The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, along with the Endangered Plant Advisory Council, recently added saw palmetto to the Department’s commercially exploited plant list. The new requirements took effect July 17, 2018. OFFICE OF AGRICULTURAL LAW ENFORCEMENT LEGAL BULLETIN 2018-02 SAW PALMETTO After receiving input from public and private landowners, conservation interests, and other interested parties, the Endangered Plant Advisory …
Clay County Young Farm Family Named Best in Alabama
Chris and Jordyn Upchurch of Clay County reaped the rewards of hard work and first-rate farming when they were named Alabama’s 2018 Outstanding Young Farm Family (OYFF) Aug. 4. The multi-generation farmers were honored at the Alabama Farmers Federation’s 46th Commodity Producers Conference in Montgomery and will receive over $70,000 in prizes. Their Rockin U farm in Lineville encompasses over …
Southeast Cotton Producers to See San Joaquin Valley Agriculture
Eleven cotton producers from the Southeast will observe cotton and other agricultural operations in California’s San Joaquin Valley the week of August 13 as part of the National Cotton Council’s 2018 Producer Information Exchange (P.I.E.) Program. Sponsored by Crop Science, a division of Bayer, through a grant to The Cotton Foundation, the P.I.E. is now in its 30th year and …
Chinese Import Tariffs May Climb Higher
The U.S. government is taking comments on a proposal to increase the tariff on Chinese imports from the current 10 percent rate up to 25 percent. The tariff increase would cover a wide selection of Chinese imports, including fruits, vegetables, garlic, and more. On June 18th, President Trump directed U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to identify another $200 billion worth …
China Pushes Back Against U.S. Tariffs
China immediately responded to the latest U.S. tariff threat by publishing a list of $60 billion in U.S. imports it will lay tariffs on. That’s dependent on whether or not the U.S. follows through on its latest trade threats. Bloomberg says China will levy duties ranging from five percent up to 25 percent on more than 5,000 kinds of U.S. …
Soybean Growers Back in D.C. to Talk Trade Resolution
The American Soybean Association is back in Washington, D.C., just weeks after their July Board of Directors meeting. Grower leaders are meeting with officials at the Department of Agriculture and with lawmakers to talk over options for offsetting the long-term damage from China’s retaliatory tariff on American soybeans. John Heisdorffer, ASA President, says they know that President Trump is aware …
NCGA Welcomes Administration Support for High Octane Fuels
The Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation are recognizing the benefits of high octane fuels, such as a mid-level ethanol blend, in their SAFE Vehicles rule. That is potentially very good news for corn farmers. The agencies specifically requested comments on how EPA, “could support the production and use of higher octane gasoline” in order to support fuel …
Trump Tweets on SNAP Work Requirements
The biggest difference between the House and Senate versions of the farm bill was front and center on Twitter. President Trump jumped into the debate via Twitter, in an effort to tip the scales toward House Republicans ahead of conference negotiations. “When the House and Senate meet on the very important farm bill, hopefully, they will be able to leave …
Senate Passes 1-Year Delay for ELD Mandate
An amendment to the Senate’s “minibus” spending bill would grant livestock haulers another year-long extension to implement the electronic logging device (ELD) mandate. Nebraska Republican Deb Fischer proposed the amendment to delay implementation of the ELD mandate until Sept. 30, 2019. Fischer says the amendment is important because livestock haulers face different challenges than traditional haulers who are currently using …
Scott: Expedited Water Project Will Help Reduce Harmful Lake Okeechobee Discharges
Governor Rick Scott announced that, under his direction, another key Everglades restoration project is moving forward ahead of schedule. This year, Governor Scott included funding to expedite this project in his recommended budget and then signed into law this investment of $6 million to begin construction on the S-333 expansion project by the end of the year. This expansion project …