Dairy
12Jan

Disaster Bill Could Make Passing the Farm Bill Easier

Round one of the farm bill battles could be settled as soon as this month if the Senate agrees on a fix for cotton and dairy in the $81 billion disaster aid bill already passed by the House. Not only would a cotton and dairy plan settle one of the most contentious negotiations of a new farm bill, it would also increase the baseline funding available for the new five-year bill. ProFarmer Washington policy analyst Jim Wiesemeyer says that would...

By Dairy, Grains, Livestock
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04Jan

Regional Economics to Influence Hay Prices Most

For many livestock species, alfalfa is a critical component of the diet. As we look to 2018, national hay prices aren’t expected to soar, but look for regional economics to play a heavy role in the price you pay at the farm gate. Rising highway costs are making the expense of delivering hay more of a consideration, which is resulting in very regionalized hay prices, according to Dan Undersander, a member of the University of Wisconsin Madison forage team. The latest...

By Dairy, Grains
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28Dec

USDA Cracks Down On Organic Fraud

Imagine slapping an organic label on anything you want - food, drink, etc. You'd do none of the extra work, but be able to charge consumers a hefty premium for the label. It's dishonest and not fair to the operations that put in the extra hours to become certified organic and USDA is dedicating efforts to stop this type of fraud. This week two more companies were added to the list of frauds: Cloud Vaping Industries (U.S.) and Viet Nam Agricultural...

By Dairy, Grains, Livestock
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11Dec

Here Is What Farmers Say About Keeping NAFTA

Since his campaign days, President Donald Trump has voiced little support for keeping the United States involved in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Ag trade groups, companies and associations have varying perspectives and positions on the topic as well. Last week, U.S. farmers, dairymen and livestock producers weighed in to share their points of view, via a Farm Journal Pulse survey. The survey question asked was, “Do you think the U.S. should withdraw from NAFTA?” Of the 839 responses,...

By Dairy, Ethanol, Grains, Livestock
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01Dec

Will China's Appetite for Cheese Boost Milk Prices?

Last month Chinese officials announced they were lowing import tariffs on certain types of cheese. That’s great news for the dairy markets and will likely lead to an increase in cheese exports. However, while it will help, China’s demand for cheese is not likely going to be enough to compensate for the massive supply of milk and dairy products in the U.S. ”So [these lower tariffs are] a great news story,” Blohm explains. “Right now, the reality is that we have...

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