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 …

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 …

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 …

Food Waste Resonates Beyond the Trash Bin

Here’s a thought to chew on before you toss out that unfinished meal or oddly shaped fruit or vegetable: U.S. consumers waste nearly a pound of food per person per day. So says a study published by a team of Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and university scientists in the journal PLOS ONE. That food waste, in turn, is equivalent to about one-third the …

Perdue Comments Regarding Chinese Duties on U.S. Sorghum

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today issued the following statement regarding China’s announcement of duties of almost 179 percent on U.S. sorghum imports: “The international grain market is about the freest market there is, and it is ludicrous to even mention ‘dumping,’ because China can buy product from anywhere they choose. This is clearly a political decision by the …