The Department of Agriculture is asking for nominations to the Advisory Committee on Beginning Farmers and Ranchers. First established in 1992, the committee advises the Agriculture Secretary to enhance USDA’s goals for new farming and ranching operations. Members of the public are invited to submit nominations for themselves or other qualified experts by October 10th.…… MORE
Category Archives: Agriculture News
Survey Shows Consumers Willing To Pay More Despite Cal Prop 12
A new Purdue University survey indicates that consumers appear to be more willing to live with higher pork prices if they are the result of meeting animal welfare standards like California’s Prop 12. In the nationwide survey, consumers said they would scale back their purchases if pork prices went higher. But fewer of them would…… MORE
Farmers Show High Interest in Autonomy Tech
Farmers in the U.S. and Canada appear to be embracing autonomous technology to optimize their operations and boost productivity. A survey conducted by Forward Group revealed that 65% of the operators surveyed expressed enthusiasm for adopting autonomy solutions, while 29% showed high levels of enthusiasm. The survey findings emphasize the positive impact of autonomous solutions…… MORE
Food Prices Rise Again
The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers rose 0.6% in August on a seasonally adjusted basis, after increasing 0.2% in July. Over the last 12 months, the all-items index increased 3.7% before seasonal adjustment. The food index increased 0.2% in August, as it did in July. The index for food at home increased 0.2%…… MORE
New Ag Truck Driving Report
A new report from the UC Berkeley Labor Center finds that among other things during the pandemic, there was not a shortage of people interested in truck driving back in 2021. Instead the industry faced challenges with retaining drivers, with high turnover for long distance haulers. Among other finds centered around disruptions from the covid-19…… MORE
U.S. and India Resolve Outstanding Trade Issue
U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai says the U.S. and India resolved their last outstanding dispute at the World Trade Organization. As a part of the agreement, India also agreed to reduce tariffs on U.S. products like frozen turkey, frozen duck, and fresh and frozen blueberries and cranberries. Tai says the tariff cuts will expand economic…… MORE
Another Challenge to GMOs
The Center for Food Safety filed a legal appeal against the USDA in response to its genetically engineered labeling rules. The organization says those rules do not mandate clear on-package food labeling and allow unlabeled hidden GMOs to proliferate in the U.S. food marketplace. The CFS was victorious in a 2022 district court ruling in…… MORE
Farm Bureau Testifies at FMMO Hearing
American Farm Bureau Federation Chief Economist Roger Cryan testified at the ongoing Federal Milk Marketing Order Pricing Formula hearing. Farm Bureau membership includes cooperatives and independent dairy farmers, most of whom are directly or indirectly affected by the pricing provisions in the FMMOs. Farm Bureau’s testimony focused on the reduction or elimination of negative producer…… MORE
West Coast Port Workers Ratify Contract
Dock workers at West Coast ports ratified a six-year contract that improved pay and benefits for 22,000 employees at 29 ports from California to Washington state. Members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union voted 75% in favor of approving the West Coast port worker agreement that runs until 2028. Reuters says longshore workers covered…… MORE
Brazil Now the World’s Biggest Corn Exporter
For more than 50 years, U.S. farmers were dominant in the international corn market, far and away shipping more corn than anyone else to help feed the world’s stockpiles and manufacture food. A Bloomberg article says that’s no longer the case. In the agricultural year that ended on August 31st, the U.S. gave up that…… MORE
