The 2018 Farm Bill continues financial support of multiple programs and initiatives including the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR). The new farm bill includes $185 million in funding …
First Snow Survey of the Year Reveals a Strong Start
The Department of Water Resources (DWR) performed the first snow survey for 2019 today, about 90 miles east of Sacramento at Phillips Station in the Sierra Nevada. The readings found …
AFBF Hopes to Maintain Advertising Requirements for Farm Labor Positions
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently proposed changes to the advertising requirements for farm labor positions. The current rule requires employers to advertise available positions in local print newspapers …
Court Agrees with USDA in GIPSA Ruling
About a year after a petition was filed, the GIPSA ruling was finally issued by a U.S. District Court on December 21. The ruling stated that the U.S. Department of …
Table Grape Industry Feeling Secondary Impacts of Tariffs
Some unexpected, secondary impacts of the chaotic trade relationship between the U.S. and China are appearing in the international table grape market. Increased tariffs placed on American agricultural goods, combined …
Salinity Yield Trials in Alfalfa Show Interesting Results
After multiple years of production trials, researchers with the University of California Cooperative Extension have found that alfalfa can still be produced effectively using irrigation water with high salinity. The …
China Accepts U.S. Rice Imports, a Sign of a Warming Relationship
In what seems to be a sign of a warming relationship between the two top economies in the world, China has officially welcomed rice imports from American farmers. While it’s …
Significance of USMCA on American Rice Industry
Although the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) still needs to be ratified by the required legislative bodies, the U.S. rice industry stands ready to reap the benefits of the agreement. “Mexico …
Looking at the Water Year Ahead
There are multiple significant water developments that will be taking shape over the course of 2019. California will be starting the year off in much better condition in terms of …
President Trump’s Effort to Push USMCA Through Congress
In early December, at the G20 summit, Mexican and Canadian officials signed off on the United States Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA). It was only a matter of time before the …
NASS Finishes 2018 Agriculture Census with Increased Online Participation
The National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) has collected all of the questionnaires for the 2018 Census of Agriculture. The service is expected to release information in 2019. The turn out …
Almond Update: Global Trade Issues More Than Just Tariffs
Tariffs have consumed most of the global trade headlines as of late but there are a lot of other challenges that make markets complex. Almond Board of California’s Vice President of Global Technical …
Foreign Agricultural Service Looks Forward to Further Development in 2019
Despite numerous challenges in the global trade market in 2018, USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service had multiple successes in expanding export opportunities and diversifying markets for U.S. farm and food products. …
Ag Groups Pleased with 2018 Farm Bill
Several agriculture groups are pleased with the 2018 Farm Bill. Groups such as the National Corn Growers Association, National Cotton Council and the American Farm Bureau Federation spoke out and welcomed the legislation for their …