The American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Society for Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (MANRRS) announced they have entered into an agreement with the goal of increasing minority involvement in agriculture.
Read MoreThe American Farm Bureau Federation announced the opening of general registration today for the 2022 American Farm Bureau Convention. The convention will be held in-person Jan. 7-12, 2022, in Atlanta, Georgia, with a virtual option for portions of the event available to those not attending in-person.
Read MoreHurricane Ida marked the fourth hurricane of the 2021 Atlantic season. Tied in Louisiana landfall intensity with the Last Island Hurricane of 1856 and 2020's Hurricane Laura , Ida touched down on Aug. 26 at 1 p.m. near Port Fourchon as a category 4 hurricane with sustained winds over 150 mph. The storm continued its trajectory on a northeast path toward New England, leaving behind a trail of flooding and severe wind damage. Ida not only threatened crop yields due to direct physical destruction and grain shipments due to port closures, the storm caused widespread infrastructure damage and power outages. Food crops exposed to but not destroyed by flood waters may face mandatory disposal or diversion per the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) flood-affected food crop guidance - reducing farm-level production and corresponding income opportunities.
Read MoreThe Tax Aggie Coalition, sent a letter to House Ways and Means and Senate Finance Committee leadership urging them to consider the implications that changes to federal tax policy will have on family-owned agricultural businesses. Nearly 330 trade associations representing family-owned food, agriculture and related businesses agree that, when drafting legislation to implement President Biden's "Build Back Better" agenda, it is critical that the “American Families Plan” must also support family farms and ranches.
Read MoreThe American Farm Bureau Federation today sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack detailing a list of solutions to address critical supply chain issues facing America’s farmers and ranchers. AFBF details seven priorities for USDA to consider in response to President Joe Biden’s Executive Order on America’s Supply Chains.
Read MoreGrower organizations representing a variety of crops are voicing disappointment with EPA’s Endangered Species Act-required draft biological evaluation (BE) for several neonicotinoid products, including imidacloprid, thiamethoxam and clothianidin.
The groups representing farmers across the country say that the agency’s failure to consider real-world usage data in its analysis could limit growers’ ability to protect their crops and livelihoods – without making endangered species any safer.
After seventeen months of grassroots work and persistence, Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation (LFBF) and other state Farm Bureaus can celebrate a massive victory.
Contract poultry growers who were previously ruled out of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program are now eligible to apply for aid thanks to collaboration between various state Farm Bureaus, lawmakers and USDA. Up to $1 billion will be made available through the Consolidated Appropriations Act to livestock and poultry producers who suffered financial losses from January 1, 2020, through December 27, 2020.
Read MoreFarmers who were previously ineligible for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 (CFAP 2) can now apply for aid thanks to collaboration between the American Farm Bureau, lawmakers and USDA. Up to $1 billion will be made available through the Consolidated Appropriations Act to livestock and poultry producers who suffered financial losses from January 1, 2020, through December 27, 2020. The American Farm Bureau first raised concern about farmers being left out of the aid package in May 2020 and has been engaged on this issue for more than a year.
Read MoreAmerican Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented today on the Senate passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
“AFBF appreciates the Senate for working together in a bipartisan manner to pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The pressing infrastructure issues facing our nation are too important to ignore, particularly in rural communities where modernization is desperately needed.
Read MoreFarmers and ranchers faced over $6.5 billion in losses, over $3.6 billion, or 55%, of which was not covered by existing Risk Management Agency (RMA) programs. In 2018 and 2019, crop losses associated with qualifying weather disasters were partially mitigated by the Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus (WHIP+), a disaster assistance program with origins in the 2017 WHIP, which provided financial assistance to producers with disaster-related production losses on both insured and non-insured crops.
Read MoreAmerican Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented today on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee and U.S. House Agriculture Committee hearings on the current state of the beef supply chain.
“American Farm Bureau appreciates the work of the committees in both houses of Congress to investigate the strengths and weaknesses of our country’s food systems, specifically livestock markets.
Read MoreThe U.S. House Agriculture Committee unanimously passed a resolution that could help Louisiana farmers and ranchers qualify for disaster assistance through the Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus, better known as WHIP+. The 2020 WHIP+ Reauthorization Act, with an Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute (ANS) qualifies both the 2020 and 2021 crop years for coverage.
Read MoreHurricanes, wildfires, and droughts – oh my! Not only was 2020 defined by COVID-19-induced volatility, over 22 weather and climate disasters, each with damages reaching over a billion dollars, hit the U.S. coast to coast last year. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported that 2020 shattered a previous annual record of 16 individual billion dollar weather events which occurred in both 2011 and 2017. With over 262 lives lost and more than $96.4 billion in total economic damages, these disasters will haunt impacted communities for years to come.
Read MoreWater is central to our lives. We pray for rain in droughts and talk about “showers of blessings.” But on the other hand, too much rain can be devastating. Farmers in Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana are seeing just how destructive all that moisture can be.
About a month ago, a storm system dumped 15-26 inches of rain in these states in just 48 hours. With so much water in a small amount of time coming after an unusually wet spring, water quickly spilled out of riverbanks and filled ditches. It covered fields and washed away crops. It devastated homes and businesses. As communities come together to recover, many farmers and ranchers will try to salvage whatever crops they can, while for some, the season has been completely washed out.
Read MoreU.S. consumers will pay just a few cents less for their favorite Independence Day cookout foods compared to last year, including cheeseburgers, pork chops, chicken breasts, homemade potato salad, strawberries and ice cream, says the American Farm Bureau Federation.
Farm Bureau analysis reveals the average cost of a summer cookout for 10 people remains affordable at $59.50, or less than $6 per person. The cost for the cookout is down 16 cents (less than 1%) from last year, but 8% higher compared to 2019.
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