Most of us in Agriculture are aware that areas of the midwest were devastated by massive wildfires in March of 2017. The fires were headline news for a couple of…
USDA Reorganization Takes Shape
…announced on May 11, 2017. In accordance with a directive in the 2014 Farm Bill, USDA created a new Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs as part of…
Tractor Sales Up in May
The monthly survey of tractor sales in the U.S. shows increases in May. The Association of Equipment Manufacturers reports the sale of all tractors in the U.S. in May 2017…
Meat Industry Lobbyist Injured in DC Area Shooting
…spokesperson for Tyson Foods told meat industry publication Meatingplace that Matt Mika, Tyson Foods director of government relations in Washington, D.C., was injured in the shooting that took place at…
Wheat Geneticist Presented with Innovator of the Year Award
During the UC Davis Chancellor’s Innovation Awards ceremony last week, Jorge Dubcovsky was named as one of the 2017 Innovators of the Year by University of California, Davis, Interim Chancellor…
Food Safety Practices and Costs Under the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement
…third-party audit, but major buyers are likely to demand such audits. Therefore, the cost-share of audits for firms under the PR could be similar to the commercial audits incurred by…
NPPC, Ports Coalition, Applaud Early West Coast Port Contract Talks
…work slowdown. A work slowdown in 2014-2015 affected 29 West Coast and cost the U.S. meat industry millions of dollars in lost export sales. From the National Association of Farm…
U.S., China Finalize Details to Send U.S. Beef to China
As part of the U.S.-China 100-Day Action plan announced on May 11, 2017, by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and Secretary of the Treasury Steven T. Mnuchin, the Trump…
California Leopold Conservation Award® Still Accepting Nominations
…Almanac. The application is available at: leopoldconservationaward.org. Nominations must be postmarked by July 14, 2017, and mailed to California Leopold Conservation Award c/o Sustainable Conservation, 98 Battery Street, Suite 302,…
Withdraw ‘GIPSA’ Rule, Say NPPC, Pork Producers
…and will have a destructive impact on the meat sector by harming the very farmers GIPSA is entrusted to protect.” USDA in 2010 proposed several PSA provisions – collectively known…
Meat Production Forecast Lowered in Latest WASDE
…meat production for 2017 was lowered from last month but is raised for 2018. Beef production for 2017 was lowered primarily on lighter carcass weights which more than offsets higher…
Pig Pens: A Look at Mirrors and Mats
…mats to help improve the pigs’ environment, which may help reduce stress and promote health and productivity. Read more about this research in the June 2017 issue of AgResearch magazine….
Brazil State-controlled Bank Cuts Credit Lines to JBS SA
A state-controlled bank in Brazil has cut credit lines to meat processor JBS SA, following the plea bargain deal in which the company’s majority owner admitted paying bribes to Brazilian…
Global Food Prices Rebound in May
…The index averaged 172.6 points in May 2017, up 3.7 points, or 2.2 percent, from April and nearly 16 points higher than its May 2016 level. The Index consists of…























