The Senate passed a resolution last week to block beef from Paraguay, now industry leaders are now looking to the House. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is calling on the House to follow the Senate’s lead and pass a resolution against the import of beef from Paraguay. It comes after a USDA decision back in November to allow beef …
California Pork Prices Higher After Prop 12 Implementation
Pork prices are higher in California now that Prop 12 is implemented. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Prop 12 is already raising the price of pork in California. In effect for just over six months, pork sales have dropped across the state. That’s from data compiled by the USDA’s Office of the Chief Economist (OCE). The OCE …
Expert on Domestic Corporate Ag Land
Foreign ownership of American land has gained a lot of buzz lately, but senior staff attorney and professor with the Center for Agriculture and Food Systems at Vermont Law and Graduate School, Fran Miller says more attention should go to domestic corporate ownership. “Corporate consolidation is a big issue in farmland. Congress, I think in a … bipartisan way, has been …
Bill Solidifies Critical Fertilizer Minerals
The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) thanks the U.S. Senate for introducing bipartisan legislation to include phosphate and potash on the final list of critical minerals of the Department of the Interior. TFI says the legislation will recognize the importance of ensuring a strong and sustainable domestic fertilizer supply for American farmers. “The majority of the world’s phosphate and potash resources are concentrated …
Rep. Duarte Doesn’t Expect 2024 Farm Bill
Congress couldn’t pass a farm bill in 2023, but will it happen this year? Congressman John Duarte, a Republican from California, is unsure if we will see it pass in 2024. “Any farm bill that we do this year probably have to go through suspension, meaning we need two-thirds of the entire Congress to vote for it,” Duarte said, “which …
Florida Bill Could Clear Way for Farmworker Housing
(NSF/TALLAHASSEE, FL/March 18, 2024) — Florida’s agriculture industry hopes a newly passed bill that would limit local regulations on farmworker housing will bolster efforts to bring in more non-immigrant foreign workers. The bill (SB 1082), which lawmakers unanimously passed, would prevent cities and counties from taking steps to “inhibit” construction of housing for farmworkers on agricultural land. The bill has …
USDA Finalizes Product of USA Label Rule
The USDA finalized a rule to align the voluntary “Product of USA” label claim with consumer understanding of what the claim means. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the rule Monday at the National Farmer’s Union annual convention in Scottsdale, Arizona. “We are now on record as being for the utilization of that label only, only, when the animal was …
House Agriculture Committee Offers Farm Labor Solution
The House Agriculture Committee laid out a roadmap to relieve labor shortages that have seriously impacted America’s farmers and ranchers. The Agriculture Labor Working Group (ALWG) released its final report on how to improve the H-2A guest worker program. It includes more than 20 recommendations to streamline the program and make labor more affordable for farmers. “We’re losing American farms …
Lawmakers Pass Budget, End Session
(NSF/TALLAHASSEE, FL) — After a flurry of last-minute votes on bills, Florida lawmakers Friday passed a $117.46 billion state budget and ended the 2024 legislative session. House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, and Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, gaveled the 60-day session to a close at 2:25 p.m., before going to the rotunda between the House and Senate for a …
USDA: Expiring Estate Tax Provisions Would Increase Taxes for Farm Estates
An expiring estate tax could be very costly for farm estates. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act significantly changed federal individual income and estate tax policies, though some were temporary. In 2018, the legislation increased the estate tax exemption amount from $5.49 million to $11.18 million. This increase expires at the …