National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson made a joint statement with the Canadian Federation of Agriculture supporting agricultural trade. The statement was prompted by President Trump’s lashing out against Canada over the weekend and early this week regarding dairy trade, and other issues included in the North American Free Trade Agreement renegotiation effort. Johnson, along with CFA President Ron …
USDA Lowers Corn, Soybeans, Projected Ending Stocks
The Department of Agriculture lowered 2017/2018 ending stocks for corn and soybeans in its latest monthly World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimates. USDA reduced ending stocks for corn 105 million bushels to 1.57 billion bushels, which if reached, would be the lowest level since 2013/2014. The season-average farm price is raised ten cents at the midpoint with a range of …
U.S. Tractor, Combine Sales Up
U.S. tractor and combine sales increased last month, according to the latest monthly measure by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. The association’s monthly report shows sales of all tractors in the U.S. during May increased 17 percent compared to the same month last year. For the five months in 2018, a total of 96,700 tractors were sold which compares to …
Agri View: Romaine Lettuce Waste
Everett Griner talks about the amount of Romaine Lettuce wasted unnecessarily in today’s Agri View. Romaine Lettuce Wasted You know that Romaine lettuce scare that shocked most of the country recently had little impact in the area where I live. It was a serious thing. I believe those in charge of protecting our health could have done a better job …
USDA Extends Application Deadline for Dairy Margin Protection Program to June 22
Re-enrollment Continues Through June 22, Dairy producers urged to act now U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced the re-enrollment deadline for the Margin Protection Program (MPP) for Dairy will be extended until June 22, 2018. The new and improved program protects participating dairy producers when the margin – the difference between the price of milk and feed costs – falls …
Fried Tries to Parlay Pot into Cabinet position
Nikki Fried has spent the past three years trying to tear down barriers to getting medical marijuana to Florida patients, facing roadblocks from state health officials and lawmakers in the process. Now, a frustrated Fried is turning her advocacy into a broader platform — she’s running for agriculture commissioner. It’s been no secret for some time among the state’s medical-marijuana …
Bill Sets Up Group To Study Trucking Regulations
The National Pork Producers Council hailed introduction by Sens. John Hoeven, R-N.D., and Michael Bennet, D-Colo., of legislation to revise existing trucking regulations to make them more flexible for drivers hauling livestock. The “Modernizing Agricultural Transportation Act” would establish a working group at the Department of Transportation (DOT) to examine the federal Hours of Service (HOS) rules and the Electronic …
Putnam Seeks Nominations for 2018 Woman of the Year in Agriculture
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam is now accepting nominations for the 2018 “Woman of the Year in Agriculture” award, which recognizes women in all areas of the industry who have made outstanding contributions to Florida agriculture. The deadline for submitting nominations is July 31, 2018. Nominations may be submitted electronically by accessing the application located on the Woman …
NACD Reacts To Senate Ag Committee Farm Bill Draft
The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) sent a letter to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry outlining the organization’s reaction to The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 released on Friday. The letter applauds Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS), Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and members of the committee for the due diligence they demonstrated in drafting their version of the 2018 …
UF/IFAS Hopes to Grow Vanilla, Meet Consumer Demand
For dessert, how about a scoop of ice cream flavored with vanilla from Florida’s farmers? Because so many consumers enjoy vanilla, University of Florida scientists hope to help Florida farmers grow the bean. Consumers have an appetite for vanilla. The U.S. leads the world in imported vanilla beans, said Alan Chambers, an assistant professor of horticultural sciences at the UF …