A Bloomberg report says that two days of trade discussions in Beijing ended with nothing else than an agreement to keep talking. China’s official news agency says the two sides …
Conservatives Attack House Farm Bill
Key Democrats in the House are already lining up in opposition to the House version of the 2018 Farm Bill because of proposed changes to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The …
Farm Loan Rates Edging Higher
Interest rates on most types of farm loans continued to move higher. A Kansas City Fed report says, following modest increases in short-term rates, commercial banks raised interest rates on …
Analyst: Labor Shortages and Volatile Feed Prices Ahead for Meat Industry
A Rabobank analyst says the U.S. could be on the tail end of the second longest expansion of its economy in history. Rabobank Analyst Don Close told the North American …
CBO Publishes Farm Bill Analysis
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) says the House Agriculture Committee’s farm bill draft would reduce nutrition spending by $9.2 billion, offset by a $7.7 billion increase in spending on federal …
USDA Seeks Comments on Proposed Rule for National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard
The U.S. Department of Agriculture invited public comment on the proposed rule to establish the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard mandated by Congress in 2016. The standard will provide a …
Pressure Mounting for Accurate Labeling of Imitation Dairy Products
At a recent Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, there was much talk about the labeling regulations related to imitation dairy products. The comments come after several lawsuits over the years related …
CCM Ramping Up Political Efforts on Behalf of Citrus Growers
California Citrus Mutual (CCM) has recently been ramping up its political efforts on behalf of California citrus growers. The association has been advocating and engaging political leaders on a multitude …
Lighthizer: NAFTA Deal Needed within the Next Few Weeks
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer this week said a North American Free Trade Agreement deal must be reached “within a week or two” of the next meeting of trade negotiators. …
Trump Tariffs Impacting Manufactures, Ag and Beer Makers
Ongoing trade disputes, along with President Trump’s tariff efforts are hurting U.S. consumers of steel and aluminum. Market fluctuations in prices are impacting the makers and builders of grain bins, …
Highlighting the Importance of Foreign Markets to California
A recent event in Acampo, just outside Sacramento, was hosted by Farmers for Free Trade and the California Farm Bureau Federation (CFBF) to emphasize the importance of foreign markets for …
Nothing New on NAFTA as Trump Extends Tariff Exemptions
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue this week said no news should be expected this week regarding the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). That’s because Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer is traveling …
USDA Celebrates World Trade Month
The Department of Agriculture is celebrating May as World Trade Month. In doing so, the department is highlighting its success and commitment to expanding trade of agricultural exports. Agriculture Secretary …
NAFTA Negotiations Continue Next Week
Negotiations for revamping the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) will continue next week as all sides remain hopeful to reach a deal this month. Top-level talks, according to reports, …