A Missouri omnibus agriculture bill contacting provisions against so-called fake meat has passed the state legislature. The language prohibits misrepresenting a product as meat that was not derived from harvested livestock. The Missouri House passed the bill 125-22 following previous passage in the Missouri Senate. Missouri became the first state to address the issue with legislation, sending a signal to …
Perdue, Conaway, and Groups Comment on Farm Bill Vote
Perdue on Farm Bill Vote in House of Representatives U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue issued the following statement regarding the initial vote on the 2018 Farm Bill in the U.S. House of Representatives: “A Farm Bill is necessary to provide our farmers, ranchers, foresters, and producers with the stability and predictability they need. Our farmers feed the people of …
Dairy Groups Applaud Defeat of Raw Milk Amendment to 2018 Farm Bill
Overwhelming opposition from a strong coalition of dairy farmers, processors, consumer groups, food safety advocates, federal and state public health regulators, the medical community, and other key stakeholders led to the defeat today of an amendment to the 2018 House Farm Bill that would have allowed the interstate sale of unpasteurized milk. Amendment 30, offered by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), …
House Expects Farm Bill Vote on Friday
The House of Representatives continues its debate on the 2018 Farm Bill through Thursday evening, with the final vote on passage coming up on Friday. The Hagstrom Report says House Republican leadership and House Ag Chair Michael Conaway are still trying to round up enough Republican votes to guarantee passage. No Democrats will vote for the bill because of changes …
NAFTA 2.0 Likely Not Done This Year
At the Thursday, May 17 deadline for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) negotiations, there isn’t an agreement in place and no end in sight to negotiations. Politico says divisions among negotiators from the U.S., Mexico, and Canada on difficult issues are driving a stake through the heart of President Donald Trump’s goal of signing a new agreement into …
Cargill Survey: Consumers Believe Their Food is Safe
A recent survey by Cargill shows that approximately three-quarters of Americans plan to grab an apron and spatula to get grilling as the weather warms up. As consumers grill steaks, chicken, and burgers this year, Cargill wanted to find out if consumers trust that their food is safe. 94 percent of Americans believe that their food is safe as grilling …
China Looking to Russia for Soybeans
The world’s biggest importer of soybeans, China, almost tripled soybean purchases from Russia amid a growing trade dispute with the U.S. A Bloomberg report says Russia sold approximately 850,000 metric tons over the most recent twelve-month season. That compares to 340,000 tons sold during the previous period. China has already canceled several soybean purchases from the U.S. in anticipation of …
Culver’s Raises Over $100,000 for Agriculture Education
A $1 scoop of frozen custard at Culver’s recently went a long way in supporting local agricultural education at various Culver’s restaurants. Culver’s recent “Scoops of Thanks Day” at 650 restaurants around the country involved customers making a $1 donation for a single scoop of frozen custard. The project raised more than $111,000 dollars for local ag education during the …
Perdue Applauds Red Tape Reduction for Farmers
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue applauded the removal of a burdensome regulation that has long plagued family farms. The rule requiring producers to obtain Data Universal Number System (DUNS) and System for Award Management (SAM) numbers to participate in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) programs has been eliminated. Congress included this repeal in the …
Under Secretary McKinney to Lead Southern China Trade Mission
U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Ted McKinney will lead a trade mission to Guangzhou and Shenzhen, China, May 21-May 25, accompanied by a diverse delegation of agribusiness and state government leaders looking to establish new business connections in southern China. Southern China is a major import hub and a growing market for U.S. …