Ag groups are weighing in on Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue’s announcement that the U.S. has suspended all fresh beef imports from Brazil due to safety concerns. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President Craig Uden supports the move to suspend Brazilian imports because it’s a result of USDA’s science-based testing protocol of imported beef. “This proves our food safety system works …
Syngenta Ordered to Pay Farmers Over $200 Million
A federal jury has ordered Swiss giant Syngenta to pay $217.7 million to Kansas farmers after a verdict was announced this week at a trial in Kansas City. The class action lawsuit was brought because of the Viptera line of corn seed Syngenta began selling to farmers in 2011. At the time, Syngenta hadn’t received Chinese approval of the trait …
Southern Peanut Farmers Federation applauds U.S. House Ag Committee Listening Session
The Southern Peanut Farmers Federation applauded U.S. House Agriculture Chairman Mike Conaway and the other members of the committee who held a listening session about the 2018 Farm Bill. “I’m pleased Chairman Conaway was in Florida today and wanted to hear directly from peanut farmers,” said Armond Morris, chairman of the Georgia Peanut Commission and a member of the Southern …
New Leadership Team Elected at ASTA Annual Convention
Seed industry professionals from across the nation are gathered in Minneapolis for the American Seed Trade Association’s (ASTA) 134th Annual Conference. ASTA’s annual meeting, June 21-24, brings together its diverse membership to tackle collective issues and develop a policy to guide the future of the association. During the meeting, ASTA elected its 2017-18 leadership team which will continue to oversee the …
Disaster Declaration Sought for South Alabama Counties from USDA
Farmers were already in dire need of relief from several weeks of large rainfall totals where rain has saturated fields in central and southern Alabama. To add insult to injury, Tropical Storm Cindy dropped additional extensive rainfall across the region this week. Widespread flooding in South Alabama along with localized flooding in central Alabama have created multiple problems for Alabama …
Conaway on U.S. Halt of Brazilian Beef
“U.S. consumers enjoy the safest food supply in the world…I am committed to keeping it that way.” Following U.S. Sec. of Agriculture Sonny Perdue’s announcement that the U.S. is indefinitely suspending all imports of fresh beef from Brazil, House Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway (TX-11) made the below remarks: “U.S. consumers enjoy the safest food supply in the world …
Perdue: USDA Halting Import of Fresh Brazilian Beef
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the suspension of all imports of fresh beef from Brazil because of recurring concerns about the safety of the products intended for the American market. The suspension of shipments will remain in place until the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture takes corrective action which the USDA finds satisfactory. Since March, USDA’s Food Safety and …
GoFundMe for Mika Exceeds Goal
The GoFundMe page for food industry lobbyist Matt Mika who was injured in last week’s shooting at a congressional baseball game practice has exceeded it’s $50,000 goal. Mika was shot multiple times during last Wednesday’s shooting at a Republican party practice the day before the traditional congressional baseball game. Mika was volunteering as a coach for the GOP team during …
EU, Japan, Within Reach of Trade Agreement
The European Union and Japan are inching closer to a free trade agreement after years of negotiations. A Ministry official from Japan Told Reuters that “both share understanding that a broad agreement is within reach.” The European Union says the deal will allow for easier access for EU products into Japan, and that its agri-food industry, along with pharmaceuticals, stands …
Eastern Canada Dairy Producers Get Quota Increase
Canada’s dairy producers in the nation’s eastern provinces will receive a five percent quota increase July first. Five provinces in eastern Canada have approved the increase. The move follows a series of smaller increases that began last year. Dairy Farmers of Ontario says the increase is needed because there still isn’t enough milk produced to fill the market with butter. …