A more than $9 million grant from the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research will assist farmers, ranchers, and landowners strategically assess and implement soil health improvement practices on their farm. Awarded to the to the Soil Health Institute, the Soil Health Partnership and The Nature Conservancy, the grant will support research efforts aimed at improving soil health. Nick Goeser, …
UF study: Farm to School Program Boosts Fruit, Veggie Intake
It’s one thing to offer students fruits and vegetables for school lunch; it’s another for them to actually eat them. Children who attend schools with Farm to School programs eat more fruits and vegetables, new University of Florida research shows. In 2010, Congress passed the federal Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. In approving the legislation, lawmakers wanted to improve children’s nutrition. …
U.S. Rice Production Down, Prices Up
Rice production in the United States is down 20 percent compared to last year, while futures prices for the commodity are up 30 percent from a year ago. Online source World-Grain reports the drastic reduction largely was the result of reduced planted and harvested area as rice lost acreage mainly to soybeans and cotton. Rice prices were dropping in March …
Trump to Meet with Cruz, Oil Industry, Regarding RFS
Senator Ted Cruz will get his meeting with President Donald Trump regarding biofuels. Reuters reports that Trump has agreed to meet with Cruz and representatives from the oil refining industry to discuss the Renewable Fuel Standard. The White House says the discussion could set the stage for negotiations over possible legislation to overhaul the RFS. Cruz has blocked the confirmation …
Senate Tax Bill Doesn’t Include Section 199 Deductions
The Senate tax bill passed over the weekend does not include a deduction that farm cooperatives lobbied to keep in the tax reform package. The National Council of Farmer Cooperatives (NCFC) says the Domestic Production Activities Deduction, also known as the Section 199 deduction, means farmers may end up paying more taxes. Chuck Conner, NCFC CEO, previously said that Section …
Korea Submitting Plan to Renegotiate KORUS
South Korea trade officials announced Monday the government will submit a plan to renegotiate the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS) to the nation’s National Assembly government body. South Korea’s Trade Minister met with officials from 20 ministries and government regarding KORUS, and the plans to renegotiate the trade agreement. A senior trade official told the Korea Herald newspaper: “We hope …
House/Senate Negotiating Differences in Tax Bill
House and Senate tax writers are moving quickly to negotiate differences between their two chambers’ bills, with one of the most sensitive, a tax break for ag and other small businesses. Among the biggest and most politically-sensitive differences between the two tax bills is the treatment of so-called “pass-through” businesses — a huge number in agriculture — that file returns …
USDA Delays the Puerto Rico Census of Agriculture
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is delaying the Puerto Rico Census of Agriculture until December 2018 due to conditions caused by Hurricane Maria. NASS had planned to collect data in Puerto Rico along with the rest of the United States beginning in December 2017. A delay of the Puerto Rico Census of Agriculture is …
Busy Week Ahead for Congress
It will be a busy week in Congress with two big issues that will be addressed. Mary Kay Thatcher, senior director of congressional relations with the American Farm Bureau Federation spoke to Kansas Farm Bureau members at their annual meeting in Manhattan Monday morning. We’ll learn soon the conferees for the conference committee that will try and put the House …
Hog Market Supported by Demand
Hog markets were under considerable pressure in September and October, but there has been improvement in recent weeks. Steve Meyer, who is with EMI Analytics, offers his take on this market. Market Meyer says demand has held up during the fourth quarter. Demand Hog slaughter has been over 2.5 million head per week. Meyer will have more on that part …