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
More Straight from the Heart Words from Sec Sonny
Couser Cattle Company was home to Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue’s stop in Iowa last Friday. The Secretary was welcomed by Bill, Nancy and Tim Couser, as well as Iowa Senators Joni Erst and Chuck Grassley, and Rep. Steve King. Perdue said President Trump wanted him to relay that he understands that American agriculture is vital to the U.S. economy. … Read More
NMPF Thanks Capitol Hill for Attention on Dairy Workforce
The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) thanked members of both the House and Senate for working to address the unique labor challenges that have long faced the dairy community. “We welcome these bipartisan efforts to shine a light on an issue so critical to dairy producers,” said NMPF President and CEO Jim Mulhern. “Dairy farming is a physically demanding, 24-7, … Read More
NCC Calls for Withdrawal of Interim GIPSA Rules
The National Chicken Council (NCC) filed several comments this week with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) explaining the numerous reasons why the agency’s interim final rule and proposed rules are ill-advised, would inflict billions of dollars of economic harm to American agriculture, exceed GIPSA’s statutory authority, and represent an arbitrary and capricious abuse … Read More
NMPF Stresses MPP Must be Priority for Farm Bill
Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) testified before the House Agriculture Committee sharing priorities for the next farm bill and stating improvements to the dairy Margin Protection Program must be a top priority. Mulhern told committee members, “While MPP was, and is, the right approach for the future of federal dairy policy, the program … Read More
NPPC Farm Bill Priorities
The U.S. pork industry’s top priority for the next Farm Bill aligns with testimony from other animal ag groups – establishing a Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccine bank. The National Pork Producers Council’s (NPPC) Vice President David Herring, a pork producer from Newtown Grove, N.C. also testified before the House Agriculture subcommittee this week. “If this country ever had an FMD … Read More
Turkey Federation Proposes Animal Disease Defense Plan
Also in testimony before the House Ag Committee’s Livestock Subcommittee, National Turkey Federation, Chairman Carl Wittenburg, North Dakota turkey farmer, warned that the recent outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) among chickens illustrates the risk that must be addressed. “As partners in the Animal Ag Coalition, which represents all facets of animal ag production,” said Wittenburg, “we hope to … Read More
Cattlemen’s Priorities for 2018 Farm Bill
In testimony before the House Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Livestock and Foreign Agriculture, Craig Uden, a fourth-generation cattle producer from Nebraska and the president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), called on Congress to authorize $150 million a year over five years for a “stronger and more adequate foot-and-mouth disease (FMB) vaccine bank” as part of the 2018 Farm … Read More
Agri-Pulse Farm Bill Summit
Setting up official National Ag Day Activities Tuesday in Washington, DC, Agri-Pulse is holding a Farm Bill Summit today, part of their on-going Farm Bill Series. Over 400 industry representatives, congressional staff members, and invited guests are gathering for the day long event that features farm bill veterans and policy experts discussing the road that lies ahead for the 2018 … Read More