Autauga County farmer Harold Gaines stood with his sons Dan and Levi as he told leaders of the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee his priority for the 2018 farm bill Saturday morning. “I want to be able to pass on this farm to the next generation and for them to be successful,” Gaines said as Sens. Luther Strange, R-Alabama, and Pat …
Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman on U.S. Beef to China
U.S. trade officials are meeting this week with counterparts in China to finalize trade protocols regarding the export of U.S. beef to China. The move follows last month’s announcement that the U.S. and China reached an agreement to restart U.S. beef exports to China, sidelined since 2003. However, as the Financial Times reported last week, China already has access to …
Secretary Perdue Continues Farm State Travels
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue continues traveling this week as he will attend the Montana Ag Summit Thursday. Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts is expected to join Perdue at the event that was organized by committee member Steve Daines, a Montana Republican. Also attending is a team of Mexican barley and malt importers, who are visiting the U.S. as part …
Senate Passes Bill to Address Potential Agroterrorism
The U.S. Senate passed legislation designed to address the potential threat of agroterrorism and keep the American food supply safe. Ag Committee Chair Pat Roberts co-sponsored the legislation in the Senate and says an attack on the nation’s food supply would cause irreparable damage. “This legislation reaffirms the important role for the Department of Homeland Security in preventing agro-terrorism,” Roberts …
Roberts/Stabenow: No More Cuts to Agriculture
The Senate Ag Committee heard testimony this week from several economists on the challenges that currently exist in farm country. The Hagstrom Report says Republican Ag Chair Pat Roberts of Kansas and Ranking Democrat Debbie Stabenow of Michigan both came to the same conclusion: no more cuts for farm bill programs. At what he described as the first farm bill …
Conaway, Roberts React to Administration’s FY2018 Budget Proposal
Following the release of the Trump administration’s FY 2018 budget proposal, House Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway (TX-11) and Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) issued the joint statement below: “We support the Trump administration’s goal of achieving three percent economic growth for our nation. USDA’s latest estimates find agriculture, food, and related industries contribute $992 billion to …