Spencer Chase

Members of the organizations hosting this week’s record-setting Commodity Classic in Houston are discussing a hefty slate of priorities, but none more prevalent and consistent than a desire to pass a new farm bill.

A new final rule from USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service would prohibit companies from taking retaliatory or discriminatory action against producers.

A record number of people were on hand at last week’s Commodity Classic, and the speed of the policy sessions by the groups hosting the event may have set records as well.

Last week’s Commodity Classic wrapped up with a series of presentations and words of caution from federal security officials about the vulnerability of agriculture to terrorism and cybercrime.

Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack made a series of energy infrastructure announcements Wednesday, including the first under an Inflation Reduction Act effort to stand up renewable energy projects in rural America.

South Dakota Republican Senator Mike Rounds says appropriations language giving USDA more money to track agricultural land purchases by overseas interests is a good start, but more needs to be done to address the issue’s national and food security concerns.

The Department of Agriculture says a new regulation to tighten the usage of “Product of the USA” on meat labels is in line with what consumers expect from the disclosure, but several groups say they’re concerned about the possible trade ramifications of the move.

American pork, beef and lamb exports are trending higher to start the new year as overseas consumers look to get their hands on more U.S. product.

Wildfires that were once blazing across the panhandle of Texas are being reduced to a smolder, leaving behind clouds of smoke and a long recovery process for the region’s producers.

Some 16 Republican senators are calling on congressional leaders to move legislation that would freeze the adverse effect wage rate for H-2A workers at 2023 levels.