Incoming Gov. Ron DeSantis is being urged to use his close ties with President Donald Trump to bolster efforts to help Florida farmers fend off low-priced crop imports that weren’t addressed in the rewrite of the North American Free Trade Agreement. During a conference call last week, several members of DeSantis’ Transition Advisory Committee on the Environment, Natural Resources & …
Food Banks Struggling With Too Much Milk
A USDA program designed to buy and distribute almost $50 million in dairy products is overwhelming food pantries in Iowa and Illinois. An Associated Press article says River Bend Foodbank CEO Mike Miller says about 80,000 half-gallons of milk will be sent to food banks across the Quad City (Iowa) region through March. The large rise in milk donations comes …
USDA Names Alternate Member for Georgia to the National Peanut Board
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced the appointment of Casey Cox, Camilla, Ga., to fill a vacant seat as an alternate on the National Peanut Board. The three-year term will begin Jan. 1, 2019. The board is made up of 12 producer members and their alternates. Eleven members and alternates are from the primary peanut producing states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, …
ASTA Conference Coming to Orlando
The American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) invites folks to attend the 2019 Vegetable & Flower Seed Conference, February 1-5 in Orlando at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress. This global conference will bring together approximately 1,000 seed industry leaders from over 35 countries, thus making it ASTA’s fastest-growing event. The 2019 conference will feature educational sessions that cover topics ranging from …
Poultry Production Likely Slower in 2019
U.S. broiler markets are still weak, and prices are depressed. As a result, Rabobank says poultry production is likely to slow down in 2019. Nan-Dirk Mulder, a senior analyst for animal protein at Rabobank, says the outlook for the global poultry industry will gradually improve as the year progresses. The biggest improvements will likely arrive in the second half of …
NCGA: Trade Aid Comes up Short
The National Corn Growers Association says the second round of trade aid payments provide virtually no relief. According to NCGA the payments, released by the White House last week, sets the payment rate for corn at just one cent per bushel, despite the fact that corn farmers have suffered an average 44 cent per bushel loss since tariffs were first …
Perdue Details USDA Functions in the Event of a Lapse in Federal Funding
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue detailed which functions of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will remain available in the event of a lapse in government funding. “There may be a lapse in funding for the federal government, but that will not relieve USDA of its responsibilities for safeguarding life and property through the critical services we provide,” said …
Perdue Announces ERS, NIFA Site Selection Criteria
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the criteria the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has developed to evaluate the 136 Expressions of Interest received from parties in 35 states vying to become the new homes of the Economic Research Service (ERS) and National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Secretary Perdue announced in August 2018 that most ERS and NIFA personnel would …
Commissioner-elect Nikki Fried on Legalized Hemp
Following the news of the farm bill signing into law and the legalization of hemp nationwide, Commissioner-elect Nikki Fried offers the following: “Lifting the needless ban on hemp presents an incredible opportunity for our farmers and Florida as a whole. This is an alternative crop which will give Florida’s agriculture community the tools they need to be competitive and successful—it has the …
Perdue Applauds USDA’s 2018 Accomplishments
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue applauded the accomplishments made by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) over the past year. USDA has continued enacting President Trump’s goals of regulatory reform, streamlining government and refocusing USDA to be customer oriented. “In 2018 we have fought for American farmers, ranchers and producers by delivering new and improved trade deals like USMCA …