Home and business owners should use an antibiotic to help limit a new disease threatening certain species of Florida palm trees, a University of Florida scientist says. Lethal bronzing is killing palm species known as Sabal palmetto (sabal or cabbage palms), Phoenix sylvestris (silver date palms), Phoenix dactylifera (date palms) and Phoenix canariensis (true date palms), said Brian Bahder, an …
Next Round of Tariffs Set
The U.S. says it will begin imposing tariffs of 25 percent on an additional $16 billion in Chinese imports, further escalating the trade war between the two countries. The U.S. Trade Representative’s office says Customs will begin collecting the extra duties on 279 different product lines. The list includes a lot of industrial and machinery products. Agricultural machinery is on …
Farmers for Free Trade Unhappy with Tariff Escalation
Farmers for Free Trade Executive Director Brian Kuehl says he’s unhappy the White House is ratcheting up the trade war. While more tariffs on Chinese goods are set to go into effect in two weeks, he says the President is telling farmers to be patient as prices plummet and their markets are overtaken by foreign competitors. “That’s why with each …
NAFTA Negotiations: Mexico Close, Canada Talks Not Close
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) negotiations with Mexico are going “as well as we can possibly expect right now.” That’s from Gregg Doud, the Chief U.S. Agriculture Negotiator, who spoke at the International Sweetener Symposium in Michigan. The Hagstrom Report says he also mentioned that negotiators “haven’t had market access conversations with Canada of any substance.” He also told …
Doud Rips China, India Farm Subsidies
The Chief Agricultural Negotiator for the U.S. is attacking both China and India for blowing past their World Trade Organization spending limits on farm subsidies that distort trade. “We think China has done in excess of $100 billion more in subsidies to its farmers than it was allowed to do,” Gregg Doug said at the American Sugar Alliance’s International Sweetener …
Scott, Cabinet Eye Protecting Ranch Land
Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Cabinet will be asked next week to spend $5.5 million to help limit future development on nearly 2,500 acres of ranch land in Highlands County. The proposal, which will go to the Cabinet on Aug. 14, seeks to add the Sandy Gully property to the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, which through the …
UF/IFAS CALS Graduate Student Named an Inaugural Fellow of a National Program in Food and Agriculture Science
The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) announced the 17 inaugural recipients of the 2018 FFAR Fellow award. One of these awardees is Francesco Cappai, a Ph.D. student in the plant molecular and cellular biology program at the UF/IFAS College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. “The future of agriculture relies on training a strong scientific workforce,” said FFAR executive …
New State Authority Over Local Waters a Boon to Farmers and Ranchers
The Trump administration’s decision to return water-permitting authority to more states means faster, better and more affordable decision-making for all Americans. Under terms of an agreement signed by the U.S. Army, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Justice Department and the White House, states can assume authority to issue permits for earth moving in and around regulated waterways, wetlands and land …
Producer Sentiment Plummets in July
Concerns over agricultural trade weighed heavily on producers’ current and future expectations of the agricultural economy. As a result, the Purdue/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer tumbled in July, dropping 26 points to a reading of 117. To paint a further bleak picture, the Index of Current Conditions fell from 138 in June down to 99, while the Index of Future …
Beef Exports “Tremendous” in First Half of 2018
Strong June results capped a tremendous first half of 2018 for U.S. beef exports. That’s according to USDA data compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation. June pork exports were lower than a year ago for the second straight month, but first-half volume and value remained ahead of last year’s pace. Beef muscle cut exports set a new volume record …