The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is amending the fruits and vegetable regulations to allow the importation of fresh pitahaya fruit into the continental United States from Ecuador. APHIS scientists have determined that fresh pitahaya fruit from Ecuador can be safely imported to the United States while continuing to provide protection against the …
Trump’s Cuba Policy a Lost Opportunity for Agriculture
President Donald Trump’s Friday announcement on reinstating limits on travel to and business with Cuba may result in lost economic opportunities for corporations, small businesses, and farmers. The new policy will keep U.S. companies from doing direct financial transactions with companies controlled by the Cuban military. Politico’s Morning Agriculture Report says the opportunity for American agriculture to export more products …
American Farm Bureau Cautions on Cuba
The following may be attributed to American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall: “We urge the administration to exercise caution in rolling out any new restrictions on doing business with Cuba that would limit our agricultural export opportunities. We should be doing more, not less, to encourage U.S. agricultural exports to Cuba. Our farmers and ranchers and the Cuban people …
Nebraska Firm First to Ship U.S. Beef to China
Nebraska’s Greater Omaha Packing Company is sending U.S. beef to China, the first shipment of its kind in 14 years. After the U.S. and China finalized protocols to allow the U.S. to export beef to China, the Nebraska-based company announced it would send beef by air freight to a customer in Shanghai. Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts and Nebraska Department of …
Conaway, Peterson Praise U.S. Sugar Deal
House Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway (TX-11) and Ranking Member Collin Peterson (MN-7) made the below remarks following an announcement that an agreement was reached between the U.S. sugar industry and the Department of Commerce to bring Mexican sugar into compliance with U.S. trade laws: “I am very pleased that the Department of Commerce was able to negotiate an …
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 …
Requirements for U.S. Beef Going to China
This week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture posted the requirements for exporting U.S. beef to China. Joe Schuele talked with U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) senior vice president for trade access, Thad Lively, about the requirements that must be met. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsMarch 1, 2025Nuseed Carinata Covers New GroundOctober 1, 2024TriEst Ag Group: Partners in ProfitabilityApril 1, …
Mexico Shopping for Non-U.S. Pork
Concerns over the U.S.-led effort to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement has prompted Mexico to consider other options for pork imports. National Hog Farmer magazine reports U.S. pork industry leaders shared that message at last week’s World Pork Expo in Des Moines, Iowa. For instance, if the U.S. would abandon NAFTA, Mexico would be poised to place a …
Protocol Finalized For U.S. Beef Exports to China
As part of the U.S.-China 100-Day Action plan announced on May 11, 2017, the Trump Administration this week took important steps toward commercial shipment of U.S. beef and beef products to China for the first time since 2003. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has reached an agreement with Chinese officials on final details of a protocol to allow the U.S. to …
NPPC, Ports Coalition, Applaud Early West Coast Port Contract Talks
The National Pork Producers Council has signed onto a letter from the Ports Coalition applauding early contract talks between port unions and west coast port operators. The letter specifically applauds the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and Pacific Maritime Association for agreeing to early discussions on a contract extension. The extension will allow ports on the West Coast to operate …