beef

With Trade Promotion Authority in the books last week, the U.S. Wheat Associates and National Association of Wheat Growers call the move a step toward more export opportunity for American farmers. NAWG President Brett Blankenship said of TPA, that “the President has a prime opportunity to help level the playing field for wheat growers and American agriculture...

The House Agriculture Committee Wednesday approved a bill to amend the Agriculture Marketing Act of 1946 and repeal the Country of Origin Labeling law for beef, pork and chicken - while leaving requirements for other covered commodities intact...

Reuters reports Canadian Trade Minister Ed Fast and Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz announced Monday Canada will be seeking authority from the WTO to use retaliatory measures on U.S. ag and non-ag products - in light of the final ruling and due to the fact that the U...

More than 21-hundred producers across the U.S. became certified for free through the checkoff-funded Beef Quality Assurance program this year. Throughout the program’s four-years - nearly 22,000 producers have received free BQA certification...

During the Organic Trade Association luncheon last week - Montana Senator and organic farmer Jon Tester said advocates would have to work hard to achieve labeling of genetically modified foods. Tester says more farmers would transition to organic if land-grant colleges paid more attention to organics...

The House Ag Subcommittee on Livestock and Foreign Agriculture held a public hearing Wednesday to examine the implications of potential retaliatory measures against the U.S. regarding Country-of-Origin Labeling. Subcommittee Chair David Rouzer says the threat of retaliation is severe - and Congress must act quickly to prevent irreparable damage to certain industries and the overall economy... Read

Mexico and other major countries have imposed new import restrictions at the end of last week after the H5N2 strain of avian influenza was found in the heart of America’s poultry region. Arkansas, Missouri, Minnesota, California, Washington and Oregon already face bans or restrictions...

Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare approved the import of processed beef products from the U.S. at the end of January. It’s been two years since the eligible cattle age limit for U.S. beef entering Japan increased to 30 months...

Cargill is one of about 30 agriculture groups calling for Congress to reconsider a 52-year embargo the United States first imposed against Cuba in the early 1960s.

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley and Minnesota Senator Al Franken have introduced legislation to reverse the 2012 Hall versus United States Supreme Court ruling - which makes it difficult for family farmers to reorganize their finances during hard times.

USDA has followed through with plans to seek public comment on implementing a second beef checkoff.

USDA will move ahead with its plans to create a second beef checkoff in the absence of consensus from the industry as to how to overhaul the existing program.