crop insurance

**The Senate voted 82 to 13 Monday to approve President Trump’s choice of Iowa Governor Terry Branstad as U.S. ambassador to China. Senate leaders say Branstad will now be tasked with a portfolio that is important not only for our diplomatic relationship with China, but also for our trade policy ...

**A market research firm says U.S. meat sales will reach nearly $100 billion dollars by 2021. “Packaged Facts” reports demand for animal protein will continue to grow in the face of challenges from plant-based protein alternatives. The study examines current and predicted topics including consumer attitudes, value-added products, and animal welfare...

** China has suspended all meat imports from Brazil in the wake of a scandal involving Brazil’s meat industry. Ag economist Alton Kalo with Steiner Consulting says since China has not yet resumed buying U.S. beef, China could turn to Argentina, Australia and New Zealand to meet its needs, which could open the door for a domino effect that could force other countries to increase purchases of U... R

**As Congress meets to consider budget proposals and annual spending bills, a group of 59 farm, environmental, credit and young farmers organizations circulated letters Tuesday, urging them to “protect crop insurance and recognize its central importance to farmers, lenders and all of rural America...

More than 130 farm groups and agribusinesses from around the country are asking President Trump to work with his administration during renegotiating of the North America Free Trade Agreement. There is a lot at stake for U.S. farmers and ranchers looking to protect the increased trade they enjoy with Mexico and Canada because of NAFTA, and ag groups want to have input in how the trade pact is reneg

Politico reports that Wheat growers in Washington, Idaho and Oregon say the quality discounts that local elevators are giving them for their grain will unfairly hurt their future crop insurance coverage. Politico reports that Northwest growers want USDA's Risk Management Agency to waive its policy that has crop insurance agents factor into actual production history assessments the discounts many g

Like wine? Well the first phase of the Napa Valley harvest is over and growers report average or better yields and high-quality fruit. According to Farm Press, last week growers had picked most of their 2016 chardonnay, pinot noir and sauvignon blanc grapes and were just beginning to harvest their merlot and other earlier red varieties...

A letter sent to the Senate and House Budget Committee’s last week urges lawmakers to protect crop insurance from further cuts. The letter, signed by 58 farm organizations, tells lawmakers an overreliance on savings from the agriculture community in the future will significantly undermine rural economies that have faced an estimated 54 percent decline in net farm income from 2013 to 2015... Read M

Farmers cannot afford to spend more on crop insurance. Michael Swanson, the chief agricultural economist at Wells Fargo, told the Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau recently that if federal crop insurance premiums decrease, farmers will reduce their coverage levels...

The Budget proposal released by the White House Tuesday includes a cut to crop insurance. The budget request to Congress calls for a ten-year, $18 billion cut to the federal crop insurance program. The request comes after Congress rejected a $3 billion cut to crop insurance late last year after initially approving the cuts as part of a budget deal at the time...