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Hemp as an Agricultural Commodity

Description: This report provides an overview of Hemp as an Agricultural Commodity. Industrial hemp is a variety of Cannabis sativa and is of the same species of Marijuana. Farmers in more than 30 countries grow industrial hemp commercially for fiber etc.
Date: January 5, 2005
Creator: Rawson, Jean M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Agriculture: Prospective Issues for Congress

Description: A number of issues affecting U.S. agriculture could receive attention during the 109th Congress. Some are related to new initiatives or to unfinished legislation from the 108th Congress; others have been the focus of ongoing congressional oversight. Although the current (2002) farm bill (P.L. 107-171) generally does not expire until 2007, the agriculture committees could begin hearings on a new measure as early as 2005. The farm bill spells out the types and levels of benefits provided to produ… more
Date: January 3, 2005
Creator: Becker, Geoffrey S.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Agricultural Issues in the 109th Congress

Description: A number of issues affecting U.S. agriculture are receiving attention in the 109th Congress. The conference agreement on the FY2006 omnibus budget reconciliation bill includes a net reduction in spending on U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) mandatory programs of $2.7 billion over five years, and the reauthorization of a dairy income support program. Other issues of importance to agriculture during the second session of the 109th Congress include the possible consideration of emergency farm … more
Date: January 13, 2006
Creator: Chite, Ralph M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Agriculture in the U.S.-Dominican Republic Central American Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA)

Description: On August 2, 2005, President Bush signed into law the bill to implement the Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement, or DR-CAFTA (P.L. 109-53, H.R. 3045). In DR-CAFTA, the United States and six countries will completely phase out tariffs and quotas — the primary means of border protection — on all but four agricultural commodities traded between them in stages up to 20 years. The four exempted products are as follows: for the United States, sugar; for Costa Rica, fresh onions a… more
Date: January 12, 2006
Creator: Jurenas, Remy
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Exempting Food and Agriculture Products from U.S. Economic Sanctions: Status and Implementation

Description: Falling agricultural exports and declining commodity prices led farm groups and agribusiness firms to urge the 106th Congress to pass legislation exempting foods and agricultural commodities from U.S. economic sanctions against certain countries. In completing action on the FY2001 agriculture appropriations bill, Congress codified the lifting of unilateral sanctions on commercial sales of food, agricultural commodities, medicine, and medical products to Iran, Libya, North Korea, and Sudan, and … more
Date: January 20, 2006
Creator: Jurenas, Remy
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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WTO Doha Round: The Agricultural Negotiations

Description: The pace of negotiations in the Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations quickened in October 2005 as the December Hong Kong Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) approached. At Hong Kong, however, while WTO members agreed on a broad outline of negotiating objectives for further liberalizing global trade in agriculture, industry and services, they made only limited progress in determining precise numerical formulas (known as modalities) for meeting the Round’s aims. … more
Date: January 12, 2006
Creator: Hanrahan, Charles E. & Schnepf, Randy
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Farm Labor Shortages and Immigration Policy

Description: This report first explains the connection made over the past several years between farm labor and immigration policies. It next examines the composition of the seasonal agricultural labor force and presents the arguments of grower and farmworker advocates concerning its adequacy relative to employer demand. The report closes with an analysis of the trends in employment, unemployment, time worked and wages of authorized and unauthorized farmworkers to determine whether they are consistent with t… more
Date: January 25, 2006
Creator: Levine, Linda
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Agriculture and Related Agencies: FY2006 Appropriations

Description: This report is a guide to one of the regular appropriations bills that Congress considers each year. It is designed to supplement the information provided by the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Agriculture. It summarizes the status of the bill, its scope, major issues, funding levels, and related congressional activity, and is updated as events warrant. The report lists the key CRS staff relevant to the issues covered and related CRS products.
Date: January 27, 2006
Creator: Monke, Jim
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Ethylene Dibromide (EDB)

Description: Much attention has recently been focused on the chemical ethylene dibromide (EDB). This chemical has been widely used in leaded gasoline, and has also been used to treat grains, citrus and other crops. It has been found in foods and in groundwater. This paper examines the possible health effects of exposure to EDB, as well as its regulation. The possible health effects and regulation of various chemical and physical alternatives to EDB are also examined. This paper concludes with some policy co… more
Date: January 31, 1985
Creator: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Farm Bill Trade and Food Aid Provisions

