As the American wheat harvest rolls along, the government forecast last week calls for growers to bring in 1.28 billion bushels of winter wheat. The latest projection is two percent higher than the previous month’s forecast, but it’s still 23 percent lower than 2016. The forecast based on July 1 conditions projects a 49.7 bushel per acre average. Hard red …
China Purchasing Near Record Number of U.S. Soybeans
A Chinese delegation signed contracts on Sunday to purchase a large amount of U.S. soybeans. The contract is for the purchase of 460 million bushels of U.S. soy worth more than $5 billion. It’s a large increase from the $1 billion contract signed a year ago at this time. The delegation of Chinese buyers represents 11 different companies. China has …
Ag Lenders Pessimistic About Farm Profits
Farmers are still feeling the pressure of a lagging farm economy. A joint survey from the American Bankers Association and the Federal Ag Mortgage Corporation confirms the pressure. Nearly 90 percent of ag lenders report an overall decline in farm profitability over the last year. 84 percent indicate there are higher levels of operating leverage as a result. The survey …
Farmers Worried about the Future of Health Care
It may not be front and center in agriculture like the farm bill discussion is, but farmers have a lot to worry about as Congress debates the future of health care. Politico’s Morning Ag Report says farmers have been struggling for some time with low commodity prices and a sharp drop in farm income. In turn, that’s led to a …
China Approves More GMO Crops
China’s Ministry of Agriculture announced it has approved two more genetically modified crops for import into the country. A Reuters article says it’s the second move in the past month to expand access to biotech seeds as a part of Beijing’s 100-day trade talks with Washington. The Ministry approved Syngenta’s 5307 insecticide-resistant corn sold under the Agrisure Duricade brand. It …
Agri View: Water Rights Problems
Everett Griner talks about the water rights issue getting tough in today’s Agri View. WOTUS. You may never have heard that word. That is W-O-T-U-S. That’s Waters of The United States. The program is backed by our Federal Government. It is a word that farmers know well. Just because there is a flowing stream, or a natural …
Conaway Applauds Trump Administration’s NAFTA Plan
House Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway (TX-11) applauded U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer’s newly-released NAFTA objectives detailing the administration’s plans to expand market opportunities and tighten enforcement of trade obligations to protect U.S. agriculture producers. Upon the release of the plan, Chairman Conaway made the following remarks: “As the administration looks to highlight American-made products this week, there …
USTR Releases NAFTA Negotiating Objectives
United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer today released a detailed and comprehensive summary of the negotiating objectives for the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Through the renegotiation of NAFTA, the Trump Administration will seek a much better agreement that reduces the U.S. trade deficit and is fair for all Americans by improving market access in Canada …
Chlorine Dioxide Pouches Can Make Produce Safer and Reduce Spoilage
A small plastic pouch, half the size of a credit card, could soon make the nation’s produce safer by killing off pathogens that make people sick. The pouch, developed with help from Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists, releases chlorine dioxide gas, which eliminates E. coli and other pathogens from the surfaces of fruits and vegetables. Worrell Water Technologies of Delray Beach, Florida, hopes …
Talk of Animal Disease Vaccine Bank
During the recent Farm Bill listening session held in Florida, support for a Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccine bank was discussed, and we are hearing more and more folks in the livestock industry echoing that very same message. According to a report from Stephanie Ho, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue says he also supports the idea of a vaccine bank, …