USDA export numbers compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation show U.S. beef exports in 2018 topped both volume and value records that were set in 2017. Pork export volume came up just shy of the 2017 record and the value also fell one percent. Strong demand in South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and the Asian region helped drive beef exports …
NPPC Approves Resolutions On Important Issues
At the annual business meeting of the National Pork Producers Council – the National Pork Industry Forum held March 7-8 in Orlando, Fla. – NPPC delegates adopted several important resolutions, including those that call on NPPC to: Strengthen pork industry efforts to prevent foreign animal diseases (FADs) from entering the United States. Separate resolutions were adopted, directing NPPC to: work …
U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby Receives AFBF’s Golden Plow Award
U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., received the American Farm Bureau Federation’s (AFBF) Golden Plow Award in Washington, D.C. It is the highest honor the organization gives to sitting members of Congress. The presentation was made before 150 farmers attending the Alabama Farmers Federation’s (AFF) biennial Washington Legislative Conference. AFF is the state’s largest farm organization and an AFBF member. “Sen. …
USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Applications Being Accepted
The Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI) is accepting grant applications for projects that enhance the competitiveness of U.S. specialty crops in foreign and domestic markets. The application deadline for these specialty crop block grants through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is April 18, 2019, 5 p.m. CST. Specialty crops are defined by USDA as fruits and …
Senators Roll Out Hurricane Relief Plan
Northwest Florida lawmakers Thursday promoted a $315 million proposal that would make loans available to local governments still reeling from Hurricane Michael. The proposal also would set up a task force to determine additional state assistance for the storm-battered region. The wide-ranging Senate bill (SB 1610) comes after numerous other proposals have been filed in the House and Senate to …
Formal Lab-Grown Fake Meat Agreement is “What Consumers Deserve”
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President Jennifer Houston released the following statement in response to the formal agreement announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on lab-grown fake meat oversight: “The formal agreement announced today (03-07-19) solidifies USDA’s lead oversight role in the production and labeling of lab-grown fake meat products. This is what NCBA …
Annual Survey Finds 80% of Producers Believe Beef Checkoff Drives Beef Demand
Eighty percent of beef producers nationwide say the Beef Checkoff Program helps drive demand for beef. That is one major finding from a recent Producer Attitude Survey commissioned by the Checkoff – and conducted and reviewed by a third-party, independent research firm – to gauge beef producers’ awareness, overall sentiment and concerns about the program. Completed in January, the survey …
USDA and FDA Announce a Formal Agreement to Regulate Cell-Cultured Food Products from Cell Lines of Livestock and Poultry
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a formal agreement to jointly oversee the production of human food products derived from the cells of livestock and poultry. FSIS and FDA released a formal agreement to address the regulatory oversight …
Farmers Helped Protect Crop Insurance During 2018 Farm Bill Debate
Every five years, Congress sets the course for our nation’s agricultural policy with the passage of a Farm Bill. When farm policy critics predictably suggested that Congress use the 2018 Farm Bill to undermine the critical safety net that crop insurance provides, those who depend on crop insurance were quick to tell Capitol Hill to “do no harm” to this important program. …
USDA Provides Funding to Florida to Support Projects that Protect Agriculture and Natural Resources
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is allocating $7.2 million to Florida as part of its effort to strengthen the nation’s infrastructure for pest detection and surveillance, identification, and threat mitigation, and to safeguard the U.S. nursery production system. Overall, USDA is providing $66 million in funding this year to support 407 projects in 49 states, Guam, Puerto Rico, and …