Attorney General Jeff Sessions

AG Sessions Says Deportation to Focus on Felons, not Farm Workers

Dan Industry News Release, Labor and Immigration

The Western Growers Association says recent comments by Attorney General Jeff Sessions indicate the Justice Department will focus on deporting felons, not farm workers. Sessions recently told Fox News the Justice Department does not intend to target illegal immigrants who have not committed crimes beyond illegally entering the country. Western Growers Association CEO Tom Nassif called the comments encouraging. Nassif …

producers

Purdue Ag Economy Barometer Shows Slip in Confidence

Dan Industry News Release

The Ag Economy Barometer from Purdue University found confidence among farmers and ranchers slipped again last month. The Barometer slipped to 124 in March, marking the second month in a row that producer sentiment dropped below the prior month’s level. A rating below 100 is negative, while a rating above 100 indicates positive sentiment regarding the agriculture industry. Recent weakness …

trump budget

Senate Ag Appropriator Says no Budget Cuts this Fiscal Year

Dan Industry News Release

The chairman of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations panel says there will be no budget cuts this fiscal year. North Dakota Republican John Hoeven says the current fiscal year is “too far along” to make an adjustment now, as requested by President Donald Trump. The President has proposed an $18 billion cut in discretionary spending, including more than $1 billion from …

vote

Perdue Vote Won’t Happen This Week

Dan Industry News Release

The U.S. Senate will not be taking a vote to confirm Agriculture Secretary nominee Sonny Perdue this week. Instead, the Senate will be focusing time on a filibuster and confirmation vote for Supreme Court Justice nominee Neil Gorsuch. With an upcoming recess, the delay means the vote for Perdue won’t happen until late this month, at the earliest. The former …

safety nets

Subcommittee Examines Credit Programs in the Farm Bill

Dan Farm Bill, Industry News Release, Legislative

Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA), Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Commodity Exchanges, Energy, and Credit, held a hearing to evaluate the effectiveness of farm bill authorized credit programs administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA). This hearing is a continuation of the committee’s hearing series to set the stage for the next farm bill. Members of the committee …

registration

McMillan Testifies During U.S. House Ag Committee Hearing on Farm Bill

Dan Farm Bill, Industry News Release, Legislative, Peanuts

Tim McMillan, farmer from Enigma, Georgia, testified today in support of maintaining the peanut provisions of the 2014 Farm Bill and the Price Loss Coverage (PLC) program in the next farm bill. In his testimony, McMillan says, “If the PLC program had not been in place, I am afraid many farms in the Southeast would no longer exist because of …

trump

House Agriculture Committee Leadership Calls for Swift Confirmation of Governor Sonny Perdue

Dan Industry News Release

Yesterday (Monday) afternoon, House Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway and Ranking Member Collin Peterson sent the following letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, and Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow, encouraging the swift confirmation of Governor Sonny Perdue as the nation’s next Secretary of Agriculture. Dear Senators: We wish to …

sugar policy

ASA to House Ag Subcommittee: Keep Sugar Policy Strong Amid Low Prices, Foreign Subsidies

Dan Industry News Release, Sugar

A U.S. sugar policy that costs taxpayers $0, protects American producers against foreign sugar subsidies, and keeps consumer prices among the lowest in the world should remain in effect in the next Farm Bill, according to a top industry economist. Jack Roney, Director of Economics and Policy Analysis for the American Sugar Alliance (ASA), testified today before the House Agriculture …