USMCA Dispute Panel Limits Canadian Market Access

Dan Agri-Business, Dairy, Marketing, National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), Trade, U.S-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF)

Last Friday, a ruling was made by a U.S-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) dispute panel allowing Canada to restrict the dairy access that the U.S. negotiated for in the USMCA pact. And according to the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC), the ruling weakens the agreement’s value to the US dairy industry. An earlier panel ruled in January 2022 that Canada had improperly restricted …

Georgia Peanut Commission Celebrating National Peanut Butter Lovers Month

Clint Thompson Georgia Peanut Commission (GPC)

By Clint Thompson The Georgia Peanut Commission is celebrating National Peanut Butter Lovers Month this November. Joy Crosby, assistant executive director of the commission, discussed how her organization continues to celebrate and promote Georgia peanuts. “The Georgia Peanut Commission has been coordinating a variety of promotions throughout television markets and social media to highlight National Peanut Butter Lovers Month and …

Groups Express Concern About Disaster Relief Changes

Dan Agri-Business, Economy, Funding, National Corn Growers Association (NCGA)

The National Corn Growers and 16 state-affiliated associations joined more than 140 allied national, regional, and state commodity organizations opposing changes to USDA disaster relief. The groups sent a letter to Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack relaying their concerns with the design of the Emergency Relief Program (ERP) for 2022. While the group showed appreciation for the allocation of $3.74 billion …

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) Confirmed in Commercial Duck Flock in Georgia

Dan Avian Influenza, Georgia, Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA)

(GDA/Atlanta, GA/Nov. 22, 2023) — The Georgia Department of Agriculture and USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced a commercial Duck breeding operation located in Sumter County, Georgia, has tested positive for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). This is the first confirmation of HPAI in a commercial waterfowl flock in Georgia. Avian influenza does not pose a risk to …

Producers Invited to Attend Virtual Meeting for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production

Dan Agri-Business, Conservation, Environment, USDA-NRCS

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) encourages urban producers, innovative producers and other stakeholders to submit comments for and virtually attend the upcoming public meeting of the Federal Advisory Committee for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (Committee) on Nov. 29, 2023. “USDA relies on input from the urban agriculture and innovative production community to develop programs that meet their needs,” said …

Alabama Cattlemen Discuss Drought, LFP

Dan Alabama, Alabama Cattlemen’s Association (ACA), Beef, Cattle

The Alabama Cattlemen’s Association (ACA) held their fall quarterly board meeting last week at the ACA office in Montgomery. A variety of Association business took place, along with the discussion of a few topics, one of those being the current drought. ACA Executive Vice President, Erin Beasley gave those in attendance an update about the counties who are now eligible to sign …

Nominations Open for Animal Agriculture Water Quality Committee

Dan Beef, Bison, Cattle, Dairy, Equine, Irrigation, Livestock, Pork, Poultry, Rabbits, Sheep-Goats, USDA-EPA, Water

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a Federal Register Notice on November 16 establishing the Animal Agriculture Water Quality Subcommittee. It’s under the umbrella of the Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Federal Advisory Committee. Nominations are open for members who want to serve on the subcommittee. The primary subcommittee goal will be to develop recommendations that will inform the Agency’s …

Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Announces Final Project Acquisition List for Rural and Family Lands Protection Program

Dan Agri-Business, Florida, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), Forestry, Wetland

(FDACS/TALLAHASSEE, FL/Nov. 20/2023) — Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson announced the final project acquisition list for the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program following the program’s final public meeting which was held in Tallahassee to create a ranked list of agricultural lands eligible for protection. “Today is an important milestone in our pursuit of preserving Florida’s productive agriculture lands. …