Seventy of the top agriculture, conservation, and wildlife groups delivered a letter to Congress asking for robust funding for conservation programs and technical assistance for the fiscal year 2022. In the letter, groups like the American Farmland Trust, the National Association of Conservation Districts, and many others called on House and Senate appropriators to…… MORE
Category Archives: Agriculture News
Ag Innovation Challenge Now Open
The American Farm Bureau Federation, in partnership with Farm Credit, has opened online applications for the 2022 Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge. The national business competition showcases U.S. startup companies that are providing solutions to challenges faced by America’s farmers, ranchers and rural communities. Farm Bureau will award $165,000 in startup funds provided by…… MORE
Gov Asked To Declare Water Crisis
According to a news release from state Senator Andreas Borgeas, he along with a group of bipartisan lawmakers are requesting Governor Gavin Newsom to declare a statewide emergency in response to limited water supplies in California for this year. The request comes after the Department of Water Resources announced a slim 5% water allocation for…… MORE
Ag Economy Barometer up
The Ag Economy Barometer rose in March to 177, the highest reading for the barometer since the record high reading of 184 in October. Organizers say this month’s 12-point rise in the barometer was attributable almost entirely to ag producers’ more optimistic view of the future. Strong ag commodity prices and improved farm financial…… MORE
USDA Reopens CFAP2 Enrollment
The Department of Agriculture is reopening the signup window for the CFAP 2, the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. CFAP 2 provides financial assistance that gives producers the ability to absorb increased marketing costs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The initial CFAP 2 signup ended in December, but USDA has reopened the signup period for…… MORE
Feed Industry Supports Trade Promotion
The American Feed Industry Association commends Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack for his leadership in asking Congress to renew Trade Promotion Authority legislation. AFIA’s President and CEO Constance Cullman says the animal feed and pet food industries are encouraged by Secretary Vilsack’s recognition of the importance of renewing TPA and is hopeful that the Biden…… MORE
Taking Aim At Prop 12
A total of 20 states filed a brief with the Supreme Court supporting the North American Meat Institute’s petition challenging the constitutionality of Proposition 12 in California. That voter measure passed in 2018 and called The Prevention of Cruelty to Farm Animals Act, imposes new standards for animal housing. “The governments of nearly half…… MORE
Farm Bureau Opposes New Capital Gains Tax
American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall says the organization objects to a proposal by several lawmakers to tax unrealized capital gains at death and roll back the stepped-up basis on those capital gains. Duvall says, “Taxing capital gains when a loved one passes away would have a devastating impact on farm and ranch…… MORE
Fertilizer Prices Up Dramatically
Fertilizer prices are up dramatically this spring, increasing input costs for growers. Data from the Department of Agriculture shows prices are up between 17 and 57% since the fall. David Widmar of Agricultural Economics Insights says that while nitrogen often gets the most attention, phosphorus prices are up the most. Anhydrous ammonia and urea…… MORE
More Ag Research Needed
A new report says stagnant public funding for agricultural research is threatening the future vitality of U.S. food systems. That poses risks to farmer productivity and profitability, the steady supply of affordable food, and ultimately, global food security. The report is a joint effort from the Farm Journal Foundation and the American Farm Bureau…… MORE
