Farm Income, Dairy, and Dicamba – August 31, 2018

Farm income stabilizes short-term

Farm income stabilizes a bit, but financial stress edges upward U.S. farm income is higher than expected this year and is regaining its footing after taking a tumble early this decade, said the Agriculture Department on Thursday. Nonetheless, net farm income will be the lowest since 2006, and the debt-to-asset… Continue reading

Canada, Trade War, and Dicamba – August 30, 2018

Canada and NAFTA

Trade war ends China’s role as top U.S. ag export customer Canada, runner-up for most of this decade, has replaced China as the top market for U.S. farm exports because of the high tariffs that have discouraged sales in the Sino-U.S. trade war, said the Agriculture Department on Wednesday. China… Continue reading

Soybeans, Farm Bill, and Trump’s Tariffs – August 29, 2018

Farm Bill, Trump Tariffs, Soybeans

Midwest scores big on Trump tariff payments; decision on second round in early December Nearly half of the $4.7 billion in Trump tariff payments will go to five midwestern states that are the largest soybean and hog producers in the country, said a farm group analysis on Tuesday. At the… Continue reading

NAFTA Talks, Climate, and Trump – August 28, 2018

NAFTA, Climate Change, Trump, Bailout,

Trump’s farmer bailout: half now, the rest later … maybe President Trump’s promise to protect U.S. agriculture from retaliatory tariffs by China and other countries will be paid on the installment plan — half this fall and the rest in December, or early 2019 if assistance is still needed, said… Continue reading

Bailout, Tariffs, Vegetable Prices – August 27, 2018

Washington, Tariffs, and Bailouts

Two sides of Washington: Trump bailout and China tariffs The Trump administration will hear hours of testimony about its proposed 25 percent tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese products on Monday, overlapping with the expected USDA announcement of up to $12 billion in aid for U.S. agriculture to offset the… Continue reading

Organic Livestock Rule Withdrawl – August 23, 2018

organic livestock

U.S. judge allows lawsuit against USDA withdrawal of organic livestock rule The USDA spent a decade writing livestock welfare rules for organic farms before, in a regulatory U-turn, it decided last December that it lacked the power to implement those rules. The decision sparked a lawsuit by the organic community…. Continue reading