Anti-Checkoff Amendment Filed in the Senate

Dan Beef, Cattle, Legislative, Marketing, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), Regulation

Back in February of this year, the Opportunities for Fairness in Farming (OFF) Act was introduced in the U.S. Senate. Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Mike Lee (R-UT) led a bipartisan effort to reform agricultural checkoff programs. The Act would make checkoff programs more responsive to the farmers who are required to contribute to them. Efforts are currently underway to put …

APHIS Finalizes Changes to Import Regulations for Horses

Dan Agri-Business, Equine, Exports/Imports, Legislative, Regulation, This Land of Ours, USDA-APHIS

The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is finalizing amendments to its import regulations for horses. These amendments will better align our regulations with international standards and allow more flexibility for permitted imports, while continuing to mitigate the risk of bringing equine diseases into the United States. The regulations also provide APHIS with …

Kildee’s Request for Farm Bill Sugar Policy

Dan Farm Bill, Legislative, Regulation, Specialty Crops, Sugar

If it’s not broken, don’t fix it. That’s the resounding message from Michigan Congressman Dan Kildee (D-MI-08) when it comes to the nation’s sugar policy. “We have a system right now that ensures that domestically grown sugar is sold into the markets before we allow for competition to come from offshore. This kind of protection allows American sugar growers to …

NPPC President Not Willing to “Bet the Farm” on Prop 12

Dan Agri-Business, Legislative, Livestock, National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), Pork

Now that California’s Prop 12 is in effect, hog producers around the nation are having to decide if they’re going to change their operations to comply. National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) President Scott Hays says it’s an individual choice, and one his family farm turned down. “If you think about it from a producer perspective, most of the cost is …

Group Wants Candidates to Understand Importance of Trade

Dan Agri-Business, Farm Bill, Funding, Legislative, Trade

Election season is getting underway, and one ag group wants candidates to talk about trade. As election season begins to kick into full gear, the agricultural organization Farmers for Free Trade waits for candidates to share their positions on the issues. Executive Director Brian Kuehl says they’re letting candidates know how important trade is. “We want to see all of …

McConnell: Farm Bill Will Be Late

Dan Farm Bill, Legislative

While the Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, Representative Glenn GT Thompson, has been hoping for September Farm Bill markup, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) says Congress will deliver a farm bill, but not likely in September. Roll Call says McConnell told the Kentucky Farm Bureau that Congress is running out of working days on the legislative calendar before …

Disappointed in EPA’s WOTUS Rule

Dan Agri-Business, Corn, Field Crops, Legislative

The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) expressed disappointment with the revised Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule (.pdf) that was issued today by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers. U.S. corn growers are disappointed by EPA’s revised “Waters of the U. S. (WOTUS) rule,” said NCGA President Tom Haag. “The agency failed to open the process to …

EPA Amends WOTUS Rule; NCBA Responds

Dan Beef, Cattle, Environment, Legislative, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), Water

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says in order to conform to the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Sackett v. EPA case, it and the U.S. Department of the Army are amending the 2023 definition of “Waters of the United States”(WOTUS) rule (.pdf). EPA Administrator Michael Regan says while he’s “disappointed by the Supreme Court’s decision in the Sackett case, EPA and Army have an obligation to …