Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue hosted his counterparts from Mexico and Canada in an event held in Savannah, Georgia, where they toured the Georgia Ports Authority and took a farm tour, and to participate in a series of meetings preparing for the upcoming renegotiations of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). There is a lot of uncertainty as to what …
Southeast Farmers and Ranchers Invited to Farm Bill Listening Session
Coming up Saturday, June 24th, an event will be held in Gainesville, Florida that farmers and ranchers from across the Southeast are invited to attend. It’s being called, “The Next Farm Bill, Conversations in the Field.” The event is actually an informal farm bill hearing, intended to gather input from farmers, ranchers, and stakeholders. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Michael Conaway …
Discussing Changes to Peanut Program
Farmers across the Southeast are invited to join Chairman Michael Conaway and members of the House Agriculture Committee for a listening session on the next Farm Bill. It will be held Saturday, June 24, on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville beginning at 10 AM. As Tyron Spearman reports, various topics will be discussed including possible changes to peanut …
Farm Bill Listening Session in Florida
Ahead of the next farm bill, House Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway (TX-11) and Ranking Member Collin Peterson (MN-7) announced the first of several committee activities across the country intended to stimulate conversation and gather input from farmers, ranchers, and stakeholders. “The Next Farm Bill, Conversations in the Field,” a committee listening session, will take place in Gainesville, Florida on …
Troutman Joins Lineup of Florida Ag Commissioner Hopefuls
by Lloyd Dunkelberger News Service of Florida Former state Rep. Baxter Troutman entered the race for state agriculture commissioner on Monday, priming his Republican bid for a Cabinet seat with $2.5 million of his own money. “For two decades, I’ve been building a business and continuing my work in Florida agriculture,” Troutman, of Winter Haven, said in a statement. “Real …
No Override for Cuts to UF/IFAS Budget
When the Florida Legislature wrapped up its special session last Friday, some things survived the governor’s veto pen, but others didn’t. And that included cuts to the University of Florida/IFAS budget. According to Sydney Stone, legislative assistant for the University of Florida/IFAS Governmental Affairs, while the legislature did override some $60 million in cuts to higher education, it could not …
Ag Trade Programs Affected by Proposed Budget Cuts
Many agricultural groups recently responded to the White House’s proposed fiscal year 2018 budget, which slashed a variety of programs that many in agriculture depend on. And Steve Mercer, vice president of communications for U.S. Wheat Associates, explains what two of those programs are. Congress has the proposed USDA budget for next fiscal year, and thus he encourages producers to …
Give Your Input on NAFTA Renegotiations
As released on May 18, the Trump administration is moving forward with its intent to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). According to the amended Trade Act of 1974, any time a newly proposed trade agreement comes about, all interested persons have an opportunity to present their views on it. Now is the time to submit comments regarding …
Florida Lawmakers Continue to Work on Budget
The Florida Legislative Special Session continues today in Tallahassee. In action taking place this week, the Florida Senate did vote to override vetoes of some $75 million in higher-education projects. A group of Florida 4-H youth and supporters were at the state capitol Wednesday hoping to encourage lawmakers to override Governor Scott’s veto of Florida 4-H funding. The Governor’s veto …
Education Funding Struggles in Florida Session
The Florida Legislature is meeting for a special session June 7–10 to resolve funding that was not agreed upon during the regular 2017 session. The funding issues include dollars toward the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) as well as the Florida 4-H program, which Governor Rick Scott vetoed during the regular session. The Florida 4-H …