…the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to remove the gray wolf from federal protections under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Similar action was initially proposed by the FWS under…
Wildfire Affected Winegrape Growers Seek Congress Support
…asking for the inclusion of California winegrape growers in the disaster assistance package. The groups’ request for federal assistance consists of the following elements: Extend the Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity…
USDA Partners with Communities to Bring High-Speed Broadband e-Connectivity Infrastructure to Rural Areas
…under the leadership of Agriculture Secretary Perdue on expanding access to e-Connectivity in rural America.” According to a 2018 report by the Federal Communications Commission, 80 percent of the 24…
USDA, Dairy Farmers Mark Start of the California Federal Milk Marketing Order
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Under Secretary Greg Ibach joined dairy farmers in Tulare County, Calif., on November 7 to celebrate implementation of the new California Federal Milk Marketing Order…
Secretary Perdue on Dept. of Labor Rulemaking on H-2A Visa Program
…good to see the federal government using 21st Century technology, rather than being limited to placing notices in the want ads. “H-2A reforms can chip around the edges of the…
Input Sought for Voluntary Organic Checkoff Program
…be moving forward with a mandatory checkoff program after OTA had submitted an application for a federal mandate in 2015. Four prototype programs have been established in an effort to…
Farm Bureau Looks Forward to Working with New Congress
…labor problems we face, boosting our farm economy via export growth and reducing the burden and cost of federal regulations. Supporting the use of farm-grown fuels, fixing our nation’s broken…
Activists Allowed to Expand Attack on Beef Checkoff
…the federal checkoff. NCBA is firm in its commitment to defend both the checkoff and state beef councils against outside attacks. The volunteer cattlemen and cattlewomen who serve on state…
Results From Romaine E. coli Outbreak Investigation
The Federal Drug Administration officially concluded its investigation into the E. coli outbreak in romaine lettuce that started in March. Officials believed early on that a contaminated water source might…
Coalition Looks to Limit Future Agribusiness Mergers
…farmers, communities, and consumers. The newly created commission would also make recommendations based on contradictions to federal antitrust regulations. “The unabated consolidation in the food and agribusiness industries has only…
The Western View: San Francisco Supports Fish Not Farms
…water they need each day. So the Commission, quite sensibly, opposed it. But standing against that plan also aligns them with the Trump administration. And that’s just not acceptable to…
Steel and Aluminum Tariffs Cancel Benefits of USMCA
…$7.9 billion, thus overwhelming the small positive gains from USMCA.” However, those close to the Trump administration expect the steel and aluminum tariffs will be removed at a later date,…
Vietnam Winning U.S.-China Trade War
…U.S. and South Korea. For U.S. companies, the next rivals taking market share are Germany and Japan. The tariff situation could get worse if the Trump administration moves ahead with…
Trump Administration Plans Hearing on Trade with Japan
The Trump administration will hold a hearing in December to help craft negotiating objectives for a trade deal between the U.S. and Japan. A recent Federal Register notice seeks public…