(FDACS) — Following Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried’s call for a Secretarial disaster designation for Florida counties impacted by Hurricane Sally, on Friday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) designated Okaloosa and Walton counties as primary and Bay, Holmes, Santa Rosa, and Washington counties as secondary disaster areas. Producers in these counties are now eligible for USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) disaster loans in addition to producers in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties who …
45th Annual Georgia Peanut Farm Show Coming Up in Jan.
University of Georgia Tifton Campus Conference Center, Tifton, Georgia Don’t miss out on the 45th annual Georgia Peanut Farm Show & Conference, set for Wednesday and Thursday, Jan. 20-21, 2021, at the UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center. Peanut farmers and those involved in the peanut industry will be able to learn more about the latest products, services and peanut research …
Two Alabama Counties Designated Primary Natural Disaster Areas
Emergency Support to Producers in Surrounding Counties/Border State Also Available (USDA/FSA) — Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue designated two Alabama counties as primary natural disaster areas. Producers in Baldwin and Mobile counties who suffered losses caused by excessive wind, flash flooding and excessive rainfall caused by Hurricane Sally that occurred from Sept. 15 through Sept. 16, 2020, may be eligible for …
Secretary Perdue Comments on DOL’s H2A Wage Rule
(USDA) — U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue praised the Department of Labor’s (DOL) new H2A Wage Rule, which delivers on President Trump’s promise to stabilize farm labor costs and reform the H-2A wage rate. “This rule shows once again President Trump’s commitment to America’s farmers by delivering lower costs when they need it the most,” said Secretary Perdue. “Over the …
Department of Labor Stabilizes Farmworker Pay
(AFBF) — The Department of Labor announced it will stabilize the wages paid to guest farmworkers. The Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) will remain at 2020 rates for the next two years. The following statement may be attributed to American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall: “Farmers are committed to paying their employees a fair wage, but the existing system sets …
Industry Feedyard Audit Tool Now Available
(NCBA) — The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is announcing the release of a comprehensive industry feedyard audit tool. The Cattle Industry Feedyard Audit will serve as a standardized audit tool based on the sound science and common sense established in the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program. Though the audit tool is owned by NCBA, auditing of feedyards will only …
Deadline Extended for AASP Poultry Grower Programs
DEADLINE EXTENDED Due to statewide power outages last week as a result of Hurricane Zeta, the application deadline for the AASP Breeder, Broiler and Pullet Grower programs has been extended to Friday, November 13, 2020. Eligible grower should visit crf.alabama.gov or agi.alabama.gov to apply. Eligibility requirements for each program are below. Alabama Agriculture Stabilization Program Poultry Breeder Growers Eligibility Before proceeding through the application, please …
Bipartisan Congressional Letter Calls for Stronger U.S. Approach to Preserving Common Food and Wine Terms
A coalition of leading farm and agricultural groups are applauding a bipartisan letter sent by 111 members of Congress urging stronger protections for American-made food and wine exports using common terms. This is an important message regarding the need for enhanced U.S. efforts to combat the European Union’s (EU) attempts to ban U.S. exports of cheese, meat and wine products that are …
Dairy Industry Annual Meeting Notes Success Despite COVID-19
During a virtual annual meeting of dairy industry groups, Dairy Management Incorporated reflected on strategically adjusting business plans due to the impacts of COVID-19. They told farmers and industry representatives that this year’s results are due to industry unity, agility, and relentless relationship building. “The systems farmers have put in place work, and in normal times, we celebrate those successes,” …
NPPC Petition Leads to U.S. Trade Sanctions Against Thailand
The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced it is suspending $817 million in trade preferences for Thailand under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program because the country hasn’t made sufficient progress providing the United States with “equitable and reasonable market access” for pork products. The decision follows a 2018 petition by the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) asking the USTR …