Key findings for the Southern Region: Avocados: Florida’s utilized production is down 13 percent from 2015 and the associated value of production is down 7 percent. The Laurel Wilt disease continues to have a negative impact on Florida avocado groves. Blueberries: The value of utilized production for the United States is down 13 percent for 2016. Georgia’s utilized production is …
Groups Applaud EPA Proposed Rule To Repeal WOTUS
American Farm Bureau Federation The following statement may be attributed to Zippy Duvall, president, American Farm Bureau Federation: “Farmers and ranchers across this country are cheering EPA’s proposal to ditch its flawed Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule. We know the importance of clean water, and farmers and ranchers work hard to protect our natural resources every day. “But this …
Conaway Praises EPA Repeal of WOTUS, Calls for Continued Work to Protect Farmers and Ranchers
House Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway (TX-11) praised the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) announcement it is repealing the Obama administration’s waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule and called on other agencies to revise and re-evaluate their enforcement of this onerous provision. Following the EPA’s announcement, Chairman Conaway made the below remarks: “WOTUS has never been about clean water, it …
AFBF: NAFTA Renegotiations Must Prioritize Ag
A modernized North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) must build upon market gains for U.S. agriculture and settle remaining challenges for our nation’s farmers and ranchers in our neighboring markets, Don Shawcroft, Colorado Farm Bureau president, stated in a hearing before the U.S. Trade Representative today. “NAFTA has been overwhelmingly beneficial for the vast majority of farmers and ranchers across …
NIFA Announces $4.3 Million for Higher Education Support
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) today announced 20 grants totaling $4.3 million to help higher education institutions teach the next generation of food and agricultural science professionals. The grants are funded through NIFA’s Higher Education Challenge (HEC) Grants Program. “NIFA invests in the development of future agricultural professionals,” said NIFA Director Sonny …
Managed Honeybee Colony Numbers Increasing
The Department of Agriculture says the number of managed honeybee colonies has increased over the last decade. While recent public attention has focused largely on colony mortality trends, overall colony numbers have increased since 2006. USDA says the number of managed colonies has increased from roughly two million in 2006 to near 2.8 million in 2016. However, honeybee mortality, as …
Brazil Hopes to Reverse U.S. Ban on Brazilian Beef
Brazil is seeking to reverse a ban on Brazilian beef imports enacted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture last week. The Associated Press reports Brazil’s agriculture minister will travel to the U.S. to address officials regarding the ban. While the U.S. says the ban will remain in place until Brazil takes corrective action to safety concerns, Brazil says it will …
Canada Disputing U.S. Claims Regarding Poultry Trade
Canada’s Ambassador to the United States is firing back at claims that Canada is hindering the trade of poultry with the United States. Canadian Ambassador to the United States David MacNaughton told a group of senators who say Canada has denied access to U.S. poultry and eggs that their claims are “inaccurate.” McNaughton cited statistics on Canadian imports of U.S. …
All-American July 4th Cookout Down Slightly
Remains Under $6 Per Person A cookout of Americans’ favorite foods for the Fourth of July, including hot dogs, cheeseburgers, pork spare ribs, potato salad, baked beans, lemonade and chocolate milk, will cost slightly less this year, coming in at less than $6 per person, says the American Farm Bureau Federation. Farm Bureau’s informal survey reveals the average cost of a …
Sanderson Farms Sued Over Drugs in Poultry
Three of the bigger activist groups filed suit against Sanderson Farms, a major poultry-producing company. Politico’s Morning Ag Report says the Organic Consumers Association, Friends of the Earth, and Center for Food Safety all allege that the company is guilty of false advertising. Sanderson Farms’ chicken is marketed as 100 percent natural. The groups say the chicken contains a range …