Getting the farm bill done this fall is a “high hurdle,” according to Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts. The Kansas Republican told reporters last week it would be easier …
Japan Interested in Multi-nation Trade Agreements, Not Bilateral Trade
Leaders from Japan told a Nebraska trade delegation last week that Japan is not interested in a bilateral trade agreement with the United States. Instead, Japan told Nebraska Governor Pete …
Young Producer’s Perspective on the Dairy Business
It’s a life of high risk and high reward. Dairy farmers face their share of challenges, including a volatile market and unpredictable input costs — however, there are young people …
USDA/NIFA Needs Stakeholder Input on Food, Agriculture Priorities
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is soliciting stakeholder input on the emerging needs and opportunities in food and agricultural sciences. Through this …
Forest Service Wildland Fire Suppression Costs Exceed $2 Billion
Secretary Perdue Renews Call for Congress to Fix “Fire Borrowing” Problem U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced that wildland fire suppression costs for the fiscal year have exceeded …
Higher Ag Exports in 2017 and a Trade Surplus Next Year
A U.S. Department of Agriculture report says the value of farm exports will push higher in 2017, coming on the heels of two straight years of lower numbers for farm …
Plant-Based Food Sales Up 8 Percent from 2016
The Plant-Based Foods Association and the Good Food Institute released data this week showing that the total market for plant-based food sales is over $3.1 billion. The data shows the …
European Court Rules Against GMO Ban
The European Court of Justice ruled that member state governments cannot ban the cultivation of genetically engineered crops in the absence of scientific evidence that they are a human health …
Sunset Proposal in NAFTA 2.0
As the next round of negotiations regarding the North American Free Trade Agreement approach, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is considering submitting a “sunset” proposal. That’s a provision …
Urban Agriculture Bill Introduced in U.S. House
House Democrat Marcy Kaptur of Ohio has introduced an urban agriculture bill. Kaptur’s Urban Agriculture Production Act is described as a bipartisan bill that would bolster nutritional programs and farmers’ …
OTA Files Lawsuit Against USDA Over Organic Livestock Standards
The Organic Trade Association announced a lawsuit against the Department of Agriculture over its failure to advance new organic livestock standards. The suit alleges USDA violated the Organic Foods Production …
Censky, McKinney, Nomination Hearing Scheduled
Senate Agriculture Committee will hold a hearing on nominees to the Department of Agriculture next week. Committee leaders, Chairman Pat Roberts, and ranking minority member Debbie Stabenow announced plans to …
Almond Board: Low-Dust Harvest Equipment Demos
The Almond Board of California is hosting two demonstrations featuring low-dust harvesting equipment. Growers and others in the industry are invited to head out to see side-by-side demonstrations of low-dust …
Roberts Wants Farm Bill to Target SNAP Fraud
Senate Agriculture Chairman Pat Roberts has indicated he wants to use the farm bill as a way to target fraud in the food stamp program. Bloomberg makes the interpretation from …