Bee & Honey 

The 2018 farm bill protected bee and honey producers from misleading labeling proposed by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). Previous proposals from FDA required honey, pure cane syrup and maple syrup producers to include “no-sugar added” to their label. The Alabama Farmers Federation and American Farm Bureau Federation opposed the proposed label.

-Hunter McBrayer, division director

Beef; Meat Goat & Sheep

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is measuring cattle, sheep and goat inventories through a nationwide survey. Results will be published Jan. 31. To learn more, call the Southern Regional Office at (800) 253-4419.

-Brian Hardin, Governmental & Ag Programs Department director

Cotton; Soybean; Wheat & Feed Grain

Free irrigation workshops will be held Jan. 22 in Decatur and Jan. 23 in Dothan. The workshops, hosted by Alabama Extension, will cover topics such as center pivot irrigation, drop irrigation, scheduling, fertigation and more. Register for the Decatur workshop at bit.ly/2Q10kCT. Visit bit.ly/2DCLUAZ to register for the Dothan meeting.

-Carla Hornady, divisions director

Dairy, Pork, Poultry

The FDA and USDA recently announced they will jointly regulate cell-cultured, lab-created meat. FDA will oversee cell collection, cell banks, and cell growth and differentiation. During harvest, oversight switches to USDA, which will supervise production and labeling of food products derived from the cells of livestock and poultry.

-Guy Hall, divisions director

Forestry

President Donald Trump recently signed the Timber Innovation Act into law. The legislation will incentivize investments through the National Forest Products Laboratory and universities to expedite research and development of new wood products to be used in construction, such as cross-laminated timber.

-William Green, division director

Peanuts

The Alabama Peanut Producers Association is pleased with the passage of the 2018 farm bill. The bill provides stability to producers planning for the 2019 crop and beyond and is a solid farm bill for all segments of the peanut industry.

-Brian Hardin, Governmental & Ag Programs Department director