In what agriculture groups call a victory, a federal court last week dismissed a lawsuit that would have forced the Environmental Protection Agency to impose strict nutrient standards on farmers in the Mississippi River Basin.
EU and Japan Finalizing Free Trade Agreement Talks
The European Union and Japan are nearing completion of negotiations on a free trade deal.
Former U.S. Trade Official Says TPP Likely to Resurface
A former U.S. trade official says the Trans-Pacific Partnership is not really dead and could resurface during President-elect Donald Trump’s term. Wendy Cutler, a former acting deputy U.S. Trade Representative, told the Washington International Trade Association last week she believes TPP was a victim of “bad timing.”
U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council Members Named
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has appointed 13 members and their alternates to the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council to serve 3-year terms of office beginning Jan. 1, 2017. Newly appointed producer members are Bill Steed, of Pauma Valley, Calif.; Brittany H. Lee, of Gainesville, Fla.; Adair Chambers Peterson, of Homerville, Ga.; George Fritz Jr., of Bloomingdale, Mich.; Tim Wetherbee, of Hammonton, …
National Processed Raspberry Council Members Named
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today appointed seven members and five alternates to serve on the National Processed Raspberry Council. The appointees will serve 3-year terms beginning Jan. 1, 2017, and ending on Dec. 31, 2019. Newly appointed members to represent producers from states producing a minimum of three million pounds of raspberries for processing are Matt Simonian, of Lynden, Wash., …
Panel Hears EPA Testimony on Glyphosate
A Scientific Advisory Panel studying glyphosate links to cancer heard testimony last week on the topic. The Environmental Protection Agency gave a presentation last week before the panel saying the consensus is that based on the scientific data EPA has collected, glyphosate is unlikely to cause cancer in humans. In addition to the EPA presentation, the panel also took public …
National Chicken Council against Proposed GIPSA Rule
The poultry industry has weighed in on USDA’s last-minute GIPSA rules. National Chicken Council spokesman Tom Super says the interim final Grain Inspection, Packers, and Stockyards Administration, or ‘GIPSA’ rules, will mean more government meddling in the poultry and livestock industries…
Dairy Organizations Applaud Congressional Letter to FDA
A new congressional effort to prod federal regulators to crack down on the inappropriate labeling of products designed to imitate milk drew support from the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) and the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), which thanked lawmakers for speaking out on the issue.
EPA Takes Action to Prevent Poisonings from Herbicide
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is finalizing safety measures to stop poisonings caused by ingestion of the herbicide paraquat, which can also cause severe injuries or death from skin or eye exposure. Since 2000, there have been 17 deaths – three involving children – caused by accidental ingestion of paraquat. These cases have resulted from the pesticide being illegally …
AFBF Pres. Duvall Comments on Nomination of Ryan Zinke to Interior
WASHINGTON, D.C. – “The nomination of Ryan Zinke for Secretary of the Interior signals an important step toward balanced use of federal lands. During his time in the House, he has recognized that the federal government has an obligation to manage, rather than merely preserve, the 28 percent of U.S. land it controls. He supports a pragmatic, ‘all of the above’ …