Three more nominations for key posts at USDA were made Friday as Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue remains the only Trump nominee approved in the department. “I’m hoping that the Senate can move very quickly on the ones before them when they get back,” said Perdue during a stop at Farm Progress Show last week. “I need some help and I …
Secretary Sonny Visits Farm Progress Show
It was a packed house for our Secretary of Agriculture as he was hosted by WGN and ADM during the 2017 Farm Progress Show. Sec. Sonny Perdue visted with ag and local media prior to taking the stage. Naturally, trade was a hot topic followed by Hurricane Harvey and an update from D.C. Listen to or download the complete press …
Secretary Perdue in Florida
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue visited the Citrus Expo in Fort Myers, Florida this week to learn more about citrus greening and hold a farm bill listening session with Congressman Tom Rooney of the local district. The only opportunity for reporters to ask questions of the secretary was a short, crowded, disorganized gaggle that covered a wide range of non-agricultural …
USDA Forecast Optimistic Despite Conditions
U.S. farmers are expected to produce a record-high soybean crop this year, according to USDA’s August Crop Production report released Thursday. Soybean production is forecast at 4.38 billion bushels, up two percent from last year, while corn growers are expected to decrease their production by seven percent from last year, forecast at 14.2 billion bushels. Soybean yields are expected to …
USDA Getting #BackToOurRoots
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue has been on a five-state “Back to Our Roots” Tour to gather input on the 2018 Farm Bill, meeting with farmers, ranchers, foresters, producers, students, governors, USDA employees, and other stakeholders. This is the first of two RV tours the secretary will undertake this summer. This first RV Tour features stops in five states: Wisconsin, Minnesota, …
Censky Nominated as Deputy Ag Secretary
Over two months since he took office, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue is finally getting some nominations to fill USDA positions. Late Thursday, Perdue announced that President Trump has nominated American Soybean Association CEO Stephen Censky to be Deputy Secretary of Agriculture. “Our work has only just begun in delivering results for the people of American agriculture, and the experience and …
Sec. Perdue Defends Trump Budget
Farmers and ranchers are concerned about President Trump’s “Taxpayer First” budget released this week but Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue defended significant cuts to USDA in the name of balancing the budget. “I don’t think there’s any reason to sugar coat this,” Perdue said to reporters on a press call Tuesday. “But I believe the people knew what they were doing …
USDA Boosts Corn Use for Ethanol Forecast
The latest U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) global outlook for grains is forecasting an increase of 50 million bushels in the amount of corn used to produce ethanol this year. USDA Outlook Board Chairman Seth Meyer says factors contributing to the expected increase are higher gasoline consumption growth, reduced sorghum used to produce ethanol and higher expected blending. “We’ve been …
Secretary Perdue Shows Support for Renewable Energy
During his first visit to Iowa as Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue made his support for renewable energy and ethanol perfectly clear. “Do you know who I work for?,” the Secretary asked the local FFA officer who wanted to make sure he supported renewable energy. “I work for a fellow by the name of Donald J. Trump. Did you hear …
Ag Secretary to Visit Iowa Cattle Producer and Ethanol Investor
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue will travel to Nevada, Iowa tomorrow to tour Couser Cattle Company, give his first major farm policy speech, and host a farmer’s town hall meeting. Couser Cattle Co. is a diversified operation that annually feeds and finishes 5,000 to 6,000 head of cattle and farms 5,000 acres, producing both corn seed and soybean seed. …