News Service of Florida Homeowners and their lawyers asked the Florida Supreme Court late Tuesday to overturn Gov. Rick Scott’s decision this month to veto $37.4 million intended for residents whose healthy citrus trees were cut down as the state tried to eradicate the citrus canker disease. Lawmakers included the money in the 2017-2018 budget to compensate residents of Broward …
Water Rights Protection Act Offers Relief from Federal Water Extortion
The Water Rights Protection Act, introduced in the House, could bring U.S. ranchers much-needed relief from ongoing efforts by the federal government to extort privately held water rights from law-abiding citizens, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. “It’s time to put a stop to federal strong-arming of ranchers by a government that owns the majority of the land for …
National Peanut Board Expands Reach of Research Dollars with NIFA Co-Funding
The National Peanut Board, along with funding partner USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), announces the awarding of research grants totaling $ 1.4 million to help find solutions to two vexing issues: accurate diagnosis of peanut and food allergies and continuous improvements in water use efficiency in peanuts. The National Peanut Board’s co-funding opportunity with NIFA was made …
Joint Statement of Secretary Perdue (U.S.), Minister Lawrence MacAulay (Canada) & Secretary Calzada (Mexico) Regarding Trilateral Agriculture Meetings in Savannah, Georgia
Canadian Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Lawrence MacAulay; Mexican Secretary of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food Jose Calzada; and United States Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue issued the following statement at the conclusion of their first trilateral meetings in Savannah, GA, June 19-20, 2017. “Our three nations are connected not only geographically, but through our deeply integrated agricultural …
Mexico Adopts E10 Fuels
Mexico will allow 10 percent ethanol blends of fuel, according to a recent announcement by the Mexican Energy Regulatory Commission. The announcement modifies standards for fuel blending from a maximum amount of ethanol at 5.8 percent to the 10 percent level. The change comes as part of ongoing energy reforms in Mexico and follows input from stakeholders in the government, …
Perdue Hosting Mexico, Canada Counterparts in Georgia
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue Tuesday is playing host to his counterparts from Mexico and Canada in Perdue’s home state. Canada’s Trade Minister and Mexico’s Secretary of Agriculture will join Perdue for a tour of the Georgia Ports Authority and a farm tour. The trilateral meeting is the first time the three will hold meetings since President Donald Trump triggered renegotiation …
White House Names Ag Trade Negotiator Nominee
President Donald Trump is nominating a former Senate Agriculture Committee aide and agriculture industry economist as the chief agricultural negotiator from the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office. The White House confirmed Gregg Doud as the nominee. Doud is currently the president of the Commodity Markets Council, a Washington, D.C.-based trade association. He worked for the Senate Agriculture Committee between 2011 and …
New Zealand, U.S. Bilateral Trade Talks Far Off
New Zealand Prime Minister Bill English says bilateral trade talks between New Zealand and the U.S. are not likely anytime soon. His comments follow meetings between U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay last week. English says that given how the U.S. has framed trade policy as largely benefiting the U.S., that it “would be …
U.S. Exports to Mexico Stumble
As the Unites States plans to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico, U.S. agricultural exports to Mexico have declined over the first few months of 2017. The Wall Street Journal reports that Mexican imports of U.S. soybean meal dropped 15 percent, the first decline in four years. Meanwhile, chicken exports to Mexico were down 11 …
APHIS to Allow Importation of Fresh Pitahaya Fruit from Ecuador
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is amending the fruits and vegetable regulations to allow the importation of fresh pitahaya fruit into the continental United States from Ecuador. APHIS scientists have determined that fresh pitahaya fruit from Ecuador can be safely imported to the United States while continuing to provide protection against the …