference Committee to include several key provisions important to the seed industry within the final bill. In a recent letter to conferees, ASTA highlighted the following priorities within the Conservation, Trade, Research, Horticulture and Crop Insurance titles: Conservation: ASTA is concerned with the proposal in the House version …

Celebrating National Macadamia Nut Day

Cathy Isom is celebrating a buttery rich nut that is worth going nuts for. That’ coming up on This Land of ours. Celebrating National Macadamia Nut Day Today is National Macadamia Nut Day. Macadamia nuts have a rich, buttery, taste. They are known by many to be one of the most delectable of all nuts. They originated in Australia and …

Trump Threatens to Add $200 Billion in More Tariffs

Bloomberg says President Trump wants to proceed with another $200 billion in tariffs on Chinese imports as soon as the public comment period wraps up next week. Six people familiar with the matter spoke anonymously with Bloomberg for the article. Companies and people have until Sept. 6 to submit comments on duties that will cover everything from semiconductors to selfie …

Lawsuit Filed Over Oil Refinery Waivers

Two of the biggest ethanol groups in America have sued both the Environmental Protection Agency and Energy Secretary Rick Perry. The focus of the suit is dozens of hardship waivers granted to oil refineries that allowed them to not blend ethanol into the fuel supply. Growth Energy and the Renewable Fuels Association filed the suit to get access to records …

China Suspends Hog Transportation Due to Swine Fever

China has suspended transportation of live hogs from provinces infected with African Swine Fever. Reuters says the Chinese Ag Minister will also shut down all live hog markets in the infected provinces. Pork is a staple meat in China, which has reported five cases of swine fever in five different provinces over the past month. The outbreak is prompting Chinese …

USDA Provides Help for Rural People Recovering From Opioid Misuse

Anne Hazlett, the USDA Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development, announced that the agency has formalized an agreement to aid rural Americans in fighting the opioid epidemic. A nonprofit organization will purchase homes from the Department and convert them to transitional housing for people recovering from opioid misuse. “From the quality of life to workforce and economic opportunity, the …

State Officials Talk Dicamba in 2019

State pesticide regulators sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency with recommendations on re-registering three dicamba products for 2019. A DTN report says the American Association of Pesticide Control Officials want the EPA to set an early-season cutoff date, but only if states are permitted to use Special Local Needs labels to adjust those dates. These recommendations will carry …