The Retiring National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President offers his final review on the state of the beef industry. Nebraska cattle feeder and producer, Craig Uden, will give up the mantle of president of NCBA, and pass it on to President-elect Kevin Kester of California this week, during the NCBA and Cattle Industry Convention in Phoenix, Arizona. He offered some insight …
Farmers Pressuring Trump Administration on Trade
Agriculture groups have increased their pressure on the U.S. to negotiate and modernize the North American Free Trade Agreement, rather than withdraw. U.S. Representative Ron Kind, a Democrat from Wisconsin, says farmers voices are being heard by the president and trade negotiators. Trade Kind, who supports modernizing the trade agreement, says there are ways to improve the agreement without losing …
Perdue Unveils Farmers.gov, Interactive Website for Agricultural Producers
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today unveiled Farmers.gov, the new interactive one-stop website for producers maintained by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Farmers.gov is now live but will have multiple features added over the coming months to allow agricultural producers to make appointments with USDA offices, file forms, and apply for USDA programs. The website, launched at a breakfast …
USDA/NIFA Announces Support for Veterinary Medical Loan Repayment
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced the availability of funding to help eligible veterinarians offset a significant portion of the debt incurred in pursuit of their veterinary medicine degrees in return for their service in certain high-priority veterinary shortage situations. Funding is made through NIFA’s Veterinary Medical Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP), authorized …
2017 Georgia Quality Cotton Award Winners
The 2017 Georgia Quality Cotton Awards were presented at the Georgia Cotton Commission 11th Annual Meeting and UGA Cotton Production Workshop on January 31, 2018 in Tifton, GA. The awards are co-sponsored by the Georgia Cotton Commission and Bayer CropScience, and administered by the University of Georgia Cotton Team. The purpose of the awards are to recognize producers and ginners …
CattleFax Predicts Large Supply and Strong Demand in 2018
CattleFax celebrated its 50th anniversary during the popular CattleFax Outlook Session at the 2018 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show. CattleFax Senior Analyst Kevin Good highlighted the industry’s profitability during 2017 and said the trend looks to continue into 2018. CattleFax analysts told the audience U.S beef cow inventory increased 2.8 million head in four years, and an additional 200,000-400,000 …
UF/IFAS Rethinking Forest Protection; Hosts UN Expert as Lecturer
With trees, we enjoy healthier air, shade, a way to store carbon, economic opportunities and much more. Without them, we could wind up with a devastated ecosystem and much lost revenue, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researchers say. In fact, Florida’s forest industry generated $12.5 billion in sales in 2016, according to recent UF/IFAS economic research. …
AVMA Urges Congressional Action on Veterinary Shortages
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) says veterinary shortages are threatening animal health, public health and the livelihoods of farmers and ranchers. The association Wednesday urged Congress to help address the issue by passing legislation called the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program Enhancement Act. Data from the Department of Agriculture shows that 187 regions in the United States currently suffer …
USDA Rejects Poultry Line Speed Request
The Department of Agriculture (USDA) has denied a request by the National Chicken Council to allow for faster processing line speeds in packing plants. The decision follows a petition from NCC asking for young chicken plants to be exempt from the 140-birds-per-minute maximum line speed under the New Poultry Inspection System. USDA says the petition asked for no line speed …
EPA, Army Corps, Sign WOTUS Delay
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt has signed an order to block the Waters of the U.S. Rule. A hold of the rule placed in 2015 will soon be lifted by a federal appeals court following the Supreme Court ruling that says jurisdiction of the rule lies in federal district courts, not appeals courts. Pruitt appeared at the National …