As the world’s two largest economies appear to be moving closer to a possible trade war, U.S. Ambassador Terry Branstad is warning China about the consequences of trade sanctions on U.S. soybeans. Branstad told Bloomberg Television that any attempts to cut down on U.S. soybean imports would hurt Chinese consumers more than it would American farmers. The crop provides a …
Community Bankers Announce Farm Bill Recommendations
As Congress ramps up its work on a new Farm Bill, the Independent Community Bankers of America released a white paper with its recommended principles for the new bill. ICBA President and CEO Camden Fine says his association believes a new farm bill is vitally important to the nation’s producers and the independent community bankers who work so closely with …
USDA: No Consolidation in Cow-Calf Operations for Five Years
There’s no question that agriculture has seen its share of consolidation across several sectors. The one major exception is beef production, more specifically as it relates to cow-calf and stocker production. A recent report from the Economic Research Service at USDA shows that all areas of livestock production, with the exception of beef, have fewer and larger operations. James MacDonald, …
Cargill Installs Controlled Atmosphere “Stunning” System in Canada Operation
Cargill announced that it’s installing a $22 million Controlled Atmospheric Stunning system at its poultry facility in London, Ontario. Cargill credits the investment to increasing customer and consumer demand for better animal welfare standards in food production. There are also electric stunning systems available to processing plants. Both electric and atmospheric systems are acceptable, approved, and proven as more humane …
Conaway Says Democrats Wrong to Oppose SNAP Changes
House Ag Committee Chair Mike Conaway says Democrats are not accurately portraying the changes he’s proposing to overhaul the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program(SNAP). Politico quotes Conaway as saying that Democrats on the committee will see the difference between what he’s proposing and “what they’ve been told Republicans are doing,” and will see the value in the idea. Conaway’s proposals include …
USDA Expands Focus on Program Integrity Across All Nutrition Programs
As part of Agriculture Secretary Perdue’s strategic goal of ensuring that our programs are delivered efficiently, effectively and with integrity, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) announced an enhanced focus on program integrity, that will include renewed attention on transparency, payment accuracy, fraud and waste prevention, and improved quality control. “Where protection of taxpayer dollars …
MLB Fans Predicted to Eat More than 19 Million Hot Dogs in 2018
It’s a marriage of two American icons — baseball and hot dogs — and the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (NHDSC) estimates that baseball fans will consume more than 19 million hot dogs and 4.6 million sausages during the 2018 Major League Baseball (MLB) season. The combined hot dog and sausage total could stretch the entire continental U.S. from …
Termites Topple Pine Trees – a Concern as Hurricane Season Nears
Most termites don’t kill trees, but Asian subterranean termites are slaying some pine trees in South Florida and damaging the rest of the local urban tree canopy, a new University of Florida study found. “Our beloved native slash pine is lethally stressed by this termite, which is unexpected,” said Thomas Chouvenc, a UF/IFAS assistant professor of urban entomology. Not only …
SBA Deadline to Apply for Working Capital Loans in Alabama is May 1
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding businesses in Alabama that working capital loans are still available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and private nonprofit organizations affected by Tropical Storm Cindy with tornadoes and flooding on June 21-23, 2017. “Businesses that suffered economic losses as a result of the disaster and want to …
Lighthizer Hopeful of New NAFTA Deal
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer told CNBC television Wednesday he is “hopeful” there will be compromise and a deal reached on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). His comments follow those from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who earlier this week said a “win-win-win deal is not only possible but likely.” Lighthizer said Wednesday he is optimistic the three …