According to a release from Sydney Stone, legislative assistant for the University of Florida/IFAS Governmental Affairs, while the governor’s veto list included a huge hit to the K-12 and higher education budget, 14 UF/IFAS projects, most of which were existing – not new projects — were saved. (from Sydney Stone) We want to send out a big, huge, thank-you to …
Scott Wields Veto Pen on New Budget
Gov. Rick Scott on Friday used his veto pen to slash $410 million in legislative projects across the state, saying they failed to “provide a great return for Florida families.” In signing the bulk of an $80 billion-plus budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1, Scott told reporters the savings from vetoes will help cover a planned increase …
Conference Instills Leadership in FFA Members
Thousands of FFA members from throughout the country are converging on Washington, D.C., this summer to evaluate their personal skills and interests, develop leadership talent and create service plans that will make a difference in their communities. More than 2,300 students are registered for the 2017 Washington Leadership Conference, the second-largest student experience that the National FFA Organization hosts each …
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to Travel to Canada
Secretary Sonny Perdue will make his first international trip as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Monday, June 5, to Toronto, Canada. “The bilateral U.S.-Canada relationship is important to the prosperity of both of our countries and I look forward to strengthening this bond with our neighbors to the north moving forward,” said Perdue. Perdue will meet with Canadian Minister of Agriculture …
Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman on U.S. Beef to China
U.S. trade officials are meeting this week with counterparts in China to finalize trade protocols regarding the export of U.S. beef to China. The move follows last month’s announcement that the U.S. and China reached an agreement to restart U.S. beef exports to China, sidelined since 2003. However, as the Financial Times reported last week, China already has access to …
Leaving Paris Climate Accord Could Impact Trade Negotiations
The Donald Trump administration is pledging a plan of bilateral trade negotiations with individual countries, but Politico speculates his latest move may hinder negotiations. President Trump removed the U.S. from the Paris climate accord last week, joining just Nicaragua and Syria as the only nations not to sign the pact. Politico says the withdrawal sets up the potential for other …
Farm Machinery Giant Acquiring Leading Road Construction Manufacturer
Deere & Company announced it has signed an agreement to acquire the Wirtgen (Vert-gIN )Group, a privately-held international company that is the leading manufacturer worldwide of road construction equipment. The acquisition is valued at $5.2 billion, or 4.35 billion euros, in an all-cash transaction. Headquartered in Germany, the Wirtgen Group has five premium brands across the entire road construction sector …
Backyard Flocks Sickening Hundreds of People
The Centers for Disease Control says more than 370 people have reported Salmonella infections from backyard flocks this year, and more than one-third of them were children under five years old. The CDC is reporting eight separate outbreaks across 47 states in backyard flocks. These outbreaks are expected to continue for the next several months, according to a public warning …
House Ag Committee Plans Another Farm Bill Hearing
The U.S. House Agriculture Committee will hold another farm bill hearing this week. Texas Republican and Committee Chairman Mike Conaway announced the hearing, titled The Next Farm Bill: The Future of International Food Aid and Agricultural Development. The hearing is scheduled for Wednesday morning. Chairman Conaway says the committee has long planned to continue reviewing international food aid programs as …
Secretaries Perdue and Zinke Stress Inter-Departmental Collaboration as Wildfire Season Approaches
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and Interior Secretary Ryan K. Zinke joined forces in Boise, Idaho at the National Incident Fire Command Center (NIFC) for a tour and briefing on the upcoming wildfire season. Following the events, the secretaries sent a memorandum to wildland fire leadership highlighting the importance of inter-departmental collaboration in protecting communities and managing public lands. In the …