A 2015 rule that expands the federal government’s control over private land nationwide should be vacated in its entirety, attorneys argued in papers filed with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas. AFBF and a broad coalition of business groups, along with the state of Texas and others, are suing to do away with the 2015 “Waters …
Putnam Continues to Meet with Agricultural Leaders to Assess Damage
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam has been in regular communication with federal partners, including Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary Sonny Perdue, as well as the agriculture industry to assess agricultural damage caused by Hurricane Michael. He met with agricultural leaders on the topic, and the Florida Forest Service is finalizing its analysis of damage to timber. “Recovery …
USDA Provides Hurricane Michael Victims Needed Relief and Recovery Aid
To help residents, farmers and ranchers affected by the devastation caused by Hurricane Michael, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has directed the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to aid people in their recovery efforts. USDA staff in the regional, state and county offices are actively responding, providing emergency response staffing and a variety of program flexibilities and other assistance …
UF Student Helps Design Corn Maze at Local Farm
Farmers and ranchers across Florida are fighting lack of consumer education on food systems by opening their properties to the public in a practice called agritourism. Agritourism allows non-farming folks to learn about the day-to-day operations of a working farm and see first-hand where their food comes from. One such farm is the Single R Ranch in Plant City, Florida. …
Trade News Has Pork Producers Feeling Optimistic
News on the trade front is getting better for U.S. pork producers as the Trump administration announced it wants to negotiate trade agreements with the European Union, Japan and the United Kingdom. The National Pork Producers Council commended the administration for its ambitious trade agenda. The administration recently updated agreements with Canada and Mexico and with South Korea that maintained …
U.S. Agricultural Export Opportunities in South Korea
South Korea is one of the most reliable export markets for U.S. agricultural goods. Its vibrant economy offers easy access to modern retail outlets and is home to a large urban population seeking convenient and healthy food products. Increasing wealth, a growing number of women in the workforce, and a younger generation seeking international foods are also contributing to the …
Green Group Blast Endorsement
NOTE: This website has reported several inconsistencies and misreporting of facts about Lake Okeechobee, the sugar industry and reporting about algae blooms in estuaries in southeast and southwest this summer. Please find some of these related reports at these links for your perusal: Florida’s Algae Blooms and Red Tide: Consider the Facts Political Event Falls Short on Facts Environmental groups …
U.S. Seeking Trade Agreements with Japan, EU, UK
The U.S. formally announced it will seek trade agreements with Japan, the European Union and the United Kingdom. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer announced this week that the U.S. will seek to negotiate three separate trade agreements with Japan, the EU and the U.K. The European Union has downplayed the announcement, despite ongoing exploratory talks since this summer. The EU …
Pork Producers Encouraged by Trade Announcement
Representatives of the U.S. pork industry say “we’ve got the momentum on trade headed in the right direction.” National Pork Producers Council President Jim Heimerl stated “pork producers are hurting because of retaliatory tariffs on pork,” but says their patience is starting to pay off. The comments followed the formal announcement that the U.S. is seeking new free trade agreements …
McConnell: No NAFTA 2.0 Vote This Year
As expected, the U.S. Senate will not consider the updated North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), known as the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), in 2018. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told Bloomberg News a vote on the updated agreement would not happen until after the New Year, saying “My trade advisers say you can’t possibly do it under the various steps …