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 …
FY-18 Plans Head Agenda for National Peanut Board Quarterly Meeting
The National Peanut Board has scheduled its quarterly Board and committee meetings for December 5-6 at the Washington Marriott at Metro Center, 775 12th Street NW, Washington, D. C. “In 2018, we will continue making peanuts relevant to millennials to move toward our goal of becoming America’s undisputed favorite nut,” said Bob Parker, National Peanut Board’s president, and CEO. “And, with …
Fixing the Dairy Safety Net
The dairy safety net in the farm bill needs to be fixed. Scott Brown, University of Missouri dairy economist, says the thing he’d like to see is more participation in the safety net, known as the Margin Protection Program (MPP). “The last thing I’d like to see is a disaster happen and no one has signed up for the program,” …
Ten Things Canada Wants From NAFTA Modernization
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) negotiations get going again in Mexico City on November 15. While the contentious issues like dairy supply management get a lot of headlines, there are quite a few items the countries do agree on. Shaun Haney covers Canadian agriculture for the website Real Agriculture Dot Com. He tells Farm Journal’s Ag Web Dot Com …
Cautious Optimism Ahead in Grain, Ethanol Markets
CoBank says rising incomes around the globe will help push demand higher and create more opportunities for U.S. exports in grains, oilseeds, and ethanol. A new report from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange Division says things like commodity surpluses around the globe, trade agreement negotiations, and the relative strength of key currencies all will influence the scope of growth over the next …
NAFTA Withdrawal Contingency Plans
Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue says he’s in the process of drawing up contingency plans for the agriculture industry, in case the U.S. withdraws from the North American Free Trade Agreement. The Washington Examiner says those comments come just days ahead of the fifth round of talks between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. There hasn’t been a lot of measurable progress …
Farmers Should Focus on Effective Tax Rate
Congress is just starting to consider changes to the federal tax code. As the process unfolds, AFBF economist Veronica Nigh says the effective tax rate is the most important factor for farmers when it comes to federal taxes. Nigh says there are three main factors that impact farmers within the federal tax code. Because of where the majority of …
Secretary Perdue Launches Veteran Resources at USDA
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the launch of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) resources to provide comprehensive and timely support to veterans interested in opportunities in agriculture, agribusiness, and in rural America. The resources include a new website and a USDA-wide AgLearn curriculum to allow all employees to understand the unique opportunities offered to our nation’s veterans. “From the beginning …
USDA to Measure Final 2017 Row Crop Production and Grain Stocks with Two End-of-Year Surveys
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is encouraging producers to respond to two upcoming surveys – the December Agricultural Survey and the County Agricultural Production Survey – that are critical to row crop producers around the country. The results of the surveys help determine the structure of the 2017 farm payment and risk management programs administered …