As House Agriculture chairman, Peterson plans extensive oversight hearings Incoming Agriculture Committee chair Collin Peterson spelled out an ambitious plan for hearings on topics from the farm economy and the trade war to rural broadband and a review of Sonny Perdue’s decision to move two USDA agencies out of Washington…. Continue reading
Shutdown likely to delay crucial USDA reports Barring a breakthrough in negotiations between the White House and Congress, the partial government shutdown will force the USDA to delay next week’s scheduled release of potentially market-moving reports that take a final look at the 2018 crops and provide the first hints… Continue reading
USDA says it will deliver on Trump request for 5-percent spending cut Under orders from President Trump to cut spending by 5 percent, the USDA may try to slash the taxpayer-subsidized crop insurance program, eliminate a green-payment program, or take an ax to its research agencies, if recent proposals are… Continue reading
As the agribusiness landscape for crop inputs continues to change, 2018 was the scene of continued news surrounding mergers and acquisitions. Notably, headed into 2019, the four largest ag chemical companies are: Bayer ($12.9 billion in annual revenue); Syngenta (9.7 billion in annual revenue); BASF ($6.4 billion in annual revenue);… Continue reading
Trump injects food stamp limits into signing of ‘really tremendous’ farm bill At the same time President Trump signed into law the 2018 farm bill, which modestly strengthens the farm safety net, loosens farm subsidy rules, and legalizes industrial hemp, he announced “immediate action on welfare reform” on Thursday through… Continue reading
Administration would toughen 90-day limit on food stamps On Thursday, hours before President Trump was expected to sign the farm bill, the administration has proposed restricting the power of states to waive the usual 90-day limit on food stamps for able-bodied adults who do not work at least 20 hours… Continue reading
Sales of antibiotics for livestock drop 41 percent as result of FDA efforts Sales of medically important antibiotics for use in food animals are down by 41 percent in two years as part of the FDA’s campaign to preserve the efficacy of antibiotics. Pork, the meat-export leader Large domestic hog… Continue reading
USDA doubles Trump tariff payments to farmers to $9.6 billion Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced on Monday the second and final round of $4.8 billion of Trump tariff payments, meaning crop and livestock producers will collect up to $9.6 billion in cash to cushion the impact of the Sino-U.S. trade… Continue reading
USDA shutdown would likely delay Trump’s tariff bailouts According to a USDA plan developed for the brief shutdown earlier this year, if there is a partial government shutdown at the end of this week offices running the farm program would be closed, which probably would mean that Trump tariff payments… Continue reading
Farm bill 2018: Late, yes, but not as late as some The 2018 farm bill, which President Trump could sign into law as early as next week, is more than two months overdue, largely because of a fight over SNAP work requirements that led Rep. Collin Peterson to say, “I… Continue reading
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