Month: September 2024

Trump reminds farmers of trade war aid and would fix ag labor shortages Former president Donald Trump said in a questionnaire released on Thursday that he would use “every tool at my disposal,” including tariffs, to expand U.S. food and ag exports if he is re-elected. Vice President Kamala Harris… Continue reading

House votes to limit foreign ownership of U.S. agricultural land The Republican-controlled House swept aside Democratic objections to pass a just-written bill on Wednesday to restrict the purchase of agricultural land by citizens of China, Russia, North Korea, or Iran. “It is the beginning of the effort to keep our… Continue reading

Rural poverty rate dips to pre-pandemic levels Aided by surging household incomes, the poverty rate in rural America fell to 13.5 percent, the lowest since 2019 and the second-lowest in two decades, said the Census Bureau on Tuesday. Rural conditions improved far more rapidly than did the country overall, according… Continue reading

For rural America, election is ‘certainty vs. chaos’ Vice President Kamala Harris bears the blame for high prices and declining farm income, said Indiana farmer Kip Tom on Monday, pushing for the reelection of Donald Trump as president. On the contrary, said Harris advocate Rod Snyder, calling the Nov. 5… Continue reading

Mexico to displace China as top corn importer China will remain the leading importer of soybeans and cotton, but Mexico will be the world’s largest corn importer for the rest of this decade, said the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute. The United States would be the top corn exporter… Continue reading

Trump puts agriculture on list of potential ‘wealth fund’ investments In a speech on Thursday, former president Donald Trump included “new and modern agricultural techniques” on a crowded list of potential investments from a yet-to-be-created wealth fund that might be bankrolled by import tariffs. Thanks to livestock revenue, farm income… Continue reading

White House announces $7.3 billion for clean energy in rural America President Biden announced $7.3 billion in funding for clean energy projects at 16 rural electric cooperatives on Thursday, part of the largest federal investment in rural electrification since the New Deal. The projects, at co-ops from Florida to Alaska,… Continue reading

Toss-up races in House have agriculture tint Six of the 19 toss-up races for U.S. House seats in the Nov. 5 general elections involve members of the Agriculture Committee, three Republican and three Democratic incumbents. The races in districts from California to New York State could have a large impact… Continue reading

Nebraska governor says no to lab-grown meat If Gov. Jim Pillen has his way, Nebraska legislators will pass a law banning the sale of “lab-grown meat” — the industry prefers the term cultivated meat — during its next session. Florida and Alabama enacted state bans on the alternative meat this… Continue reading

Labor Day 2024 is a day to celebrate the achievements of the millions of men and women who keep America running. This year, don’t forget to thank a farmer. Approximately 2.8 million Americans work directly on a farm. Nearly 20 million more work in food and other agricultural-related industries. Farming… Continue reading