Ag Policy
During a bilateral meeting on Thursday, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai discussed with Mexico’s Secretary of Economy Tatiana Clouthier various issues concerning energy and biotech corn.
Erik Lichtenberg, University of Maryland professor, says Congress could reorient farm bill conservation funds for climate change, but it could cut into their support.
Representatives from the U.S., Mexico and Canada will meet in Cancun, Mexico this week to discuss a series of disputes, including Mexican energy and biotech policies and Canadian dairy barriers.
Beijing on Monday announced export controls on gallium and germanium. Now the Biden administration is set to restrict Chinese companies’ access to U.S. cloud-computing services that use AI chips.
EPA plans to revise the “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) regulation by Sept. 1. Both the EPA and the Corps of Engineers have regulatory duties for federal waterways.
While Sen. McConnell says the budget has little give, Sen. Boozeman has consistently said he will not support a farm bill that doesn’t provide an increase in the Price Loss Coverage (PLC) program’s reference prices.
The Committee on Ag is looking to solve workforce issues with the formation of the Ag Labor Working Group. “Reforms are desperately needed to address this pressing issue,” said Co-Chair Rick Crawford (R-Ar.).
The anti-farmer movement now underway by fringe extremist groups is not pro-animal. It is extremism promoting regressive policies that will chip away at America’s historically stable -- and affordable -- food supply.
According to USDA, Russian-speaking hackers are the likely suspects. The Office of Personnel Management and two organizations within the Department of Energy also were apparently targeted or breached.
Under the bill, the USDA and the FDA would become members of CFIUS and their powers would be expanded to better consider ag needs when it decides if a purchase would create national security risks.
The Food and Drug Administration would have authority to inspect large feedlots linked to salmonella outbreaks and other foodborne illnesses under the Expanded Food Safety Investigation Act.
The Packers and Stockyards Act changes may be coming, as the Fiscal Year 2024 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Bill has been sent to the full House for consideration.
Over the 29 years of free trade, U.S. ag exports to Mexico increased both in terms of volume and value, although there were some years where growth was not positive.
The tentative agreement that’s been reached with the West Coast longshoremen is of paramount importance for U.S. red meat, says USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom. Here’s why.
It’s not as simple as you might think. House Ag Chair G.T. Thompson shares a rundown of the funding and extension processes. He says the ag committees need to find new dollars to expand the farm bill budget.
USDA announced on June 14 that it is implementing a multi-step effort aimed at strengthening the substantiation of animal-raising claims.
Interfering with the shipping of livestock may soon be a felony offense in the state of Missouri, with the inclusion of Rep. Brenda Shields’ bill as part of a larger public safety package.
Senate Ag Chair Debbie Stabenow, (D-Mich.) says there will be no new funding for the 2023 farm bill. However, Stabenow stressed she will not allow a cut in conservation funding.
The Senate and House Ag committees are facing delays in drafting the next farm bill, and it is expected to be the most expensive farm bill to date, clocking in at around $1.5 trillion.
“We don’t need to rewrite the entire farm bill,” Rep. Thompson (R-Pa.) says. “We’re comfortable with many parts of the 2018 bill and there aren’t many tweaks, instead things we need to protect and invest in.”
China’s exports to Russia reached a record high in April, amounting to $9.6 billion.
Leading national and state cattle industry organizations have announced their support for the Foreign Animal Disease Prevention, Surveillance, and Rapid Response Act.
Seven U.S. states along the drought-starved Colorado River have reached a deal with the Biden administration to conserve water in a “historic consensus” to prevent supply problems for big cities as well as farmers.
U.S. House Agriculture’s Subcommittee hearing on Wednesday provided an opportunity for animal agriculture stakeholders to detail their priorities they hope to achieve from lawmakers actions.
John Kerry, Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, says ag need to be “front and center” as the climate solution.
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld California’s new humane-pork law, rejecting an industry challenge in a ruling strengthening the power of states to impose rules that have a broad economic impact on other states.
The Supreme Court has denied a petition to review California’s Proposition 12, which requires the sale of meat products in California to conform with the state’s animal housing standards.
“If California were to win this Supreme Court case, there’s nothing stopping the state from saying, for example, you can only sell corn in California if it’s harvested with an electric combine,” says Dillard.
Rep. Thompson signaled he wants to hear “commitment from everyone, including the president, that we will get this done and in the manner I’ve been speaking about. Bipartisan, bicameral, on time and highly effective.’”
Automakers, including Ford, recently announced they are planning to remove AM radio from their lineups. Joe Gill, National Association of Farm Broadcasters president, says this move poses a threat to public safety.