USDA Awards Agricultural Trade Promotion Program Funding

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded $200 million to 57 organizations through the Agricultural Trade Promotion Program (ATP) to help U.S. farmers and ranchers identify and access new export markets. The ATP is one of three USDA programs created to mitigate the effects of unjustified trade retaliation against U.S. farmers and exporters. …

NCBA Announces 2019 Policy Priorities

Fake Meat, Trade, Dietary Guidelines, Regulatory Relief Top List The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) released its official Policy Priorities for 2019. The release came as approximately 10,000 members of the cattle industry joined together for its annual convention and NCBA Trade Show, which is being held this week in New Orleans. This year’s Policy Priorities include a mix of familiar and …

Markets Expected to Continue Strong; Leverage Shift on the Horizon

During the first half of 2019, the United States will see a shift away from El Niño conditions as equatorial ocean currents begin to cool into the summer, Art Douglas, Ph. D., professor emeritus at Creighton University, told the audience during the popular 2019 CattleFax Outlook Seminar today. The session, held as part of the 2019 Cattle Industry Convention and …

Stockmanship & Stewardship Program Announces Dates, Locations for 2019 Campaign

NCBA Producer Education Program to Feature Five Merck, Checkoff Supported Events Five sessions of the Stockmanship & Stewardship program will be conducted in 2019 to help bring cattle producers together for further education on proper stockmanship techniques, including local stewardship that is appropriate for their regions. The sessions were announced during the 2019 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show …

Senators Perdue, Isakson Continue Fight For Agriculture Disaster Relief

Introduce Package To Assist Farmers Recovering From Hurricane, Wildfire Damage U.S. Senators David Perdue (R-GA) and Johnny Isakson (R-GA) introduced a supplemental disaster relief package to provide critical funding for Georgia and other states recovering from recent hurricane and wildfire damage. “Farmers in Georgia and other states across the country are hurting from historic hurricanes and devastating wildfires,” said Senator Perdue, …

Challenges after Shutdown

Federal agencies that serve farmers and many others are back in business this week, but the challenges in getting services back up to speed after the longest shutdown ever will be daunting. USDA, USTR, EPA, the IRS and other agencies will take weeks or months to recover from the 35-day partial government shutdown as they deal with mountains of backlogged …

Geaux Time: Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show Kicks Off in New Orleans

Nearly 8,000 cattlemen and cattlewomen were on-hand in New Orleans for the official start of the 2019 Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show. The event runs through February 2, 2019, bringing together producers from across the country. “Every year the Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show hosts members from every segment of the beef industry,” said NCBA President …

Farmers, Ranchers Need USMCA

The following statement can be attributed to American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall: “Farmers need the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), and the sooner the better. U.S. agriculture needs strong trade agreements to access customers around the world and grow our farm economy. We are grateful for the Administration’s work to move this agreement forward. We urge Congress to finish …

Study Shows Trade Agreements by Competitors will Threaten U.S. Dairy Exports to Japan

A study released by the U.S. Dairy Export Council projects that new trade agreements between Japan and other countries will put U.S. dairy exports at a competitive disadvantage, resulting in lost U.S. sales of $5.4 billion over 21 years. The Japanese dairy market, the fourth-largest export destination for U.S. dairy exports, is expected to continue to grow in years to …