With the year drawing to a close, the U.S. Department of agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is preparing for 2018 with renewed vigor, building on its scientific and technological accomplishments to date—from a food nutrient database that consumers can access with the click of a mouse to a natural tire rubber made from guayule, a small flowering shrub native …
Expanding U.S. Commodity Markets Top Priority for USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service
64.5 billion pounds of fruit and vegetables, and 44.4 billion eggs graded/inspected domestically The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announced the agency facilitated the export of more than $3.8 billion of American produced agricultural products in Fiscal Year 2017 through its Export Verification (EV), grading and classing programs. In a major victory for U.S. beef producers, …
NASS Research, Survey, and Technology Advancements in 2017 Serve U.S. Agriculture
Census of Agriculture is Updated for New Agricultural Trends and Ease of Responding The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) has advanced a number of programs in 2017 to serve U.S. agriculture with customer- and data-driven improvements. Among these enhancements are changes to the every-five-year census of agriculture, which officially launched at the end of November …
FSA – A Vital Source of Assistance to America’s Farmers and Ranchers
Through the work of dedicated staff in over 2,100 county and state offices, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) provides vital farm safety-net assistance to agricultural producers across America. “We’ve seen recent challenges in farm income and commodity prices,” said Dr. Robert Johansson, Acting Deputy Under Secretary for the Farm Production and Conservation mission area. “The …
DuPont Pioneer Confirms Iowa Layoffs
DuPont Pioneer officials earlier this week confirmed the company has laid off “an undisclosed number of workers” in Iowa. A spokesperson for the company said the layoffs are an effort to “integrate our operations and establish a streamlined, efficient, built-for-purpose organization.” DuPont and Dow Chemical closed their $150 billion merger this fall, with plans of creating several smaller companies, including …
Canada On-farm Bovine TB Testing Concludes
Canada has concluded on-farm testing for bovine tuberculosis after the fall 2016 outbreak in Alberta. The TB investigation has been underway since September of last year, when Canadian officials got notice from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that a cow from Alberta had tested TB-positive at a U.S. slaughter plant, and later found six confirmed cases. The Canadian Food Inspection …
Canada Executives Urging Trudeau to Join U.S.-Free TPP
Business leaders in Canada are trying to sway Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to join the now U.S.-free Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal. In an open letter, more than a dozen business leaders are telling Trudeau to join the pact that the U.S. left earlier this year. Canada-based Business News Network reports the letter doesn’t specifically mention the threat of a …
Agriculture Secretary Perdue Comments on Tax Reform
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue calls the recently passed tax reform bill a “once-in-a-generation” reform of the federal tax code. Calling tax reform an eagerly awaited Christmas present for taxpayers, Perdue says “tax paying people of American agriculture need relief.” In his statement, Perdue offered thanks to President Trump and commended Congress for passage of the legislation. He says most family …
Congressional Ag Leaders Applaud Tax Bill Passage
Leaders of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees say the just-passed tax bill delivers lower taxes for farmers and ranchers. House Ag Chair Mike Conaway says: “From lower marginal rates to the treatment of pass-through income to improved small business expensing, this bill delivers for farmers, ranchers and all rural America.” Meanwhile, Senate Agriculture Chairman Pat Roberts says the legislation …
Sweet Orange Scab Affecting Citrus Fruit Detected in Baldwin County
U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) officials have confirmed the first detection of sweet orange scab (SOS) in Alabama. The fruit sample was collected in Baldwin County by Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries’ (ADAI) plant protection inspectors during a delimiting survey for citrus greening disease. The Auburn University Plant Diagnostic Clinic provided the initial diagnosis of SOS, and USDA Animal …