The House of Representatives Wednesday took action to avert a pending rail strike. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, on the house floor Wednesday, stated, “A shutdown would grind our economy to a halt, and every family would feel the strain,” while adding, “Small businesses wouldn’t be able to get their products to market. Many of them, as I say, farmers.” National …
Congressional Vote on Rail Strike a Welcome Development
(NCGA/November 30, 2022) — The U.S. House of Representatives voted to block a national rail strike that would have dire consequences for the nation’s economy. The vote comes as the country continues to struggle with supply-side issues and problems with key transportation hubs, including low-water levels along the Mississippi River. The National Corn Growers Association said the vote was a …
Comment Extension for Packers and Stockyards Act Rulemaking Welcomed
Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a 45-day extension of the comment period for the proposed rule titled, “Inclusive Competition and Market Integrity Under the Packers and Stockyards Act.” The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) welcomed the extension while urging USDA to proceed in a cautious, deliberative manner. NCBA Senior Director of Government Affairs Tanner Beymer, explains why this extension …
Farm Bill Key Component of Next Year’s Georgia Cotton Commission Meeting
By Clint Thompson An integral part of the Georgia Cotton Commission’s (GCC) annual meeting, scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023, at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus Conference Center in Tifton, Georgia, will include discussions highlighting the 2023 Farm Bill. The current Farm Bill was signed into law on Dec. 20, 2018. A new Farm Bill is passed every five …
Florida Lawmakers Preparing for Special Session
(NSF/TALLAHASSEE, FL) — With Florida lawmakers already expected to hold a special session next month, Governor Ron DeSantis says he’s working on an agenda with legislative leaders that could mean more special sessions in advance of the 2023 regular session. While he didn’t provide details about issues that could be addressed, DeSantis did say the additional special sessions could happen …
Farmers, Ag Organizations Against EPA Proposal
More than 16,000 farmers and agricultural organizations recently united against EPA’s proposed revision to its 2020 atrazine registration review decision. The farmers and agricultural organizations representing corn, citrus, grain sorghum, sugar cane, and other crops, submitted comments calling for the agency to base decisions on credible scientific evidence. Efforts to help farmers speak out against the proposal were coordinated by …
Ag Groups Argue Against Proposition 12 in Supreme Court
Agriculture groups argued against California’s Proposition 12 to the Supreme Court last week. The American Farm Bureau Federation and National Pork Producers Council challenged the ability of one state to set agricultural production standards for the entire country. California’s Proposition 12 law bans the sale of pork from hogs that don’t meet the state’s arbitrary production standards, even if the …
Disaster Declaration Sought for Farms, Ranches
State Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried on Thursday requested a federal disaster declaration for 17 counties after Hurricane Ian caused widespread damage to farms and ranches. Fried sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture pointing to farm and ranch losses in Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lee, Manatee, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota and Seminole …
FY23 Signup Deadline Announced for Alabama’s Easement and Financial Assistance Programs
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Alabama has announced signup is underway for Fiscal Year 2023 Farm Bill Easement and Financial Assistance Programs. Those programs include: ACEP-WRE easements provide habitat for fish and wildlife, including threatened and endangered species, improve water quality by filtering sediments and chemicals, reduce flooding, recharge groundwater, protect biological diversity and provide opportunities for educational, …
Thune Introduces Bill to Improve Livestock Disaster Assistance
Senators John Thune and Ben Ray Luján recently introduced the Livestock Disaster Assistance Improvement Act. The bipartisan legislation by the South Dakota Republican and New Mexico Democrat would improve the effectiveness and timeliness of multiple Department of Agriculture programs that assist farmers and ranchers in the aftermath of adverse weather events. The legislation would also provide USDA with direction to …