Christmas is a time of reflection, and a time of giving and receiving – whether we deserve and understand the gifts or not. It’s called grace. This Christmas, we’d like to thank the farmers of this nation, who generously bless us all – friends and strangers alike – with the fruits of their labor. Farmers’ fields and pastures are why …
Last Minute 2017 Legislation Efforts Benefit Dairy Farmers
Congress spent the final few weeks of the year addressing legislation that benefits dairy farmers. Starting with the tax bill, the legislation means lower taxes for dairy farmers. However, that wasn’t the case in the original legislation, according to National Milk Producers Federation spokesperson Chris Galen. Tax While the Section 199 deduction was eliminated in the approved version of the …
United States Hogs and Pigs Inventory Up 2 Percent
As of December 1, there were 73.2 million hogs and pigs on U.S. farms, up 2 percent from December 2016, but down slightly from September 1, 2017, according to the Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report published today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Other key findings in the report were: Of the 73.2 million hogs …
USDA Issues Permit for Santa’s Reindeer
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) issued a movement permit to Mr. S. Claus of the North Pole, a broker with Worldwide Gifts, Unlimited. The permit will allow reindeer to enter and exit the United States between the hours of 7 p.m. December 24, 2017 and 7 a.m. December 25, 2017, through or …
NCC Applauds House Passage of Supplemental Funding Bill with Cotton Policy
The National Cotton Council (NCC) applauds the House of Representatives for advancing its Supplemental Appropriations bill that includes critically needed policy to restore eligibility for cotton in the Title I ARC/PLC programs of the farm bill. “NCC has been working with Congress for over two years to seek a legislative solution to improve the effectiveness of the cotton safety net …
Foreign Ag Service Contributes to Export Success
International trade was an economic driver for rural America in 2017. U.S. farm and food exports totaled $140.5 billion for the fiscal year, which is the third-highest number on record. USDA Foreign Ag Service Acting Administrator Holly Higgins says she’s proud of the role her agency plays in promoting exports. “Those exports generate 20 percent of U.S. farm income, stimulate …
Hops Industry Toasting This Holiday Season
There’s an awful lot for the hops industry to be toasting to this holiday season. The USDA Economic Research Service released numbers this week showing that hops production in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington jumped 20 percent this year to a record 104 million pounds. While there are other states that produce hops, those three states account for the bulk of …
Infrastructure Overhaul Talks to Begin in January
South Dakota Republican John Thune, Chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, will be very involved with President Trump’s $1 billion plan to overhaul the nation’s infrastructure in January. A Pro Transportation report says Thune, a rural-state senator, has valuable insights on what farmers and Ag businesses will be looking for in infrastructure investments. Thune says there were few problems with …
Groups Want Tax-Extender Bill Passed in 2017
More than 50 groups representing a wide scope of businesses sent a letter this week to Congress asking for approval of a multi-year extension of a series of expired tax credits. The groups attaching their names to the letter represent energy, agriculture, business, transportation, and real estate. The groups, which include the American Farm Bureau and National Biodiesel Board, say …
Setting Aside Money In Case of NAFTA Failure?
A Politico report shows just how worried some lawmakers are about the potential failure of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) negotiations. Officials began talking on Tuesday about putting together a potential bailout of sorts for farmers. During a conference call Tuesday morning, Iowa Republican Senator Chuck Grassley said he was going to ask U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer …