USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Alabama reminds landowners in the state the signup batching deadline for Fiscal Year 2019 for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and initiatives offered through the program is April 25, 2019. This EQIP signup includes wildlife, forestry, cropland erosion, cropland irrigation, grazing land, and water quality concerns. There are also various National and …
Secretary Perdue Comments on President Trump’s Budget Proposal
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue issued the following statement after President Trump submitted his FY 2020 budget proposal to Congress: “Our economy is booming, and unemployment is the lowest it’s been in decades. While the agriculture community still faces challenges, the Trump economy is creating new opportunities for all Americans to thrive,” said Secretary Perdue. “President Trump’s budget is fiscally …
FFA Chapters Use Innovative Microsoft Solution to Delve Deeper Into Agriculture
Fifty FFA chapters have received Microsoft FarmBeats Student Kits as part of a collaboration between the National FFA Organization and Microsoft Corp. For the FFA Blue 365 Challenge, chapters were asked to apply for the FarmBeats Kits by sharing how they would utilize the kits. “The FFA Blue 365 Challenge and the use of the Microsoft FarmBeats Student Kits are …
U.S. Beef Exports Reach New Heights in 2018; Pork Hurt by Tariffs
USDA export numbers compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation show U.S. beef exports in 2018 topped both volume and value records that were set in 2017. Pork export volume came up just shy of the 2017 record and the value also fell one percent. Strong demand in South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and the Asian region helped drive beef exports …
NPPC Approves Resolutions On Important Issues
At the annual business meeting of the National Pork Producers Council – the National Pork Industry Forum held March 7-8 in Orlando, Fla. – NPPC delegates adopted several important resolutions, including those that call on NPPC to: Strengthen pork industry efforts to prevent foreign animal diseases (FADs) from entering the United States. Separate resolutions were adopted, directing NPPC to: work …
U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby Receives AFBF’s Golden Plow Award
U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., received the American Farm Bureau Federation’s (AFBF) Golden Plow Award in Washington, D.C. It is the highest honor the organization gives to sitting members of Congress. The presentation was made before 150 farmers attending the Alabama Farmers Federation’s (AFF) biennial Washington Legislative Conference. AFF is the state’s largest farm organization and an AFBF member. “Sen. …
USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Applications Being Accepted
The Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI) is accepting grant applications for projects that enhance the competitiveness of U.S. specialty crops in foreign and domestic markets. The application deadline for these specialty crop block grants through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is April 18, 2019, 5 p.m. CST. Specialty crops are defined by USDA as fruits and …
Senators Roll Out Hurricane Relief Plan
Northwest Florida lawmakers Thursday promoted a $315 million proposal that would make loans available to local governments still reeling from Hurricane Michael. The proposal also would set up a task force to determine additional state assistance for the storm-battered region. The wide-ranging Senate bill (SB 1610) comes after numerous other proposals have been filed in the House and Senate to …
Formal Lab-Grown Fake Meat Agreement is “What Consumers Deserve”
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President Jennifer Houston released the following statement in response to the formal agreement announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on lab-grown fake meat oversight: “The formal agreement announced today (03-07-19) solidifies USDA’s lead oversight role in the production and labeling of lab-grown fake meat products. This is what NCBA …
Annual Survey Finds 80% of Producers Believe Beef Checkoff Drives Beef Demand
Eighty percent of beef producers nationwide say the Beef Checkoff Program helps drive demand for beef. That is one major finding from a recent Producer Attitude Survey commissioned by the Checkoff – and conducted and reviewed by a third-party, independent research firm – to gauge beef producers’ awareness, overall sentiment and concerns about the program. Completed in January, the survey …