Each Thanksgiving Dinner Requires a National Effort

As friends and family sit down for a Thanksgiving dinner, very few are aware that the feast on their table is a culmination of efforts of farmers from every corner of the United States. American Farm Bureau Federation economists analyzed the production of the ingredients that go into a classic Thanksgiving dinner, detailing which states produce the most commodities and the production value of those items. The Market Intel provides context to AFBF’s annual Thanksgiving dinner cost survey, which found the average cost of this year’s classic...

Dockworker Strike Highlights Importance of Food Independence

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented today on the impact of the East Coast dockworker strike.

“America is bracing for the impact of the massive dockworker strike that threatens to paralyze traffic of goods in and out of the United States. Our nation relies on international trade for everything from electronics to machinery.

“Families also count on the import of food like bananas, coffee and specialty items, including chocolates and European beer. While there is a risk of shortages of some items...

Biden-Harris Administration Delivers Over $26.7 Billion In Market Access for U.S. Agriculture

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that the Biden-Harris Administration has secured over $26.7 billion in agricultural market access across the globe for America’s farmers, ranchers, fishers, and food manufacturers. Under President Biden and Vice President Harris’s leadership, United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack have worked to ensure American agriculture can reach global markets and customers around the world...

Colombian Government Considers $5 Mln Investment in Agricultural Bio-Inputs Plant

The Colombian government is studying a potential USD $5 million investment to construct a public agricultural bio-inputs plant, based on information disclosed by the Ministry of Agriculture to Blu Radio.

This initiative forms part of Colombia's broader strategy to enhance its agricultural infrastructure and comes amidst escalating costs for key agricultural inputs such as urea, which have seen historical price surges due to global market fluctuations influenced by the Ukraine conflict.

The proposed plant aims to develop a range of products essential for local agricultural operations...

Ernst Leads Bipartisan, Bicameral Effort to Protect Poultry Exports

U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) led over 50 of her colleagues in calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to protect America’s agricultural competitiveness by adopting a better definition of "poultry" so Iowa farmers will not miss out on trade opportunities.

In the letter to USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Administrator Dr. Michael Watson, they advocated for the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) to adopt the definition of "poultry" unanimously approved by the United States Animal Health Association (USAHA).

The lawmakers explained the...

Cargill and Nestlé Purina Partner on Regenerative Agriculture Adoption to Reduce Carbon Footprint

Investment in regenerative agriculture is estimated to reduce the carbon footprint of Purina’s U.S. grain supply from Cargill by up to 40 percent over the next three years

Nestlé Purina is investing in farmer adoption of regenerative agriculture practices across the company’s corn and soy supply chains through a new partnership with Cargill, one of the largest ingredient and agricultural solutions companies in the U.S. This work will support soil health and reduce the carbon footprint for Purina dry pet food products across North America...

LaBelle Patrimoine Heritage Chicken Approved by USDA as Regeneratively Raised

LaBelle Patrimoine, producer of humanely raised heritage, air-chilled chickens, is proud to announce that it carries the new claim of regeneratively raised as approved by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), acknowledging its commitment to sustainable and environmentally-friendly poultry farming practices.

Regeneratively raised is a farming system where chickens are fed regeneratively grown grain, grown on managed pasture, and farm waste and processing waste are composted and returned to the soil to improve soil health. This meaningful recognition by the USDA, which...

Trade and Exports Continue to Strengthen American Agriculture

American agriculture remains strong. Total U.S. agricultural exports reached $174.9 billion in 2023. American farmers, ranchers, and agribusiness owners continue to have success abroad as USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service works for U.S. agriculture.

Exports are critical to the health of America’s farm sector and the nation’s economy. USDA and the Biden-Harris Administration are committed to ensuring that U.S. agriculture has full and fair access to markets and opportunities across the globe.

In the trade policy arena, USDA successfully opened a new grapefruit market in Vietnam...

Majority of EU Countries Ask Bloc to Scale Back Deforestation Law

Some 20 members of the European Union asked Brussels to scale back and possibly suspend the bloc's anti-deforestation law on Tuesday, saying the policy would harm farmers, in the latest blowback against Europe's environmental agenda.

The EU law aims to root deforestation out of supply chains for beef, soy and other agricultural products sold in Europe, so that European consumers are not contributing to the destruction of global forests from the Amazon to Southeast Asia.

Those rules equally apply to European farmers, who will be banned from exporting...

USDA Announces Up to $12 Million in Grant Funding Available to Promote U.S. Agricultural Products

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced up to $12 million in funding available to strengthen and explore new market opportunities for U.S. agricultural products and increase access to locally grown food in communities experiencing food insecurity. The funding is available through three grant programs administered by the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS): the Acer Access and Development Program, the Federal State Marketing Improvement Program, and the Micro-Grants for Food Security Program...

USDA Identifies 2024 Food for Progress Priority Countries

USDA, through its administration of the Food for Progress Program, helps developing countries and emerging democracies modernize and strengthen their agricultural sectors. U.S. agricultural commodities donated to recipient countries are sold on the local market and the proceeds are used to support agricultural, economic, or infrastructure development programs.

Food for Progress has two principal objectives: to improve agricultural productivity and to expand trade of agricultural products. For Fiscal Year (FY) 2024, Food for Progress (FFPr) anticipates awarding seven new cooperative agreements, for projects of three- to five-years in duration...

Cargill ElevateTM Grain Marketing Solutions Empower Farmers to Make Informed Decisions 

Cargill is raising the bar in grain marketing, helping farmers unlock enhanced profitability with Cargill ElevateTM – a mix of market insights, pricing solutions, world-class expertise and access to robust farm management platforms that give farmers the flexibility and control they need to make informed decisions to stay competitive in the marketplace.

“Our grain representatives actively listen to farmers and understand that no two farmers have the exact same needs. Cargill’s industry-leading portfolio of pricing solutions empowers farmers to take charge and execute their individual grain marketing plans...