Troutman Joins Lineup of Florida Ag Commissioner Hopefuls

Dan Florida, Industry News Release, Legislative

by Lloyd Dunkelberger News Service of Florida Former state Rep. Baxter Troutman entered the race for state agriculture commissioner on Monday, priming his Republican bid for a Cabinet seat with $2.5 million of his own money. “For two decades, I’ve been building a business and continuing my work in Florida agriculture,” Troutman, of Winter Haven, said in a statement. “Real …

West Coast ports

NPPC, Ports Coalition, Applaud Early West Coast Port Contract Talks

Dan Exports/Imports, Industry News Release

The National Pork Producers Council has signed onto a letter from the Ports Coalition applauding early contract talks between port unions and west coast port operators. The letter specifically applauds the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and Pacific Maritime Association for agreeing to early discussions on a contract extension. The extension will allow ports on the West Coast to operate …

fried

National Farmers Union Submits NAFTA Comments to USTR

Dan Industry News Release, Trade

The National Farmers Union is urging the Donald Trump administration to craft a new, fair trade framework for international trade deals that benefits rural America through the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement. In public comments submitted to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, NFU President Roger Johnson highlighted the alleged shortcomings of the United States’ current free trade …

organic certification

Organic Industry to Create Anti-fraud Task Force

Dan Industry News Release, Organic

A task force started by the Organic Trade Association will work on best-practices to verify international organic products. The anti-fraud task force will create guidelines for the private sector to use in verifying its international supply chains. The task force follows news of a shipment of fraudulent organic corn and soybeans that entered the United States from Turkey. The task …

survey

Farmland Values Expected to Decline

Dan Industry News Release

Experts expect farmland values to decline as agriculture enters the projected fourth year of lower farm incomes. Agricultural real estate business Farmers National Company says agricultural land values in most areas can be expected to continue to gradually decline over the next several years if commodity prices and farm incomes remain at current low levels. However, despite anticipated additional declines …

egypt

Conaway, Rouzer Praise U.S.-China Beef Agreement

Dan Beef, Exports/Imports, Industry News Release, Trade

Following the announcement that the U.S. and China have finalized an agreement allowing for American beef exports, House Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway (TX-11) and Livestock and Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee Chairman David Rouzer (NC-07) made the below comments: “As one of the world’s largest importers of beef, China has long been an area of great opportunity for the U.S. …

usmef

U.S., China Finalize Details to Send U.S. Beef to China

Dan Beef, Exports/Imports, Industry News Release

As part of the U.S.-China 100-Day Action plan announced on May 11, 2017, by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and Secretary of the Treasury Steven T. Mnuchin, the Trump Administration has taken important steps toward commercial shipment of U.S. beef and beef products to China for the first time since 2003.  These shipments are results of the U.S.-China Comprehensive …

usmca

Dairy Groups Pledge to Work with Trump Administration on NAFTA Modernization

Dan Dairy, Industry News Release, Trade

Two leading dairy groups said they will work with the Trump Administration to modernize the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to make sure it safeguards open trade with Mexico and confronts increasingly protectionist dairy policies by Canada. In joint comments sent to the U.S. Trade Representative, the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) and the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) …

nppc

Withdraw ‘GIPSA’ Rule, Say NPPC, Pork Producers

Dan Industry News Release, Livestock, Pork

The National Pork Producers Council in comments submitted again urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture to withdraw a regulation related to the buying and selling of livestock. It also delivered to the agency comments from 630 pork producers and others in the pork industry, opposing the regulation and asking that it be withdrawn. The comments were on an interim final …

pig pens mirror mat

Pig Pens: A Look at Mirrors and Mats

Dan Industry News Release, Pork, Research

by USDA Agricultural Research Service What a pig sees when it looks into a mirror may help Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists improve livestock housing. Studying livestock behavior, stress and other well-being and production factors is the job of animal scientist Jeremy Marchant-Forde and his colleagues at the ARS Livestock Behavior Research Unit in West Lafayette, Indiana. Improving an animal’s environment …