The United States Cattlemen’s Association wants the Department of Agriculture to clarify the definition of beef. USCA late last week submitted a petition to USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service asking the agency for rulemaking on beef labeling to clarify for consumers what is beef derived from cattle and “beef” products created in a laboratory. USCA Presidet Kenny Graner says: …
Canada: Trade Problems Expected with the U.S. Even if NAFTA is Signed
Canada expects trade challenges from the U.S. will continue even if the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) talks are successful. A senior Canadian government official says: “Even if a new NAFTA were to be signed tomorrow I think we would still face a lot of turbulence in our relationship with the United States on trade.” Timothy Sargent, the top …
Former Ag Trade Negotiator Says Much Work Left on NAFTA
A former Obama administration trade official says there is too much left to do before the deadline for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) talks. Former Chief Agricultural Negotiator for the U.S. Trade Representative, Darci Vetter, told Agriculture.com the negotiations “have a long way to go.” Noting that some issues don’t have an assigned approach yet by the administration, …
USDA Helps Dairy and Beef Industries Reach More Domestic and Global Markets
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) made two announcements about its Animal Welfare Assessment Program (AWAP), which offers an independent assessment for industry animal welfare standards and programs. AWAP is a voluntary service for industry organizations that evaluates animal welfare standards for conformance with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Technical Specification (TS) 34700 – Animal Welfare …
McKinney Updates U.S. Grains Council on Trade Negotiations
USDA Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Affairs, Ted McKinney, addressed the delegates and members of the U.S. Grains Council early this week. He gave them updates on ongoing trade negotiations that will affect global grains market access. McKinney also announced a $1.3 million-dollar grant for Council feed industry training programs in North Africa and the Middle East. The U.S. …
South Korea Driving Recent Surge in U.S. Beef/Pork Exports
For the past year, South Korea has been one of the top global markets for U.S. beef and pork exports. The South Korean director for the U.S. Meat Export Federation says the American beef industry has been very successful in restoring consumer confidence in U.S. beef. Many Korean restaurants and retailers that were once reluctant to carry U.S. beef now …
Trump Budget Proposal Considered “DOA”
Presidential budget proposals have been dead on arrival before. However, the Hagstrom Report says no budget outline has been as dead as the one President Trump sent to members of Congress on Monday. No one in the entire American food chain seems happy with what they’ve seen. Everyone, from members of Congress to farm leaders, crop insurance executives, as well …
Feeding Minds Press Will Focus on Accurate Agriculture Books for Children
Bringing children accurate knowledge about how their food is grown is the goal of Feeding Minds Press, a new children’s book publishing venture from the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture. The new publisher’s first book will be “Right This Very Minute,” written by award-winning author Lisl Detlefsen. It is scheduled for release in January 2019. “‘Right This Very Minute’ …
ASA Hires Ryan Findlay as Chief Executive Officer
The American Soybean Association announced the selection of Ryan Findlay as its new Chief Executive Officer. Findlay replaces Stephen Censky, who left ASA in October of 2017 after confirmation by the U.S. Senate as Deputy Secretary of Agriculture. “ASA is extremely pleased to have found someone of Ryan’s caliber and experience to lead us into our next chapter as a …
Emissions Reporting Relief Bill a Breath of Fresh Air for Ag
The introduction of S. 2421, the Fair Agriculture Reporting Method (FARM) Act is a welcome relief to farmers and ranchers who will soon need to file unnecessary, low-level continuous air emissions reports under federal Superfund and emergency response laws. “Congress enacted Superfund and emergency response laws to provide the tools needed to quickly respond to hazardous waste emergencies. Emissions from …