hurricane

Members of Georgia Delegation Urge Timely, Effective Implementation of Disaster Relief Funds

Dan Economy, Georgia, Industry News Release, Legislative

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators David Perdue (R-GA) and Johnny Isakson (R-GA) wrote to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to encourage the Trump administration to work with the Georgia Department of Agriculture to ensure that farmers affected by Hurricane Michael receive needed aid as soon as possible. They applauded Secretary Perdue for his support of disaster aid legislation signed into …

Senators Perdue, Merkley Lead Bipartisan Effort To Ease Burdens On Agricultural Trucking

Dan Cattle, Industry News Release, Legislative, Livestock

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators David Perdue (R-GA) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) are leading a bipartisan effort to level the playing field for the transportation of agricultural products. The Agricultural Trucking Relief Act will expand the definition of an “agricultural commodity” to include horticultural and aquacultural products, promote consistency across all federal and state agencies, and ease regulatory burdens on the trucking industry. …

hemp conference

Florida Governor Signs Hemp Bill

Dan Florida, Hemp, Legislative

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has been busy signing various bills the past few days, one of those being SB 1020. This bill creates the state hemp program that will be administered by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The program will regulate cultivation of hemp, addressing issues such as the licensing of growers. According to the News Service …

farm bill

USDA Farm Bill Implementation Progress Update

Dan Economy, Farm Bill, Industry News Release, Legislative

Washington, D.C., – (USDA) — U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced an update on the implementation status of the 2018 Farm Bill. President Trump signed this Farm Bill into law on December 20, 2018, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) promptly began implementing key programs. In addition, USDA held several listening sessions with stakeholders and the public specific to …

usmca mexico trade

Summer Passage of USMCA Looking Doubtful

Dan Legislative, Trade

(NAFB) — Key lawmakers in Washington, D.C. cast significant doubt on the possibility of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA) getting passed through Congress yet this summer. This comes in spite of the fact that political pressure is ramping up. Congress has a long summer recess rapidly approaching. Politico says it’s looking like Democrats are sticking to their ideas that the …

north

Senate Finance Plans USMCA Hearing

Dan Legislative, Trade

Senator Chuck Grassley this week announced a planned hearing regarding the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Grassley, chair of the Senate Finance Committee, says the committee will hear testimony from U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer. The committee will hold the hearing, “The President’s 2019 Trade Policy Agenda and the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement,” next Tuesday morning. Grassley told reporters earlier this week, following …

Alabama Agribusiness Council

Alabama Lawmakers Send Ag Bills to Governor

Dan Alabama, Legislative

Alabama lawmakers have wrapped up the 2019 Legislative session, and various bills of interest to agriculture were passed and sent to the Governor. Executive Director of the Alabama Agribusiness Council, Leigha Cauthen, runs through the list of those bills. And now, Leigha says the Alabama Agribusiness Council is getting ready up for their annual meeting.

hurricane

Disaster Relief Blocked Again in Congress

Dan Economy, Florida, Industry News Release, Legislative

A second congressional Republican, arguing for a vote by the full House, blocked an attempt Tuesday to pass long-stalled federal disaster relief funding that would assist Florida’s hurricane-ravaged Panhandle. The latest move came after a group of Panhandle residents targeted — through a full-page ad in the Austin American-Statesman newspaper — a Texas Republican who initially blocked the bill on …