Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 20, 2020 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202-554-1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – Responding to mounting environmental challenges confronting American food production and security, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced a new, department-wide innovation initiative “to align resources, programs, and research to position American agriculture to better meet future global demands.” In broad … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 19, 2020 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202-554-1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON –National Farmers Union (NFU) hosted 75 students in Minneapolis, Minnesota, last weekend for its annual College Conference on Cooperatives (CCOC). The three-day conference provides an interactive learning experience for American agriculture’s next generation on the importance, structure, and operations of various types of … Read More

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 18, 2020 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – As the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) continues 2018 Farm Bill implementation with the release of its Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Interim Rule, National Farmers Union (NFU) is urging the agency to strengthen the conservation program to better support farmers … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 10, 2020 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202-554-1600 [email protected]  WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump today released his proposed spending for fiscal year 2021. The $4.8 trillion budget would cut both mandatory and discretionary funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and other federal agencies while boosting spending on infrastructure and defense initiatives. … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 4, 2020 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202-554-1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – Citing stock market gains, recent trade deals, and low unemployment rates, U.S. President Donald J. Trump tonight touted a “great American comeback” in his third State of the Union address. But as rural communities lag behind in many respects, this hardly paints … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 3, 2020 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – In an effort to assist farmers and ranchers affected by international trade disputes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that it will issue the third and final tranche of 2019 Market Facilitation Program (MFP) payments. As family farmers face record … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 29, 2020 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – During a ceremony held today at the White House, President Donald Trump signed the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) into law. Though the agreement has already been approved by Mexico, it will not be fully implemented until it is ratified by the Canadian government. … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 27, 2020 DENVER –In a decision that is expected to broadly impact the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) approach to granting small refinery exemptions (SREs) under the Renewable Fuel Standard, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit late on Friday struck down three exemptions that were improperly issued by EPA. … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 23, 2020 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – In a final rule released today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers revised its definition of “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) under the Clean Water Act. Earlier definitions of WOTUS were considered too vague … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 16, 2020 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate today voted 89-10 in favor of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), moving the trilateral deal to President Donald Trump’s desk for final approval. Though National Farmers Union (NFU) initially withheld endorsement when USMCA was introduced over a year ago, the … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 15, 2020 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 [email protected]  WASHINGTON – In an effort to ease tensions between their two countries, President Donald Trump and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He today signed the first phase of a trade agreement. At the time of the signing, the deal’s text had not yet been published. … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 14, 2020 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – As the U.S. Department of Agriculture works towards 2018 Farm Bill implementation with the introduction of the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) interim rule, National Farmers Union (NFU) is urging the agency to strengthen the working lands program to better help farmers improve … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 10, 2020 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – More than two years after failing to finalize a set of rules to protect American family farmers and ranchers from anticompetitive and abusive business practices from the increasingly consolidated meatpacking and processing industries, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today released a … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 19, 2019 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today released its final renewable volume obligations (RVOs) under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) for the year 2020. As outlined in a supplemental proposed rule in October, the RVOs will account for a portion of the 4 billion … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 12, 2019 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – In a closely divided vote, the National Farmers Union (NFU) Board of Directors opted to support an amended U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) released earlier this week. The decision was contingent on a number of changes made to the deal at the insistence of … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 11, 2019 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202-554-1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – The U.S. House of Representatives today voted in favor of the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, a bipartisan bill to reform the agricultural labor system in the United States. The product of negotiations between a diverse array of agricultural stakeholders and farmworker advocates, … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 11, 2019 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – Recognizing the high levels of stress affecting America’s farmers and ranchers, Farm Credit, American Farm Bureau Federation and National Farmers Union have partnered on a program to train individuals who interact with farmers and ranchers to recognize signs of stress and offer … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 10, 2019 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – After serving as president of National Farmers Union (NFU) for over a decade, Roger Johnson announced that he does not intend to seek reelection again next year. His current term will end at the organization’s annual convention in March, at which point … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 10, 2019 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – After many months of negotiations, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi announced today that the White House and Congress had come to an agreement on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). At its quarterly meeting in September, the National Farmers Union … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 10, 2019 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – Following an initial statement of support, National Farmers Union (NFU) today sent a letter to President Donald Trump endorsing the Governors’ Biofuels Coalition recommendation to lower air toxic emissions caused by the use of gasoline aromatics. In accordance with the coalition’s position, … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 4, 2019 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – Despite widespread opposition, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that it would tighten work requirements for able-bodied Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants without dependents. Under current regulations, able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs) can receive food assistance no more than … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 3, 2019 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – A policy that allows a one-time transition of dairy cows from conventional to organic production has been inconsistently enforced, putting farmers who play by the rules at a competitive disadvantage and undermining the integrity of the organic label. However, a proposed rule … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 25, 2019 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – In a letter sent today, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem ­– the Chair and Vice Chair, respectively, of the Governors’ Biofuels Coalition ­– urged President Donald Trump to enforce Section 202 of the Clean Air Act Amendments … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 25, 2019 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202.554.1600 [email protected] WASHINGTON – As they consider policies and legislation to curb the effects of climate change, federal lawmakers should both recognize the capacity of American family farmers to mitigate and build resilience to climate change as well as enact funding mechanisms to help them do … Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 25, 2019 Contact: Hannah Packman, 202-554-1600 [email protected] The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s supplemental proposed rule to compensate for the ongoing misappropriation of small refinery exemptions (SREs) “fails to accurately account for the lost gallons and betrays President Trump’s promise to rural America,” according to National Farmers Union (NFU). In comments submitted … Read More