Our latest ZimmPoll asked, “What can G20 ag ministers do to stabilize food prices?” The answer is Nothing, 31%; Increase productivity, 23%; End biofuels production, 18%; Regulate markets, 17%; Improve crop reporting, 8% and Stockpile food, 3%. Can they actually do any of these things? Well, I guess they can do nothing. They met recently and did come up with …
Wrapping Up at World Pork Expo
After torrential downpours over night, it’s pretty quiet here on the last day of World Pork Expo. We had some serious rain during the day yesterday, but it all cleared up just in time for the bands to start playing and the roasted hogs to come out. National Pork Producers Association CEO Neil Dierks says the expo was excellent this …
Budget Cuts for Agriculture
The budget deficit is taking its toll on agriculture programs. The House Appropriations Committee approved a spending bill last night that includes major cuts to food safety and nutrition programs, as well as an amendment that would end direct farm payments for those with adjusted gross income over $250,000 per year. The appropriations bill also includes cuts in research, food …
Beltway Beef Commentary
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) has launched its first ever Beltway Beef audio program. The weekly commentary will feature NCBA members, leaders, staff and more. The talk is all policy all the time, honing in on critical issues inside the nation’s Beltway that have a direct impact on U.S. cattle ranchers across the country. This week you’ll hear Colin …
BRIC – Emerging Markets for Pork
Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) decided to mix it up a bit this year during their 2011 Swine Health Seminar held in Phoenix, Arizona this past week and one of the focal points was emerging markets for pork producers. The BI team brought Nick Giordano, Vice President and Council, International Affairs for the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) to give the nearly …
NCBA Live Cattle Marketing Issues
The proposed GIPSA regulations and the impact of the recent Eastern Livestock bankruptcy case were the top issues on the agenda for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Live Cattle Marketing Committee meeting today. Allie Devine, VP & General Counsel for the Kansas Livestock Association, gave an update on both at the meeting. While the outcome of GIPSA is still up …
NCBA President Reflects on 2010
Steve Foglesong of Illinois has just a couple more days as president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and I spent a few minutes with him today reflecting on his year as the head of the organizations. When it came to over-reaching government regulation, Steve said, “It was non-stop, one issue after another” but, he is pleased that NCBA was …
AFBF President Meets the Press
American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) president Bob Stallman fielded questions from the press for 40 minutes on Sunday afternoon at the annual meeting in Atlanta, covering a wide variety of topics. Several questions centered on the legal action AFBF intends to take against EPA over the regulation of the Chesapeake Bay total maximum daily load (TMDL), a so-called “pollution diet” …
Kansas Senator-Elect Visits NAFB
Current Rep. Jerry Moran (R-KS), who is now Senator-Elect for that state, stopped by the NAFB meeting on his way out to the nation’s capitol on Friday. The new senator, who is a great advocate for agriculture in Congress, took time to do interviews with farm broadcasters and addressed the Awards Luncheon. Jerry says he is a big fan and …
Secretary Vilsack Beyond the Mic at NAFB
Farm broadcasters at NAFB Thursday went straight from Trade Talk to a 45 minute press conference with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. The secretary addressed a number of issues – from Veterans Day to rural development to biofuels and took quite a few questions on several topics. He did get a couple of questions about the GIPSA rule, but still refused …