A recent report from Rabobank shows dryness in the south is pointing towards tightening of beef supplies. The Rabobank Beef Quarterly report shows beef cow slaughter numbers are up ten percent through mid-April from a year ago, driven by ongoing dry pasture conditions, and the likelihood of forced herd liquidation during the coming grazing season, as reported by meat industry …
USDA Will Not Recognize Third-Party Inspections Regarding Animal Welfare
The Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, or APHIS, will not establish new criteria for recognizing third-party inspection and certification programs when determining the Agency’s own inspection frequency under the Animal Welfare Act. In December of last year, APHIS announced a series of public listening sessions as for leadership to gather information about the concept of third-party …
Reminder: MPP Enrollment Deadline Looming
Dairy farmers have until Friday to enroll in the retooled dairy Margin Protection Program. The Department of Agriculture set a June first deadline for enrollment in the program that was revised by Congress earlier this year. USDA says many producers will see payments in early June, depending on the coverage they elect. The program protects dairy producers by paying them …
Dairy Groups Ask for Original Oversight
U.S. dairy producers and manufacturers offered to collaborate with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to continue fostering dairy food safety and job growth, as the agency develops procedures for regulating imported foods, including shellfish and dairy. The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) asked for further engagement with FDA on ways to …
Ag Commissioner Candidates Take Aim at NAFTA
Florida’s next agriculture commissioner likely will back White House efforts to change the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) as a way to help the state’s farmers. Worried about the impact on Florida farmers, state Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam has been a frequent critic of the 24-year-old trade deal between the United States, Canada and Mexico. But as Putnam prepares to …
UF/IFAS Researchers Will Try to Educate Public on Genetically Edited Food
Genetic improvement of food crops sometimes gets a bad rap, but University of Florida researchers plan to educate consumers so they can make more informed decisions at the grocery store. To help combat misinformation, four UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researchers are going to better inform the public about the nuances of how plants are genetically adjusted to …
Trade Retaliation Hurting U.S. Pork Producers
Producer Losses at $2.2 Billion Since March 1 The National Pork Producers called for a swift resolution of the United States-China trade dispute, paving the way for increased U.S. pork exports to the world’s largest pork-consuming nation. According to Iowa State University Economist Dermot Hayes, U.S. pork producers have lost $2.2 billion on an annualized basis due to events leading up to and following China’s 25 percent punitive tariffs in retaliation for U.S. tariffs on aluminum and steel. …
Everyone Take a Seat on the Cotton Roller Coaster
Over the past several months, outside influences on the cotton industry have felt like the Dahlonega Mine Train at Six Flags Over Georgia: ups, downs, dramatic twists, and lots of bumps along the way. Producers have seen proposed policies fail, others be implemented, a significant market uptick, one of the US’s largest overseas markets be closed then open again, and …
Ross Heading to China June 2-4
U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross will be in China June 2-4 for another round of talks amid trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies. Reuters says The trade dispute got a little more complicated this week when President Donald Trump announced a national security investigation into imports of cars and trucks. The probe could possibly result in tariffs against …
Grassley-Conaway Subsidy Feud Escalates
Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley had some harsh words for House Ag Committee Chair Mike Conaway of Texas. The Grassley response came as Conaway said Grassley is wrong “every single time” when he complains about loopholes in the process by which USDA makes subsidy payments to farmers. Earlier this week, Grassley had said he would use the Senate farm bill to …