Agri-Pulse staff

Record-high animal protein and dairy prices, volatile grain and oilseed prices, and steady-to-lower cropland values reflect agricultural markets in transition, according to CoBank's new quarterly economic report.

The Senate Agriculture Committee approved today, by voice vote, three nominees for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), including for the chairmanship.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest says that an analysis of thousands of food poisoning cases over a 10-year period shows that Americans are twice as likely to get sick from food prepared in restaurants than from food prepared in the home.

Farmers and ranchers can sign-up for livestock disaster assistance programs that were reestablished and strengthened by the 2014 farm bill starting April 15, USDA said.

The Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit today vacated a March 28 ruling that denied the American Meat Institute’s attempt to block USDA’s final rule on country-of-origin labeling (COOL). The full court will rehear the case on May 19.

Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., announced today that she has been appointed to serve as chair of the Senate Finance Committee’s Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs and Global Competitiveness.

The trustee for MF Global announced that the company will begin making final distributions to its customers to restore lost funds of over $1 billion sustained by customers of MF Global when the company failed in 2011, according to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will award $12.7 million in grants to help small drinking and wastewater systems (serving fewer than 10,000 people) and to private well owners.

All of the 14 members of the Georgia House delegation urged a House appropriations panel today to support funding for the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project.

With the 2014 farm bill finally signed into law, most people have moved to the next stages of education and implementation.