Category Archives: Agriculture News

Cal Pork Prices Higher After Prop 12 Implementation

Prop 12 is already raising the price of pork in California. In effect for just over six months, pork sales have dropped across the state. That’s from data compiled by the USDA’s Office of the Chief Economist. The OCE found prices for pork products affected by Prop 12, including loins, ribs, and bellies, have averaged…MORE

Federal Water Allocation Water Increase

The Bureau of Reclamation is increasing water allocations for Central Valley Project water users. For irrigation water service and repayment contractors south-of-delta, including cross valley contractors, the water allocation is increased to 35% up from 15%. The Bureau of Reclamation says late February storms improved conditions. According to a news release, bureau is also reserving…MORE

Bill Would Ease Farmland Ownership Transitions

A new U.S. Senate bipartisan bill would break down barriers to farming and agricultural land ownership. The goal is to help more Americans pursue farming careers. The bipartisan Farm Transition Act of 2024 would, for the first time, create a Commission on Farm Transitions to study the issues impacting the transition of agricultural operations to…MORE

Food and Ag Industries Have $9.63 Trillion Impact

More than thirty agriculture groups released the eighth annual “Feeding the Economy” report. The study helps estimate the direct and indirect economic contributions of the food and agriculture industries on jobs, wages, economic output, and business taxes. The 2024 report’s findings show the total economic impact for the food and agriculturally-related industries grew almost 12%…MORE

El Niño’s impact on U.S. Farmers

The 2024 growing season is expected to bring a unique combination of El Niño this spring through early summer before switching to La Niña in late summer through early fall. Farmers Business Network says the opposing climate patterns have the potential to trigger significant weather events that could have problematic impacts on crop production. 2023…MORE

Valley Agriculture Water Deliveries Will Soon Start

Farmers in the Fresno Irrigation District can start taking water deliveries on April 1st. FID says it’s too early to tell how long the irrigation season will last. But the district is expecting to have enough water for farmers until at least July. District officials will provide updates to users as soon as they are…MORE

USDA Finalizes “Product of USA” Label Claim

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the finalization of a rule to align the voluntary “Product of USA” label claim with consumer understanding of what the claim means. Vilsack made the announcement during a speech to attendees of the National Farmers Union Annual Convention in Scottdale, Arizona. Vilsack says, “This final rule will ensure that when…MORE

Angus Foundation Scholarship

Applications are open for the Angus Foundation’s Commercial Cattlemen Scholarship, which awards four $1,500 scholarships to outstanding young people in the beef industry. This scholarship is unique from others offered by the Foundation as it aims to support students specifically from the commercial sector of the industry. “We’re proud to offer this scholarship opportunity to…MORE

AM Radio Act Gets Enough Support to Pass the House

The AM for Every Vehicle Act has hit the magic number of voting co-sponsors it will need to ensure passage through the House of Representatives. Sponsors of the House legislation announced they had picked up the 218th voting supporter. The majority of votes is necessary because Kentucky Senator Rand Paul blocked a bipartisan-driven majority consent…MORE

Farmers Still Worry About Financial Outlook

The Purdue University-CME Group Ag Economy Barometer rose modestly in February posting a reading of 111, five points higher than a month earlier. The modest rise in the barometer was attributable to producers expressing somewhat more optimism about the future as the Future Expectations Index rose seven points to a reading of 115. The Current…MORE