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USMEF says African Growth and Opportunity Act could help create trade access
The Africa Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA), which was created to incentivize two-way trade between the U.S. and sub-Saharan African countries, allows the president to offer duty-free access to certain nations. However, some of the countries benefitting from AGOA have prohibitive restrictions on U.S. beef and pork imports. U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Director of Export Services Jim Remcheck said the USMEF sent a letter to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative outlining several...
Return of wet conditions means the return of mosquitoes
There were a few things that became a new normal while we dealt with the drought of the past couple of years. A lot of it was unpleasant. Dry ground, brown grass, and fire hazards were just a few we can name. However, if you were going to look for a silver lining in...
South American Weather and Crop Update (7-30-24)
For the last few months, the weather has been mostly static in South America, and that trend isn’t getting bucked any time soon. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said Brazil is still seeing dry weather in its major growing areas. McBride said it’s the same...
Corn and soybeans benefitting from recent weather conditions
In many of the nation’s key corn and soybean growing regions, the last couple of weeks have been slightly dry but not too hot. USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says that the recent lack of extreme heat has been beneficial for row crops during a critical portion of the...
HPAI continues to impact dairy and poultry industries
The current outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, which traces all the way back to 2022, is unusual in not only the fact that it’s infecting dairy cattle, but also that cases are continuing to be diagnosed in the warmer summer months. Bernt Nelson, an...
USDA extends comment period on packers and stockyards rule
The USDA recently extended the 60-day comment period for the latest Packers and Stockyards Act proposal by 15 days. Tanner Beymer, senior director of government affairs for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, says that’s not enough time for USDA to properly...
Tips to earn top dollar at cattle auctions
It doesn’t matter whether cattle prices are high or low, producers want to make sure that they can do all they can to bring a quality animal to auction. When you can raise a quality animal, you can get the most money possible at an auction, especially when your animal...
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More Ag News
Old farm bill doesn’t give farmers necessary risk management tools
As Congress returns to D.C., it is now expected that they will pass another extension of the 2018 farm bill. This is a far cry from what the ag industry was wanting- and hoping for- earlier this year. American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall, during a...
How to pick the right Christmas tree
If you haven't done so already, time is running out to pick that perfect Christmas tree. Barbara H. Smith is a horticulture specialist with Clemson University Extension, and she said the tradition of decorating the modern tree goes back almost 200 years. Smith gave...
Next Senate Majority Leader vows to upend slow Senate pace
Incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune vows to kick-start legislative action on farm and other legislation in 2025 when the GOP takes over leadership of the new Congress. Thune says that the Senate has not done enough during this Congress, beginning with the farm...
Soybean meal exports set a new record
U.S. soy remains America’s number one agricultural export, adding $31.2 billion to the U.S. economy in marketing year 2023-2024. Total soy export volumes were down from the prior year at 60.8 million metric tons, partly due to fewer carry-in stocks and the expansion...
EPA working on outreach with Farmers
Frequently, we find ourselves scratching our heads about AG’s relationship with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). More often than not, regulations and interpretations of their authority have ended up in the country's courtrooms. It’s been a strained...
