Agribusiness Update for Thursday 3/13

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says new farm bill, which President Obama signs Friday, will allow new assistance to livestock producers hurting from California drought -

US Senate Agriculture Committee says it will consider 3 presidential nominations to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission on March 6

President Barack Obama will direct the Labor Department to strengthen overtime pay protections for millions of workers, a White House official said. The directive is meant to help salaried workers, such as fast-food shift supervisors or convenience store managers, who may be expected to work more than 40 hours a week without receiving overtime pay.

Europe Makes a Stink about American Cheese Names

As part of trade talks, the EU wants to ban the use of names like Parmesan, feta and Gorgonzola on cheese made in the U.S.