The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) reminds our nation’s farmers and ranchers that the deadline for the 2017 Census of Agriculture is one week away. Producers should respond online at www.agcounts.usda.gov or by mail by February 5. The online questionnaire offers new timesaving features. The Census of Agriculture is the only NASS questionnaire mailed to …
AFBF Trade Adviser: TPP Deal Finalized Without the U.S.
The American Farm Bureau’s (AFBF) trade adviser says now that a TPP deal has been finalized without the U.S., Washington has little choice but to look for other trade deal partners in the Asia-Pacific, which is not the ideal situation. Canada’s Prime Minister announced last week that his country had finalized its own TPP with 10-nations in the Asia-Pacific region, …
Red Meat Production Sets December Record
American red meat production totaled 4.40 billion pounds in December of 2017, up slightly from December of the previous year. For the calendar year 2017, commercial red meat production was 52 billion pounds. That was three percent higher than the previous year. Additional packing capacity helped make 2017 a very good year for pork producers. Large export demand at home …
Dairy Industry Emphasizing Unity
International Dairy Foods Association President and CEO Michael Dykes gave his annual state-of-the-industry speech to the Dairy Forum in California. One of his highlights focused on the unity between dairy producers and processors. The Hagstrom Report says that unity that has led to joint positions on the upcoming farm bill, as well as the Trump Administration’s strong advocacy for dairy …
U.S. Food Exports to Cuba Rising
The hard-line rhetoric against Cuba in Washington, D.C., has led to a chink in the diplomatic ties formed in the Obama-era. However, the amount of food exports going from the U.S. to Cuba paints a very different picture. The U.S-Cuba Trade Economic Council released numbers showing that agricultural exports to Cuba totaled up over $250 million in 2017. Those numbers …
No NAFTA, No Trump Re-election
Trade was a big topic at the Agri-Talk Farmers Forum on Wednesday. Farmers at the show were of the opinion that if President Trump pulls out of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), he may not see another term in office. One day earlier, Trump said the negotiations were moving along well. He added, “I happen to be of …
Some Sections of NAFTA Negotiations Closer to Completion
While the U.S. is still unhappy with the slow pace in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) negotiations, there are some sections that are close to completed. Canada’s chief NAFTA negotiator says that the sixth round of talks could lead to a revamped sanitary and phytosanitary chapter of the pact. Politico says that chapter covers rules on food safety …
Organic Groups Want Livestock Standards in Place
The USDA recently announced it would be withdrawing a series of organic livestock standards that were put into place during the Obama administration. Organic groups across the country are not happy with the move. John Siemon, CEO of the Wisconsin-based Organic Valley Cooperative, says one of the most important things the standards addressed was animal welfare. The battle over the …
National Pork Board Invests in International Marketing-Part II
The National Pork Board has relaunched its focus on international marketing by renaming and restructuring its trade committee. Pork Checkoff vice president of international marketing Craig Morris says the committee is now known as the International Marketing Committee. Committee The International Marketing Committee is being streamlined to better engage with strategic partners. Streamlined The National Pork Board has increased its …
USDA Principles a Great Start for Farm Bill
With the release of USDA’s farm bill principles, agriculture has a path forward regarding what to expect in the next farm bill. While USDA cannot write policy, AFBF public policy executive director Dale Moore says that the action by the Secretary Sonny Perdue sets the tone moving forward. Tone Moore says the principles outlined by Secretary Perdue mirror the farm …