It was announced in a release that Bayer had successfully completed the acquisition of Monsanto, but no branding changes will take place just yet. Monsanto will operate independently from Bayer for an interim period while Bayer completes the sale of some of its businesses to BASF. According to the conditional approval from the U.S. Department of Justice, the integration of Monsanto …
‘Got Milk?’: UF Experts Provide Facts, Tips for National Dairy Month
“Milk Does a Body Good” is not just an advertising slogan. It’s a way to get people to drink the dairy product, because it offers so many nutrients, says a University of Florida expert. But first, cows must produce milk. As we celebrate June as National Dairy Month, some UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences experts tout the benefits …
More Tariffs From Mexico Planned
More tariffs are expected from Mexico after the nation announced its 20 percent tariff on U.S. pork earlier this week. The list of tariffs from Mexico includes apples, cheeses, potatoes, cranberries, and “Tennessee” and bourbon whiskies, among other items. Mexico is responding to U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs enacted by President Trump and put into place last week, after exempting …
Canada Seeking Answers Regarding U.S. Farmer Support Funds
Canada wants the U.S. to explain an additional $30 billion made available to support farmers harmed by trade woes, and how the U.S. might distribute the funds. Canada made the request through the World Trade Organization last week. Canada’s written question asked the United States to explain the U.S. Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, in which Congress lifted certain restrictions …
No RFS Changes From the White House, For Now
President Trump indicated he would not be signing a White House proposal that was “bad for farmers,” referring to the proposal offering changes to the Renewable Fuel Standard. The pledge followed an apparent conversation with Iowa Senator Joni Ernst. Further, the comments came the same day Ernst criticized Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt over his handling of the …
More Than 20,000 Dairy Farms Have Signed up for MPP
The Department of Agriculture this week said more than 20,000 dairy farmers have enrolled in the Dairy Margin Protection Program, which enrollment for closes Friday. USDA undersecretary Bill Northey told Politico he expects more producers to enroll in the program, compared to last year. In 2017, roughly 20,300 dairy farmers enrolled in the program, accounting for 64 percent of U.S. …
Court Sides Against R-CALF in COOL Dispute
A U.S. District Court this week said alleged financial harm to U.S. beef producers was “fairly traceable” to the Department of Agriculture. A lawsuit, filed by R-CALF USA, alleged that USDA was unlawfully allowing imported beef to be both sold to consumers without a country of origin label and sold to consumers with a “Product of USA” label, even if …
National Pork Board Elects New Officers
Steve Rommereim, a pork producer from South Dakota, was elected president of the National Pork Board at the organization’s June board meeting in Des Moines, Iowa, as part of the World Pork Expo. Rommereim is the owner, manager and operator of Highland Swine, which markets 10,000 pigs annually. He also grows corn and soybeans, as well as has a cow/calf …
USDA and FDA Announce Key Step to Advance Collaborative Efforts to Streamline Produce Safety Requirements for Farmers
As part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s ongoing effort to make the oversight of food safety stronger and more efficient, USDA and FDA announced the alignment of the USDA Harmonized Good Agricultural Practices Audit Program (USDA H-GAP) with the requirements of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act’s (FSMA’s) Produce Safety Rule. The new step is …
Ag Economy Barometer Monthly Results
Farmers showed more optimism in the latest Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer. The May survey reading was 141, 16 points higher than April and the highest since January of last year. A rating below 100 is negative, while a rating above 100 indicates positive sentiment regarding the agriculture industry. The rise in the barometer, a sentiment index derived from …