The American Soybean Association is back in Washington, D.C., just weeks after their July Board of Directors meeting. Grower leaders are meeting with officials at the Department of Agriculture and with lawmakers to talk over options for offsetting the long-term damage from China’s retaliatory tariff on American soybeans. John Heisdorffer, ASA President, says they know that President Trump is aware …
American Soybean Association Joins Farmers for Free Trade
The American Soybean Association this week announced it will join Farmers for Free Trade. Representing soybean farmers across the nation, ASA is joining the bipartisan campaign self-described as “amplifying the voices of American farmers, ranchers and agricultural businesses that support free trade.” ASA CEO Ryan Findlay says agriculture needs “strong like-minded allies” in advocating for new trade agreements and expanding …
Plant-Based Foods Retail Sector Growing
Retail sales of plant-based foods jumped 20 percent over the past year. The Plant-Based Foods Association says new data shows sales of plant-based foods topped $3.3 billion, with milk alternatives generating $1.5 billion of total plant-based sales. Other dairy alternatives, such as plant-based products imitating yogurt, cheeses and ice cream, accounted for $727 million in sales, up 19.8 percent from …
EU Insists Agriculture Not a Part of Trade Truce with Trump
The European Union (EU) says that the proposed trade talks with the United States wouldn’t include farming. The website Business Times Dot Com says this directly contradicts what President Donald Trump says. An EU Commission spokeswoman says they’ve been very clear on that fact. The spokeswoman adds that agriculture is not part of it, only the things that were specifically …
European Union Agrees to Buy More U.S. Soybeans
President Donald Trump and European Union leaders announced they’ve agreed to work toward “zero tariffs” and “zero subsidies” on a wide range of non-automobile goods. The sides will also work to resolve U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum which are hitting the European markets hard. In a news conference on Wednesday, the President said the EU has agreed to buy …
Agri View: Imported Invasive Disease Problems
Everett Griner talks about invasive disease problems, which have been imported through natural causes, for farmers in today’s Agri View. Imported Invasive Disease Problems I mentioned several times, once just recently, about farm losses from hurricanes or tornadoes that get little public attention. These weather disasters can cause other losses, or problems, for farmers that are seldom made public. For …
PETA Says Vegan Diet Can Boost Soybean Prices
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is placing a new billboard in Des Moines, Iowa, encouraging people to eat tofu. They say soybean farmers want people to go vegan and support the growers through a trade dispute with China. However, the Iowa Soybean Growers Association is quick to point out that it isn’t asking consumers to give up …
U.S.-China Dispute Harming Canadian Soybean Growers
Soybean farmers in Canada are feeling the impact of the U.S.-China trade war as soybean prices decline. CNBC reports that while Canadian soybean farmers could see an increased market share from importing nations, experts say the current soybean market plays a much more significant role. Since April, soybean futures have dropped nearly 20 percent in the United States, and Canadian …
USDA Increases Corn, Soybean Production Forecast
The Department of Agriculture Thursday upped its predictions for larger corn and soybean crops this year. The USDA World Agriculture Supply and Demand Report predicts corn production at 14.2 billion bushels and soybeans increasing to 4.3 billion bushels. The 2018/19 U.S. corn outlook includes larger supplies, greater feed and residual use, increased exports, and lower ending stocks. Increased 2017/18 exports …
China Quickly Retaliating Against U.S.
Following implementation day of President Trump’s tariffs on China, the nation responded quickly to retaliate with previously threatened penalties on U.S. pork, beef, soybeans and automobiles. Meat industry publication Meatingplace reports China says Trump has “violated World Trade Organization rules and launched the largest trade war in economic history to date.” The first wave of tariffs was imposed Friday, which …