The Georgia Peanut Commission attended the Georgia School Nutrition Association’s annual meeting April 20-22 in Jekyll Island, Georgia, to educate school foodservice personnel about peanuts and peanut butter, as well as encourage consumption in schools across the state. During the three-day meeting, school nutrition professionals attended educational seminars, visited with food service industry representatives and received recognition for outstanding performance …
Farm Bureau Responds to President’s Tax Plan
The following may be attributed to American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall: “Farmers and ranchers need a tax code that promotes the business of farming and ranching and recognizes the unique financial challenges we face. Farm Bureau welcomes a pro-business approach to tax reform, but any tax reform proposal must treat all businesses fairly. Most farm and ranch businesses …
Bipartisan Congressional Letter Voices Support for Tackling of Canada’s Protectionist Dairy Practices
Adding to the groundswell of recognition that Canada’s protectionist dairy policies are harmful to U.S. dairy exports, a bipartisan group of 68 members of the House of Representatives wrote to President Donald Trump yesterday urging him to insist that Canada comply with its dairy trade commitments, including those under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). At a time when questions are arising about the future of the …
National FFA Organization Awards More Than $2.7 Million in Scholarships
The National FFA Organization and National FFA Foundation has awarded more than $2.7 million in scholarships to 1,884 recipients. This was made possible thanks to the generosity of 115 sponsors. More than 8,300 students applied online for the scholarships, with many of the applicants being considered for multiple awards. Approximately one in every four students who applied was awarded a …
USDA Removes Database on Animal Mistreatment
Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture shut down a database that includes information about mistreated, injured, or killed farm animals. The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service cited privacy concerns in taking down the website information. A CNN Dot Com article quotes an animal activist group saying the agency bowed to pressure from groups that don’t want the information …
Farmers Share of the Food Dollar is Still Low
A Farm Journal report says some consumers may still look at grocery store prices and think farmers are making a lot of money off the commodities they produce. A U.S. Department of Agriculture report says for every dollar that consumers spend on food, farmers and ranchers get approximately 17.4 cents. The remaining 82.6 cents of every dollar goes to things …
Red Meat Demand Remaining Strong
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s recent Cold Storage Report showed record reductions of beef and pork, which means demand for the products remains high. At the other end of the spectrum, chicken stocks remain historically high. A Meating Place Dot Com article says total beef in cold storage dropped 38 million pounds in March, the biggest drop in March since …
Bill Introduced to Reform Biodiesel Tax Credit
Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst of Iowa, along with a bipartisan group of 14 other senators, introduced a bill that would be designed to reform the biodiesel tax credit and extend the new policy for three years. Grassley and Washington Democrat Maria Cantwell are the chief authors of the American Renewable Fuel and Job Creation Act of 2017. The …
Possible Changes in Cotton/Dairy Policies Ahead
House Ag Committee Ranking Member Collin Peterson tells Politico’s Morning Agriculture Report that he’s optimistic that the fiscal 2017 government spending package will include changes to the cotton and dairy policies in the new Farm Bill. He says those potential changes would provide more financial assistance to farmers. The Minnesota Democrat says he and other committee members have been talking …
Iowa Ag Secretary on White House Ag Roundtable
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey expressed his appreciation that President Trump would host the Agriculture roundtable discussion this week, especially because it’s still early in his administration. Northey says he was very encouraged by the discussion that took place. “The president clearly understands the importance of a strong agriculture sector in our nation. It’s great news that Secretary Perdue …