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First Brazilian beef shipment to U.S. arrives in Philly
Meatingplace (registration required) | Posted onOctober 17, 2016 in Food NewsThe first shipment of beef from Brazil to the U.S. in nearly two decades arrived Thursday in the Port of Philadelphia, according to a notice posted by the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority. Sao Paulo-based JBS S.A.’s shipment of fresh beef is the first since the U.S.officially opened to Brazilian beef in August after 17 years of negotiations between the two countries. That decision followed USDA’s recent finding that the Brazil’s food safety system is equivalent to that of the U.S.
It’s time to come to terms with euthanizing wild horses
High Country News | Posted onOctober 17, 2016 in Federal NewsIn September, the Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board, a group charged with making recommendations to the Bureau of Land Management about its Wild Horse and Burro Program, agreed that tens of thousands of equines in federal holding facilities might need to be euthanized. This recommendation — you might call it the nuclear option — undoubtedly hit horse lovers like a bomb. Social media mushroomed with immediate rancor.
PDF VersionPrint this Article Off-farm Income: Managing Risk in Young and Beginning Farmer Households
Choices magazine | Posted onOctober 17, 2016 in Agriculture NewsUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s corn, soybean, and wheat crop budgets for 2016 include highly productive cropland in northern and central Illinois—land that may yield 20% or more above the national average (Schnitkey, 2016). Considering the current costs of production, budgets show revenues will be high enough to provide a return to land; however, profits will not fully cover the costs of average cash rent.
Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program – Accomplishments in the Making
Choices magazine | Posted onOctober 17, 2016 in Agriculture NewsSince 2009, the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP), run by NIFA, provides grants to organizations for education, mentoring, and technical assistance initiatives for beginning farmers or ranchers.
Addressing the Challenges of Entry into Farming
Choices magazine | Posted onOctober 17, 2016 in Agriculture NewsAs the 2012 Census of Agriculture data has shown us, to the extent that returns have been high relative to other sectors of the economy, they have not reversed the decline in the number of beginning farms. However, there is some evidence of success by young beginning farmers, including through their expansion in farm size, relative to older beginning farmers (Ahearn, 2013; Katchova and Ahearn, 2015).
Our View: EWG Stoops to New Low, Resorts to Pure Fiction in Latest Attack
Farm Policy | Posted onOctober 17, 2016 in Federal NewsWith crop insurance's popularity rising in rural America and on Capitol Hill, and with the policy's budget outlays falling, we're guessing one of its harshest critics, the Environmental Working Group (EWG), is running out of believable critiques. So now it's resorted to pure fiction. The EWG sounded an alarm bell in an article earlier this week, warning, "Billionaire Saudi Prince Khalid bin Abdullah could be raking in hundreds of thousands of dollars in U.S.
Five animal welfare musts
Meat + Poultry | Posted onOctober 17, 2016 in Agriculture NewsThe meat and poultry industry agrees that animal care and handling is a complex issue, however according to Jason McAlister, animal welfare manager at Triumph Foods, St. Joseph, Mo., there are five steps any company can follow that will make the process a little more simple.
State overestimated impact a carbon tax would have on electricity prices
Seattle Times | Posted onOctober 17, 2016 in Energy NewsThe state overstated by about fourfold the impact that a carbon tax ballot measure would have on the price of electricity in 2020. The mistake has now been corrected. The measure imposes an escalating tax on fossil fuels, including coal and natural gas used to generate electricity, and also includes reductions in the state sales tax and business and occupation tax as well as an up to $1,500 tax credit for some 460,000 low-income families.
Coal company says its exporting to Asia
AP | Posted onOctober 17, 2016 in Energy NewsA company with coal mines in Wyoming and Montana has begun exporting fuel to Asia through a Canadian port - a rare bit of a positive news for an industry that's been in a prolonged tailspin. Utah-based Lighthouse Resources had been seeking approval since 2011 for two coal export terminals in Oregon and Washington. It's faced strong opposition from environmentalists, American Indian tribes and some state officials.
Rural Mainstreet Index Below Growth-Neutral for September: Four of Five Bank CEOs Report Loan Restructuring
Creighton University Economic Outlook | Posted onOctober 17, 2016 in Agriculture NewsSurvey Results at a Glance: • For a 13th straight month, the Rural Mainstreet Index fell below growth neutral. Almost 4 of 5 bank CEOs indicated restructuring farm loans due to weak farm income. Farmland prices remained below growth neutral for the 34th consecutive month. Almost one-fifth of bankers reported increasing rejection rates on agricultural loans due to weak farm income.