The Environmental Protection Agency is seeking a “new tone” with a change in leadership. Andrew Wheeler, who now serves as the acting administrator of the EPA, is aiming for a more transparent direction with “a change coming,” compared to how former administrator Scott Pruitt ran the agency. The EPA says Wheeler will be open about his schedule, speaking engagements and …
Levy County Forester Named Florida Farmer of the Year
Lynetta Usher Griner has received a prestigious honor for her business success and her contributions to her community. Earlier this month a panel of judges selected Griner as the 2018 Florida Farmer of the Year. Officially titled the Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Ag Expo Florida Farmer of the Year, the award recognizes outstanding agriculturists in each of the 10 states in the Southeast. …
Equipment Manufacturers: Trade War Bad for Business, Risks Jobs
Dennis Slater, President of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, says his organization is disappointed that the Trump Administration is moving forward with more tariffs on China. Slater says the tariffs target vital parts and components used in equipment manufacturing throughout the U.S. “They will also drive up the cost of manufacturing in the U.S. and risk many of the 1.3 …
Trump Looking at Even Higher Tariffs
A Bloomberg report says President Donald Trump is threatening to put a tariff on every single import from China. The world’s two largest economies exchanged blows in a trade war that isn’t expected to end anytime in the near future. After months of trade rhetoric back and forth, a 25 percent tariff took effect on $34 billion Chinese goods entering …
Sugar Policy Reformers Aren’t Done
Business and taxpayer groups trying to overhaul federal sugar policy say they’re down, but not out, after the Senate failed to consider their amendment during the farm bill debate. Politico says the Alliance for Fair Suger Policy includes the National Confectioners Association, the American Bakers Association, as well as retailer and consumer groups. The group blames the lack of action …
China Tariff On U.S. Pork Now Tops 60 Percent
U.S. pork producers now face punitive tariffs of 62 percent on exports to China, a market that represented 17 percent of total U.S. exports by value in 2017. China announced a new 25 percent tariff in response to U.S. action under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. That tariff is on top of the 25 percent punitive duty …
Conaway and Roby Discuss Pending Farm Bill with Wiregrass Constituents
U.S. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway and U.S. Rep. Martha Roby, R-Alabama, met with over 100 farmers in Troy today to discuss final passage of the farm bill before October. The bill, which is voted on every fiveyears, will reauthorize food, conservation and agricultural programs that benefit farmers and consumers. “What you can do between now and the end …
EU Wheat Harvest Hit Hard by Drought
The European Union’s wheat harvest may wind up about six million tons less than it was a year ago. Crops in the northern part of the EU suffered through a hot and dry spring. Reuters says there is some late-season signs of crop damage in France, one of the top wheat producers in the EU. Those potential losses in the …
Perdue Hopeful NAFTA Agreement with Mexico Coming Soon
Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue is out on another “Back to Our Roots” tour, this time to the Pacific Northwest, as well as Alaska. Perdue says he’s hopeful that a new North American Free Trade Agreement can be reached with Mexico very soon. “We believe we’ve got many of the agreements in principle ready to go there,” he says. Perdue told …
Battle Breaks Out Over GMO Labeling
The USDA comment period on its proposed GMO labeling rule brought in more than 11,000 comments from farm groups, consumers, and multinational companies like Hershey’s. Politico says food manufacturers are at odds with farmers over which ingredients should actually be subject to disclosure. The companies are arguing that foods made with even some genetically modified corn, soybeans, and sugar beets …