Displaying items tagged: Michigan Agribusiness Association

Here is the MiBiz People in the news report for March 14, 2022

Following a request from Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow, the U.S. Government Accountability Office will investigate the integrity of the U.S. Department of Agriculture aid to farmers affected by the U.S. trade war with China. 

For every dollar that Americans spent on yesterday’s Thanksgiving dinner meals, growers and ranchers received just 12.1 cents — even less than their average slice of the pie throughout the year.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer this month reversed a policy from the Snyder administration that blocked commercial solar energy projects on property enrolled in the state’s farmland preservation program.

Passage of the 2018 Farm Bill provides much-needed certainty and support — and not just for Michigan farmers. The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, commonly known as the Farm Bill, is a multi-faceted piece of legislation that affects Michigan’s farmers and farm workers, equipment manufacturers, food processing businesses, retailers, and many other people across the state.

June was a busy month for the Michigan Legislature.

Michigan’s farmers and food processors are closely watching how talks of trade wars and retaliatory tariffs could affect the nearly $2.7 billion in exports they send to other countries.

Farmers’ increasing use of credit to finance operations has left some operators financially exposed during a volatile period for the industry.

As president of the Michigan Agri-Business Association, Jim Byrum worries about trade, weather and talent — concerns shared by the farmers and food processors he talks to on a daily basis. Still, he remains optimistic for the sector’s growth next year.

GRAND RAPIDS — The potential reversal of the 23-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) could jeopardize West Michigan farmers and food processors.

ZEELAND — When a lawsuit surfaced showing one of West Michigan’s largest corporate farmers was facing insolvency, the news sent shockwaves through the state’s agricultural industry.

WHITE CLOUD — A statewide rush to increase livestock production has proved to be a boon for one West Michigan producer of animal feed.

As farmers across the state struggle to turn a profit in an era of depressed commodity prices, one aspect of agribusiness — food processing — continues to grow in West Michigan.

West Michigan-based agribusinesses and food and beverage companies will soon have a new source of capital to fund expansion projects.

In 2013, the discovery of a large deposit of high-quality potash in Michigan touched off a wave of public attention.

When Brink Farms Inc. began construction on a rail yard off Turner Avenue in northwest Grand Rapids in 2014, the Hamilton-based bulk transportation firm hoped to alleviate capacity constraints and better serve customers shipping cargo south through the city. 

A major player in Big Agriculture is poised to expand its influence in the industry.