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 News 3/30
The Beef Checkoff program and fifteen grassroots-led state beef councils won a major court victory when the United States District Court of Montana ruled in favor of USDA and the Montana Beef Council in the matter of R-CALF vs. Sonny Perdue and USDA. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association praised the court’s decision, which ends a legal battle that has spanned more …
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 …
Animal Ag News 3/23
In response to the ongoing efforts to provide relief to Americans impacted by the COVID-19 crisis, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane issued a statement to Capitol Hill. The National Pork Producers Council applauds the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s guidance on critical industry workforce that should continue as the country addresses and responds to …
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 …
COVID-19 Restrictions Could Impact Food Supply
Beginning today, the United States will suspend routine immigrant and nonimmigrant processing visa services in Mexico indefinitely, including immigrant workers approved under the H-2A guest worker program who are needed to help farmers and ranchers get food in the grocery stores. “The decision to halt visa application processing in Mexico will restrict the number of immigrant workers being allowed to …
Animal Ag News 3/16
America is in danger of losing its leadership standing due to significant flaws in its current approach to regulating emerging animal breeding technologies, Iowa Pork Producers President Dr. Michael Paustian testified before the Senate Agriculture Committee. According to his testimony, oversight should be under the U.S. Department of Agriculture, not the Food and Drug Administration. U.S. Poultry & Egg Association …
Animal Ag News 3/9
The National Pork Producers Council elected new officers and members to its board of directors at its National Pork Industry Forum. Howard AV Roth, a hog farmer from Wauzeka, Wis., was elected NPPC president. At the National Pork Producers Council’s National Pork Industry Forum, delegates adopted several important resolutions, including those that call on NPPC to: strengthen efforts to prevent …