Ag Policy
Interagency effort will coordinate resources across the federal government to bring immediate relief to irrigators, Tribes, and western communities.
Global commodity prices are expected to stay firm around current levels in 2021 after recovering in the first quarter buoyed by strong economic growth, the World Bank said on Tuesday.
Details of a U.S. land and water related executive order could be unveiled soon. Known as the ’30 by 30’ plan, it would place 30% of U.S. lands and 30% of U.S. waters under federal jurisdiction by 2030.
The western half of the country continues to see little moisture, and after a year of record government payments to agriculture, farm groups fear financial assistance this year will be tough to get passed in Washington.
New Zealand says it will stop the export of livestock by sea following a transition period of up to two years, citing animal welfare concerns, which will affect major trading partners including Australia and China.
Carbon Contract Reality: Why Conservation-Minded Farmers May Not Qualify for Private Carbon Programs
The chase to capture carbon continues. It’s a possible new source of income for farmers and ranchers, but it’s also bringing a set of challenges and questions. The answer could be both public and private programs.
While critics say President Biden’s infrastructure plan is too costly and includes more than infrastructure, proponents say it could help bridge the rural and urban digital divide.
As the 2021 bull market continues, it’s leading to a growing level of optimism from farmers. The latest Ag Economy Barometer from Purdue University/CME group shows farmer sentiments rose to 177 this month.
The second round of Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP 2) restarted April 5. Farmers have 60 days to either apply or make modifications to their existing CFAP 2 applications.
Senators John Hoeven and Michael Bennet reintroduced the Modernizing Agricultural Transportation Act, bipartisan legislation to reform the Hours of Service and Electronic Logging Device regulations at the U.S. DOT.
A federal court has removed a provision of the New Swine Slaughter Inspection System that enabled pork processors to establish maximum line speeds.
The governments of nearly half the U.S. states are in agreement of the North American Meat Institute’s petition challenging the constitutionality of California’s Proposition 12.
President Biden is preparing to announce a $2.25T infrastructure plan on Wednesday. It’s aimed to fuel funding for America’s roads, waterways, broadband and the electric grid, but there’s also a focus on climate.
Argentina said on Monday it had suspended 15 meat exporters for dodging industry regulations, derailing at least 40 tonnes of shipments from one of the world’s best-known beef producers.
USTR Katherine Tai on Monday told the European Union’s competition commissioner, Margrethe Vestager, that she has a “strong desire to develop a more positive and productive” trade relationship with the EU.
Farmers and ranchers have more time to sign up for the Paycheck Protection Program. The Senate passed legislation to extend the deadline from March 31 to May 31.
A second bill to change the H-2A guest worker program has been introduced in the House. This version would move oversight from the Department of Labor to USDA.
USDA will move forward with $20 per acre payments for price-trigger crops outlined in the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) round three with checks going out starting in April.
The Biden Admin. is readying a $3T infrastructure and economic plan. While officials say the plan centers around roads and infrastructure projects, critics say that’s only a small piece of the potential proposal.
One year has passed since the red meat trade provisions of the U.S.-China Phase One Economic and Trade Agreement entered into force, expanding access for U.S. beef and pork in the world’s largest red meat import market.
For a fifth year, the White House is publicly recognizing March 23, 2021, as National Ag Day. As part of the proclamation, the White House salutes farmers and ranchers for the contributions they continue to make.
Proposition 12, California’s animal welfare rule, is slated to take effect on Jan. 1, 2022. But with these new regulations still mired in a legal battle, the pork industry is left in limbo, Rabobank says.
Farmers for Free Trade wants to see a full implementation of the Phase One trade agreement. A year into the deal, there are still accountability and compliance issues with China.
In a unanimous Senate vote on Wednesday, Katharine Tai was confirmed as the next U.S. Trade Representative. The trade expert was confirmed with a vote of 98-0.
White Oak Pastures, a 3,200-acre multigenerational Georgia farm, says it offsets 100% of its grass-fed beef carbon emissions and as much as 85% of the farm’s total carbon emissions.
Popular furors that ignore science – and even simple logic – places science-deniers at their own peril. So it is with critics of beef production.
A study at Auckland University of Technology (AUT) estimates the woody vegetation on New Zealand sheep and beef farms is offsetting between 63 percent and 118 percent of their on-farm agricultural emissions.
USDA published a Federal Register Notice requesting public input on a climate-smart agriculture and forestry strategy, directing the Ag Secretary to solicit input from stakeholders to develop a climate-smart approach.
The Cattle Transparency Act of 2021 was introduced in the Senate to mandate weekly minimum cash cattle trades. NCBA policy supports a voluntary approach to increase negotiated trades to regionally sufficient levels.
While trade is not a headline of the Biden Administration in the first 100 days, it’s not stopping Katherine Tai from making her voice heard. Tai is now waiting full confirmation vote to put her ideas to work.