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
Trump Trade Team to Include New USDA Post
President Trump now has a complete cabinet with Senate approval of Ambassador Robert Lighthizer as U.S. Trade Representative, and USDA will soon have an undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs to help with the administration’s international trade goals. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced a reorganization of USDA yesterday that includes the creation of the new undersecretary, which was approved … 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
First Shipments of U.S. Beef to Brazil Have Arrived
The first shipment of fresh U.S. beef has arrived in Brazil following a 13-year hiatus, announces Secretary Sonny Perdue. The USDA says the entrance of American beef into the Brazilian market will bring promising long-term economic opportunity for U.S. beef producers. “With Brazil’s large market reopened to the United States, U.S. beef exports are poised for new growth. I look … Read More
POTUS Comments on Animal Ag & Trade
President Trump welcomed new Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue on his first day in office for a White House “Farmers Roundtable” where animal agriculture sat center stage and the signing of an Executive Order establishing an Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity. During the signing, President Trump commented on the current trade dispute with Canada over dairy product … Read More
Senate Confirms Sonny Perdue
The U.S. Senate has formally confirmed the nomination of George Ervin “Sonny” Perdue III to serve as the 31st Secretary of Agriculture. The final vote was 87 to 11. Agribusinessman, veterinarian, state legislator, and governor of Georgia, Perdue worked on the family farm in central Georgia andn will be only the fourth agriculture secretary who can claim to have been … Read More
GIPSA Delays Effective Date of Interim Final
The USDA’s Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) announced that it is delaying the effective date of the Scope of Sections 202 (a) and (b) of the Packers and Stockyards Act Interim Final Rule until October 19, 2017. They also announced they are asking the public to comment on four possible actions USDA should take in regards to the … Read More
USDA Taking Nominations for American Lamb Board
The USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service is seeking nominations for positions on the 2018 American Lamb Board. There are five vacancies for the 2018 Board. The vacancies include one position for a producer with less than 100 lambs, one position for a producer with more than 500 lambs, one feeder position with less than 5,000 lambs, one first handler position, and … Read More
USDA Authorizes Emergency CRP Grazing After Wildfires
The USDA, acting in response to a directive from President Donald J. Trump, has authorized emergency grazing on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands located in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas who were most heavily impacted by wildfires in March. USDA Acting Deputy Secretary Michael L. Young issued a memorandum authorizing the emergency grazing of cattle by ranchers, who are facing the … Read More
USDA’s Quarterly Hogs & Pigs Report
The Pork Checkoff announced the USDA’s Quarterly Hogs and Pigs Report. The call featured three distinguished agricultural economists and their reactions to the report. A general theme of hog number growth sat centerstage. The panelists included: – Len Steiner, President, Steiner Consulting Group, Merrimack, NH – Daniel Bluntzer, Partner, New Frontier Capital Markets LLC, Corpus Christi, TX – Kevin Bost, … Read More