The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) announced that it does not expect to purchase and sell sugar under the Feedstock Flexibility Program for crop year 2018 (fiscal year 2019). The CCC is required by law to quarterly announce estimates of sugar to be purchased and sold under the Feedstock Flexibility Program based on crop and consumption …
Farm Bill Differences Remain
Lawmakers met this week on the farm bill, making “good progress.” However, major differences remain between the House and Senate bills that the conference committee will address next week. Congress returns next week with 16 days in-session scheduled for the Senate in September, and 11 in-session days in the House of Representatives. That means differences in the farm bill must …
Administration on E15: “Let’s Get it Done”
Year-round E15 sales are nearing reality. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue told reports in Boone, Iowa at the Farm Progress Show that he has spoken with the President, who wants to make an announcement next week. Perdue told the Iowa City Gazette he received a phone call from the White House while attending the outdoor farm show. Trump told Perdue “let’s …
Texas Rep. Says Farm Bill Must Meet Objectives
A U.S. Representative from West-Texas says the farm bill must ensure a strong, viable ag sector. Republican Jodey Arrington, a member of the farm bill conference committee, penned an editorial this week. The congressman says the mission of the committee is clear: “to establish policies that support a vibrant agriculture economy, strengthen rural communities, maintain food security in America and …
Beef and Pork Export Values Expected to Soften in 2019
The tit-for-tat trade war with China means a lower forecast for the value of U.S. beef and pork exports next year. The Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service said in its latest quarterly Situation and Outlook Report released this week that forecasts total exports of beef, pork, dairy, poultry and other livestock products combined are expected to decline $300 million …
Environmental Groups Urge EPA to Revoke Dicamba Approval
Environmental groups are using the courts to argue against renewing approval of dicamba. The groups are arguing that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) failed to analyze the risks of now Bayer’s dicamba-based weed killer posed to nearby crops before approving it in 2016, according to Reuters. Monsanto, a unit of Bayer, urged the court to dismiss the lawsuit. Bayer expects …
Companies Targeted by Senator Sanders Fire Back
Companies targeted by Senator Bernie Sanders are firing back, calling his statements inaccurate in his accusations over food stamps. Sanders plans to introduce legislation that would require large companies, specifically, Amazon, Walmart, and others, to pay a 100 percent tax on government benefits to their employees, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, a significant portion of the farm bill. Amazon …
USDA Scientist Receives the Borlaug Field Award
The World Food Prize Foundation announced that Matthew Rouse, a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientist, is the winner of the 2018 Norman Borlaug Award for Field Research and Application, endowed by the Rockefeller Foundation, at the Sustainable Development Goals Conference in the Netherlands. The award recognizes exceptional, science-based achievements of individuals under the age of 40, who have advanced human development …
Fast Track Rejected in Conservation Funding Case
An appeals court this week turned down a request by environmental groups to quickly move a major conservation-funding case to the Florida Supreme Court. Attorneys for the state House and Senate last month appealed a Leon County circuit judge’s ruling that said lawmakers did not properly carry out a 2014 constitutional amendment that requires spending on land and water conservation. …
Soil Health Questions Non-Operator Landowners Should Ask Their Farmers
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) wants to help non-operator landowners and tenant farmers work together to build land that’s healthy, resilient, and productive. Soil Health Questions Non-Operator Landowners Should Ask Their Farmers Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Enhancement Board Provides Significant Support For ResearchDecember 19, 2025Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Considers Efforts Important to Cattle Producers in FloridaDecember 12, 2025Commitment From Florida …