More than 150 agricultural organizations recently sent a letter to the Senate and House Agriculture committees asking the farm bill conference committee to pass an on-time, five-year farm bill before the September 30th expiration of the current bill. Georgia Cotton Commission’s (GCC) Richey Seaton says they took part in that letter. Georgia Cotton Producers Hoping for On-Time Farm Bill Sponsored …
Poultry Facilities Recognized for Safety Performance
Source: National Chicken Council Continuous Improvement Evident During the 2018 National Safety Conference for the Poultry Industry in Destin, Fla., 191 chicken and turkey facilities received safety awards by the Joint Industry Safety and Health Council. The companies were honored in recognition of their outstanding performance through the implementation of innovative and effective employee safety and health programs. “Our industry …
Celebrating National Lemon Meringue Pie Day
Cathy Isom has a sweet treat for pie lovers and lemon lovers. Get your forks ready! That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Celebrating National Lemon Meringue Pie Day If Lemon Pie is one of your favorite desserts, then today is your day to get your fork ready. August 15th is National Lemon Meringue Pie Day! Served as a dessert, …
U.S., Mexico, Close to Reaching NAFTA Deal
The U.S. and Mexico are “very, very close” to reaching a deal to update the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). A White House economic adviser said this week the negotiation teams were going through the perceived final details. The U.S. is hopeful a deal with Mexico can be a model for what Canada could accept. Canada remains on the …
Farm Export Prices Post Large Declines
U.S. agriculture export prices fell 5.3 percent last month. Data released by the U.S. Department of Labor shows the decline is the largest drop in farm exports since 2011. The decline in July followed a one percent decrease in June, which followed a 1.6 percent increase in May. The department says a 14.1 percent drop in soybean prices was the …
USDA Partners to Improve Rural Water and Wastewater Infrastructure in 23 States
The Department of Agriculture announced a $124 million investment Tuesday to help rebuild and improve rural water infrastructure in 23 states. Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett made the announcement in Louisiana, which is receiving funding for five projects. USDA is providing the funding through the Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant program. It can be …
Florida Orange Crop Bouncing Back Post-Hurricane
Florida orange growers appear to be catching a break this year, following last year’s devastating hurricane season and declines due to citrus greening. The state may harvest 70 million boxes of oranges this year, compared to just 44.9 million last year, which was the smallest crop since 1945. Highlands County Citrus Growers Association executive director Ray Royce told Bloomberg “a …
Agri View: Tension Affecting Farm Exports
Everett Griner talks about how the tension of the trade war, and the tariff issue, has affected our soybean exports in today’s Agri View. Tension Affecting Farm Exports Soybeans are one of America’s largest crops. In total acreage it ranks right up there with cotton and corn. It goes without saying that imports are important. Up until recently China was …
APHIS Finalizes Conditions for Paying Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Indemnity
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is issuing a final rule outlining the conditions under which USDA will pay indemnity to farms affected by highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). It includes updates to USDA’s February 2016 interim rule. This final rule does three things: Allows indemnity payments to be split between poultry and egg …
USDA Purchases Milk for Needy Americans
The National Milk Producers Federation welcomed the announcement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that it will purchase $50 million worth of fluid milk for distribution to domestic food assistance programs – the first time the agency has bought milk for use in this manner. The USDA said Tuesday that it will authorize the expenditure of $50 million in Section …