Throughout each year, pig farmers give back to their community. Pork Checkoff public relations manager Claire Masker says that is especially evident during this time of the year. Giving For the second straight year, the Pork Checkoff has organized the #HamsAcrossAmerica campaign. Campaign Earlier this week, the National Pork Board, the Iowa Pork Producers Association, Smithfield Foods and PrairieFresh Premium …
Canadian Dairy Program Beginning to Negatively Affect Other Countries
Dairy has been a major sticking point between the U.S. and Canada during the North American Free Trade Agreement negotiations. The issue may actually get worse as Canada is now sending subsidized milk powder to Mexico. Jaime Castaneda, senior vice president of strategic initiatives and trade with the National Milk Producers Federation says Canada is trying to have its cake …
NIFA Funds Food Safety and Nutrition to Promote Safe Food Supply
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced support for research, education, and extension projects that promote a safe, nutritious food supply. The funding is made possible through NIFA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program, authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill. “Each year, 1 in 6 Americans gets sick consuming contaminated foods or …
Financial Assistance Available to West Alabama Landowners Interested in Forestry Initiative
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Alabama State Conservationist Ben Malone announced a collaborative effort to reach forestry landowners will continue in West Alabama. NRCS Alabama will partner with the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities, Federation of Southern Cooperatives (FSC), the Limited Resource Landowners Educational and Assistance Network (LRLEAN), and the Alabama Forestry Commission (AFC) to provide assistance to …
Dairy Producers Reminded of December 15 Deadline
USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) reminds dairy producers that December 15, 2017 is the deadline to enroll for 2018 coverage in the Margin Protection Program (MPP-Dairy). Additional flexibility was added this year which provides dairy producers the option of opting out of the program for 2018. In order to opt out, a producer should not sign up during the annual registration …
EU Grants Glyphosate License Renewal
After two years of dispute, the European Union (EU) has extended the license for glyphosate for five years. Representatives from a majority of the EU’s 28 nations approved the five-year license renewal of glyphosate, the most widely used herbicide in the world. The unexpected move unblocked a two-year deadlock after the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer …
FSA County Election Deadline Looming
The deadline to return Farm Service Agency county committee election ballots is approaching. The Department of Agriculture says eligible producers must return the ballots to their local FSA office, or be postmarked by December 4th, 2017, to ensure their votes are counted. FSA acting administrator Steve Peterson says approximately 1.5 million producers are eligible to vote in this year’s election, …
Biodiesel Industry Lobbying for Tax Credit
Nearly 100 members of the National Biodiesel Board are on Capitol Hill this week encouraging lawmakers to reinstate the biodiesel tax credit, which expired in December 2016. As part of an annual fly-in to the Capitol, NBB members are meeting with lawmakers to support the tax credit to “stabilize the business environment” for the industry, according to NBB CEO Doug …
Eliminating Poultry Trade Barriers Part of NAFTA Negotiation Objectives
New items added to the list of negotiation objectives include eliminating Canadian tariffs on U.S. poultry as part of the next round of North American Free Trade Agreement talks. The next round of negotiations, scheduled for next month in Washington, D.C., will include the new objectives by U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, according to meat industry publication Meatingplace. Lighthizer recently …
Canada Group Issues Report on Trade Without NAFTA
A Canada-based financial group outlines trade without the North American Free Trade Agreement in a new report called “The Day After NAFTA.” BMO Financial Group of Montreal published the report that says the Canadian food and beverage industry would be highly vulnerable without NAFTA, and that Canadian and U.S. crop producers would face a moderate level of vulnerability. Specifically, Canadian …