Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue told lawmakers this week he may be the lone political appointment at the Department of Agriculture until September, or later. Currently, 15 executive posts at USDA are vacant and await White House nomination. Perdue told the Senate Ag Appropriations Subcommittee the names of nominees for six positions, including that of deputy secretary, have been sent to …
USDA to Speed Through GMO Labeling Rule
The U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to finalize GMO disclosure standards within a nine-month time frame, what Politico calls a breakneck pace for any rulemaking. USDA in that timeframe will go from proposing the regulation to finalizing the rules. That includes a likely three-month comment period, revisions, and White House approval, a process that also takes about three months. A …
Cabinet Taps Florida Forever for Conservation Deals
by Jim Turner News Service of Florida Gov. Rick Scott and the state Cabinet agreed Wednesday to use $15 million from the Florida Forever program to buy 407 acres in Gilchrist County — preserving a cluster of natural springs — and to protect 6,071 acres of agricultural land in Polk and Hardee counties. Scott and Cabinet approved dipping into $75 …
Peanut Board Working with P.A.’s
In efforts to cure peanut allergies, Tyron Spearman reports the National Peanut Board is now working with Physician Assistants. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsJuly 1, 2026FL Cattle Enhancement Board Wraps up Funding YearJune 30, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Awarded Researcher Discusses New World Screwworm OverviewJune 19, 2026Verdant Robotics Offers Growers Targeted Application of Herbicides or Beneficials through …
NMPF Board of Directors Supports NAFTA Modernization
Process Should Preserve Trade Successes in Mexico, Address Canada Dispute The National Milk Producers Federation Board of Directors voted unanimously to support modernizing the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in a way that enhances and protects the United States’ current dairy market access opportunities and addresses Canada’s constant use of trade-distorting measures. At its June meeting here, NMPF’s board …
Critical Agricultural Water Resources Issues
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) today announced 14 grants totaling more than $9 million to help solve critical water problems in rural and agricultural watersheds across the United States. The grants are funded through the Water for Agriculture Challenge Area of the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, authorized by the 2014 Farm …
Five Counties in Georgia Designated as Primary Natural Disaster Areas with Assistance to Producers in Florida
In response to a request from Dianne Westmoreland, Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) Acting State Executive Director in Georgia, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated Baker, Decatur, Grady, Mitchell and Thomas counties in Georgia as primary natural disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by a recent drought. Farmers and ranchers in Brooks, Calhoun, Colquitt, Dougherty, Early, Miller, …
AFBF Details NAFTA Renegotiation Priorities
The North American Free Trade Agreement has been overwhelmingly beneficial for U.S. farmers and ranchers—and their counterparts in Canada and Mexico—but there are several good reasons to update and reform NAFTA from agriculture’s perspective, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. Under NAFTA, U.S. farmers and ranchers have seen their exports to Mexico and Canada grow significantly, from $8.9 billion …
USDA Role in Enforcing New U.S.-Mexico Sugar Deal
Last week, it was announced that a new agreement between the United States and Mexico regarding the importation of Mexican sugar had been reached. The U.S. Department of Commerce had been reviewing the 2014 agreement with the government of Mexico and the Mexican sugar refiners that suspended anti-dumping and countervailing duties on the import of Mexican sugar into the U.S. In …
Farm Bill Listening Session in Florida
Ahead of the next farm bill, House Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway (TX-11) and Ranking Member Collin Peterson (MN-7) announced the first of several committee activities across the country intended to stimulate conversation and gather input from farmers, ranchers, and stakeholders. “The Next Farm Bill, Conversations in the Field,” a committee listening session, will take place in Gainesville, Florida on …