Plant managers, general managers, and CEOs from 150 biofuel production facilities, including nearly every Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) producer member, sent a letter to President Trump today, urging him to continue to “stand strong in defense of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).” President Trump met last week with ethanol and oil industry stakeholders, including RFA members, to discuss the RFS …
Scott, Cabinet Approve Conserving Former Mission Site
Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Cabinet agreed Wednesday to spend $660,060 to conserve 772 acres of ranchland in Madison County that four centuries ago included a Spanish mission. The Cabinet vote came without comment. The deal, which involves purchasing a “conservation easement,” would allow the Koblegard family to continue operating a cow and calf ranch on land it has …
Georgia PB&J Day set for Monday at State Capitol
The Georgia peanut industry joins together to celebrate National Peanut Month in March and donate peanut butter to the Atlanta Community Food Bank The Georgia peanut industry plans to celebrate by hosting the 2018 Georgia PB&J Day at the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta, Georgia, and donating 10,080 jars of peanut butter to the Atlanta Community Food Bank. The event …
Former Ag Secretary to Run for Senate Seat
Former Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy intends to run for the Senate seat currently held by the soon retiring Republican Thad Cochran of Mississippi. 80-year-old Cochran will retire April first, saying in a statement that his health has “become an ongoing challenge.” Espy, a Democrat who was the first Agriculture Secretary in the Clinton administration, intends to run for the Senate …
Trump Tells Canada he wants “Fair” NAFTA Deal
President Donald Trump told Canada he wants a fair North American Free Trade Agreement. Speaking over the phone earlier this week to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Trump said he supported an agreement that is “fair to all three countries,” adding that the current deal leaves the U.S. with a trade deficit, according to Politico. The conversation came shortly after …
AEM’s Slater: Trump Tariffs Won’t Help U.S. Manufacturers ‘Win’ Again
AEM worked to discourage President Trump from imposing heavy tariffs on steel and aluminum imports after the president said he intended to do just that this week. AEM is assessing the impact of Trump’s announcement last week that he would impose 25 percent import tariffs on steel and 10 percent import tariffs on aluminum. “President Trump shouldn’t undercut his own …
Ag Producer Sentiment Improves; but Uncertainty about the Future of NAFTA Looms
The Purdue/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer moved higher again in February. At 140 points, producer sentiment, which is based on monthly survey of 400 agricultural producers from across the country, reached its second-highest level in more than two years of data collection. Sentiment is also higher for the second-consecutive month, providing a strong 14-point boost to the index compared to …
New Study: RIN Price Cap for E15 RVP Waiver “Deal” Would Cut Ethanol Consumption and Trounce Corn Prices
Any action to artificially cap Renewable Identification Number (RIN) prices in exchange for an RVP waiver allowing year-round sale of E15 would be bad deal for rural America and the nation’s consumers, according to a new economic analysis released Tuesday. Such a tradeoff would result in reduced ethanol consumption, a drop in corn prices, and an effective cut of 5% …
UF to Host Seminar on Farm Safety on March 16
A leading researcher in farmworker safety will keynote a seminar hosted by the Southeastern Coastal Center for Agricultural Health and Safety at the University of Florida. The seminar will be held on March 16. Linda McCauley, dean and professor at the Emory University Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, will speak about the evolution of academic/community partnerships between Emory University …
Cool-Season Forages Field Days in Florida
A couple of winter forage field days are coming up this week in Florida. The first one will be held Thursday, March 8 at the University of Florida Dairy Unit in Gainesville starting at 10:00 am. There next one will be held Friday, March 9 at the White Oak Dairy in Lafayette County, and Shenandoah Dairy in Suwannee County starting at …