“Today’s announcement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on its tariff mitigation plan falls far short of addressing the losses dairy producers are experiencing due to trade retaliation resulting from the Trump Administration’s imposition of steel and aluminum tariffs. [node:read-more:link]
The last couple of weeks have seen some news out of Russia that have resulted in dramatic price swings. To catch up, a few Fridays ago rumors begin to circulate that the Russian Agriculture Ministry intended to curb wheat export demand by placing limits on shipments once exporters hit 30 million metric tons of exports. This hit the news not by an official announcement from the Russian government, but from a word-of-mouth exchange with one of the exporters allegedly present during a discussion about this potential policy. [node:read-more:link]
The challenges of rural America and Russian political interference seem on opposite spectrums of connectedness, until one stops to examine how Russia is poised to benefit from the current turbulence in global trade policy. Is the Trump administration truly crafting new trade frameworks, or is the Russian agriculture sector building its future on the bankruptcies of America's breadbasket? The current deck is undeniably stacked against U.S. [node:read-more:link]
A recent letter describing the detrimental effects of animal agriculture on the environment contains, as usual, incorrect statistics and facts. The writer states that animal agriculture can be blamed for 19 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. The global figure is 10 percent, with most leading scientists and the Environmental Protection Agency putting U.S. animal agriculture emissions at about 3 percent to 4 percent.This is in comparison to GHG emissions of electricity, transportation and industry at 33.28 percent and 20 percent respectively. [node:read-more:link]
USDA forecast net farm income for this year at $65.7 billion, up from a February projection but down $9.8 billion, or 13 percent, from 2017, when the broad measure of farmland profits increased nearly 23 percent. The department’s Economic Research Service said that in inflation-adjusted 2018 dollars, net farm income is expected to drop $11.4 billion for the year, after increasing $13 billion (20.3 percent) in 2017. [node:read-more:link]
Milk prices for dairy farmers have hit rock bottom and stayed there too long. Cordes had to do something. "I just got my milk check for July's milk, and my base was $14 a hundredweight. And that is the same price I got 25 years ago, and our expenses have doubled and sometimes tripled," he said.While the math should make this an easy decision, it's not. After all, Cordes' ancestors from Germany arrived in this part of Otter Tail County before the 1900s. Since then, there has been a Cordes farming for 133 years. I am the last one, but that is a long run," he said.Cordes is not alone. [node:read-more:link]
Farmers rely on exports and overseas markets to stay in business, but the trade war makes it harder and harder for us to stay afloat. Tariffs are allowing foreign competitors to sell to our customers at a better price than we can offer. If the trade war doesn’t end soon, tariffs could cause permanent damage to rural communities in Indiana and across the country. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce estimates the retaliatory tariffs in a burgeoning trade war could cost Indiana up to $1.1 billion, including in lost steel exports to Canada. [node:read-more:link]
federal district court in northern California has ruled that a lawsuit challenging USDA’s withdrawal of organic animal welfare regulations can proceed. The Center for Food Safety is suing USDA after the agency withdrew the Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices final rule that would have increased federal regulation of animal housing, healthcare, transportation and slaughter practices for certified organic producers and handlers. [node:read-more:link]
Craft beer fans seeking different flavors are accustomed to hitting the road to taste offerings from breweries both near and far from home. Special releases of new and limited-run creations are a big draw, but so too are the breweries themselves. As the craft beer industry has blossomed over the past decade, so too have options for such visits. [node:read-more:link]
Nevada dispensaries sold nearly $425 million worth of recreational marijuana and pulled in nearly $70 million in tax revenue in the state’s first full year of sales, officials announced. [node:read-more:link]
