On Tuesday, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration granted livestock haulers an additional 90-day waiver from a regulation that could have a negative effect on animal well-being. The National Pork Producers Council applauded the move. A Department of Transportation rule first issued in 2015 required all commercial truckers involved in interstate commerce to replace their paper driving logs with Electronic …
Key Farm Groups Like Co-op Tax Fix
The National Council of Farmer Cooperatives and the National Grain and Feed Association are both in favor of a legislative proposal that would fix an unintended consequence of the Republican tax overhaul. The changes to tax law give huge tax breaks to farmers who sell their goods to cooperatives over other types of businesses. Politico says congressional leaders want the …
Trump Wants China to Cut Trade Deficit by $100 Billion
The White House has asked China to come up with a plan that would cut $100 billion off the trade deficit it currently has with the U.S. An administration official says that would be a reduction of more than 25 percent from last year’s trade gap with China. Bloomberg says the U.S. trade shortfall in goods traded with China surged …
USDA Under Secretary Remains Optimistic on Trade Despite Tariffs
While U.S. agriculture braces for possible retaliation against American tariffs on steel and aluminum, a USDA Under Secretary remains optimistic about the future of trade. AgriMarketing Dot Com says the Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Affairs, Ted McKinney, was in Japan when the tariffs were announced. McKinney told reporters that while talking with Japanese leaders, there was absolutely no …
Study: RFS Impact on Refinery Profitability Minimal
Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley’s energy policy staff analyzed recent claims by opponents of the Renewable Fuels Standard, specifically as it relates to the bankruptcy of Philadelphia Energy Solutions. The company attributed its recent filing in part to the RFS. The analysis found that the biofuels blending requirement and the cost of the Renewable Identification Number credits both have little to …
Farmers for Free Trade Launching $500,000 Ad Campaign on Trade
Farmers for Free Trade is gearing up for a half-million-dollar ad campaign for a new television ad warning against the aggressive trade policies of President Trump. Farmers for Free Trade says those policies make agriculture a prime target against trade retaliation. The ad will highlight Montana grain and oilseed farmer Michelle Erickson-Jones. It’s scheduled to run on Fox and Friends, …
Barrasso Introduces Catch-all Farm Regulation Reduction Bill
Senator John Barrasso introduced a bill Tuesday that incorporates several measures designed to ease the regulatory burden on farmers and ranchers. Barrasso, a Wyoming Republican who chairs the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, says the bill “would help defend agricultural industries from punishing federal rules and reporting requirements,” according to Politico. Known as the ACRE Act, the legislation includes …
Study: Trump Tariffs to Cost an Estimated 24,000 Agriculture Jobs
A study by the Trade Partnership estimates that the Trump administration’s steel and aluminum tariffs will cost 495,000 jobs in the United States. That figure is up from a previous estimate of 179,000 jobs. Specific to agriculture, the report estimates that tariffs will cost 24,000 jobs. The job losses, according to the study, would impact the services, manufacturing and agricultural …
Study Finds Breakthrough in Glyphosate Resistance Research
Kansas State University researchers have discovered how weeds develop resistance to glyphosate, which researchers say could have broad future implications in agriculture. Researchers say they found how weeds have evolved resistance to glyphosate over a short period of time. The research shows resistance to glyphosate in Palmer amaranth “appears to have occurred very rapidly.” Researchers say glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth plants …
Farmers Seek Syngenta Lawsuit Settlement Approval
U.S. farmers in a class action lawsuit are seeking approval of a settlement agreement with Syngenta. Court records show the class action lawsuit is seeking court approval for a record $1.51 billion settlement with Syngenta. The lawsuit includes farmers, grain handlers and ethanol plants nationwide that sold corn after September 15, 2013. Reuters reports that lawyers for the plaintiffs said …