Last week, U.S. Reps. Filemon Vela (D-Texas), Cindy Axne (D-Iowa), Collin Peterson (D-Minn.), Vincente Gonsalez (D-Texas), Jim Costa (D-Calif.) and Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.) introduced the Protecting America’s Food & Agricultural Act (H.R. 4482). It would authorize U.S. Customs and Border Protection to hire more agriculture inspectors in order to prevent an outbreak of African swine fever in the U.S. The …
Impeachment Inquiry Could Dampen Chances of USMCA
(NAFB) — House Democrats seeking to impeach President Donald Trump spells trouble for the U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement (USMCA). White House officials claim the effort has “destroyed any chances of legislative progress.” Meanwhile, Iowa Republican Senator Chuck Grassley says if Democrats in the House use impeachment proceedings as a basis to not act on policy, the effort will halt progress on USMCA. …
NCBA President Jennifer Houston Testifies on State of Cattle Industry
WASHINGTON (NCBA-Sept. 25, 2019) — Jennifer Houston, President of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), testified about the current state of the cattle industry before the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Topics ranged from the effects of the recent fire at a Tyson beef processing facility in Kansas to the pending reauthorization of the Commodity Futures Trading …
NRCS Implementing 2018 Farm Bill Programs
The 2018 Farm Bill was enacted back in December, and since then, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has been working to implement programs that offers strong support for conservation efforts of America’s farmers and ranchers. NRCS offers financial and technical assistance through conservation practices, activities and enhancements to help producers make and maintain improvements on their land. The Environmental Quality …
NCGA Leaders Fly-In to Washington
(NCGA) — NCGA State Executives, representing eleven state associations travelled to Washington, D.C. this week to urge members of Congress to pass the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and continue the education effort on NCGA’s Low Carbon/High Octane proposal. The State Executives also pressed lawmakers to use their influence with President Trump regarding potential Administrative actions to mitigate the effects of RFS waivers. …
Florida Eyes Washington on Hemp Rules
TALLAHASSEE, FL (NSF-September 17, 2019) — Florida farmers might not be held back from planting hemp next year even if the federal government has not signed off on long-awaited rule changes. Holly Bell, Florida’s director of cannabis, told the Senate Agriculture Committee on Tuesday that, if all goes well, the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ permitting for hemp …
Congressman Yoho Introduces Ag Guest Worker Bill
As labor continues to be a top-priority issue for producers nation-wide, Congressman Ted Yoho is aiming to lessen worries of a labor shortage by introducing a new ag guest worker bill. He discussed this new bill in a recent exclusive interview with AgNet Media’s Abbey Taylor. According to Yoho, the bill shies away from immigration and focuses solely on ensuring …
Yoho Drafts New Ag Labor Bill – Invites Ag Input
Florida Congressman Ted Yoho this week released a draft of guest worker legislation that he is sharing with the farm sector for further comments and input. Yoho has produced a video about his efforts, and just announced a round table meeting with farmers for further input and discussion about his legislative ideas. The round table is scheduled for Wednesday, August …
Department of Transportation Publishes Hours of Service Proposal
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) today published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) on changes to hours of service (HOS) rules. The objective is to increase safety on America’s roadways by updating existing regulations for commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers. “This proposed rule seeks to enhance safety by giving America’s commercial drivers more flexibility …
Plan to Use Farm Bill Funding to Support Animal Disease Prevention and Management
(USDA/APHIS) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is announcing initial plans to carry out new animal health activities using resources provided by the 2018 Farm Bill. Section 12101 of the 2018 Farm Bill established a three-part program to comprehensively support animal disease prevention and management. The bill included funding to create two …