U.S. beef products are struggling to gain traction following a return to China after a 14-year ban. Bloomberg reports that U.S. cuts of beef are largely unnoticeable in China’s meat isles. China, the world’s largest pork producer, and the consumer has seen beef demand climb as incomes increase, prompting people to spend on new and varied types of food. Imports …
Wall Street Journal Names Agriculture a NAFTA Issue to Watch
With the first round of negotiations on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) set for Wednesday, The Wall Street Journal listed agriculture as an issue to watch throughout the negotiation process. Noting that corn, beef and pork producers are happy with the current NAFTA, The Wall Street Journal points out that disagreements over agriculture can quickly turn bitter in …
Canada Plans to Protect its Dairy System in New NAFTA
Canada plans to protect its dairy system under a new North American Free Trade Agreement. As the first round of talks gets underway Wednesday, Canada officials say they will protect the nation’s system of tariffs and quotas that keep domestic dairy prices high and imports low. U.S. dairy farmers strongly dislike the system and want it dismantled. Canada’s Foreign Minister …
NMPF Statement on Comments from Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland
“In her speech to Parliament, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland seems to want it both ways – free trade with the United States in areas where Canada is competitive, but high protectionist walls when it comes to keeping out U.S. dairy imports. Moreover, Minister Freeland’s comments Monday about the dairy trade elements of the upcoming NAFTA talks are completely …
APHIS Publishes Final Rule to Allow Fresh Hass Avocado Fruit from Colombia into the Continental U.S.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is publishing a final rule to allow the importation of fresh Hass avocado fruit from Colombia into the continental United States using a systems approach designed to ensure imports do not introduce pests into the United States. The systems approach is a series of overlapping measures taken …
A Faster, Less Costly Way to Process Walnuts
Walnut drying is expensive and energy intensive, according to ARS engineer Zhongli Pan in Albany, California. The current hot-air drying method takes more than 24 hours to dry walnuts and uses a significant amount of natural gas and electricity. Infrared—a form of intense light that’s felt, but not seen—dries walnuts faster and is less expensive. It’s a type of electromagnetic radiation—as are …
Nomination Deadline Nearing for Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame
The Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame is still accepting nominations for the class of 2018, but not much longer, as the deadline for nominations is September 1, 2017. The Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame honors men and women who have made lasting contributions to Florida agriculture. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services partners with the Florida Agricultural Hall …
Democrat Files to Run for Agriculture Commissioner
Broward County Democrat David Walker opened a campaign account Friday to run in 2018 for agriculture commissioner, according to the state Division of Elections website. Walker joined fellow Democrat Michael Christine in taking the initial step to try to succeed term-limited Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam. Christine opened his campaign account in April but did not raise any money in June …
Nearly $1 Million Grant Will Help Struggling Blue Crab Industry
A researcher at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences wants to study the blue crab and a viral pathogen that infects it. Now, a nearly $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation will help Donald Behringer and colleagues study the disease along the entire western Atlantic seaboard. In Florida, several disasters—including hurricanes in 2004, 2005, …
Renegotiations for the North American Free Trade Agreement
The renegotiations for the North American Free Trade Agreement get underway on August 16th. Canada, Mexico, and the United States can sit down at a table to update the twenty-year-old agreement. Former Chief Agricultural Trade Negotiator Darci Vetter said the upcoming negotiations represent an opportunity for needed updates to the agreement. Vetter talks about certain parts of NAFTA that need …