New advisory committee to boost southeastern agriculture competitiveness

May 31, 2024

By Farms.com

The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) have appointed members to the newly established Seasonal and Perishable Agricultural Products Advisory Committee.

This committee aims to offer advice and recommendations to bolster the competitiveness of producers of seasonal and perishable agricultural products in the Southeastern United States.

Prompted by congressional requests following a Section 301 petition, the committee will focus on understanding and addressing market dynamics impacting producers in the region.

Committee members will bring expertise in various aspects of seasonal and perishable agriculture, contributing to efforts to support Southeastern producers.

The Administration's commitment to supporting specialty crop growers includes initiatives such as the USDA's Specialty Crops Competitiveness Initiative. This initiative aims to equip producers with tools and resources to enhance competitiveness in both domestic and international markets.

USTR and USDA will collaborate with the committee and congressional stakeholders to explore potential administrative actions and legislative measures that can benefit Southeastern producers.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.