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With trade opportunities and negotiations soon to begin, two key trade representative positions sit empty awaiting Senate approval for the nominations.

Pelosi said the House this week will “take up a bill adopting the tentative agreement—with no poison pills or changes to the negotiated terms—and send it to the Senate.” Some industry leaders feel it will pass.

Vilsack urged Mexico to "find a way forward" and said that if Mexico's plans went unchanged, the U.S. government would be forced to consider all options, including legal action under the USMCA.

The change will reduce the probability that U.S. beef could be hit with higher Japanese tariffs, according to the Office of the USTR.

China moved to close parks, malls and museums on Tues. as COVID-19 cases hit near-record levels. Lockdowns follow reports that, days before COP27, Xi sent policy and business advisers to New York to meet U.S. executives.

Unions and railroads are back at the negotiating table. By law, Congress can intervene to impose an agreement if the two sides remain deadlocked. However, one union is now on schedule to strike Dec. 5.

Thompson is gearing up to replace Rep. Scott as the House Ag chairman in Jan. With his new title in tow, Thompson will be working alongside current Senate Ag Chairwoman Stabenow to pass farm bill 2023. 

If Upside gets USDA approval next, the company said it could start pumping out 50,000 pounds of “no-kill” meat products every year.

Pelosi is to step down as leader of the Democratic Party in the House, a position she has held since 2003. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer says he will remain in Congress but won’t seek a leadership position.

Most now look for President Biden to increase his use of executive orders and regulations to fulfill some other goals, including those in the coming farm bill.

Phase 2 is targeted to those who suffered losses in 2020 and 2021 but may not have received any payments under Phase 1. With Phase 2 underway, USDA said that the signup deadline for Phase 1 ERP will now be Dec. 16.

USDA announced on Tuesday a $24 million investment to “teach and train” beginning farmers and ranchers through NIFA's Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP).

The farm bill debate depends in part on who controls the House because leadership of the Ag Committee would see definite changes if the GOP wins.

EPA says the proposals would collectively reduce 36 million tons of methane emissions between 2023 and 2035, which it says is almost the equivalent of GHG emissions emitted from all U.S. coal power plants in 2020.

“I strongly believe Trump should no longer be the face of the Republican Party,” said former Representative Peter King of New York, a longtime Trump supporter.

Unions are arguing railroads haven't done enough to address worker concerns, largely surrounding working conditions and paid time off.

The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Strategic Planning Conference is underway, addressing the industry's obstacles related to the sluggish global economy, weakening currencies and drought effected producers.

What caused the polls to shift away from the predicted ‘red wave’ many had suggested? It comes down to multiple factors, including abortion, Trump and voter turnout.

Congressmen who penned the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 are calling on the Federal Maritime Commission to mend the gap and provide "reasonable opportunities" for U.S. exporters to get their goods to foreign markets.

“In the last 2,500 years, every Chinese government that has fallen, has fallen over food,” says Kuehl, Armada chief economist. “They need those import markets—be it from the U.S, Canada, Brazil or Australia."

Friday brought mixed news for the economy. So, is the U.S. officially in a recession? K-State economists say it's more important to watch changes in behaviors versus debating the definition of recession.

USMEF to honor former head of the USTR and co-founder of “Where Food Comes From” for contributions to the U.S. red meat industry.

News is circulating that it may be the last time McDonald's has the McRib on its menu. While a farewell tour may be underway, the University of Nebraska's Meat Sciences Department created the technology behind the McRib.

Global diesel and distillate fuel stocks have fallen to dangerous levels and the U.S. has been exporting a lot of diesel to Europe and Latin America, but now things are changing.

U.S. red meat suppliers met face-to-face with buyers from the Philippines and Vietnam, adding a personal connection between USMEF members and exporters with importers and processors.

USDA seeks input on how to identify those who experienced discrimination and what kind of evidence should be submitted to back up the claims.

American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) released its general new farm bill recommendations on Thursday. First on the AFBF’s list: “protect farm bill program spending.”

While animal rights proponents make up a small percentage of our population, they are loud, aggressive and can mislead consumers about the animal agriculture community.

A labor strike along U.S. railroads is still a possibility after the third-largest railroad union rejected a tentative labor agreement this week. The agreement had the support of the White House.

“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.

Testimony heard by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) through “tens of thousands” of comments, as well as a roundtable on Thursday, led the DOL to adopt the proposed H-2A changes proposed in 2019. 

House Republicans asked the General Accountability Office to conduct a study on U.S. lands owned by foreign entities. The letter was signed by scores of other House Republicans.

The WOTUS case, Sackett v. EPA, centers on a long-running dispute involving an Idaho couple named Chantell and Michael Sackett. The Sacketts have won at the Supreme Court before.

USDA just announced “major actions” to “spur competition, protect producers, and reduce costs." Such an announcement might be more intimidating to the free market than helpful.

A pandemic-era program that provided free breakfast and lunch to all schoolchildren expired this year. Republicans voted against efforts to include free school meals this week. Biden's plan reinstates the program.

The White House announced several steps to increase access of fruits and vegetables as a food source, but some say animal protein is also an answer to the need for healthy and nutritious food for all Americans.  

In preparation for farm bill 2023, the House Ag Committee met on Tuesday to grasp the highs and lows of the current farm bill and fill any gaps in 2023.

Iowa cattle producer and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) member Shayne Wiese testified before the House Agriculture Committee regarding implementation of the conservation title of the 2018 Farm Bill.

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association raised questions on President Biden’s Executive Order on Advancing Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Innovation for a Sustainable, Safe, and Secure American Bioeconomy.

Have the Pacific Coast port bottleneck issues been resolved, or moved somewhere else? The East Coast may now be carrying the burden.

NCBA called for a limited version of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) greenhouse gas disclosure rule following SEC Chairman Gary Gensler’s testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking.

The details of the tentative agreement reached on Thursday morning have not been shared, and could still be voted down by members who need to ratify the agreement to settle the matter.

An Executive Order recently called for "advancing biotechnology and biomanufacturing" to create a more "sustainable" bioeconomy. What is this, you may ask? A decoy.

A rail strike is looming despite the majority of unions reaching tentative agreement with the rail companies, but the unions not on board are essential to the operation of the nation’s rail system. 

According to Secretary Vilsack, these efforts will “increase the competitive advantage of U.S. agriculture both domestically and internationally,” while building wealth in rural America.

Farm-state lawmakers will eventually add billions to the aid package, but Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) agrees it could take until a later omnibus spending measure to be approved.

The Livestock Regulatory Protection Act aims to prevent EPA from issuing Clean Air Act Title V permits for emissions like carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, water vapor, or methane that result from livestock production.

More than 16% of new cars sold in California in 2022 were zero-emissions vehicles, the state said, up from 12.41% in 2021 and 7.78% in 2020.

The National Cattlemen’s Foundation is accepting applications for the annual W.D. Farr Scholarship program that awards two $15,000 scholarships to graduate students.

Welcome to a festering landowner-hunter conflict and a lawsuit launched by rural property owners against the state. If persistent hunting dog encroachment affects a farming operation, is compensation in order?