Mon, 05/10/2021 - 5:00pm tim
Vermont Business Magazine Vermont State Auditor Doug Hoffer today released a first-ever comprehensive accounting of Vermont state government’s total annual spending in support of Vermont’s dairy industry. From State fiscal year 2010 to 2019, the State Auditor’s Office estimates that Vermont taxpayers spent more than $285 million on programs and policies to support the dairy industry and/or address adverse environmental impacts caused by some dairy practices. In fiscal year 2019, the most recent year of the analysis, spending totaled more than $35 million.
“Every Vermonter knows the important historical contribution dairy farming has made to our state’s economy and identity,” said Auditor Hoffer. “We also know the last few decades have been extremely challenging for small- and mid-sized dairy farms. Below-cost payments from milk processors, industry consolidation, water quality requirements – these and other pressures help explain why V
The Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment – Division of Environmental Quality (“DEQ”) and the Washington County Arkansas Road Department (“Department”) entered into an April.
By Brian Mudd
Is Nikki Fried Failing Florida?
Bottom Line: Think about Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried. When you think of her actions what’s most memorable to you? Is it policy or is it outspoken opposition to Governor DeSantis? It’s notable that her first action as Agriculture Commissioner, to put her face on the gas pump inspection stickers, was unconstitutional and it’s safe to say her tenure, which has included spreading unfounded rumors and most recently outright lies about pay-for-play vaccines, has been most notable for her personal actions as Agriculture Commissioner as opposed to her policy actions within the department. Still, her performance really hasn’t been publicly parsed until now.
Gulf of Guinea persists as maritime security hotspot
Piracy and armed robbery incidents were on the rise in 2020 and the numbers do not seem to relent into 2021.
IMB’s latest global piracy report (Q1 2021) records 38 incidents since the start of 2021 – compared with 47 incidents during the same period last year. In the first three months of 2021, the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC) reported 33 vessels boarded, two attempted attacks, two vessels fired upon, and one vessel hijacked. Despite a drop in the number of reported piracy incidents for Q1 2021, violence against crew is on the rise in comparison to previous years. Since the start of 2021, 40 crew have been kidnapped compared to 22 crew in Q1 2020. A crew member was also killed in Q1 2021. The agency attributes the rise to an increase of piracy and armed robbery reported within the Gulf of Guinea as well as increased armed robbery activity in the Singapore Straits, as well as increased piracy activity in the Americas.