The Senate Agriculture Committee convened a hearing on Tuesday and expressed a great deal of concern over the trade strategy of President Donald Trump and its effects on the U.S. farm economy. Politico says farm-state senators used the opportunity to direct Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue to impress on the Trump administration just how sensitive commodity markets are to trade actions. …
Soybean Growers Talking Tariffs, Trade on Capitol Hill
American Soybean Association farmer-leaders from across the country are on Capitol Hill this week to talk with lawmakers about the potential impact of Chinese tariffs on U.S. soybeans. ASA President John Heisdorffer says China purchases 61 percent of U.S. soybean exports, as well as 30 percent of the overall U.S. soybean production. “In short, trade with China matters and is …
USDA Rural Development Innovation Center Launches Interactive Webpage
To Share Best Practices for Rural Economic Development Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett today unveiled a new interactive webpage to identify best practices for building rural prosperity. “Rural communities need forward-thinking strategies to build strong, resilient futures,” Hazlett said. “USDA’s Rural Development Innovation Center is focused on identifying unique opportunities, pioneering new, creative solutions to tough challenges, …
Secretary Perdue Commemorates First Year at USDA
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue commemorated his first year at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) by releasing a new interactive website and USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue: Year One video(below). In his first year, Secretary Perdue and the USDA team made breakthroughs in agricultural trade, moved to reduce burdensome regulations, responded to natural disasters, and battled through the worst fire season on …
Agricultural Broadband Bill Important Milestone, Farm Bureau Says
The Senate Commerce Committee approved S. 2343, the Precision Agriculture Connectivity Act of 2018. The bipartisan bill is an important milestone in delivering broadband service crucial to the operation of modern farming equipment. The bill would create a task force to focus on the connectivity and technology needs of modern farmers who are too often without broadband in the fields …
National FFA Presents Bill to Amend Federal Charter on House Floor
A new bill amending the charter of the National FFA Organization was introduced in the House yesterday by Representatives Glenn Thompson (R-Penn.), and Representative Jim Langevin (D-R.I.). Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.), Donnelly (D-Ind.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), and Doug Jones (D-Ala.) introduced legislation in the Senate in February. The charter, which originally passed as Public Law 81-740 in the 1950s, publicly …
UF Shares Poultry Health Research with Commercial Farmers in Syria
The conflict in Syria has caused more than $16 billion in crop and livestock losses and destroyed farming assets, according to a 2017 report from the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization. Since 2011, household livestock ownership in the war-torn nation has plummeted, down by 47 percent for poultry, the report states. Against that backdrop, in an area deemed not …
EPA Administrator Faces “Watershed” Moment
Scott Pruitt, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is approaching his two separate committee hearings in the House of Representatives with sagging support on the hill. Even his most dedicated backers are starting to express concerns about the controversies surrounding the administrator that have continued to swirl. Oklahoma Senator Jim Inhofe, perhaps his biggest ally in Congress, even says …
Sorghum Prices Falls Three Times Lower After China Tariff Announcement
Grain-handling company Scoular tells Bloomberg that sorghum bids in the Gulf of Mexico have all but disappeared in the wake of a Chinese decision to impose a 179 percent tariff on U.S. imports. Bob Ludington oversees the Omaha, Nebraska-based company’s grain and oilseed division, and says there’s been very little trade. While some U.S. grain elevators are still bidding for …
Farmers for Free Trade Report Highlights Damage from Chinese Retaliation
Farmers for Free Trade released a new report that highlights the significant impact that Chinese retaliation from steel and aluminum tariffs will have on a number of U.S. industries. The report shows that many American commodities will be hit hard, including U.S. wine, almonds, walnuts, pork, cherry, and several other commodities. The report also says certain states’ economies will be …