(NAFB) — National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) President and CEO Jim Mulhern says his organization is ready to help dairy farmers meet the challenges brought on by the coronavirus. Those challenges can include impacts on both the domestic and international markets. “From possible damages to domestic and world markets, to supply chain labor disruptions on the farm, at the processing …
U.S. Pork Export Levels to China Hit Lowest Mark Ever
(NAFB) — U.S. export sales of pork to China fell to their lowest level on record for the week ending March 5th. Reuters says that’s even as accessing Chinese ports improved in the world’s number one pork consumer. The USDA’s weekly report showed that Chinese buyer cancellations pushed down the total export sales to China to negative 45,222 tons of …
USDA Stands Up New Team to Better Serve Beginning Farmers and Ranchers
(USDA/FSA) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is standing up a new team of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) staff that will lead a department-wide effort focused on serving beginning farmers and ranchers. “More than a quarter of producers are beginning farmers,” said USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Censky. “We need to support the next generation of agricultural producers who we …
Perdue Comments on Canada Passing USMCA
(USDA) — U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue issued the following statement after the Canadian Parliament approved the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA): “USMCA is a great victory for America’s agriculture industry, and I am pleased to see Canada’s Parliament approved the deal today. USMCA locks in and expands access to our neighbors to the North and South. I thank President …
Impact of Coronavirus on the U.S. Beef Supply Chain
Statement from NCBA CEO Colin Woodall (NCBA) — “There is a great deal of uncertainty about the ongoing impact of Coronavirus on the beef industry and the United States as a whole. At this time, it’s impossible to measure the full effects of the virus or determine how it may continue to unfold. Although the full beef supply chain is …
Ask the Expert: A Hemp Q&A
(USDA) — Ask the Expert is a new series launching on farmers.gov. In this Ask the Expert, Andrew Kowalski answers a few questions about how farmers can use the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Multi-Peril Crop Insurance (MPCI) hemp pilot program to insure their hemp crop. Kowalski is a risk management specialist with the Risk Management Agency (RMA) based in …
63rd Annual SLE Rodeo Postponed Amid Coronavirus Concerns
(SLE) — Due to the City of Montgomery’s closing of all its venues, including Garrett Coliseum, the Southeastern Livestock Exposition (SLE) Rodeo announced the postponement of its 63rd annual Rodeo and Livestock Week in response to the growing concerns of the coronavirus. Livestock Week was scheduled to take place March 14-22 at Garrett Coliseum in Montgomery, Alabama. SLE leaders will …
Gains in Large Tractor Sales during February
(NAFB) — February 2020 saw mixed results in overall U.S. sales of tractors and self-propelled combines. The bright spot was four-wheel-drive and 100-plus horsepower tractors, which showed healthy gains year over year. However, overall tractor and combine sales fell for February, according to the latest data from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. U.S. total farm tractor sales decreased 7.5 percent …
Worker Verification Bill Goes to DeSantis
(NSF) — A bill that would allow many businesses to decide whether to use the federal E-Verify system to check the immigration status of new hires is heading to Gov. Ron DeSantis. DeSantis has made a priority of cracking down on the hiring of undocumented immigrant workers, promising during his 2018 campaign that he would sign a bill that would …
Bill Seeks to Add ‘Teeth’ to Environmental Laws
(NSF) — An increase in fines for environmental lawbreakers, a priority of Gov. Ron DeSantis, is heading to his desk. The House voted 115-0 on Thursday to give final approval to a proposal (HB 1091) that would make numerous changes in the amounts and duration of penalties for violating Florida environmental laws. The Senate also unanimously backed the bill earlier …