The Chairman of the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee issued perhaps his most direct public warning yet to the Trump Administration on a possible North American Free Trade Agreement “pullout.” Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Pat Roberts spoke to a U.S. Chamber of Commerce audience in Washington, D.C. on the strategy President Trump and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer are pursuing on …
Cheerios Ditches Gluten-Free Label in Canada
Cheerios cereal sold in Canada will no longer be labeled “gluten-free.” CBC News of Canada reports that Manufacturer General Mills has confirmed it will voluntarily remove the labels from the cereal boxes sold in Canadian stores “as soon as possible,” even though it says the product contains less than 20 parts per million of gluten, which meets the regulatory standard …
Campbell Soup Company Joins Plant Based Lobbying Group
After dropping out of the Grocery Manufacturers Association earlier this year, Campbell Soup Company is joining the Plant-Based Foods Association or PBFA. Bloomberg calls the move a major gesture by an industry giant acknowledging retreating consumer demand for meat and dairy-heavy food. The company maintains its move to leave the Grocery Manufacturers Association wasn’t in preparation to join PBFA, but …
Trucking Industry Bracing for ELD Mandate
The Electronic Logging Device (ELD) mandate for the trucking industry is expected to go into effect December 18th, causing a predicted impact to the livestock industry. The National Pork Producers Council has asked for an exemption based on what it calls “an incompatibility” between federal hours of operation rules and how the livestock industry actually operates. The request states: “Livestock …
Farm Profitability Still Down, But Improving
A new survey of bankers shows 82 percent of agricultural lenders reported a decline in farm profitability in the last 12 months. However, the pace of the decline has slowed. The survey produced by the American Bankers Association and Farmer Mac shows 51 percent of agricultural lenders noted an increase in the demand for agricultural operating loans, while there was …
Farm Bill Near Ready Status
A lobbyist close to the farm bill effort told the Hagstrom Report this week that the House Agriculture Committee staff is close to being done preparing the bill for consideration. However, the lobbyist says Chairman Mike Conaway will likely keep the bill “under lock and key” until House leadership guarantees floor time for the legislation. That points to the bill …
Rural Entrepreneurship Challenge Provides New Ag Businesses Opportunity
The Rural Entrepreneurship Challenge gives new agriculture businesses a boost in a startup. More than $145,000 of startup funds will be given out during this year’s challenge. Four finalists, recently announced, will compete for $25,000 in January. AFBF rural development director Lisa Benson says even the businesses that won’t be competing in the finals benefit from applying for the challenge. …
America’s Waterways, An Important Part of Ag Infrastructure, Need Repairs
America’s waterways, including some of the largest rivers in the country, are an underappreciated but highly important part of American agriculture. The nation’s lock-and-dam system was put together to provide a cost-effective means of transporting goods from rural areas to major cities and coastal ports. Lynn Muench is the Senior Vice President of Regional Advocacy at the American Waterways Operators, …
Rubio Seeks Funding Commitment for Dike Repairs
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio wants money put behind President Donald Trump’s recent call to speed up completion of repairs to the Herbert Hoover Dike around Lake Okeechobee. The Miami Republican asked Mick Mulvaney, the chief of the White House Office of Management and Budget, on Tuesday to support funding levels outlined by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that would …
Voting Begins for 2017 FSA County Committee Elections
Producers to Receive Ballots Week of Nov. 6 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will begin mailing ballots to eligible farmers and ranchers across the country for the 2017 Farm Service Agency (FSA) county committee elections on Monday, Nov. 6, 2017. “County committee members play an indispensable role in our efforts to provide assistance to producers,” said FSA Acting Administrator …