Early bird registration is now open for the 95th annual Agricultural Outlook Forum (AOF), the largest annual meeting of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). This two-day event will take place on Feb. 21-22, 2019, at the Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel in Arlington, Va. This year’s forum, which is being held under the theme “Growing Locally, Selling Globally,” highlights current issues and …
Cell-based Meat Summit Leading to Joint Regulatory Action
The Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration is inching towards a joint regulatory approach for cell-cultured, or so-called lab-grown meats. Agri-Pulse reports Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb “drew no lines in the sand” throughout a two-day meeting on the subject. Gottlieb told reporters that FDA and USDA have worked together in the past, …
Trump Hints at Naming Wheeler Permanent EPA Administrator
President Donald Trump may be planning to permanently place Andrew Wheeler as Environmental Protection Agency Administrator. Pro Farmer reports that Trump this week said of Wheeler: “He is acting, but he is doing well, right? So maybe he won’t be so acting for so long.” President Trump made the comments during the White House’s State Leadership Day Conference. Acting roles …
EWP Helps Landowners after a Natural Disaster
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) wants to remind landowners that if your area suffered damage from Hurricane Michael, the Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWP) can help relieve imminent hazards to life and property. EWP Helps Landowners after a Natural Disaster Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsJuly 1, 2026FL Cattle Enhancement Board Wraps up Funding YearJune 30, 2026Florida Cattle …
China Blames Food Scraps for ASF Outbreak
China says the outbreak of African swine fever likely stems from the feeding of food scraps to pigs. China’s agriculture ministry Wednesday moved to ban the feeding of kitchen waste to pigs after more than 40 outbreaks of the disease have been reported since early August. China has not said how the disease first entered the country, but officials found …
China-owned Smithfield Foods Eligible for U.S. Trade Relief
China-owned Smithfield Foods is eligible for payments under the $12 billion aid package for farmers. The Washington Post reports word of the eligibility has made smaller pork producers unhappy. The Virginia-based, but China-owned, pork company can apply for federal money under a program created this summer. JBS of Brazil is also eligible to apply. The Department of Agriculture announced the …
China Wants to Stop Buying U.S. Soybeans
The biggest move by China against the U.S. in the tit-for-tat trade war could be a movement towards abandoning U.S. soybeans. China, facing a potential shortage following its 25 percent tariff on U.S. soybeans, is already purchasing from other suppliers and proposing to cut the amount of protein used in livestock feeds. CNN reports that one of China’s top feed …
President Trump to Speak at the 91st National FFA Convention & Expo
The president will be attending the National FFA Convention & Expo on Saturday, Oct. 27, 2018, during the ninth general session at Bankers Life Fieldhouse and will address the FFA members. Over time, it is has become a tradition of the National FFA Organization to invite the sitting president to make remarks during its annual national convention and expo. Former …
UF/IFAS Employees Help Hard-Hit North Florida REC
Scientists at the UF/IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center — particularly its Marianna facility — may take a while to fully recover their research after it was damaged by Hurricane Michael, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences administrators say. In Marianna, five center pivots – irrigation systems — were turned over and damaged, said Glen Aiken, …
USDA Announces Update to National Road Map for Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the first update since 2013 of the National Road Map for Integrated Pest Management (IPM) (PDF, 340 KB). The update culminates a yearlong review by the Federal Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Coordinating Committee (FIPMCC), a joint effort that is coordinated by the Office of Pest Management Policy in the Office of USDA’s Chief Economist with representatives of …