Tax reform and trade are inserted daily in today’s agricultural conversations all around the United States. 2017 National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) President Elect Kevin Kester says these issues are on the forefront of all in the cattle industry, too. Regarding tax reform, Kester says they support a full elimination of the death tax. Tax Kester says there is also …
Challenge Raises More Than 20,000 Pounds of Peanut Butter for the Hungry
Spread the cheer and the protein! Some families will get more healthy food to eat, now that Florida Panhandle residents donated a record of more than 20,000 pounds of peanut butter for this year’s UF/IFAS Extension Peanut Butter Challenge, organizers said. Combine nearly 9,000 pounds in donations to UF/IFAS Extension county offices with 11,340 pounds from the Florida Peanut Producers …
Cargill Launches Fedbytrade Campaign
Cargill is launching a new campaign to provide stories that consumers can understand regarding how trade helps feed the world. The new initiative is called FedbyTrade, highlighting how companies are speaking up against the Trump Administration’s public criticisms of trade and the trade deficits. The campaign is designed to provide facts about trade and trade deals. Cargill is also encouraging …
Agri View: Favorable Agriculture Outlook
Everett Griner talks about the outlook for agriculture and farm income in today’s Agri View. Favorable Agriculture Outlook 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 SharpShooter™June 16, 2026
Global Food Prices Slightly Lower in November
A measure of global food prices decreased in November largely due to a decline in dairy values. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations monthly Food Price Index averaged 175.8 points in November 2017, down 0.5 percent, from October. However, the index is still four points, or 2.3 percent, higher than the same time last year. November saw …
Post-Harvest Slump in Ag Producer Sentiment
The Purdue/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer dropped 7 points in November, signaling a slump in U.S. agricultural producers’ confidence compared to a month earlier. At a reading of 128, the measure of producer optimism in November was the second weakest observed during 2017 and stood just 4 points above the 2017 low of 124, set in March (Figure 1). Based …
Long Awaited Tax Reform Nearing Reality
Comprehensive tax reform, supported by the American Farm Bureau Federation, could soon cross the finish line. The House and Senate have both passed their own versions of tax reform bills. According to AFBF senior congressional relations director Pat Wolff, the biggest difference for agriculture is how pass-through business income will be treated, income reported by farmers and ranchers who file …
Senate Tax Bill Doesn’t Include Section 199 Deductions
The Senate tax bill passed over the weekend does not include a deduction that farm cooperatives lobbied to keep in the tax reform package. The National Council of Farmer Cooperatives (NCFC) says the Domestic Production Activities Deduction, also known as the Section 199 deduction, means farmers may end up paying more taxes. Chuck Conner, NCFC CEO, previously said that Section …
House/Senate Negotiating Differences in Tax Bill
House and Senate tax writers are moving quickly to negotiate differences between their two chambers’ bills, with one of the most sensitive, a tax break for ag and other small businesses. Among the biggest and most politically-sensitive differences between the two tax bills is the treatment of so-called “pass-through” businesses — a huge number in agriculture — that file returns …
USDA Offering Loans Targeted at Underserved Groups, Beginning Farmers
The Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency is reminding the ag community of operating and farm ownership loans and installment loans for bad credit to underserved and beginning farmers. For decades now, the FSA has set aside funds, earmarked for these two specific groups. Houston Bruck of the Washington State FSA says not only do these loans help new farmers …