The Senate Agriculture Committee will hold a hearing on the farm economy conditions Thursday, May 25th. Announced by leadership of the committee, Senators Pat Roberts, and Debbie Stabenow, the hearing is titled “Examining the Farm Economy: Perspectives on Rural America.” The hearing is recognized as the start of the Senate Agriculture Committee farm bill hearings. It follows two “boots on …
Trump Plan to Balance Budget Includes Farm Subsidy Cuts
A budget plan President Donald Trump is expected to submit to Congress Tuesday includes steep cuts to farm subsidies, according to Bloomberg News. The 2018 budget proposal, which would begin the process of balancing the budget within ten years, would make cuts to mandatory spending on an array of social programs while sparing the Social Security and Medicare entitlement programs. …
Canada and Mexico React Cautiously to NAFTA Letter
Canada and Mexico issued carefully worded statements following the announcement letter outlining President Donald Trump’s intent to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was sent to Congress, according to the Hagstrom Report. Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland said: “We are at a critical juncture that offers us an opportunity to determine how we can best align …
Alabama Farmers Fare Well in Legislative Session
Farmers and forest owners fared well in the 2017 regular session of the Alabama Legislature, which was marked by a leadership change in the governor’s office. The Legislature adjourned for the session Friday evening. Alabama Farmers Federation priorities included passage of bills enhancing irrigation tax credits and the Farm-to-School program, as well as funding for the Concentrated Animal Feed Operation …
$4.7 Million to Support University Agricultural Science Programs
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced $4.7 million in available funding to support agricultural science programs at non-land-grant universities. Funding is made through NIFA’s Capacity Building Grants for Non-Land Grant Colleges of Agriculture Program (NLGCA). “Colleges and universities with strong agricultural science programs need support so they can address our nation’s challenges to …
Nelson Backs Speeding Up Dike Repairs
from The News Service of Florida U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson has followed Gov. Rick Scott, a potential 2018 election opponent, in imploring President Donald Trump to speed repairs to the Herbert Hoover Dike around Lake Okeechobee and to fund other Everglades restoration projects. Nelson wrote a letter to Trump on Friday that said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers would …
Rural Lands Program Could Run Short of Cash
by Jim Turner The News Service of Florida Gov. Rick Scott and the state Cabinet could spend about $8.5 million next week to conserve thousands of acres of land owned for decades by two ranching families. Such deals have become a widely used strategy in recent years to protect land from development. But the program that would pay for the …
NCC: Maintaining NAFTA Benefits is Crucial
The National Cotton Council says the United States must remain a participant in a vibrant North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) because it has been and can continue to be a very positive trading platform for U.S. agriculture, including cotton and textiles. NCC Chairman Ronnie Lee said the NAFTA trading partners of Canada and Mexico are significant markets for United …
National FFA Organization Looking for Convention Newsroom Interns
The National FFA Organization is looking for college students or recent graduates in fields like public relations, journalism, telecommunications, or similar fields, to help share news and feature stories from the national convention. The 90th annual FFA Convention is October 25-28th in Indianapolis. Students and graduates get a small stipend, inside access to the event, tips on becoming a better …
Perdue: U.S. Ag in Dire Straits
Sonny Perdue made his first appearance before the House Agriculture Committee this week as Secretary of Agriculture. He says the current U.S. agricultural economy is in “ dire straits ” but that could be helped by a stronger trade presence abroad. Perdue says he sees challenges ahead as President Trump’s initial budget cuts the USDA allocation by 21 percent. “We’ve …