The following statement regarding the announcement of trade progress with Mexico, and the the Agriculture Department’s tariff mitigation package, can be attributed to American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) President Zippy Duvall: Trade Progress with Mexico is a Good Start “Farmers and ranchers are ready to move forward on trade with our nearest neighbors. Farm Bureau is excited about this announcement …
Assistance for Farmers Impacted by Unjustified Retaliation
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced details of actions the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will take to assist farmers in response to trade damage from unjustified retaliation by foreign nations. President Donald J. Trump directed Secretary Perdue to craft a short-term relief strategy to protect agricultural producers while the administration works on free, fair and reciprocal trade deals …
Crop-Damage Assessment System Will Speed Reporting After Disasters
In the wake of Hurricane Irma, economists with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) realized that its Extension colleagues needed a better system for reporting damages and losses suffered by producers – something faster, more focused and more standardized. Today, that better system is in place. A team with the UF/IFAS Food and Resource Economics …
Florida’s Algae Blooms and Red Tide: Consider the Facts
The algae and red tide blooming along Florida’s coastal waterways are concerning to everyone, including those of us in agriculture. It is understandable that many Floridians are upset and are anxious for answers, but misinformation is being circulated by anti-farmer activists that erroneously points to farmers in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA), south of Lake Okeechobee, as the cause of …
USDA Payments Expected After Labor Day
The Department of Agriculture (USDA) expects to send payments to farmers after the Labor Day holiday as part of a trade relief package. The $12 billion package is intended for farmers who have been affected by foreign tariffs on U.S. farm products, all in retaliation to President Trump’s trade agenda. A USDA spokesperson confirmed to the Hagstrom Report the department …
USDA Expected to Announce Trade Relief Package Friday
The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is expected to release further details of its trade relief package Friday. The aid package previously announced by Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue will provide $12 billion in assistance to farmers hurt by President Trump’s trade agenda. Agri-Pulse reports that sources involved with the process say the payment rate for soybean farmers has been preliminarily proposed …
Congressman Yoho on Longleaf Pine Initiative
Landowners across the Southeast are always encouraged to take part in the Longleaf Pine Initiative through USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). And during a recent interview with Southeast AgNet, U.S. Congressman and member of the House Agriculture Committee, Ted Yoho from Florida, talked about their efforts to include even more pine species in the initiative. Congressman Yoho on Longleaf …
Cotton Board Recommends $82 Million Budget for Cotton Incorporated
New Cotton Board Chairman and Officers Elected During its annual meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona, the Cotton Board reviewed and voted to recommend Cotton Incorporated’s proposed 2019 budget of $82 million to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. The Cotton Board elected Peter McGrath, an importer, as chairman of the board, and an entire slate of new officers for the 2018-2019 program …
Congressman Yoho on Proposed Guest Worker Bill
Immigration in the U.S. is an ongoing discussion, as many sides have dug in with their versions of how it should be handled. Of course it is an issue that hits agriculture very hard. During a recent interview with Southeast AgNet, U.S. Congressman and member of the House Agriculture Committee, Ted Yoho from Florida, said he supports a bill by …
Congressman Yoho on Funding for FMD
For over two years now, livestock groups have been calling for a stockpile of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccines in case of an outbreak. Both the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) have made it a top priority for the next Farm Bill. During a recent interview, U.S. Congressman and member of the House …