Strong June results capped a tremendous first half of 2018 for U.S. beef exports. That’s according to USDA data compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation. June pork exports were lower than a year ago for the second straight month, but first-half volume and value remained ahead of last year’s pace. Beef muscle cut exports set a new volume record …
Soybean Analyst Says China May Have to Buy More U.S. Soybeans
In spite of an ongoing trade war between the world’s two largest economies, China may actually have to start buying U.S. soybeans in the near future. A Reuters report says oil seed analysis organization Oil World, based in Germany, says South American countries can’t supply all the soybeans that China needs. China is the world’s largest soybean buyer and has …
EQIP Providing Assistance to Many Farming Operations
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has various programs that can benefit producers and landowners in many ways. One is the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP), which provides financial and technical assistance to producers in addressing natural resource concerns and delivering environmental benefits like improved water and air quality. NRCS Acting Chief Leonard Jordan has more. …
U.S. Poultry Gains New Market Access in Morocco
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced today that the government of Morocco has agreed to allow commercial imports of U.S. poultry meat and products into Morocco for the first time. “The Trump Administration continues to prioritize the opening of new markets for U.S. agricultural products. This new access to the Moroccan market is …
Smithfield Foods Hit with Hefty Penalty in North Carolina
A federal jury in North Carolina decided on Friday that Smithfield Foods would have to pay a hefty dollar amount of $473.5 million dollars to neighbors of three of the company’s large hog farms. The neighbors had filed an unreasonable nuisance lawsuit because of odors, flies, and large trucks rumbling down the road. The jury says Smithfield owes the compensation …
Ag Holds Roundtable on Lawsuit Abuse
A special agriculture roundtable discussion took place on Friday in Raleigh, North Carolina. The goal was to highlight a recent wave of nuisance lawsuits in the state targeting hog farms. Lawmakers and agricultural leaders discussed the growing threat to farmers and how out-of-state lawyers are using nuisance lawsuits to get around states’ right-to-farm laws. The discussion included the economic impact …
Farm Futures Releases Crop Production Survey
The growing season has been wide and varied for America’s corn and soybean crops. Harvest seems to be on track for good, but not great yields. That’s according to a Farm Futures August crop production survey. However, even above average yields for the sixth-straight year could leave prices struggling, especially in a soybean market that’s getting hammered by tariffs on …
Chinese Ag Tariff List Grows Longer
China announced on Friday that it’s ready and willing to put tariffs on another $60 billion worth of American imports. If it follows through on the threat, the total tariff bill on American goods will be $130 billion. Agriculture continues to be on the hit list. Politico says an informal translation of the new list includes hops, maple syrup, whey …
African Swine Fever Found in China
The Swine Health Information Center says the first case of African Swine Fever was found in China last Friday. Farm Journal’s Pork Network says the outbreak was located in the northeast part of the country, which is a swine-dense area just 130 miles from the North Korean border. The infection was found on a small farm with 383 pigs. 47 …
Innovative Approach to Breeding Could Mean Higher Yields and Better Crops
Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in Albany, California, have found a way to streamline the process that scientists use to insert multiple genes into a crop plant, developing a reliable method that will make it easier to breed a variety of crops with vastly improved traits. The technology is expected to speed up the process for developing new varieties of …