House Agriculture Chairman Mike Conaway is hopeful the U.S. House will consider the 2018 farm bill next month. Conaway told reporters he wants to bring the bill to the full U.S. House in May, but says the must-pass National Defense Authorization Act will be taking up time on the floor in coming weeks, according to Politico. The bill faces a …
Perdue Announces New Senior Leaders at USDA
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the selection of senior leaders in several U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) agencies. Perdue appointed Ken Isley as Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) Administrator, Joel Baxley as Rural Housing Service (RHS) Administrator, and Martin Barbre as Risk Management Agency (RMA) Administrator. In addition, Perdue announced the appointment of Tommie Williams as Minister-Counselor for Agriculture …
Perdue Statement on House Committee Passage of 2018 Farm Bill
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue issued the following statement regarding approval of the 2018 Farm Bill by the House Committee on Agriculture: “I commend Chairman Conaway and the House Committee on Agriculture for passing a comprehensive Farm Bill out of the Committee. The bill closely aligns with the Farm Bill Principles released by USDA in January and is nearly identical to …
UF Leads Trend to Open Food Businesses with Workshops
Kimberly and George Vecchio wanted to reinvent their 20-acre farm near Vero Beach from mostly animals to produce so they could start a food business. Though George had been a gourmet chef for more than 20 years, they didn’t know how to start the new enterprise. “We didn’t know what questions to ask, or even where to start, even though …
Coalition Works to Expand Rural Broadband
A coalition of rural and farm groups are seeking to improve rural connectivity to broadband. The first in a series of workshops was held Wednesday at the Department of Agriculture. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai joined executives from the five partner organizations for the discussion. The coalition includes the Farm Foundation, The Rural …
Senators Call for National Security Review of Brazilian Acquisition of U.S. Beef Company
A group of U.S. Senators are calling for a national security review of the Brazilian acquisition of a U.S. beef company. Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa, along with Ranking Senate Agriculture Committee Member Debbie Stabenow, and others, are urging the Committee on Foreign Investment to review the proposed purchase of National Beef Packing Company by Brazil’s Marfrig Global Foods. The …
RFA: Early Evidence of Ethanol Demand Destruction
The Renewable Fuels Association says its found evidence that RIN waivers are destroying ethanol demand. The Environmental Protection Agency has been handing out hardship waivers “like candy,” according to refining executives. The waivers grant refiners a pass on RINs, the mechanism by which Renewable Fuel Standard compliance is tracked. Renewable Fuels Association executive vice president Geoff Cooper says the credits …
House Ag Committee Advances Agriculture and Nutrition Act
The House Agriculture Committee passed out of committee the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (H.R.2) – critical legislation to address the economic challenges facing the nation’s farmers and ranchers, while making historic investments in opportunities for SNAP recipients. Upon passage, Chairman K. Michael Conaway (TX-11) issued the below remarks: “Today’s vote was about America’s farmers and ranchers. It was …
Groups on House Agriculture Committee Approving 2018 Farm Bill
American Farm Bureau Federation: The following may be attributed to American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall: “The 2018 Farm Bill is ready for debate and amendments a mere six days after its introduction. A vote by the full House of Representatives is expected to soon follow. This is great news for farmers and ranchers everywhere. H.R. 2 – The …
UF/IFAS Joins 15 Other Universities in Telling Congress How They Feed the World
Federal Investment in Agricultural Research is Essential for US Farmers to Stay Competitive; FedByScience—Universities Telling Stories of Discovery—Launches Alongside 2018 Farm Bill China Has Outspent U.S. on Agriculture Research for the Past Decade; University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Joining National Initiative to Turn the Tables A new effort to boost federal investment in agricultural research—FedByScience—launched in …