Washington DC -July 27- Consumer Confidence, which fell sharply in June, fell again in July, according to The Conference Board report released today from New York City.

To read the report, CLICK HERE

Madison, Wisconsin -June 25- The Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) held a joint public workshop in Madison, Wis., to explore the appropriate role for antitrust and regulatory enforcement in the dairy industry.

To read more, CLICK HERE

Washington DC -June 25- Real gross domestic product (GDP) grew at an annual rate of 2.7% in the first quarter of 2010, following an increase of 5.6% in the fourth quarter of 2009, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.

To read more CLICK HERE

Washington DC -June 23- New orders for manufactured durable goods in May decreased $2.2 billion or 1.1 percent to $192.0 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced today. This decrease followed five consecutive monthly increases including a 3.0 percent April increase. Excluding transportation, new orders increased 0.9 percent. Excluding defense, new orders decreased 1.1 percent.

To read more, CLICK HERE

Washington DC -June 23- New home sales in the U.S. dropped over 30 percent in May, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Commerce.

To read more, CLICK HERE

Washington DC -June 22- Against a backdrop of the largest petroleum-related environmental disaster ever, the American Farm Bureau Federation is dismayed that the Environmental Protection Agency is again delaying a decision to boost the percentage of ethanol that can be blended into the domestic gasoline supply.

To read more, CLICK HERE

Washington DC -June 22-Existing-home sales remained at elevated levels in May on buyer response to the tax credit, characterized by stabilizing home prices and historically low mortgage interest rates, according to the National Association of Realtors®. Gains in the West and South were offset by a decline in the Northeast; the Midwest was steady.

To read more, CLICK HERE

Washington DC -June 21- The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Justice have announced the agenda and panelists for the June 25 workshop examining competition in the dairy industry.

To read more, CLICK HERE

Washington DC -June 21- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury today introduced a monthly scorecard on the nation’s housing market.  Each month, the scorecard will incorporate key housing market indicators and highlight the impact of the Administration’s unprecedented housing recovery efforts, including assistance to homeowners through the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP).

To read more, CLICK HERE

Washington DC -June 17- The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the United States increased 0.4 percent in May, following no change in April, and a 1.4 percent rise in March.

To read more, CLICK HERE

Washington DC -June 17- Initial claims for unemployment compensation last week were 472,000, an increase of 12,000 from the previous week’s revised figure of 460,000.  Nationwide, the 4-week moving average was 463,500, a decrease of 500 from the previous week’s revised average of 464,000, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Labor.

To read more, CLICK HERE

Washington DC -June 17- The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) declined 0.2  percent in May on a seasonally adjusted basis, the U.S. Bureau of  Labor Statistics reported today.  The index for all items less food and energy increased 0.1 percent in May, posting a monthly increase for only the second time this year.

To read more, CLICK HERE

Washington DC -June 16- Privately-owned housing starts in May were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 593,000. This is 10.0 percent (±10.3%) below the revised April estimate of 659,000, but is 7.8 percent (±9.7%)above the May 2009 rate of 550,000, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.

To read more, CLICK HERE

Washington DC -June 16- The Producer Price Index for Finished Goods moved down 0.3 percent in May, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics at the Department of Labor.

To read more, CLICK HERE

Washington DC -June 16- U.S. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee Chairman Blanche Lincoln, (D-Ark.), and Ranking Member Saxby Chambliss, (R-Ga.), have sent a letter to Richard A. Lidinsky, Jr., Chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission, expressing concern with reports that U.S. agricultural exporters are experiencing serious service issues with the foreign-flagged ocean carrier industry.

To read more, CLICK HERE