Spencer Chase

Conservation programs under the 2014 Farm Bill are off to a strong start, a hearing of a subcommittee of the House Agriculture Committee revealed.

A bill aimed at reforming the Surface Transportation Board, a government agency charged with resolving railroad rate and service issues, was unanimously approved by the Senate Commerce Committee.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said he expects blending requirements in the Renewable Fuel Standard will end up being raised from the EPA’s draft proposal for 2014, but he cautioned those in the ethanol industry not to focus too much on the numbers.

Efforts to reform the beef checkoff, which doled out $182 million in producer funds between FY 2009 and 2013 for promotion and research, are beginning to show signs of fatigue as organizations demonstrate frustration with the process.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 11, 2014 – Discussion of a continuing resolution (CR) to prevent another government shutdown will be delayed until next week as members of Congress gather more information about potential U.S. military actions in Iraq and Syria.

Noting that three years of negotiations had produced very little in way of reforming the beef checkoff, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said he might just handle it on his own.

A study released today by USDA's Economic Research Service says more than 17.5 million Americans struggled with hunger in 2013, down slightly from 17.6 million the previous year.

USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is proposing to allow imports of fresh beef from northern Argentina once safety concerns are met to ensure against the transmission of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).

Tyson Foods has agreed to sell off its hog acquisition unit, Heinold Hog Markets, in order to win U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) approval of its $8.5 billion purchase of Hillshire Brands. The proposed settlement needs approval from a federal district judge in Washington.