(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 …
Sierra Club Says Addressing Climate Change Urgent
(NSF) — Sierra Club Florida Chapter Director Frank Jackalone warned Friday that time is running short as the state faces the consequences of climate change. “It’s just one minute to midnight in Florida, because the state is at ground zero for sea-level rise,” Jackalone told reporters in Tallahassee as he discussed environmental issues for the upcoming 2020 legislative session and other …
Facts of the Flow: Lake Okeechobee, 2019 Year-to-Date
(SFWMD) — Here is the latest update on inflows into Lake Okeechobee for the calendar year to date. This data is provided by SFWMD’s DBHYDRO database. There has been no back-pumping into Lake Okeechobee from the Everglades Agricultural Area this year. Source: South Florida Water Management District Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Producers Proactive In Research Efforts Funded by the Florida Cattle …
NCC Applauds EPA Revisions for Pesticide Applications
(NCC) — The National Cotton Council (NCC) appreciates the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposal to change some aspects of the Worker Protection Standard (WPS) that were finalized under the last administration. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler made the announcement today regarding the proposal that provides much needed changes to what is called the Application Exclusion Zone, or AEZ. The AEZ is …
Deformed Wing Virus Genetic Diversity in U.S. Honey Bees Complicates Search For Remedies
(USDA/ARS) — Deformed Wing Virus (DWV), one of the leading causes of honey bee colony losses, is much more genetically diverse in the United States than previously thought, according to a study published by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in PLoS Biology. The diverse lineages of this virus are all equally bad for bees, and they make it more complicated to …
Georgia State Conservationist Encourages Proactive Conservation Planning
Georgia State Conservationist Terrance O. Rudolph, with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), is encouraging Georgia’s farmers, ranchers, and landowners to consider their conservation goals now and schedule an appointment as soon as possible to meet with their local USDA-NRCS conservationist. “As our farmers and ranchers complete this year’s harvest, we suspect their minds are already looking ahead to 2020,” said …
Alabama NRCS Offers Easement Programs to Landowners
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Alabama offers easement programs to landowners who want to maintain or enhance their land in a way that is beneficial to agriculture and/or the environment. All easement programs are voluntary, as NRCS provides technical help and financial assistance, but local landowners and organizations are needed to make these programs successful. Easement programs include both the …
CoBank: Hemp Offers Big Risks, Big Rewards to Agriculture
(NAFB) — Since the 2018 Farm Bill removed industrial hemp from the Controlled Substances Act, agriculture has never been more interested in adding hemp to its crop rotations. A lot of available information says there’s a large financial upside to the industry. Producers responded to that by tripling hemp acreage between 2017 and 2018. However, CoBank says that false, outdated, …