News Briefs

It had been more than 25 years since a sitting U.S. President addressed the American Farm Bureau Federation, but that’s why President Donald Trump is different. Not only did he give a rousing speech at the Farm Bureau’s 99th annual meeting in Nashville, he promised to attend next year’s 100th anniversary and help celebrate the centennial for the grassroots organization ... Read More »

Crisis Coming For Trucking The new rules governing trucking will cause driver shortages according to Larry Barton of Great West Casualty Company, who further told members of the American Peanut Council that the industry needs to be aware. Truck drivers are being forced to record the hours they work with new electronic logs, which carriers are scrambling to get loaded. ... Read More »

Farm Bill Landing Page Ahead of the 2018 Farm Bill, House Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway (TX-11) announced the launch of a new online resource that can be accessed through the committee’s current website, https://agriculture.house.gov/farmbill. This landing page is designed to provide updates and information related to the 2018 Farm Bill. Following its launch, Chairman Conaway, said, “I’m committed ... Read More »

Blanched Peanuts Reclassified After diligent work from the American Peanut Council, the World Customs Organization has determined that blanched peanuts should be considered as raw product and will be placed under the tariff classification code 12.02 where other raw peanuts are categorized. The action reverses the decision last September to classify blanched peanuts as “processed,” and thus subject to import ... Read More »

Standards Board Members Sought USDA is seeking nominations for three peanut producers and three industry representatives to serve on the Peanut Standards Board, succeeding members whose terms expire June 30, 2017. Nominations are due April 17, 2017. Selected members will serve three-year terms from 2017 to 2020. The board consists of 18 members who represent three regions: the Southeast (Alabama, ... Read More »

Georgia’s Perdue Selected Ag Sec. U.S. President Donald J. Trump has selected Sonny Perdue, the former governor of Georgia, to be Secretary of Agriculture. Perdue is a lifelong farmer. He graduated from Warner Robins High School and earned a doctorate in veterinary medicine in 1971 from the University of Georgia. Following his service as a Captain in the United States ... Read More »

Farm Bill Positioning Bob Redding of the Redding Firm in Washington D.C. recently told a group of farmers that although there will be some changes in the House and Senate for the 115th Congress, most of the agricultural leadership will remain in place for the 2018 Farm Bill. Redding says, “The Capitol Hill peanut leadership is well-positioned with regard to ... Read More »

Program Sign Up Underway The enrollment period for selecting Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs was announced by USDA FSA Administrator Val Dolcini. Producers on farms with base acres should visit their county FSA office to enroll in one of the programs for the 2017 crop year. The enrollment period will continue until Aug. 1, 2017. ... Read More »

New Members On Standards Board Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has appointed three peanut producers and three industry representatives to serve on the Peanut Standards Board. All will serve three-year terms of office ending June 30, 2019. Secretary Vilsack appointed the following members: For the Southeast, producer Dwight Stansel, Wellborn, Fla., and industry representative John T. Gray III, Williston Peanut Inc., ... Read More »

Streamlining Acreage Reporting USDA officials have announced that farmers and ranchers filing crop acreage reports with the Farm Service Agency (FSA) and participating insurance providers approved by the Risk Management Agency (RMA) can now provide the common information from their acreage reports at one office, and the information will be electronically shared with the other location. This new process is ... Read More »