Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza

Florida Ag Commissioner Reminds Local Governments of New Law Prohibiting Special Assessments on Agricultural Land

Dan Florida, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), Legislative, Regulation

(FDACS/TALLAHASSEE, FL/August 9, 2023) — Today, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson addressed a letter to local governments reminding them of the new provision in State Law prohibiting counties from levying special assessments on agricultural lands. Read the letter below and here. August 9, 2023 Greetings, As Florida Commissioner of Agriculture, my top priority is to ensure that Florida agriculture continues …

pork producers

Large Pork Producers Don’t Favor Overturning Prop 12

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

Legislation has been introduced in Congress that would overturn California’s Prop 12. Reuters says some of the country’s biggest pork producers who’ve already spent money to comply with the California requirements don’t favor throwing out Prop 12. The Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression (EATS) Act would curb states’ ability to regulate agricultural products sold within their borders. The bill was introduced …

off act

NCBA President Slams Regulatory Onslaught by Biden Agencies

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

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) President Todd Wilkinson recently slammed administration overregulation during a recent NCBA Beltway Beef podcast. Wilkinson says Biden agencies from the EPA to the Bureau of Land Management are trying to take away the cattle industry’s freedoms. He cites recent EPA statements that it can make minor changes to its Waters of the U.S. rule after the …

pork producers

Pork Producers Sue Massachusetts over Animal Housing Law

Dan Legislative, Pork, Regulation

Triumph Foods and a group of Midwest pork producers are suing the state of Massachusetts over its Question 3 law and others that set minimum housing requirements for livestock. The plaintiffs are challenging the constitutionality of the Q3 law and seeking immediate relief from the law before it takes effect on August 24. They also want enforcement stayed until the …

gates act

GATES Act Aims to Include Larger Farms in Conservation Programs

Dan Agri-Business, Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Farm Bill, Funding, Legislative, Regulation, Specialty Crops, USDA-NRCS

The Growing Access to Environmental Sustainability (GATES) Act seeks to reduce barriers that producers face in accessing agricultural conservation programs. Congressman John Duarte, a farmer from California, is on the coalition behind the act. He says current adjusted gross income (AGI) limitations of $900,000 disproportionately limit producers with high input costs from participating in certain USDA conservation-focused programs.  “That sounds …

legislation

Legislation Would Exempt Farms from Emission Reporting

Dan Agri-Business, Beef, Biofuels/Energy, Cattle, Dairy, Legislative, Livestock, National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), Pork, Regulation

Last week, a group of lawmakers introduced legislation to exclude reporting of routine emissions from livestock farms to state and local emergency response authorities. The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) supports the legislation. Pork producers and other livestock industries have engaged with federal and state regulators for decades over permitting and reporting of air emissions. This engagement has included both …

NCBA Urges Opposition to Spartz Ag Appropriations Amendment

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

The cattle industry is speaking out against a proposed amendment to the ag appropriations bill.  Introduced by Indiana Congresswoman Victoria Spartz (R-IN-05), the amendment states that none of the funds made available by the bill may be used to carry out commodity checkoff programs. Vice President of Government Affairs with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), Ethan Lane, says it …

Women in Agriculture Bill

Lawmakers Introduce Women in Agriculture Bill

Dan Agri-Business, Legislative, Regulation, This Land of Ours

Lawmakers introduce the Women in Agriculture Bill. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), Congresswoman Jen Kiggans (R-Va.), and Congresswoman Jenniffer González-Colón (R-Puerto Rico-At-Large) introduced bipartisan legislation to support women farmers and ranchers in Maine and across the United States. These lawmakers recently introduced the Women in Agriculture Act. The legislation would establish a research priority …

beef checkoff

Cattle Producers Praise Congressional Resolution Supporting Beef Checkoff

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

This week, cattle industry leaders praised the introduction of a bipartisan congressional resolution recognizing the importance of commodity checkoff programs, including the Beef Checkoff. “As a cattle producer who invests in the Beef Checkoff, I know how important this program is to the continued success of America’s cattlemen and cattlewomen. The Beef Checkoff was created by cattle producers, is run …