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Agricultural Trade in the 106th Congress: A Review of Issues

Description: The 106th Congress considered a number of trade policy developments against a backdrop of weak foreign demand and large world supplies of agricultural commodities. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that the value of U.S. agricultural exports fell between FY1996 (a record year) and FY1999 by almost $11 billion, to $49.2 billion. Agricultural exports did climb back to $50.9 billion in FY2000, and are now projected at $53 billion in FY2001. However, the pace of recovery concerned many agr… more
Date: December 29, 2000
Creator: Becker, Geoffrey S.; Hanrahan, Charles E. & Jurenas, Remy
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Fruits and Vegetables: Issues for Congress

Description: This report discusses the Issues for Congress on Fruits and Vegetables.The primary law that exclusively serves the produce industry is the perishable agriculture commodities act in the 1930(PACA).
Date: May 29, 2002
Creator: Branaman, Brenda
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Farm and Food Support Under USDA's Section 32 Program

Description: This report discusses “Section 32”, which is a permanent appropriation that since 1935 has earmarked the equivalent of 30% of annual customs receipts to support the farm sector through a variety of activities. Today, most of this appropriation (now approximately $6.5 billion yearly) is transferred to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) account that funds child nutrition programs.
Date: September 29, 2004
Creator: Becker, Geoffrey S.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Agricultural Biotechnology: Overview and Selected Issues

Description: This report considers the issues surrounding genetically engineered (GE) crops or GMO's (genetically modified organisms). Moreover, the report debates the consequences of GE crops on the environment, food safety, and labeling. The report also debates the merits of regulation on the market the crops have entered.
Date: September 29, 2004
Creator: Johnson, Barbara A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Agriculture: Prospective Issues for the 107th Congress

Description: Persistent low farm prices and 3 years of multi-billion dollar ad hoc additions to federal spending for farmers are expected to put pressure on the 107th Congress for an early review of federal farm policy. Farm policy is governed by a variety of laws, many of which are incorporated into an omnibus, multi-year farm bill. Most of the provisions of the current farm bill, the Federal Agricultural Improvement and Reform (FAIR) Act of 1996, expire after the 2002 crop year. Key issues are the respons… more
Date: January 29, 2001
Creator: Jones, Jean Yavis
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Agriculture in the Next Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations

Description: This report discusses the objective of agricultural negotiations in the World Trade Organizations (WTO) in 2001 to create trade reform. The Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture (URAA) established a new set of rules for the conduct of agricultural trade that the report also considers.
Date: December 29, 2000
Creator: Hanrahan, Charles E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The “Farm Bill” in Brief

Description: This report discusses the farm bill, which renewed about every five years, governs federal farm and food policy. The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-171) is the most recent omnibus farm bill, covering a wide range of programs including commodity price and income support, farm credit, agricultural conservation, research, rural development, and foreign and domestic food programs, among others.
Date: May 29, 2007
Creator: Johnson, Renée
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Animal Agriculture: Issues in the 107th Congress

Description: A variety of animal agriculture issues, including prices, the impact of consolidation in the meat production/packing industry, trade, and the environmental impacts of large feedlots, continue to generate interest in Congress. This issue brief discusses these issues, as well as the 2002 farm bill, which contains several provisions affecting animal agriculture, including protections for contract growers, disaster assistance, country-of-origin labeling, and increased funding for conservation purpo… more
Date: January 29, 2003
Creator: Heykoop, Jerry
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Farm Commodity Programs: Wool and Mohair

Description: This report discusses price support for wool and mohair, which became mandatory through legislation enacted in 1947 and in 1949. The National Wool Act of 1954 (P.L. 83-690) established direct payments for wool and mohair producers. The act’s stated purpose was to encourage production of wool because it was considered an essential and strategic commodity.
Date: March 29, 2005
Creator: Canada, Carol
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Exempting Food and Agriculture Products from U.S. Economic Sanctions: Status and Implementation

Description: In approving the FY2001 agriculture appropriations act, 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 extended this policy to Cuba (as enacted in by the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000, or TSRA). Congressional opponents of TSRA's prohibitions on private U.S. financing of agricultural sales, public financing of eligible exports, and t… more
Date: June 29, 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: In approving the FY2001 agriculture appropriations act, 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 extended this policy to Cuba (as enacted in by the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000, or TSRA). Congressional opponents of TSRA's prohibitions on private U.S. financing of agricultural sales, public financing of eligible exports, and t… more
Date: July 29, 2004
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: In approving the FY2001 agriculture appropriations act, 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 extended this policy to apply to Cuba (Title IX of H.R. 5426, as enacted by P.L. 106- 387; Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000, or TSRA). Other provisions place financing and licensing conditions on sales to these countries. Those that a… more
Date: June 29, 2006
Creator: Jurenas, Remy
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Avian Influenza: Agricultural Issues

Description: A strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) has spread throughout Asia since 2003, infecting mostly poultry but also a limited number of humans. The virus researched Europe in 2005, and the Middle East and Africa in 2006. Officials believe this strain may enter North America later in 2006 through migratory flyaways. The avian flu is highly contagious in domestic poultry, prompting strict biosecurity measures. This report details the strains of, transmission of, and control of Avian flu… more
Date: August 29, 2006
Creator: Monke, Jim
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Agricultural Disaster Assistance

Description: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers several permanently authorized programs to help farmers recover financially from a natural disaster, including federal crop insurance, the non-insured assistance program and emergency disaster loans. In recent years, Congress frequently has made supplemental financial assistance available to farmers and ranchers on an ad-hoc basis, most notably in the form of direct crop disaster payments and emergency livestock assistance. Congress provided an e… more
Date: August 29, 2005
Creator: Chite, Ralph M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Animal Identification and Meat Traceability

Description: Animal identification refers to marking individual or groups of farm animals so that they can be tracked from birth to slaughter. Animal identification is one segment of meat traceability, generally the tracking of identifiable products through the entire marketing chain to the ultimate consumer. This report details an overview of animal identification in the U.S., current programs to enforce animal identification, development of a National Identification Plan, the Foreign Trade Commission, and… more
Date: March 29, 2005
Creator: Becker, Geoffrey S.
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: March 29, 2006
Creator: Levine, Linda
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Agricultural Disaster Assistance

Description: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers several permanently authorized programs to help farmers recover financially from a natural disaster, including federal crop insurance, the noninsured assistance program (NAP), and emergency disaster loans. The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (otherwise known as the 2008 farm bill) includes authorization and funding for crop disaster programs, livestock assistance programs, and a tree assistance program. The new programs are designed to… more
Date: June 29, 2009
Creator: Chite, Ralph M. & Shields, Dennis A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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