Over two months since he took office, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue is finally getting some nominations to fill USDA positions. Late Thursday, Perdue announced that President Trump has nominated American Soybean Association CEO Stephen Censky to be Deputy Secretary of Agriculture. “Our work has only just begun in delivering results for the people of American agriculture, and the experience and … Read More
Florida Hosts 1st House Ag Farm Bill Listening Session
The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) hosted the very first House Agriculture Committee farm bill listening session on Saturday in Gainesville, Florida. Committee Chairman Mike Conaway (TX-11) presided over the first of many “Conversations in the Field” that will be held in the coming year as work on the 2018 Farm Bill is just beginning … Read More
Trump Commits to Agriculture in Iowa
President Donald Trump stood among various models of John Deere and Case IH farm equipment as he pledged to boost agriculture exports, loosen federal regulations on the agriculture industry, and support ethanol and biofuels yesterday while speaking to a crowd of about 250 at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. “Today we are celebrating the dignity of work and … Read More
Congress Hears Testimony on Regulatory Burdens
Two beef industry representatives testified before multiple U.S. House of Representatives committees regarding the need to alleviate the regulatory burden faced by ranchers working on public lands. Arizona rancher David Cook gave his testimony on the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) and the Wilderness Act before the U.S. House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, and Darcy … Read More
Secretary Perdue Testifies at First Hearing
Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue testified at his first hearing as the new head of USDA. The House Agriculture Committee welcomed Perdue to Capitol Hill Wednesday to testify on the “State of the Rural Economy.” Perdue acknowledged that the current state of the rural economy is challenging. “Our farm economy is down about a 50 percent drop in net income … Read More
Livestock Industry Calls for Relief from EPA’s Regulations
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and the Public Lands Council (PLC) filed comments to the EPA calling for immediate action on several regulations the agency put forward under previous Administrations. The groups said that the regulations, “inhibit job creation, are ineffective, are unnecessary, or impose costs that exceed the environmental benefits. Often, these regulations impose federal requirements on cattle … Read More
Senate Ag Press USDA, USTR on Harmful Canada Dairy Pricing
U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., sent a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, requesting continued engagement with the Canadian government regarding Canada’s implementation of dairy pricing changes as part of a new Canadian National Ingredients Strategy. “Since April of 2016, … Read More
Animal Ag Responds to Creation of Undersecretary for Trade
The importance of international trade to American agriculture has been recognized by our new U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue with the the creation of an undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs in the USDA. “Food is a noble thing to trade. This nation has a great story to tell and we’ve got producers here that produce more than … Read More
U.S. Beef Regaining Access to China
The Trump administration has announced that following one more round of technical consultations between the United States and China, China is to allow imports of U.S. beef on conditions consistent with international food safety and animal health standards and consistent with the 1999 Agricultural Cooperation Agreement, beginning as soon as possible but no later than July 16, 2017. The U.S. … Read More
Michigan Dairy Farmer Says Changes Needed in #FarmBill18
Dairy farmers in Michigan and across the nation need federal lawmakers to revise the safety net created in the 2014 Farm Bill to provide them adequate risk management protection, according to a dairy farmer from eastern Michigan who testified in Frankenmuth on Saturday at a Senate hearing. Darrin Siemen testified on behalf of Michigan Milk Producers Association and the National … Read More