Ag News: Farm Workforce Act and Beef Production Higher
**Last Wednesday, 34 Republicans joined 226 Democrats to pass the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, the first House-passed agricultural labor reform since a comprehensive immigration plan in 1986.
According to milkbusiness.com, the bill provides a path to legalization for current farm workers and expand the H-2A foreign guest worker program.
The now moves to the Senate to create a companion bill that’s being urged to continue the process of addressing the needs of dairy farmers.
**As negotiations between the U.S. and China continue, new data released by Tariffs Hurt the Heartland shows American consumers and businesses have paid an additional $42 billion since the trade war began.
Agrimarketing.com reports, this data comes as yet another round of tariffs are expected to be implemented.
In October alone, Americans paid a record total of $7.2 billion in tariffs, one billion dollars more than in October 2018, which itself was a record.
**Interesting new numbers for U.S. beef production.
Over the last 50 years, USDA researchers say production has increased 25% while the number of cattle for beef has decreased 6%.
According to agweb.com, the decline in the number of cattle has been more than countered by an increase in cattle weights, up more than 30%, thanks to changes in breeding practices.
USDA is forecasting beef production to reach record levels this year and next.
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