Three Farm Credit organizations received stockholder approval to merge their businesses together into one organization. As of July first, Farm Credit Services, AgStar Financial Services, and Badgerland Financial will become Compeer Financial. The boards of directors of each organization first began looking into the possibility of merging assets back in February of last year. Each recommended moving forward with the …
Group Wants Congress to Cap Ag Subsidies
The Heritage Foundation’s Center for Free Markets and Regulatory Reform wrote an op-ed piece for the National Review Dot Com on agricultural subsidies. The piece by a senior research fellow refers back to higher than expected costs for the Ag Risk Coverage (ARC) and the Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs in the 2014 farm bill. The piece says those costs …
Trump: Healthcare Reform Before Tax Reform
In a Fox Business interview, President Donald Trump put a priority on health care reform before he’ll turn his attention to tax reform. The President said in the interview, “I have to do health care first. I really want to do it right.” He says tax reform is critical to the economy and to large and small businesses. However, he …
Dairy, Ag Groups Urge President Trump to Act Immediately to Halt Canada’s Continued Disregard of Trade Obligations
The U.S. dairy sector and state agriculture officials urged President Donald Trump to take immediate action against Canada’s repeated and escalating disregard for its trade obligations under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Most recently, Canada implemented a new national pricing policy that blatantly blocks American dairy exports and will enable significant dumping of Canadian dairy products onto the …
Applications Being Accepted for FFVA Leadership Program
Do you know an up-and-coming leader who wants to be more involved in the agriculture industry? He or she may be eligible for the Florida Fruit & Vegetable’s Emerging Leader Development Program. Launched in 2011, the program identifies and develops leaders to be strong advocates for Florida agriculture. The programming provides a wealth of information of the many issues facing …
Florida Farm Bureau Extends a Helping Hand
Florida Farm Bureau Federation donated a total of $10,000 to a Disaster Relief Fund to support farm families in those states affected by wildfires. “Structures, fences and livestock have been lost due to the devastating wildfires across Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Colorado,” said FFB President John Hoblick. “When a natural disaster hits, the feeling of helplessness is overwhelming. Our agricultural …
Reebok to Manufacture Shoes Made from Corn, Organic Cotton
Reebok will begin making shoes from corn and organic cotton later this year. The initiative is an effort to create more sustainable products. A Reebok spokesperson says: “Reebok is trying to clean up the entire life cycle of shoe making,” Reebok says the sole of the new shoe will be made with petroleum-free, non-toxic industrial-grown corn, while the body of …
Chinese Authority Approves ChemChina-Syngenta Deal
The ChemChina takeover of Syngenta continues to march through the approval process this month as China has now green-lighted the deal. The acquisition received approval from the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China, according to Syngenta. The approval from China follows approval from Mexico earlier this week, and approval with conditions by the European Union and the …
U.S. Tractor Sales Up in March
U.S. tractor sales in March increased six percent compared to a year ago. The Association of Equipment Manufacturers released its monthly sales report this week. The report shows that for the first three months in 2017, a total of 42,033 tractors were sold which compares to 39,878 sold through March 2016, representing a five percent increase for the year. For …
NFU Urging Trump to Keep U.S. in Paris Climate Agreement
As President Donald Trump weighs the merits of keeping the United States in the Paris Agreement, National Farmers Union (NFU) is urging the administration to maintain U.S. commitments to global leadership on climate change. The Paris Agreement is vital to enhancing the climate resiliency of family farm operations and rural communities, and it allows family farmers and ranchers to …