agriculture exports

China Is The New Top Buyer of American Agricultural Goods

Dan Exports/Imports, Industry News Release

New numbers out this week show that China is the new number one buyer of American agricultural goods. Pork Business Dot Com says the fiscal year 2017 numbers show that China bought $22 billion worth of agricultural products, which is a large jump from the $19.2 billion purchased the year before. That jump meant China moved into the number one …

Peterson

Peterson Likes Senate Tax Bill Better Than House Version

Dan Economy, Industry News Release

House Ag Committee ranking member Collin Peterson says the Senate tax bill is closer to something he can support than the House Bill. The Minnesota Democrat hopes changes will be made so he can support the conference report. Peterson tells the Hagstrom Report that he supports lowering corporate tax rates but not at the expense of raising taxes on individuals. …

north

Agriculture Among NAFTA Topics on Final Day

Dan Industry News Release, Trade

The fifth round of North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) negotiations wrapped up Tuesday. A Politico report describes the talks as relatively quiet. Canadian negotiators haven’t been making many counteroffers to U.S. proposals. Instead, they’re using closed-door meetings to challenge American proposals with data and to ask for explanations of why the U.S. feels the need for certain things to …

nafta

Senators Want Commerce Secretary to Analyze NAFTA Withdrawal Cost

Dan Industry News Release, Trade

A bipartisan group of Senators sent a letter this week to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, asking the administration to collect a “robust economic analysis” to evaluate how changes to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) would affect agriculture. The letter says, “It’s imperative that before any changes are made to NAFTA or any other free trade agreement, that economic …

Rural Entrepreneurship Challenge

AFBF Rural Entrepreneurship Challenge Highlights Importance of Rural Innovation

Dan Industry News Release

The Rural Entrepreneurship Challenge helps boost rural innovation and business, a critical part of the rural economy. Four finalist teams in the competition will compete for a total of $30,000 in prize money at the 2018 AFBF Annual Convention & IDEAg Trade Show in January, in addition to already being awarded $15,000. Anne Hazlett, who leads USDA’s Rural Development efforts, …

military veterans

USDA Helps Military Veterans Learn Skills for Farming and Ranching Careers

Dan Industry News Release

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced a new grant opportunity to help military veterans pursue farming and ranching careers. Funding is made through NIFA’s Enhancing Agricultural Opportunities for Military Veterans Competitive Grants Program (AgVets). “Nearly four million veterans reside in rural America, and NIFA is determined to support veterans who want to …

food

Exploring a World without Food Animals

Dan Beef, Cattle, Field Crops, Fruits, Industry News Release, Vegetables

What would happen if U.S. farmers stopped producing animals for food and Americans went vegan? Some have called for a move in that direction to address increasing concerns about U.S. health, eating habits, and climate change. Researchers at USDA‘s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Virginia Tech recently explored those questions and found surprising results. Mary Beth Hall, an ARS animal scientist at the U.S. …

thanksgiving meal

USDA Provides Tips and Resources for a Bacteria-Free Thanksgiving

Dan Industry News Release, Poultry

More than 45 million turkeys are eaten on Thanksgiving Day, with a never-ending list of side dishes and desserts. The Thanksgiving meal is by far the largest and most stressful meal many consumers prepare all year, leaving room for mistakes that can make guests sick. But never fear, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) …