Age of U.S. farmers still concerning
The average age of U.S. farmers remains a concerning topic. Farmdoc Daily says the 2022 Census of Agriculture confirms that U.S. farmers continue getting older. However, America's farmers are also becoming younger relative to the U.S. population. Relative to the rest of the population, the farmers have become slightly ...
May 10, 2024
USDA NRCS Texas / CC
Rounds introduces legislation to prevent mandatory electronic tagging of livestock
U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) introduced legislation that would prevent federal government overreach on the operations of South Dakota farmers and ranchers. The bill would prevent the Secretary of Agriculture from implementing any rule or regulation requiring the mandatory use of electronic identification tags, or ...
May 09, 2024
K-State Research and Extension / CC
American and Australian cattle producers commit to partnership through joint statement signing
Leaders of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) and Cattle Australia (CA) signed a joint statement at the Beef 2024 convention in Rockhampton, Australia to further the two organizations' partnership on issues related to cattle health, lab-grown proteins, and sustainability. "America's cattle farmers an...
May 09, 2024
EPA, FDA, and USDA issue joint regulatory plan for biotechnology
In response to President Biden's Executive Order 14081, "Advancing Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Innovation for a Sustainable, Safe, and Secure American Bioeconomy," the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) ...
May 09, 2024
Phil Warren / CC
U.S. and Mexico dairy industries renew commitment to cross-border cooperation
Leading dairy representatives from the United States and Mexico met this week in Chihuahua, Mexico to renew their commitment to collaborate and advocate on mutually beneficial dairy policies. This was the sixth meeting between leading U.S. and Mexico dairy organizations since 2016. The National Milk Producers Federatio...
May 09, 2024
Marco Verch Professional Photographer / CC
New bill would scale up voluntary, locally-led big game conservation on working lands
Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Congressmen Ryan Zinke (R-Mont) and Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) introduced the Habitat Connectivity on Working Lands Act. This bill would support and expand voluntary efforts to improve wildlife habitat, including big game habitat, on private and working lands. Building on the success of ...
May 09, 2024
Meat Institute updates animal handling guidelines to include bison
To help drive the meat industry forward, the Meat Institute has updated its Animal Handling Guidelines and Animal Welfare Audit. The changes include scores for each criterion, allowing the Institute's members to set goals. The Meat Institute also released a new bison animal welfare audit. The guidelines and audit were ...
May 09, 2024
Minnesota Soybean launches 'Behind the Dollar' campaign
Minnesota supports more than 25,000 soybean farmers. Every time a soybean farmer sells soybeans, one half of one percent of the market price is "checked off." But where do those checkoff funds go from there? Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council (MSR&PC) is dissecting the true value of checko...
May 08, 2024
United Soybean Board / CC
North Dakota Stockmen's Association's Feedlot Tour will make stops near Dunn Center, Dickinson
The 22nd annual North Dakota Stockmen's Association's (NDSA) Feedlot Tour will be June 18 at feedlots near Dunn Center, and Dickinson, N.D. The tour stops will include Ben Murphy's Cowliseum (hoop barn) near Dunn Center and Jeff and Jaden Kuhn and families' feedlot near Dickinson. The tour will depart from the Cenex C-...
May 08, 2024
USDA seeks committee members for urban agriculture
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is seeking nominations for four positions on the Federal Advisory Committee for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production. USDA will accept nominations from May 7, 2024, to July 7, 2024. The 12-member Committee, which first convened in March 2022, is part of USDA's efforts to increa...
May 08, 2024
Lawmakers ask USDA to restore canceled NASS reports
Representative Jim Costa (D-CA) and Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS) led 70 colleagues in sending a letter to Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack regarding the National Agricultural Statistics Service. The officials want him to reverse the USDA's decision to cancel or discontinue several NASS reports. The July Cattle Report, the Cotton...
May 08, 2024
K-State Research and Extension / CC
Ag Economy Barometer shows farmer sentiment at lowest level since 2022
Farmer sentiment dropped sharply in April, as indicated by the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer. It fell 15 points to an April reading of 99. Both of the subindexes of the barometer also dropped. The Current Conditions Index dropped 18 points to 83, while the Future Expectations Index fell by 14 points ...
May 08, 2024
USDA announces $22 million to support underserved and veteran farmers and ranchers
The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced approximately $22.3 million available to community-based and nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education, and Tribal entities that help underserved and veteran farmers and ranchers own and operate successful farms. Funding is made through USDA's 2501 Prog...
May 07, 2024
kzibert / Depositphotos.com
Brazil soy harvest hit by floods
The outlook for the soybean harvest in Rio Grande do Sul of Brazil is deteriorating swiftly after torrential rain flooded fields, with about a quarter of the beans still to be harvested. Rio Grande do Sul was on track to become the second-largest producer in Brazil behind Mato Grosso. Farm Policy News says the impact o...
May 07, 2024
njaj / Depositphotos.com
U.N. Food Price Index rises slightly in April
The U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization's Food Price Index reached 119.1 points in April, up 0.3 points from its revised March level. The increase in the Meat Price Index and smaller upturns of Vegetable Oil and Cereal indices slightly more than offset decreases in those for Sugar and Dairy products. Although it re...
May 07, 2024
Union members tell Congress sugar policy means good jobs
Sugar workers who are members of the International Association of Machinists were recently on Capitol Hill talking about how strong U.S. sugar policy supports union jobs in America. They told members they're proud of that much sugar made in America and done so by a union workforce. "U.S. sugar policy provides so m...
May 07, 2024
Marco Verch / CC
Klobuchar, Cornyn, colleagues urge USDA to strengthen interagency coordination on avian flu response
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and John Cornyn (R-TX), along with 16 other senators sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in response to the recent outbreak of avian flu. In the letter, the senators urge the USDA, Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Preventi...
May 06, 2024
United Soybean Board / CC
SDSU Extension hosts cattle webinar series on market, climate and health trends
South Dakota State University Extension is hosting a series of webinars to help cattle producers and industry professionals manage current market, climate and health trends. The Market, Climate, Health: Cattle Update one-hour webinar series is online via Zoom at 11 a.m. CDT / 10 a.m. MT on June 4, 11 and 18, 2024. Tick...
May 06, 2024
USDA announces 28 host organizations to train future conservation and climate leaders
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has selected 28 organizations to host members of USDA's Working Lands Climate Corps (WLCC), an effort that will train the next generation of conservation and climate leaders, providing technical training and career pathway opportunities for young people and helping them deliver climat...
May 06, 2024
Conservation Media Library / CC
March pork exports steady with year-ago; beef export value highest in nine months
March exports of U.S. pork were steady with last year's volume and edged higher in value, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation. Beef exports were below last March's large volume, but export value was the highest since June 2023. Pork exports totaled 260,430 metric tons (mt)...
May 06, 2024
ayako / CC