georgia

NCC Survey Suggests U.S. Producers to Plant 13.1 Million Acres of Cotton in 2018

Dan Cotton, Industry News Release

U.S. cotton producers intend to plant 13.1 million cotton acres this spring, up 3.7 percent from 2017, according to the National Cotton Council 37th Annual Early Season Planting Intentions Survey. (see table below) Upland cotton intentions are 12.8 million acres, up 3.8 percent from 2017, while extra-long staple (ELS) intentions of 254,000 acres represent a 1.0 percent increase. The survey …

wasde report

USDA February WASDE Report

Dan Corn, Industry News Release, Soybeans, Wheat

The latest monthly World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report from the Department of Agriculture shows lower estimated soybean exports for the 2017-18 crop year. USDA lowered soybean exports by 60 million bushels to 2.1 billion bushels. The U.S. season-average soybean price range for 2017/18 is projected at $8.90 to $9.70 per bushel, unchanged from the previous report. USDA …

secretary

Perdue Applauds Trump’s USDA Rural Utility Services Administrator Selection

Dan Industry News Release

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue offered his applause to President Trump’s intent to appoint Kenneth Johnson to be the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utility Service Administrator. Perdue says Johnson ‘s experience with rural utilities, including expanding access to high-speed Internet, “will serve us well as we strive to increase prosperity across rural America.” Johnson serves as general manager and CEO …

organic trade association

Organic Trade Association Suing USDA Over Livestock Standards

Dan Cattle, Industry News Release, Livestock, Organic

The Organic Trade Association is suing the U.S. Department of Agriculture over the USDA decision to withdraw the Organic Livestock Standards proposed and endorsed by most in the organic industry. Nate Lewis, farm policy director for the Organic Trade Association, says the USDA broke the rules when withdrawing the standards without public comment. Lawsuit Lewis says the decision to withdraw …

perdue

Perdue Unveils Farmers.gov, Interactive Website for Agricultural Producers

Dan Industry News Release

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today unveiled Farmers.gov, the new interactive one-stop website for producers maintained by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Farmers.gov is now live but will have multiple features added over the coming months to allow agricultural producers to make appointments with USDA offices, file forms, and apply for USDA programs. The website, launched at a breakfast …

usda

AVMA Urges Congressional Action on Veterinary Shortages

Dan Cattle, Industry News Release, Livestock

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) says veterinary shortages are threatening animal health, public health and the livelihoods of farmers and ranchers. The association Wednesday urged Congress to help address the issue by passing legislation called the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program Enhancement Act. Data from the Department of Agriculture shows that 187 regions in the United States currently suffer …

fda

USDA, FDA Announce Formal Agreement to Bolster Coordination and Collaboration

Dan Industry News Release

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D. announced at the White House a formal agreement aimed at making the oversight of food more efficient and effective by bolstering coordination between the two agencies. The formal agreement outlines efforts to increase interagency collaboration, efficiency and effectiveness on produce safety and biotechnology activities, while providing clarity to manufacturers. …

program

Program Helps Create Distributed Wind Projects

Dan Energy, Industry News Release

The Department of Agriculture’s renewable energy development assistance program helps bring wind energy to the farm. The program seeks to increase energy independence by increasing the private sector supply of renewable energy, such as distributed wind, while decreasing the demand for energy through efficiency. Over time, these investments can also help lower energy costs for small businesses and agricultural producers. …

Organic Groups Want Livestock Standards in Place

Dan Industry News Release, Poultry

The USDA recently announced it would be withdrawing a series of organic livestock standards that were put into place during the Obama administration. Organic groups across the country are not happy with the move. John Siemon, CEO of the Wisconsin-based Organic Valley Cooperative, says one of the most important things the standards addressed was animal welfare. The battle over the …