A senior member of the Senate tax-writing committee expects estate tax repeal, a key for agriculture, to survive in a GOP-crafted tax reform proposal. GOP tax reform details are being announced this week and Former Senate Finance Chair and senior member Chuck Grassley says estate tax repeal is still ‘in play,’ despite media reports that the White House and lawmakers …
Coffee Supplies May Drop on Low Farm Earnings
International coffee growers are warning fewer coffee supplies may be in the future as coffee farmers are earning very little globally. The International Coffee Organization this week said farmers’ low earnings in many countries were depressing supply even as demand grows around two percent annually, according to Reuters. Rabobank last month forecast a 2017-18 global coffee deficit of 6.1 million …
Hurricanes Devastate Puerto Rico Agriculture
Hurricanes Irma and Maria combined destroyed about 80 percent of crops in Puerto Rico. The damage is so heavy that one farmer told the Seattle Times there is “no more agriculture” on the island. Across the island, Maria’s took out entire plantations and destroyed dairy barns and industrial chicken coops. Plantain, banana, and coffee crops were the hardest hit. The …
CropLife America CEO to Retire
CropLife America CEO Jay Vroom will retire at the end of 2018, ending nearly 30 years leading the organization. Vroom announced his retirement plans during the general session at the 2017 CLA Annual Meeting in California this week. During the announcement, he said he is “proud to have represented the industry,” during his tenure as CEO. Vroom will continue to …
Soybean Growers Want Dicamba Damage Answers
The American Soybean Association is demanding more answers regarding dicamba drift damage. ASA President Ron Moore this week addressed dicamba drift in a statement. Moore says the issue “isn’t going away,” and is “only getting worse.” The Association says it is supporting research at land grant universities to find answers. Moore says the independent research is needed, as well as …
Farm Policy Facts Study Addresses Heritage Foundation Suggestions
A study sponsored by seven agriculture groups and released by Farm Policy Facts calls a plan by the Heritage Foundation misleading. Brandon Willis, former Agriculture Department Risk Management Agency administrator, crafted the study “How Heritage Foundation’s U.S. Farm Policy Proposals Would Put America Last.” The Heritage Foundation released a blueprint earlier this year for the 2018 Farm Bill and claims …
Higher Supplies Keeping Consumer Meat Prices Lower
Higher supplies of meat will continue to pressure consumer prices lower, according to a forecast by the Department of Agriculture. The USDA Economic Research Service Food Price Outlook predicts beef and veal prices to decrease one to two percent in 2017 but increase the same amount in 2018. That’s because, in August, the U.S. cattle herd was at its highest …
Environmental Working Group Keeps Eye on Farm Bill Development
The Environmental Working Group is paying close attention to the process of developing the new Farm Bill. Craig Cox, Senior Vice President for Agriculture and Natural Resources, says the conservation provisions of the Farm Bill represent a big opportunity to help farmers deal with the more serious issues they’re going to face regarding the quality of life. The EW G …
Countdown to Census: What You Need To Know
Only eight weeks until producers start to receive the 2017 Census of Agriculture In just a couple months, farmers and ranchers across the nation will start receiving the 2017 Census of Agriculture. Producers can mail in their completed census form, or respond online via the improved web questionnaire. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service has extensively revised …
Heat-Tolerant Broccoli for the Future
Traditionally, broccoli is a cool-weather crop. Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists are looking to change that by developing new varieties that grow in warm temperatures. ARS plant geneticist Mark Farnham and his team in Charleston, South Carolina, have developed and characterized the genetic sources of broccoli’s heat tolerance. Theoretical and Applied Genetics published these results in March 2017. The team, led by ARS geneticist Sandra …