(USDA) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the establishment of the U.S. Domestic Hemp Production Program. This program, as required by the 2018 farm bill, creates a consistent regulatory framework around hemp production throughout the United States. “At USDA, we are always excited when there are new economic opportunities for our farmers, and we hope the ability to …
USDA Pauses RFID Ear Tag Proposal
(NAFB) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has paused its effort to mandate radio-frequency identification (RFID) ear tags for cattle and bison. The proposal would have mandated the ear tags for animals moved in interstate commerce beginning in January of 2023. A guidance document detailing the proposal on the USDA website was recently removed, following a lawsuit against the …
Alicia Adler Joins NABC, USHBC as Vice President
Resume Includes Securing Over $10 Million in Grant Funds for Specialty Crops (NABC) — Alicia Adler, an experienced grant writing and marketing executive who’s secured over $10 million in state and federal grant funds for U.S. specialty crops, has joined the North American Blueberry Council (NABC) and the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) as vice president. Adler brings a wealth …
Voting Begins for 2019 FSA County Committee Elections
Eligible Voters to Receive Ballots Week of Nov. 4 (USDA/FSA) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will begin mailing ballots on November 4 to eligible farmers and ranchers across the country for the Farm Service Agency (FSA) county committee elections. “Our county committee members play a key role in our efforts to provide assistance to producers,” said FSA Administrator …
Cattlemen Applaud Introduction of Real MEAT Act of 2019
Bill Aims to Combat Deceptive Labeling of Plant-Based Fake Meat (NCBA) — The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) applauded the bipartisan introduction of the Real MEAT (Marketing Edible Artificials Truthfully) Act of 2019 by U.S. Reps. Roger Marshall (R – 1st Dist., Kansas) and Anthony Brindisi (D – 21st Dist., N.Y.) “A growing number of fake meat products are clearly …
Florida NRCS to Hold Natural Resource Meeting
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Florida has announced this meeting is postponed. A rescheduled date will be announced soon, but the State Technical Committee will not be held on November 19th. We will announce the new date once it has been set. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Florida will conduct a State Technical Committee meeting on Nov. …
U.S. Sugar Applauds Governor DeSantis’ Support of C-43 Reservoir Project
(U.S. Sugar) — “We applaud Governor Ron DeSantis for his commitment to completing Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) projects that are critical to stopping the damaging freshwater discharges and advancing restoration. As a partner in Everglades Restoration for nearly 25 years, the people of U.S. Sugar share Governor DeSantis’ strong desire to complete all projects that will increase storage and …
Mexico Says U.S. Congress Will Move on USMCA Trade Deal Soon
(NAFB) — Mexico’s Deputy Foreign Minister for North America said Friday that he believes U.S. lawmakers will begin the process of approving the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA) soon. He believes it will move forward in the U.S. Congress now that Mexican President Obrador has vowed to increase wages and funding for labor reforms. A Yahoo Dot Com article says the …
China Phase One Agreement Ag Purchases aimed at $20 Billion
(NAFB) — The phase one agreement with China would boost U.S. ag exports to at least $20 billion in its first year. The overall agreement includes $40-50 billion of U.S. farm commodity sales to China over a roughly two-year period. China claims it would aim to buy at least $20 billion worth in the first year, if the agreement is …
Deadline Extended to Enroll in CSP Grassland Conservation Initiative
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is extending the deadline for eligible agriculture producers to enroll in the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) Grassland Conservation Initiative. The original deadline of Oct. 25 has been extended to Nov. 8. This program, created by the 2018 farm bill, is available to producers with base acreage that has been in grass or grasslands over a nine-year …