Online source Axios reports that President Donald Trump told U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to portray him as a “crazy guy” during the upcoming U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement meeting. South Korea will host the meeting with Lighthizer this week to discuss “ways to move forward” with KORUS. The meeting is the second on KORUS, following discussion between Korea and U.S. …
NAFTA Talks to Return to Washington, D.C.
The North American Free Trade Agreement renegotiation effort will return to Washington, D.C. this month for the fourth round of official talks. The negotiations will resume October 11th through the 15th, following a round of talks in Canada last month. Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland said progress was made in the most recent meetings “on a number of …
Dairy Industry Organizations Support Legislation Creating New Agriculture Guest Worker Program
A coalition of dozens of dairy farm organizations, led by the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), is supporting new congressional legislation that would help address one of the most challenging issues affecting America’s milk producers: obtaining a dependable, legal workforce. A founding member of the Agriculture Workforce Coalition, NMPF was joined by 57 dairy cooperatives and state dairy farmer associations …
Senator Seeks $100 Million for Florida Forever
At least $100 million a year would be set aside for Florida Forever, the state’s most prominent land-preservation fund, under a measure filed by Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island. Bradley’s proposal (SB 370) would annually designate a portion of the state’s Land Acquisition Trust Fund for the Florida Forever program, which in the past received as much as $300 million …
APHIS to Allow the Importation of Fresh Persimmons from New Zealand
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is amending its regulations to allow the importation of fresh persimmons from New Zealand into the United States. After analyzing the potential plant pest risks, APHIS scientists determined that persimmons from New Zealand can be safely imported into the United States under a systems approach. A systems approach …
Farmers, Ranchers Ready for Long-overdue Immigration Reform
The following statement may be attributed to American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall: “Every year, farmers and ranchers face greater challenges in finding enough workers to keep their businesses running. The labor shortage on America’s farms and ranches is growing, and the lack of a stable, legal supply of workers places the health of too many farms at risk. …
Researchers Awarded Grant to Improve How Plants Get Nitrogen, Reduce Pollution
A team of researchers at the universities of Florida and Wisconsin-Madison will use a $7.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to pinpoint genes that could improve plants’ ability to access nitrogen, an essential nutrient for plant growth. Enhancing plants’ nitrogen uptake could increase food security by promoting crop growth in poor soils and could reduce the need …
Gluten Free Wheat Near Reality
Researchers in Europe are close to creating a gluten-free bread. A team of scientists using CRISPR gene-editing technology has found a way to reduce the number of gluten proteins in an individual wheat kernel. In doing so, they were able to create a plant that could be used in the future to make flour for bread that can be considered …
USDA Releases Grain Stocks Estimates
Current corn storage has swelled to levels not seen since the 1980’s, according to new data released by the Department of Agriculture. USDA released its quarterly Grain Stocks report Friday. The report shows that old-crop corn stocks have reached a 30-year record at 2.2 billion bushels. That number was 32 percent higher than last year, but still below the pre-report …
Canada Better Positioned for NAFTA Talks Than 23 Years Ago
Canada’s Prime Minister during the original North American Free Trade Agreement negotiations says the nation is in a better position now than it was 23 years ago to negotiate the agreement. Former Prime Minister Jean Chretien served in office between 1993 and 2003. He said back in 1994, Canada had a surplus of $50 billion a year in trade. But …