American agriculture is more environmentally sustainably than ever. A new analysis of updated data from both USDA and EPA shows U.S. farmers and ranchers continue to reduce per-unit greenhouse gas emissions. All told, the U.S. agricultural sector accounts for less than 10% of total U.S. emissions. That’s less than the emissions from the transportation, electricity generation and industrial sectors. Globally, …
Hog Farmers Face COVID-19 Financial Crisis
The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) held a press conference Tuesday to outline the impact COVID-19 is having on the industry, causing hog values to plummet, and the immediate relief they are requesting from the administration and Congress. NPPC identified several measures federal policy makers could take to help the industry, including purchasing $1 billion in pork to clear out …
Alltech Releases Series on COVID-19 and Agriculture
To help colleagues, customers and the global agricultural community confronting COVID-19, Alltech has created a special discussion series, Forging the Future of the Farm & Food Chain. The free, on-demand series features experts from around the world as they share their insights into how the global pandemic is affecting the agriculture industry’s present and future. The series consists of presentations …
Animal Ag News 4/13
Extreme volatility in livestock markets is raising red flags across the country, leading the American Farm Bureau to urge the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange to leave no stone unturned as they monitor and analyze market activity. In a letter sent last week to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, R-CALF USA urged …
Dairy Checkoff Helping Producers Weather COVID-19
Leaders of the dairy checkoff are working to help U.S. dairy farmers during these challenging times. Dairy Management Inc. (DMI), which manages the national dairy checkoff on behalf of 35,000 farmers, has prioritized work focused on three key areas: schools, hunger and foodservice and industry partnerships. Leaders outlined a shift in its business plan in a letter to USDA Secretary …
Animal Ag News 4/6
More than 2,000 COVID-19 sampling kits will soon be on their way to hospitals across the state, thanks to Aggie innovation and ingenuity. Viral sampling kits — usually used on pigs, cows and chickens — are being repurposed to test humans by the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory in College Station. The sampling kits are being assembled from lab …
Animal Ag Alliance Primed & Prepared for Virtual Summit
Virtual conferences are on the rise. The 2020 Stakeholders Summit for the Animal Agriculture Alliance is a perfect example. If you’ve never physically attended one this is your chance to do so without traveling. Current trends in animal rights activism and farm security will be addressed at the Animal Agriculture Alliance’s 2020 Virtual Stakeholders Summit, themed “Primed & Prepared.” The …
Senators Stress COVID-19 Relief for Agriculture
Senator John Hoeven (R-ND) led a Senate colloquy Monday to outline the importance of supporting farmers, ranchers and rural America in legislation to provide relief from the impacts of COVID-19. Hoeven worked to include $50 billion in funding authority for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Joining Hoeven …
Farmers and Ranchers Committed to US Food Supply
America’s farmers and ranchers are committed to doing all they can do to maintain the nation’s food supply amid growing challenges posed by COVID-19. American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) president Zippy Duvall, along with Chalmers Carr, a peach farmer in South Carolina, and John Boelts, a produce farmer in Arizona, gave an update on how farmers are dealing with the …
NCBA Urges Steps to Maintain Beef Supply
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is working to maintain an adequate supply of beef for U.S. consumers during the current COVID-19 outbreak. NCBA Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane says they have taken a number of steps to help protect the value chain, starting with sending a request to Vice President Mike Pence for assurance that meat inspection …