Changes Sought for E-Verify Proposal

(NSF) — Ahead of a Senate hearing on an E-Verify proposal, a key Republican lawmaker Monday filed potential changes that would significantly narrow a bill that seeks to require immigration checks for new employees. The Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by Sen. David Simmons, R-Altamonte Springs, is scheduled Tuesday to consider a controversial proposal (SB 664) that would mandate all public …

NPPC Applauds House Passage of Ag Inspectors Bill

(NPPC) — The U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation that authorizes funding for 740 new agricultural inspectors at land, air and sea ports to prevent African swine fever (ASF) and other foreign animal diseases (FAD) from entering the United States. In October 2019, the Senate approved an identical version of the bill (S. 2017), which the House approved today. Providing …

CBB Announces New Officers at 2020 Cattle Industry Convention

(CBB) — Cattle producers Jared Brackett, Hugh Sanburg and Norman Voyles, Jr. are the new leaders of the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion & Research Board (CBB). This officer team is responsible for guiding the national Beef Checkoff throughout 2020. Brackett, Sanburg and Voyles were elected by their fellow Beef Board members during the 2020 Cattle Industry Convention in San Antonio on …

USDA Invests in Rural Broadband Infrastructure in Georgia’s Gilmer County

(USDA) — U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Georgia State Director Joyce White announced a $4.4 million investment in high-speed broadband infrastructure. This investment will support the construction of 90 miles of fiber-optic infrastructure in Gilmer County. The service area includes 2,159 households, 25 pre-subscribed businesses, two critical community facilities, an educational facility and 24 pre-subscribed farms, including 22 …

Consumer Research Shows Widespread Confusion About Contents of Plant-Based Fake Meat

(NCBA) — The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) released survey results that show widespread consumer confusion regarding the ingredient composition and purported benefits of plant-based fake meat products. In an online survey of more than 1,800 consumers, less than half of the respondents understood the labeling term “plant-based beef” was intended to describe an entirely vegetarian or vegan food product. …

Details of Risk Management Programs for Hemp Producers Announced

(USDA) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the availability of two programs that protect hemp producers’ crops from natural disasters. A pilot hemp insurance program through Multi-Peril Crop Insurance (MPCI) provides coverage against loss of yield because of insurable causes of loss for hemp grown for fiber, grain or cannabidiol (CBD) oil, and the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance …

Strong Demand, Leverage Shift Adds Optimism for Year Ahead

Focus on consumers a requirement for continued beef industry success (NCBA) — Beef demand is strong and with U.S. cattle numbers plateauing, prices are likely to be stronger in the year ahead as consumers at home and abroad support industry profitability. That was the message delivered during the popular CattleFax outlook session, held as part of the 2020 Cattle Industry …

Florida’s Blackbeard’s Ranch Recognized for Outstanding Stewardship Practices

(NCBA) — The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association announced Blackbeard’s Ranch in Myakka, Fla., as the winner of the 2019 Environmental Stewardship Award Program (ESAP). The award was presented at the 2020 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show in San Antonio, Texas. Established in 1991, by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association to recognize outstanding land stewards in the cattle industry, …

E-Verify Sponsors Eye Changes to Stalled Proposals

(NSF) — A politically charged immigration bill is poised to get a makeover that sponsors hope will align the measure with the position backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Republican Party of Florida. The governor and the Florida GOP, led by Sen. Joe Gruters, are pushing a mandate for public and private employers to use E-Verify, a program that …

Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. New Ads Address Myths About Beef

New ads tackle the topics of health, sustainability and meat substitutes with the iconic brand’s unique personality and swagger (Beef Checkoff) — Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner., managed by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, is addressing common questions and hot topics in the beef industry head-on with the launch of new digital and social media …