Description: This report discusses the trade provisions of omnibus farm legislation, passed and signed into law in May 2002. The measure includes a trade title reauthorizing, through 2007, the major foreign food aid and agricultural export programs. It also contains other provisions affecting agricultural trade, including new country-of-origin labeling requirements for meat, seafood, and produce; and increased domestic farm subsidies with possible implications for U.S. trade relations.
Date: January 28, 2003
Creator: Becker, Geoffrey S.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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A New Farm Bill: Comparing the 2002 Law with Previous Law and House and Senate Bills

Description: On May 13, 2002, President Bush signed a new farm bill — The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (P.L.107-171). This comprehensive new law contains ten titles covering commodity support, conservation, nutrition, trade, research, credit, rural development and other related programs. It makes significant changes to commodity, conservation and nutrition programs, and is intended to guide most federal farm and food policies through FY2007. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates … more
Date: January 21, 2003
Creator: Jones, Jean Yavis
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Agriculture: Payment in Kind (PIK) Program

Description: On January 11, 1983, President Reagan announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture would implement a payment-in-kind (PIK) program to help reduce Government grain surpluses and to improve farm income. The materials included in this report were compiled by Congressional Research Staff for Member of Congress desirous of more information on the subject.
Date: January 12, 1984
Creator: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Agriculture-Based Renewable Energy Production

Description: Since the late 1970s, U.S. policy makers at both the federal and state levels have enacted a variety of incentives, regulations, and programs to encourage the production and use of agriculture-based renewable energy. Motivations cited for these legislative initiatives include energy security concerns, reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, and raising domestic demand for U.S.-produced farm products. This report provides background information on farm-based energy production and how this fits in… more
Date: January 4, 2005
Creator: Schnepf, Randy
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Asian Soybean Rust: Background and Issues

Description: This report discusses the background and issues regarding Asian soybean rust (ASR) that was discovered in the United States in an experimental field in Louisiana. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is coordinating a plan to deal with ASR that encompasses various USDA agencies, state land-grant universities, and industry participants. The arrival of ASR has implications for several public policies including pest control research (particularly the development of resistant varieties), pesti… more
Date: January 12, 2005
Creator: Schnepf, Randy
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Energy Provisions of the Farm Bill: Comparison of the New Law with Previous Law and House and Senate Bills

Description: This report provides a side-by-side comparison of the energy provisions of the new law with previously existing law, as well as the versions engrossed by the House and Senate in the 107th Congress. While the energy provisions in the House version were spread throughout the bill, the Senate version consolidated most of its energy provisions into Title IX - Energy. Both bills provided for the use of reserve land for renewable energy production. The House version also allowed for loans to farmers … more
Date: January 22, 2003
Creator: Yacobucci, Brent D.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Farmers' Markets: The USDA Role

Description: This report discusses federal programs aimed at promoting farmers’ markets. Policy issues include the extent to which the programs contribute to the markets’ success, and the need if any for additional governmental support.
Date: January 3, 2006
Creator: Becker, Geoffrey S.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Fruits, Vegetables, and Other Specialty Crops: A Primer on Government Programs

Description: U.S. farmers grow more than 250 types of fruit, vegetable, tree nut, flower, ornamental nursery, and turfgrass crops in addition to the major bulk commodity crops. Although specialty crops are ineligible for the federal commodity price and income support programs, they are eligible for other types of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) support, such as crop insurance, disaster assistance, and, under certain conditions, ad hoc market loss assistance payments. This report describes the federal … more
Date: January 26, 2005
Creator: Rawson, Jean M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Grain Transport: Modal Trends and Infrastructure Implications

Description: This report examines the grain-handling system and the infrastructure that supports it. The first part of the report briefly identifies transportation funding issues before Congress that are particularly relevant to grain shippers. The report then describes how grain is delivered to market, including long-term trends taking place and the underlying reasons for those trends. The final part identifies some of the implications these trends have for targeting future investment in the grain-handling… more
Date: January 5, 2005
Creator: Frittelli, John F.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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