American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) President & CEO Andrew W. LaVigne testified at a U.S. House Agriculture Committee hearing on the Farm Bill and innovation in specialty crops. LaVigne stressed the importance of promoting a climate of innovation through the funding of critical Farm Bill research programs, and the enactment of clear and consistent, science-based policies across the government. “As our …
Swine Veterinarian Fly-In
The National Pork Producers Council and the American Association of Swine Veterinarians are hosting their Washington, D.C. legislative fly-in today and tomorrow, July 11-12. Swine veterinarians from across the country will visit congressional lawmakers, discussing their priority issues. The veterinarians are expected to urge members of Congress to include in the 2018 Farm Bill language establishing a vaccine bank to …
NPPC Testimony Details Benefits of NAFTA
Last week, the National Pork Producers Council submitted to the House Ways and Means Committee testimony on the importance of trade to the U.S. pork industry. The organization focused on the benefits of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), stressing the vital role the agreement has played in U.S. economic and agricultural expansion. According to the NPPC, in 2016 U.S. …
Research Money Prioritized for 2018 Farm Bill
By Jaci Schreckengost During the first listening session to discuss the 2018 farm bill, continued or increased research programs were a common topic of discussion for the growers and ranchers in attendance. John Hoblick, president of the Florida Farm Bureau, said Florida received $31.2 million from specialty crop block grant programs from 2008 to 2015, which included money for research …
Florida Cattlemen’s Association Gives Farm Bill Input
By Jaci Schreckengost The foot-and-mouth disease vaccine bank is one item needed in the 2018 farm bill, according to Dusty Holley and Jim Handley of the Florida Cattlemen’s Association. “Our industry is very susceptible to a huge, devastating problem if we don’t think ahead and buy this insurance in advance,” said Handley, executive vice president of the Florida Cattlemen’s Association. …
EPA Administrator Visits Southeast Agriculture
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt is visiting the Southeast this week, bringing his Back-to-Basics positive environmental agenda with him. He visited Alabama and Georgia, where he was joined by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. Pruitt discusses his trip and Back-to-Basics initiative. “It’s been a wonderful two days,” Pruitt says. He started his trip on July 6 …
Peanut Farmers Debate Provisions for 2018 Farm Bill
By Jaci Schreckengost Provisions from the 2014 farm bill had lasting effects on peanut farmers in the Southeast. However, farmers are debating whether those effects were positive or negative. On June 24, a listening session was hosted in Gainesville, Florida, by the House Agriculture Committee to discuss the creation of the 2018 farm bill. “You hit a homerun. You wrote …
House Agriculture Committee Holding Specialty Crops Hearing
The House Committee on Agriculture has announced they will hold a committee hearing next Wednesday, July 12 titled “The Next Farm Bill: Technology & Innovation in Specialty Crops.” Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway issued the following statement: “Specialty crop production is a pivotal and growing sector of our agriculture industry. As we look at the farm bill through the …
NRCS Florida to Host Meeting Explaining Farm Bill Programs
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Florida invites producers and landowners from across the state to attend their State Technical Advisory Committee meeting. It will be held August 17, starting at 10 a.m. at the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Doyle Conner Agriculture Building Auditorium in Gainesville. Sponsored ContentNuseed Carinata Covers New GroundJuly 31, 2024CIR Agriculture Harvester …
Farm Bill Number Crunching
It looks like lawmakers will have $130 billion less to write the upcoming farm bill than they did for the past one. The Congressional Budget Office made that announcement when it published its 10-year baseline projections. The C.B.O. predicts that both farm and nutrition programs would cost roughly $822 billion over the next ten years. That breaks down to $679 …