Canada and Mexico want the U.S. to remove steel and aluminum tariffs now that a NAFTA 2.0 framework is in place. Canada has asked the U.S. to lift the tariffs “as soon as possible.” Mexico’s top negotiator for the North American Free Trade Agreement, now the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, says Mexico should not sign the agreement until the tariffs have been …
NMPF Asks USDA to Bolster Dairy Aid Package
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) needs to better reflect the dairy-farm incomes lost to tariff retaliation when it calculates its next round of trade mitigation payments, the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) said. In a letter sent Tuesday to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, NMPF Chairman and dairy farmer Randy Mooney cited four studies illustrating that milk producers have experienced …
Japan-EU Trade Deal to Increase Market Competition
A trade agreement between the European Union and Japan will increase competition for the United States. Japan’s conclusion of the trade agreement, and efforts to complete the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership, will increase competition in Japan for U.S. oilseed and vegetable products, according to the Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service. The two agreements contain tariff concessions for a …
NOAA Forecasts Mild Winter
Much of the U.S. can expect a mild winter, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The agency released its seasonal outlook this week that covers December 2018 through February 2019. The forecast expects mostly warmer-than-normal weather this winter for the western two-thirds of the country, with no areas of the U.S. expected to see prevalent cooler-than-normal conditions. …
Trump Signs Off on Major Reservoir Project
Construction of a reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee that state lawmakers envision as a way to help a region beset by toxic algae blooms was part of a wide-ranging water bill signed Tuesday by President Donald Trump. The $6 billion America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 includes authorization for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to begin work on a …
California Judge Reduces RoundUp Damage Award
A California Judge reduced the more than $200 million award to less than $40 million in a case against Bayer AG’s Roundup herbicide, formally of Monsanto. Dow Jones reports a San Francisco Superior Court Judge said the $250 million in punitive damages awarded by the jury must be slimmed down to match the $39.25 million in compensatory damages that the …
Ag Co-ops Top List of Largest Cooperatives
Agricultural Co-ops top the nation’s list of largest cooperatives. The National Cooperative Bank this week released its annual NCB Co-op 100, listing the nation’s top 100 revenue-earning cooperative businesses. The report shows that in 2017, these businesses posted revenue totaling approximately $214.4 billion. Minnesota-based CHS Inc. reported $31.9 billion in revenues in 2017 and maintained its first-place position on the …
Agriculture Disaster Assistance Information Session for Georgia Producers
The Georgia Farm Service Agency held an Agriculture Disaster Assistance Information Session for Producers on Monday, Oct. 22 at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus Conference Center. Representatives from the USDA FSA, National Resources Conservation Service, Rural Development and Risk Management Agency provided updates and information regarding disaster programs available for farmers affected by Hurricane Michael. Source: Georgia Peanut Commission Sponsored …
Updated Damage Assessments from Hurricane Michael Released
New and updated damage assessments continue to show unprecedented losses for Georgia’s number one industry. “These estimations are a clear indicator of the unfortunate devastation many of our farmers and farm families have had to endure,” said Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary W. Black. “These staggering numbers are tough to read, but Georgia farmers have shown great resilience through this unsettling …
NCC Says USDA Must Take Part in Regulation of Cell-Cultured Meat Products
The National Chicken Council (NCC) delivered its priorities for cell-cultured meat products as part of the first joint meeting between the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food & Drug Administration (FDA) on the use of cell culture technology to develop products derived from livestock and poultry. “As these new technologies are being explored, it is critical that they receive fair and …