Farm tractor sales continue to increase in both the U.S. and Canada, according to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. AEM released February sales data this week, showing U.S. tractor sales were up 41% from the same month last year. For the first two months in 2021, more than 32,000 tractors were sold, which compares…… MORE
Category Archives: Agriculture News
Farm Groups Welcome Death Tax Repeal
Legislation introduced in both the House and Senate would eliminate the estate tax. The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act temporarily doubles the estate tax exemption to $11 million per person indexed for inflation through 2025. However, without congressional action, the estate tax exemption will revert to $5.5 million per person in 2026, putting…… MORE
New Dairy-Based Sports Drink
A Chicago-based start-up company launched GoodSport, a sports drink that’s 97% dairy and aims to compete nationally against leading brands. The first-of-its-kind natural sports drink is made with milk and backed by science. GoodSport will soon be available on Amazon and at www.goodsport.com, but broader retail distribution is planned for later this year. The…… MORE
Farmers Feel Threatened by Biden Administration
A recent Farm Futures survey found why farmers feel threatened by potential policy objectives under the Biden administration. The survey shows nearly nine of every ten farmers believe taxes will go up under a Biden administration. Another 71% believe WOTUS will be overturned. Only 22% believe markets will stabilize with a new trade strategy.…… MORE
Senate Ag Plans Climate Hearing
The Senate Agriculture Committee will hold a hearing on Climate Change next week. Committee leadership announced the hearing, titled, Farmers and Foresters: Opportunities to Lead in Tackling Climate Change. The hearing, planned for Thursday, March 11, follows a similar hearing held by the House Agriculture Committee. Last week’s House Agriculture Committee hearing on climate…… MORE
February Ag Economy Barometer
February’s Ag Economy Barometer reading of 165 changed little compared to January when the index stood at 167. Producers continue to report strong current conditions on their farms as February’s Current Conditions Index value of 200 is near its all-time high. Continuing a trend that got underway last fall, however, the Index of Future…… MORE
California’s Prop 12 Under Attack
The North American Meat Institute recently asked the Supreme Court to review an earlier ruling in a challenge of California’s Proposition 12: The Farm Animal Confinement Initiative. The Meat Institute petition specifically asks the Supreme Court to review a U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruling in a challenge by the organization.…… MORE
Vilsack Thinks China Living Up to Trade Deal
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack says China is making good on its promises in the phase one trade deal it signed with the U.S. last year. CNBC says Vilsack points out the agreement allows market conditions to determine how much it has to buy from American farmers. COVID-19 qualifies as a market condition that…… MORE
Vilsack Starts Work Again At USDA
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack spoke with the media Thursday, following this week’s Senate vote to confirm his nomination. Vilsack was sworn in Wednesday evening by Vice President Kamala Harris. He returns to the Department of Agriculture after serving eight years at the same post during the Obama administration. Vilsack spoke as the House Agriculture…… MORE
CFAP Deadline Extended
This is a news release from the American Farm Bureau Federation responding to the USDA decision to extend the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) application deadline. AFBF applauds Secretary Vilsack for his swift response to American Farm Bureau Federation’s call for an extension to the CFAP application deadline. Coronavirus aid is a lifeline for farmers…… MORE
