The House Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry held a hearing to examine efforts to address small watershed infrastructure. Subcommittee Chairman Frank Lucas (OK-3) and members heard from two panels of witnesses who underscored the importance of technical and financial assistance to maintain these watershed structures. “For nearly 70 years, rural communities have benefited from federal investments in watershed projects …
Clay Restaurant Home to Bama’s Best Beef
A winner of this year’s “Bama’s Best Beef” contest has been named in the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association’s (ACA) Facebook contest. Kayla Greer, ACA’s director of social media and communications, tells us who this year’s winner is. From Alabama Cattlemen’s Association Barbecue Stop (Clay) has been named home to “Bama’s Best Beef” through victory in the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association’s Facebook contest. …
Troutman Joins Lineup of Florida Ag Commissioner Hopefuls
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 …
NPPC, Ports Coalition, Applaud Early West Coast Port Contract Talks
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 …
National Farmers Union Submits NAFTA Comments to USTR
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 Industry to Create Anti-fraud Task Force
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 …
Farmland Values Expected to Decline
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 …
Conaway, Rouzer Praise U.S.-China Beef Agreement
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. …
U.S., China Finalize Details to Send U.S. Beef to China
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 …
Dairy Groups Pledge to Work with Trump Administration on NAFTA Modernization
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) …