Month: September 2019

Few ERS and NIFA replacements as relocation reaches milestone date   When Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced Kansas City as the new home for two USDA research agencies, officials laid out an aggressive schedule to have everyone in place by today, the final day of fiscal 2019. The USDA has… Continue reading

‘Patriot farmers’ urge Trump to act on ethanol   As recently as Wednesday, President Trump lauded farmers as “great patriots” for their forbearance in the face of ag exports lost due to the Sino-U.S. trade war. A handful of corn and soybean farmers active in biofuels policy said on Thursday… Continue reading

Impeachment inquiry casts shadow on ‘new NAFTA’ President Trump is creating instability in the farm sector with his periodic threats to withdraw from NAFTA, said the senior Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee. Also at an Agriculture hearing on Wednesday, farm groups called for speedy passage of the United States-Mexico-Canada… Continue reading

Growing portion of Democratic ‘aggies’ supports investigation of Trump   Although President Trump remains popular in rural America, 13 of the 32 Democrats serving on two food and agriculture panels in the House support an impeachment inquiry of the president.   Midwestern Senators ask, ‘Where’s our ethanol deal?’ Roughly 10… Continue reading

SNAP proposal will ‘cut off millions,’ AMA says   The Trump administration proposal for stricter SNAP eligibility rules will “cut off millions of needy households from basic food aid” and should be withdrawn, said the American Medical Association, the largest U.S. doctors’ group, on Monday.   Cars slow progress on… Continue reading

On cusp of trade pact with Japan, Trump sees no hurry on China   When President Trump meets Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan on Wednesday, the two leaders are expected to approve a deal on agricultural and digital trade. U.S. food and ag exports could rise as a result…. Continue reading

Southeast will get most of $3 billion in agricultural disaster aid Floods and crop-delaying rains in the Midwest generated a lot of attention, but the hurricane-hit U.S. Southeast will see the bulk of the $3 billion allocated by Congress for agricultural disaster relief, said Agriculture Undersecretary Bill Northey on Thursday…. Continue reading

With Trump back in town, end may be in sight for biofuels dispute President Trump will meet with oil state senators, possibly this afternoon, as the White House referees a long-running dispute over ethanol’s share of the U.S. fuel supply. A new coalition says farmers and ranchers want the Green… Continue reading

Senate vs. House confrontation looms over relocating ERS and NIFA   The Senate Appropriations Committee is expected to approve a bill on Thursday that effectively allows Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue’s removal of two research agencies to Kansas City from Washington, setting up a clash with House leaders.   USDA final… Continue reading

Keep trade war payments flowing, say farm-state Democrats   With USDA sending $1 billion a week to farmers, senior Democrats on the House Agriculture Committee argued on Monday for Congress to give the agency an early infusion of cash to keep trade war payments flowing to farm country.   With… Continue reading