By Karen Ross, Secretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture In response to the federal government’s recent decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum, China has ordered retaliatory tariffs on …
Ag Bankers Report Shows Increase in Lending
Agricultural lending from U.S. banks increased nearly six percent in 2017, according to a new report by the American Bankers Association. Ag lending increased $5.9 billion to $106 billion last …
Ag Economy Barometer Results for March
Farmers are expressing concerns regarding agricultural trade, according to the latest Purdue/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer. The barometer slipped to 135 in March, down five points compared to February, but …
Broadband Investment and Section 199A Tax Code Fix in Omnibus Applauded by Perdue
Broadband: U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue applauded the robust investment of $600 million in rural broadband for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which was included in the FY …
President Trump Signs Omnibus
With President Donald Trump’s signature, the 2018 omnibus spending bill—and the several provisions that benefit farmers, ranchers and rural communities it includes—became law. The measure, which was a must-pass to …
Omnibus Spending Bill Also Contains Livestock “Fixes”
The U.S. Cattlemen’s Association was pleased to see that the omnibus appropriations spending bill released on Wednesday night has what it called “two common-sense solutions to regulatory overreach in the …
Appropriations Bill Agreed Upon by Congress, Contains Section 199A “Fix”
The Hagstrom Report says congressional leaders have agreed on an omnibus appropriations bill to fund the government through September 30. It passed a House vote, 256-167, and is expected to …
Trump: China Tariffs Will Total $50 Billion
President Donald Trump announced an estimated $50 billion in tariffs against Chinese imports today. Bloomberg says it’s a retaliatory move against intellectual property violations. The move will take effect on …
Perdue Comments Regarding Omnibus Spending Bill
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue issued the following statement regarding the omnibus spending bill released by Congressional leaders: “The omnibus spending plan released last night contains a number of …
NFU Concerned About Harmful Modifications to Section 199A
Congressional appropriators revealed an omnibus appropriations bill that includes significant and harmful modifications to an important tax break for farmers and agricultural cooperatives. The break is known as Section 199A, …
Rural Mainstreet Index Remains Positive
Dodd-Frank Limits Lending for Most Rural Banks March Survey Results at a Glance: * For a second straight month the overall index rose above growth neutral. * Approximately 16.8 percent of …
Farm Bureau Compares Crop Insurance to Ad Hoc Disaster
As Congress continues preparation for the 2018 Farm Bill, rural America continues to voice its support for maintaining a strong crop insurance system. One of the loudest voices in that …
Key Farm Groups Like Co-op Tax Fix
The National Council of Farmer Cooperatives and the National Grain and Feed Association are both in favor of a legislative proposal that would fix an unintended consequence of the Republican …
Early Stage Ag Tech Investments Up 29 Percent
Investments in the early stages of agricultural technology in 2017 increased 29 percent, compared to 2016. AgFunder, a self-proclaimed online investment marketplace for agricultural technology, reports early stage investment in …