News
Ag groups: Exempt South African workers from travel restrictions
The American Farm Bureau Federation — along with more than 60 other agriculture groups – sent a letter Dec. 13 to the Biden administration requesting agricultural workers be exempted from travel restrictions from South Africa. Late last month,... more
Joe Atchison III named New Jersey assistant secretary of agriculture
New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas Fisher announced Dec. 14 the appointment of Joe Atchison III of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, as the Assistant Secretary of Agriculture. Atchison has been the director of the Division of Marketing and Developmen... more
Alabama Extension System receives food safety outreach grant of $300,000
The USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) has awarded the Alabama Cooperative Extension System with a $300,000 food safety grant. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System is the primary outreach and engagement organization fo... more
RMA publishes proposed changes to the apple crop insurance policy
The USDA announced Dec. 14 publication of a proposed rule in the Federal Register to amend the Apple Crop Provisions. The proposed changes are based on stakeholder feedback and recommended changes from a contracted study on the apple crop insurance ... more
North American Raspberry & Blackberry Conference in-person and virtual
The North American Raspberry & Blackberry Association (NARBA) annual conference on Feb. 21-24, 2022, will be a hybrid conference for both virtual registrants and for in-person attendees at the conference location in Gaithersburg, Maryland, abou... more
Speakers say COVID-19 having long-term effects on agriculture industry
While the global health pandemic had a devastating impact on international trade in 2020, there may be a silver lining. For the first time, policymakers now view the agriculture industry as national security. Speaking at the Florida Fruit & Ve... more
MDARD proposes classifying methomyl as a restricted use pesticide
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) is proposing classifying all formulations of the insecticide methomyl as a restricted use pesticide. This recommendation was made due to widespread misuse of the product, which i... more