Fairness in cattle markets will be a top priority, says Hipp Agricultural law expert Janie Hipp promised on Thursday to be “a big voice at the interdepartmental table” in dealing with cattle prices and biofuels if she is confirmed by the Senate to lead the USDA’s legal shop. “I commit… Continue reading
U.S. farm exports forecast at 8 percent above 2014’s record Thanks to high demand for American-grown corn, soybeans, and meat, U.S. farm exports will soar to a record $164 billion this year, far above the current mark of $152.3 billion, set in 2014, said the Agriculture Department on Wednesday. China,… Continue reading
U.S. demands trade panel ruling in dairy dispute with Canada The Biden administration elevated a long-simmering dispute over Canadian dairy quotas on Tuesday by calling for a three-judge panel to decide the matter under USMCA rules. It was the first time that a dispute settlement panel was invoked under the… Continue reading
EPA managers intruded on dicamba decision making Three mid-level EPA officials altered scientific documents to support their 2018 decision to keep the weed killer dicamba in use, reported the office of inspector general at EPA on Monday. Their decision, to extend registration of the herbicide for two years, was overturned… Continue reading
USDA launches loan-forgiveness program for minority farmers Socially disadvantaged farmers will begin receiving letters this week alerting them of a Biden administration program to pay off loans they owe to the USDA — “historic debt relief” in the words of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. Loan forgiveness could total $4 billion… Continue reading
Stabenow backs a near-doubling of USDA stewardship funding The chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture Committee called on Thursday for a $50 billion increase in funding for the USDA’s stewardship programs to combat climate change on farms and ranches. And a USDA report said forests could absorb an even larger share… Continue reading
Looking beneath the surface, USDA paper gauges pandemic’s impact Global trade in food and agricultural products grew by 3.5 percent last year, according to the WTO, leading to descriptions that the sector was robust and resilient in the face of the worst pandemic in a century. However, a USDA working… Continue reading
Climate change prompts talk of permanent USDA disaster fund The government must respond rapidly to the destructive weather that accompanies climate change, said House Agriculture chairman David Scott on Tuesday, so he is working on legislation to create a permanent disaster aid fund at the USDA. “Many of our farms… Continue reading
Address imbalances in cattle market, say farm groups In a joint statement on Monday, six farm groups called on the Justice Department to investigate the highly consolidated meatpacking industry and urged the development of “new independent, local and regional packers.” Ranch and farm groups have complained repeatedly during the pandemic… Continue reading
Dairy likely to highlight USMCA consultations Trade ministers from Canada, Mexico and the United States are scheduled to confer digitally on Monday and Tuesday in the first meeting of the USMCA’s Fair Trade Commission, with dairy expected to be the hot topic. U.S. dairy groups called on Sunday for the… Continue reading
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