U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Ted McKinney will lead a trade mission to Guangzhou and Shenzhen, China, May 21-May 25, accompanied by a diverse delegation of agribusiness and state government leaders looking to establish new business connections in southern China. Southern China is a major import hub and a growing market for U.S. …
NPPC: Oppose Brat-Blumenauer Farm Bill Rider
The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) is urging House lawmakers to oppose an amendment to the 2018 Farm Bill that would gut the federally authorized commodity research and promotion programs, commonly known as checkoffs. NPPC joined more than 40 agricultural organizations on a letter sent to House Agriculture Committee Chairman Michael Conaway, R-Texas, and Ranking Member Collin Peterson, D-Minn., asking …
Southern Peanut Growers Conference July 19-21
Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort Mark your calendars for the 20th Annual Southern Peanut Growers Conference, July 19-21, 2018, at Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort, Miramar Beach, Florida. This year’s conference offers farmers an opportunity to learn more about legislative issues, peanut promotions and production issues. The registration fee for growers is $145 which includes all conference events and meals. …
USTR To Review Thailand’s GSP Trade Benefits
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has agreed with a request from the National Pork Producers Council to review Thailand’s eligibility for the U.S. Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program because of that country’s failure to provide access to its market for U.S. products, including pork. NPPC, which last month filed a GSP review petition with USTR, is …
Cotton Producers Reminded of May 31 CGCS Deadline
Cotton producers are being reminded that sign-up for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Cotton Ginning Cost Share (CGCS) program now runs until May 31, 2018. Under the program, which is administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA), cotton producers may receive a cost share payment, based on a producer’s 2016 cotton acres reported to FSA multiplied by 20 percent …
National FFA Organization Awards More Than $2.5 Million in Scholarships
The National FFA Organization and National FFA Foundation have awarded more than $2.5 million in scholarships to 1,842 recipients, thanks to the generosity of 114 sponsors. More than 8,800 students applied online for the scholarships, with many of the applicants being considered for multiple awards. Approximately one in every five students who applied was awarded a scholarship. The scholarships were …
SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans Available in Florida
Following Secretary of Agriculture Disaster Declaration for March Drought The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced that Economic Injury Disaster Loans are available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and private nonprofit organizations located in Baker and Columbia counties Florida as a result of the drought that began on March 13, 2018. “These counties are …
SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans Available in Georgia
Following Secretary of Agriculture Disaster Declaration for March Drought The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced that Economic Injury Disaster Loans are available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and private nonprofit organizations located in Georgia as a result of the drought that began on March 13, 2018. The loans are available in the following …
UF/IFAS Researchers Hope Better Technology Produces Less Costly Ethanol
University of Florida scientists wondered how cheaply fuel ethanol can be made from inedible plant material – called biomass – using currently available technology. Their goal is to make this form of ethanol less expensively than gasoline and help reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. Currently, fuel ethanol is made from corn, which is edible. Corn also uses a lot of fertilizer and …
Senate Farm Bill Markup Expected Soon
As the House of Representatives debates its version of the farm bill this week, the Senate is expected to hold a markup session on its version soon. Senate Agriculture Chairman Pat Roberts recently told the Hagstrom Report that the Senate should be ready to announce a markup date next week. Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat from Minnesota who sits on …