Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says the administration is close to “an understanding with Mexico and Canada” to remove tariffs that have been in place for almost a year and have heavily impacted U.S. agriculture including the California farm industry. Politico says it’s not clear yet what the potential agreement between the three countries might…… MORE
Category Archives: Agriculture News
Farm Bureau Wants End to Trade Dispute
American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall sent a letter to President Trump and trade was the big topic. He tells the president that American farmers need a swift resolution to the ongoing trade war with China. The six-year downturn in farm prices that has produced “near-unprecedented economic uncertainty and hardship” is getting worse as…… MORE
New Trade Aid Likely Days Away
Department of Agriculture officials say support for farmers dealing with depressed markets will be made available quickly. President Donald Trump has promised farmers $15 billion in aid following the latest round of tariffs implemented Friday. USDA undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs Ted McKinney suggests a new package of aid for farmers is “days…… MORE
China Announces Retaliation Against U.S. Tariff Hikes
The Chinese Finance Ministry made the expected announcement that it would respond to the most recent hike in U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports. China will raise tariff rates on $60 billion in U.S. imports, including agricultural products. The Ministry will boost tarif rates in June on more than 5,000 U.S. products. Agricultural commodities that…… MORE
Calif. Jury: Monsanto Must Pay $2B to Couple with Cancer
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – A jury ordered agribusiness giant Monsanto Co. to pay a combined $2.05 billion to a couple who claimed the company’s popular weed killer Roundup Ready caused their cancers. The Oakland jury on Monday delivered Monsanto’s third such loss in California since August. Alva and Alberta Pilliod claimed they used Roundup for more…… MORE
Listening Sessions for Climate Smart Agriculture
The California Department of Food and Agriculture is announcing that it will conduct two public listening sessions to seek public comment on the draft Request for Proposals and application materials developed for the 2019 Climate Smart Agriculture Technical Assistance Grant Program. CDFA was authorized to administer the program under Assembly Bill Number 2377, which established…… MORE
Department of Justice Looking at Chicken Price-Fixing Suit
The Department of Justice is seeking information regarding alleged price-fixing of chickens by processors. Meat industry publication Meatingplace reports the Department of Justice has issued a grand jury subpoena to plaintiffs in a class action price-fixing lawsuit against the chicken industry. The subpoena requests information produced in the discovery process by all parties in…… MORE
California Moves to Ban Chlorpyrifos
California will ban of chlorpyrifos use within the state. The state Environmental Protection Agency chose to ban chlorpyrifos following what it calls mounting evidence that the pesticide “causes serious health effects in children and other sensitive populations at lower levels of exposure than previously understood.” Chlorpyrifos is an insecticide used to control many different…… MORE
Ag Economy Barometer Falls in April
The Ag Economy Barometer plummeted in April, declining to a reading of 115, an 18-point decline compared to March when the index stood at 133. The 18-point decline in the index was the fourth largest one-month fall in the barometer since data collection began in October 2015. Organizers say the barometer’s decline was driven…… MORE
USDA Organic Certification Help
Federal funds are available to help farmers applying for receiving and maintaining organic certification through the Organic Certification Cost Share Program. The Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency announced the funding this week. The program provides cost-share assistance up to 75 percent of certification costs each year to producers and handlers of agricultural products…… MORE
