Statement by Judy Sanchez, U.S. Sugar Senior Director for Corporate Communications & Public Affairs, Regarding the Impact of Hurricane Irma “First and foremost, our employees and their families are safe. As for our sugarcane and citrus crops, we are conducting field by field and grove by grove assessments that will take days, possibly weeks, before we understand the actual impact. What …
Higher Ag Exports in 2017 and a Trade Surplus Next Year
A U.S. Department of Agriculture report says the value of farm exports will push higher in 2017, coming on the heels of two straight years of lower numbers for farm goods. The forecast from USDA says the fiscal year 2017 will see exports valued at just shy of $140 billion, up $10 billion from last year. That would break the …
Plant-Based Food Sales Up 8 Percent from 2016
The Plant-Based Foods Association and the Good Food Institute released data this week showing that the total market for plant-based food sales is over $3.1 billion. The data shows the growth in plant-based food sales at 8.1 percent over last year. Plant-based dairy alternatives are a fast-growing segment, with 20 percent growth and topping $700 million in sales over the …
European Court Rules Against GMO Ban
The European Court of Justice ruled that member state governments cannot ban the cultivation of genetically engineered crops in the absence of scientific evidence that they are a human health risk. American Soybean Association President Ron Moore said the ruling is a comforting one from a scientific standpoint. “The Court’s decision reverses what the EU calls the ‘precautionary principle,’ their …
Sunset Proposal in NAFTA 2.0
As the next round of negotiations regarding the North American Free Trade Agreement approach, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is considering submitting a “sunset” proposal. That’s a provision that would automatically cancel the deal five years after approval if the three countries don’t agree to renew it. The USTR began circulating the idea among federal agencies last week …
Putnam Says Agriculture Industry Hammered by Irma
Parts of Florida’s agriculture industry are in “tatters” as rural communities throughout the state continue to face severe conditions after Hurricane Irma, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam said Thursday. Putnam said the storm hammered citrus, vegetable and sugarcane growers, though he didn’t put a cost estimate on the damage. And as many farmers and residents of Florida’s rural counties wait for …
Putnam on Hurricane Irma’s Impact to Florida Citrus
I took an aerial tour to survey areas impacted by Hurricane Irma, including citrus groves in Central and Southwest Florida. It’s still too early to know the full extent of the damage to Florida citrus. But after touring groves on foot and by air, it’s clear that our signature crop has suffered serious and devastating losses from Hurricane Irma. But …
Urban Agriculture Bill Introduced in U.S. House
House Democrat Marcy Kaptur of Ohio has introduced an urban agriculture bill. Kaptur’s Urban Agriculture Production Act is described as a bipartisan bill that would bolster nutritional programs and farmers’ markets and help create the next generation of local, urban farmers and food producers. In a news release, Kaptur says “the federal government needs to step up and improve access …
OTA Files Lawsuit Against USDA Over Organic Livestock Standards
The Organic Trade Association announced a lawsuit against the Department of Agriculture over its failure to advance new organic livestock standards. The suit alleges USDA violated the Organic Foods Production Act, and unlawfully delayed the effective date of the final livestock standards. The trade association further contends that the Trump Administration’s regulatory freeze order issued to federal agencies in January …
Censky, McKinney, Nomination Hearing Scheduled
The Senate Agriculture Committee will hold a hearing on nominees to the Department of Agriculture next week. Committee leaders, Chairman Pat Roberts, and ranking minority member Debbie Stabenow announced plans to hold the hearing for Ted McKinney and Stephen Censky Tuesday, September 19th. Censky, CEO of the American Soybean Association, was nominated by President Trump to serve as Deputy Secretary …