Senate Ag Committee members Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan raised concerns with the USDA’s Farm Service Agency about farm program payments to deceased farmers. The Senators sent a letter to the agency, saying that they need to be careful stewards of taxpayer money and work to avoid wasteful payments. The letter says, “As we prepare to …
Florida Legislature Budget Negotiations Underway
Florida House and Senate leaders kicked off formal negotiations on a new state budget Tuesday night, but they face hundreds of millions of dollars in unexpected costs and less tax revenue than originally thought. According to a story from the News Service of Florida, leaders held an initial conference committee meeting after announcing earlier in the day they had reached …
Perdue Advocates for Crop Insurance Program
Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue walked a tightrope while talking with reporters about President Trump’s budget proposals that agriculture wasn’t enamored with. One of the proposals included cuts to crop insurance. Agri-Pulse says Perdue is making strong statements in support of the program as it currently is. One of the largest cuts in the Trump Budget Proposal is to crop …
Perdue Promotes “Harvest Box”
Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue wants people who don’t like the idea of “America’s Harvest Box” to know that they are very serious about the idea. He says House Ag Committee Chair Mike Conaway is open to considering a small-scale pilot program in the 2018 Farm Bill. The Secretary has faced a lot of criticism since the proposal came out last …
Section 199A Fix Is Coming
A DTN report says Congress may be close to replacing the Section 199A language in the new tax law that curbs the advantages of farmers who sell their products to cooperatives rather than private companies. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says a possible fix would give farmer cooperatives the same tax benefits they had under the old Section 199A, known as …
USDA Seeks Ideas to Help SNAP Participants Become Independent
The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced that it is looking for innovative ideas to promote work and self-sufficiency among able-bodied adults participating in the department’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The public is invited to provide input through a notice in the Federal Register. Comments can be submitted on the web through the Federal Register tomorrow. USDA intends to use …
New Tax Law Will Wipe Out Estate Tax Worries for Most People
The new tax law still has estate taxes, but according to a story from Gary Crawford, very few people will ever have to worry about them. New Tax Law Will Wipe Out Estate Tax Worries for Most People Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsNovember 1, 2024Nuseed Carinata Covers New GroundOctober 1, 2024TriEst Ag Group: Partners in ProfitabilityApril 1, 2024
Republicans Deliver Letter to Congressional Leadership Calling on Section 199A Changes
A group of Republican lawmakers Wednesday sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan calling for changes to Section 199A in the tax code. The group of more than 80 lawmakers says the changes will restore the competitive balance in the agricultural marketplace. Led by Iowa Representative David Young, the group says the changes …
Total Number of U.S. Farms Down In 2017
USDA’s latest look at how many farms were in our country reveals a decrease from the previous year. Rod Bain has the details. Total Number of U.S. Farms Down In 2017 Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsNovember 1, 2024Nuseed Carinata Covers New GroundOctober 1, 2024TriEst Ag Group: Partners in ProfitabilityApril 1, 2024
FTC Nominee Pledges to Look Closely at Ag Mergers
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) would take a look at past merger deals to see if regulators were too easy on the companies involved. That’s the promise of Joseph Simons, the White House nominee for FTC Chairman. Simons said during a Senate confirmation hearing, he would direct a formal study of closed deals, including some in the agriculture industry. He …