Governmental Regulations
Waters of the U.S. rules have evolved many times in the past 50 years. EPA announced another round of changes on Tuesday, following a May Supreme Court ruling that required EPA to revise the definition.
Recommendations on protecting agriculture workers from exposure to the coronavirus have been issued by the U.S. government.
(UPDATED, July 16) Getting children under the age of two to consume a healthy diet with fruits and vegetables is critical to establish life-long habits.
Trump Again Demands a Wall as Lawmakers Chase Immigration Deal
Cranberries might be a staple on Thanksgiving tables, but a glut of U.S. supplies has gotten so large that fruit could be headed to the compost pile.
Produce growers are searching for long-term solutions not just a short-term fix when it comes to agricultural labor. However, lawmakers and the farming community are mixed when it comes to those different solutions. The Ag Guest worker Act, introduced by Chairman Bob Goodlatte cleared the House Judiciary Committee in late October. It’s designed to replace the H-2A Program. That’s not the only piece of legislation floating around Congress. Lawmaker Lamar Smith introduced legislation called the Legal Workforce Act, which could mandate employers to use the e-verify system to check legal status of agricultural employees. It’s a tug-of-war battle to see which piece of legislation proposed at roughly the same time will work for farmers. AgDay national reporter Betsy Jibben talked with West Coast produce growers Neil Nagata with Nagata Bros. Farms in Oceanside, Ca., and Al Stehly with Rockwood Ranch in Escondido, Ca., about their challenges and thoughts on potential legislation. Betsy also talked with Tom Nassif, president and CEO of Western Growers as well. Listen to the full AgDay segment above.
Producers are one step closer to a new guest worker program designed to get more agricultural labor help to operations. The Ag. Guest Worker Bill barely clearing the House Judiciary committee by a vote of 17 to 16 on Wednesday. The bill is designed to replace the current H2A program.
Trump’s Draft Public Works Plan Asks Cities, States to Pony Up
Trump Farm-Bill Outline Emphasizes Work as a Food-Stamp Goal
Opening the door for truckers to go “off the clock” for up to three hours when faced with delays in loading or unloading, new proposed rules on hours of service regulations have been introduced.
The National Potato Council will host a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on Feb 26 to urge the U.S. Senate to take up legislation to solve the agricultural labor crisis.
The government of Kenya wants the U.S. Department of Agriculture to approve imports of fresh thyme into the U.S.
A U.S. Department of Agriculture web seminar will provide an overview of proposed changes to enforcement regulations of organic agriculture.
California is looking to build on the success of the Grower Shipper Association of Central California’s quarantined housing program with an expanded statewide effort.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has revised rules that govern the movement of plant pests.
SUN VALLEY, Idaho — The National Potato Council — “big potato,” as some critics sometimes call it — is working hard to protect the interests of growers, Kam Quarles says.
Polled in December, most readers of The Packer believe President Trump should be reelected in 2020.
A recycled proposal in President Trump’s fiscal year 2021 budget seeking to incorporate food box deliveries to food stamp recipients is drawing protests from U.S. retail interests.
The U.S. Department of Labor has signed a bi-lateral cooperative agreement with Guatemala to improve transparency, accountability, and worker safety in the H-2A visa program for agricultural workers from Guatemala.
Congress and the Trump administration are sending $2 trillion in cash to help a U.S. economy that has been staggered by the coronavirus COVID-19 since mid-March, and the produce industry is anxious to see their share.
Thirty-eight agriculture groups want Congress to adjust the Paycheck Protection Program to make it easier to access for growers.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will take comments until Sept. 27 on a new effort to create a clearer definition of “agricultural commodities” in its hours-of-service regulations.
Another mandated increase in H-2A guest farmworker wage rates has made Congressional action on farm labor reform even more critical, according to the Agriculture Workforce Coalition.
The 2019 introduction of the European Commission’s European Green Deal invites the produce industry to be a leader in climate neutral and plant-friendly policies, according to industry trade group Freshfel Europe.
LAS VEGAS — Election-year politics will present a big challenge to reform efforts for H-2A regulations, but growers must be prepared to lobby for changes in the increasingly important farm labor program.
Increased regulations and other issues have prompted San Miguel Produce to reduce Ventura County, Calif., acreage and partner with other growers across North America to ensure a year-round supply.
The United Fresh Produce Association is requesting urgent action by Congress to help the fresh produce supply chain deal with the financial shocks caused by the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak.
By April and May, the logistics of transporting fresh fruit and vegetables will be in jeopardy from the COVID-19 pandemic more than the production of fresh produce, according to the United Nations.
Senator Dianne Feinstein has added her voice to industry leaders asking for timely processing of Mexican H-2A workers needed to harvest U.S. produce crops.
NEW YORK — Some of the state’s fresh produce industry leaders say the proposed New York Farm Laborer Fair Labor Practices Act will hurt the agricultural industry, but they are relieved for a bit of compromise.