Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue says the purpose of renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement is to help the entire U.S. economy, including agriculture. Speaking recently to agricultural journalist, Perdue offered these comments regarding NAFTA. Additionally, Purdue says the Administration favors bilateral trade agreements. In the end, he says, is that the U.S. is looking for simple, fair reciprocity. From the …
UF/IFAS CALS Student Places First in International Graduate Student Competition
Debalina Saha, an environmental horticulture graduate assistant at the University of Florida, has always wanted to study how different mulches and herbicides affect weed growth. Her tenacity has paid off: Saha placed first in the International Plant Propagation Society Southern Region graduate student research competition at its 42nd annual conference. “Measuring light under different mulch depths was something that had …
Still Lobbying for Estate Tax Elimination
The advancing House and Senate tax reform bills differ on estate tax elimination but are similar on expensing, pass-through income, and other provisions important for agriculture. The House bill expected on the floor this week has key differences with its Senate counterpart on corporate and personal taxes, including those of keen interest to agriculture. The House phases out the estate …
Farmers Need Trade to Move Record Corn Crop
It’s no secret that American farmers produced another record corn crop, which means overseas market access will be a big key to limiting losses due to depressed corn prices. The Illinois Corn Growers Association says this is what farmers pencil out on paper to demonstrate why market access is so important to corn farmer profitability. “It looks like our ‘what …
Ethanol Industry Wants Brazil Status Suspended
The U.S. Ethanol industry wants U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to suspend Brazil’s designated country status under the Generalized System of Preferences. The groups want Lighthizer to make the move against Brazil because of its “protectionist and market-distorting actions in implementing a Tariff Rate Quota on American ethanol imports.” The Renewable Fuels Association, Growth Energy, and the U.S. Grains Council …
U.S. Gets WTO Win on Indonesia’s Beef Import Requirements
The World Trade Organization (WTO) ruled in favor of the U.S. in a dispute with Indonesia over its complex and vague import requirements for beef and beef products. The U.S. Meat Export Federation says the WTO report found that all 18 of the import measures challenged by the U.S. were inconsistent with WTO rules governing trade. The ruling marks the …
Organic Livestock Rule Delayed Until January
The U.S. Department of Ag announced it will delay the Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices Rule until January 19. The Hagstrom Report says the announcement was strongly criticized by several House Democrats but praised by House Ag Committee Chair Michael Conaway, a Texas Republican. There are several provisions under the rule, an example of which is requiring outdoor access for …
New Senate Hold on Ag Trade Nominee
Arizona Republican Jeff Flake has put a hold on the confirmation of Greg Doud, President Trump’s nominee to be the U.S. Trade Representative’s Chief Agricultural Negotiator. Politico says the hold involves concerns surrounding a controversial produce proposal that the United States has introduced into the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Negotiations. The seasonal produce proposal is aimed at protecting …
USDA honors 2 UF/IFAS faculty with teaching excellence awards
UF has most USDA teaching awards Two faculty members with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) received Excellence in Teaching honors from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The awards were announced at the annual meeting of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU) in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 12. The USDA presents awards …
UF/IFAS Celebrates Partnership as it Commemorates Century of CREC
Whether they’ve faced problems with pests, pathogens, soils, water or natural disasters, growers have turned to scientists at the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) for answers for the past 100 years. Scientists at the Citrus REC have worked with growers to help them produce the best fruit and juices available, UF/IFAS experts say. UF/IFAS officials, other dignitaries and …