The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced the Fiscal Year 2018 funding for research and extension activities to enhance productivity, safety, and innovation in the specialty crop industry. Funding is made through the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI), authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill. “To be competitive in a global market, U.S. specialty crop …
Censky, McKinney Confirmations Good News for U.S. Agriculture
The National Pork Producers Council congratulated Stephen Censky and Ted McKinney on their confirmations for key leadership positions with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The U.S. Senate confirmed Censky and McKinney as the USDA’s deputy secretary and undersecretary of trade and foreign agricultural affairs, respectively. “The confirmations of Stephen Censky and Ted McKinney come at a critical time for U.S. …
USPOULTRY Foundation Approves Funding for More Avian Influenza Research
The USPOULTRY Foundation last week approved $125,000 in additional emergency funding to support avian influenza research and communication. The research is a follow-up study on a previously funded project in which researchers provided insight on using ventilation shut down as a humane depopulation method. The study showed that the addition of heat and CO2 to the procedure provided a rapid …
Stabenow Intends to Meet with Clovis
Ranking Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee Debbie Stabenow wants to meet with Sam Clovis. Clovis is the controversial nominee for the Department of Agriculture’s chief scientist post. Stabenow told reporters earlier this week that she doesn’t feel Clovis meets the criteria for the job, a stance she has held since his nomination. Meanwhile, Chairman Pat Roberts told reporters last …
Goodlatte Guest Worker Bill Up for Committee Vote Wednesday
A committee vote is planned Wednesday (Oct. 4) for the agriculture guestworker revamp bill in the House of Representatives. Virginia Republican Representative Bob Goodlatte introduced the bill Monday, and vowed to push for a “tight timetable.” The bill, according to Politico, would essentially scrap H-2A in its current form, rename the visa program H-2C and house it within the Department …
Ag Economy Expectations Sliding
Future expectations for the agriculture economy turned lower in the latest monthly Ag Economy Barometer by CME Group and Purdue University. Released Tuesday, the September reading of 132 was unchanged compared to August. However, the barometer’s two sub-indices, the Index of Current Conditions and Index of Future Expectations, did shift in opposite directions. The Current Conditions Index rose to 135, …
Georgia Peanut Commission to Promote Peanuts With Annual Event Oct. 16-20
The Georgia Peanut Commission and Georgia Bankers Association will join forces Oct. 16-20, 2017, to promote the 41st annual Georgia Peanut Bank Week. Financial institutions and local banks across the state will offer a tribute to Georgia’s 3,400 peanut farm families and the sustainability they provide to Georgia’s state and local economies. The 2017 theme, “Peanuts: Sustaining Georgia’s Rural Economy,” …
RFA Urging President Trump to Maintain Strong Commitment to Biofuels
The Environmental Protection Agency’s recent “consideration of drastic, unprecedented changes to the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFA)” would undermine the future growth of the biofuels industry, the Renewable Fuels Association and 10 other biofuel groups wrote today to President Trump. In the letter, the groups urged the president to ensure the administration remains firm in its commitment to the U.S. biofuels …
Fertilizer Company to Halt Production to Curb Excess Supply
Canada’s Potash Corp announced last week it would temporarily shut down production at two Canadian mines, as part of a longstanding strategy to match supply to demand. Reuters says the company will curtail output at one facility for ten weeks starting November 19th, and for eight weeks at another facility starting December 3rd. It said the number of temporary layoffs …
Japan Tariff Reduced U.S. Beef Exports
U.S. frozen beef exports to Japan are down 26 percent after Japan imposed an emergency tariff due to an influx of frozen beef from the United States. The tariff increased from 38.5 percent to 50 percent of the Japanese market, to protect domestic producers. Meat industry publication Meatingplace reports Japan’s frozen beef imports from the U.S. were 4,317 metric tons …