Ag Policy
The White House’s executive order signed in September requires all USDA employees to be vaccinated by Nov. 22, and includes county FSA offices and employees, as well as elected county committee members who are paid.
Rep. Jim Hagedorn (R-Minn.), brings up the Biden Administration’s hypocrisy with processing expansion plans, but no action on pork line speed ruling during the House Ag Committee’s hearing on Oct. 7.
From African swine fever surveillance and vaccine candidates to genetic editing, the House Agriculture Committee hearing was filled with discussion on the fight against economically devastating livestock diseases.
Legislative proposals aimed at the U.S. livestock markets could have a negative impact on farmers and ranchers they are intended to protect, Meat Institute argues ahead of Thursday’s House Ag Committee hearing.
Meat industry representatives will defend their operations and pricing practices on Thursday before the full House Agriculture Committee during a “Hearing to Review the State of the Livestock Industry.”
Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack announces a USDA loan guarantee initiative to create more and better market opportunities, promote competition and strengthen America’s food supply chain
Possible tax changes on the table in Washington are causing angst in agriculture. Secretary Vilsack says the proposed changes won’t impact 98% of family farms, but another analysis contradicts those claims.
Chip Flory is joined by USDA Secretary Vilsack to discuss who is affected by stepped-up basis and why he thinks agricultural America should be in support of it.
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is eliminating the Voluntary Trichinae Certification Program effective Oct. 25. Eliminating the program will benefit the pork industry by reducing confusion, APHIS says.
On Tuesday, Bill Northey weighed in with some perspective on the budget reconciliation bill, which is part of the Biden administration’s Build Back Better agenda.
U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday ordered his administration to find ways to ensure people are protected from extreme heat, including through work-related rules and other cooling efforts.
President Biden’s nomination of Elaine Trevin for USTR role could produce a win for agriculture. Those in trade are taking notice.
Pork industry groups applaud USDA’s effort to establish additional requirements for dogs imported into the U.S. for resale from countries where ASF exists.
USDA is providing additional time for livestock and poultry producers to apply for the Pandemic Livestock Indemnity Program (PLIP). The deadline has been extended from Sept. 17 to Oct. 12.
Democratic lawmakers urge House leadership for $75 million in funding for USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to prevent and prepare for a possible African swine fever outbreak in the U.S. swine herd.
Paul Neiffer says one of the biggest benefits in the House’s proposed plan is farmers won’t be hit with increased taxes at death, as the transfer tax is no longer included and the full step-up in basis remains.
Agriculture associations urge President Biden to address ocean carrier practices causing increased costs and delays for American businesses as “the problem not only persists, but is becoming more dire.”
In an unprecedented move, the Biden administration unveiled a broad plan to tackle record retail meat prices. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack said consolidation in beef, pork and poultry processing is leading to higher prices.
The Biden administration plans to take a tougher stance toward meatpacking companies it says are causing sticker shock at grocery stores.
President Biden highlighted the ravages of climate change during a visit to flood-damaged New Jersey on Tuesday, putting a focus on domestic priorities after weeks of public attention on the withdrawal from Afghanistan.
U.S. Secretary spoke on the impacts of climate change in the agricultural industry, as well as prevention plans set forth by the Biden Administration, during Thursday’s Farm Journal Farm Country Update.
Net cash farm income, which tracks producers’ cash flow, is forecast by USDA at $134.7B for 2021. That number is up $6.4B from February’s forecast and would be an increase of 21.5% from 2020’s $110.9B.
Hurricane Ida, and possible aid to producers, was a big topic of the Farm Journal Farm Country Update with Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack Thursday. Vilsack highlighted when additional aid may be on the way.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will join Clinton Griffiths for a virtual live town-hall Sept. 2 at 2 p.m. CDT. Farmers and ranchers will ask about the most pressing issues and opportunities they face.
The future of USDA’s CFAP is unclear with biofuels groups and pork producers are questioning when and if they’ll get paid. As USDA continues to divvy out relief funds for agriculture, reports show funds are running low.
USDA is out with its new ag export forecast for both this year and next, and it’s showing exports could hit $173.5 billion in 2021, $4 billion more than 2020, due to higher livestock, poultry and dairy exports.
China’s pork production is expected to decline 14% in 2022, while pork imports are expected to climb 5.1 MT with consumer demand exceeding domestic production, according to a USDA attaché report released last week.
Canada has joined Mexico in seeking formal consultation with the United States over the interpretation of content rules for automobiles set out in the North American trade pact, Mexico and Canada said on Friday.
The United States said it is seeking to avoid disruptions to pork exports if the territories of Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands detect the fatal pig disease African swine fever.
USDA announced updates to CFAP 2, with the biggest revisions occurring for contract producers of livestock and specialty crops. The deadline is now October 12 to sign up or make modifications to existing applications.