Bayer/Monsanto Merger Clears All Hurdles

It has taken months of divesting, negotiating and waiting, but Bayer and Monsanto will complete their merger. An agweb.com article notes German-based Bayer can now officially begin integrating Monsanto after Bayer divested itself of certain Crop Science businesses in a sale to BASF. The name Monsanto is expected to officially disappear in the future. However, familiar brand names like Dekalb, …

Ag Lenders Worried About Farmers

Depressed commodity prices, poor weather, and trade war ramifications aren’t just worrying for the nation’s farmers. The second quarter Agriculture Credit Conditions Survey from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis says ag bankers are worried as well. The report, which covers April through June, says farm income, spending on capital equipment, and household purchases all decreased. Nearly half of the …

Growth Energy Comments on Proposed 2019 RVO Targets

Growth Energy submitted comments to the Environmental Protection Agency on the last day of the comment period on the agency’s proposed 2019 renewable volume obligation (RVO) targets. Growth Energy is asking the EPA to make the proposed numbers real by accounting for lost gallons which were caused by small refinery exemptions and reallocating those gallons to other refineries to fulfill …

Trump: “Farmers Are Doing Well”

President Trump spoke recently during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, saying farmers are starting to prosper. However, a Bloomberg article says the numbers tell a different story. “I hear they’re starting to do well in spite of everything,” the President said during comments from the meeting. “They’re selling corn, they’re selling soybeans, they’re selling everything, at levels that …

Agri View: Cattlemen COOL Legal Battle

Everett Griner talks about why the cattlemen are fighting the COOL legal battle. Everett explains why they lost this round in the courts in today’s Agri View. Cattlemen COOL Legal Battle Violation of the the Country of Origin Label (COOL) has cost producers in one location of the country a lot of money. One section is the only location they …

Continued Abuse of Small Refiner Waivers Renders Proposed 2019 RFS Volumes ‘Meaningless,’ RFA Tells EPA

In comments submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on its proposed 2019 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) renewable volume obligations (RVOs), the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) said it is “greatly concerned that continued abuse of small refinery exemptions will render the proposed volumes meaningless.” RFA urged the agency to account for small refinery exemptions prospectively when it calculates the RVO percentage, as …

Peanut Caucus Calls for Action

Co-Chairs of the House Peanut Caucus, Congressman Sanford Bishop, Jr. of Georgia (GA-02) and Congresswoman Martha Roby of Alabama (AL-02), sent a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue this week urging the USDA to respond to recent negative trade actions by China that threaten the U.S. peanut industry. Tyron Spearman has the details. Peanut Caucus Calls for Action The …