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Balanced Reporting. Trusted Insights.
Saturday, April 12, 2025
House Democrats are gearing up to pass the Farm Workforce Modernization Act to reform the H-2A visa program and legalize undocumented workers. But the path ahead in the Senate for an ag labor bill is as difficult as ever, especially with the surge of migrants at the border.
The new chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, Georgia Rep. David Scott, passed his first test as Democrats stuck together Wednesday night to advance their piece of a sweeping $1.9 trillion stimulus package.
House committees begin voting starting today on the first provisions in the massive $1.9 trillion coronavirus aid package President Joe Biden is pushing to pass. The House Agriculture Committee is scheduled to meet Wednesday to approve its portion of the package.
USDA officials tell Agri-Pulse they are working “amicably” with the Biden transition team, which is paving the way for the incoming administration next week. On the international front, the transition team has been pressing USDA for details on the impacts of the “phase one” trade deal with China.
Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue announced Monday evening that USDA is going to extend the Farmers to Families Food Box Program to a fifth round, this one worth $1.5 billion.
Earlier this year, Germany faced a $1 billion loss in access to pork export markets after a single case of African Swine Fever (ASF) was detected in a wild boar. The population of feral swine in the United States, estimated between 4-9 million, also poses a threat to export security.
The National Pork Board’s AgView, a web-based software tool, is designed to protect the swine industry infrastructure against foreign animal diseases (FAD) and potential loss of export markets.
After seeing its domestic pork production decimated by an outbreak of African Swine Fever, China is aiming to recover enough to produce 95% of its pork within its own borders.
USDA’s latest farm income forecast is making clear how critical government payments are to the ag economy this year. USDA is projecting that payments will be up 66% this year to more than $37 billion. And that number may go higher.
