Farm Bill Signed

Farm Bill Signed

(Washington, D.C., December 20, 2018) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today celebrated President Trump’s signing of the 2018 Farm Bill and issued the following statement: “This is a great day for our farmers, ranchers, foresters, and producers, as President Trump’s signature on this bill is a Christmas present to… Continue reading

Tariff Payments Double – December 18, 2018

Tariff payments double

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

Family Farming on Precipice – December 11, 2018

Family Farming on Precipice

Farm bill makes distant relatives eligible for subsidies Congress is expected to send President Trump a farm bill this week that makes nieces, nephews and first cousins of farmers eligible for crop subsidies, a setback in the decades-old drive to control farm spending. Family farming on a precipice, Wisconsin farmers… Continue reading

Industrial Egg, Farm Bill – December 10, 2018

Industrial egg future

Status-quo farm bill nears victory with modifications already in the air After months as an ideological flashpoint, a toned-down farm bill is on track for bipartisan passage in Congress this week, short of a proposal for stricter SNAP work requirements. Enactment won’t end debate over the status-quo legislation. Opposition mounts… Continue reading

Pork Prices, China Trade – December 4, 2018

Pork prices affected by trade

White House expects immediate action by China on ag trade Taking a “show me” stance, White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said on Monday he expected China to roll back tariffs on U.S. farm exports promptly and begin trade reforms in line with the trade deal struck by President Trump… Continue reading

Farm Bill, Income, Nutria Invasion – December 3, 2018

Nutria Invasion in California

The farm-income bump is the bailout by Trump U.S. farm income will be slightly higher than expected this year due chiefly to $4.7 billion in Trump tariff payments that will buffer the impact of trade war on commodity prices, says the USDA. With the bailout, farmers are forecast to collect… Continue reading

China Ag Sales Fall in Trade War – November 30, 2018

China Ag Sales drop 45 percent in trade war

U.S. ag sales to China to fall by 45 percent in trade war China, formerly the No. 1 customer for U.S. ag exports, will buy a comparatively paltry $9 billion worth of those exports this fiscal year, a startling 45 percent cutback due to the trade war, said the USDA… Continue reading