Union Pacific CEO Lance Fritz says trade disruptions are threatening to undermine an otherwise robust economy. The rail company, headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, told the Omaha World-Herald that the current trade disruption: “Affects the 7,300 communities Union Pacific serves.” Specifically, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) renegotiation effort is harming U.S. railways. About 40 percent of Union Pacific traffic …
U.S. Pork Calls for Level Playing Field on Regulatory Issues
The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) says pork producers now face a “regulatory land grab” by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Bearing the brunt of global trade retaliation, NPPC called on the Department of Agriculture to assert its “proper oversight” of two emerging issues: laboratory-produced cultured protein and gene editing in livestock production. The comments came after the …
Nutrien to Acquire Agrible
Nutrien announced recently that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Agrible for $63-million. Agrible is a digital agriculture company that offers a broad set of agronomic and on-farm advisory tools, data science capabilities and predictive analytics that connects growers with agricultural, food and consumer products companies to “measure, benchmark and empower sustainable crop production.” Agrible’s platform is currently …
New Test Can Determine Nitrogen Levels in Soil
Nitrogen is the main nutrient added to cereal crops like corn, which makes them grow faster and stronger. But too much of a good thing could sometimes have negative outcomes. Too much nitrogen can run off with rainwater or leach through to soil and contaminate groundwater. Now, a simple, rapid and reliable test can determine the nitrogen amount in soil. …
USDA Partners to Improve Rural Water Infrastructure
Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $267 million in 103 infrastructure projects (PDF, 298 KB) to upgrade water and wastewater systems in rural communities. “Robust, modern infrastructure is foundational for quality of life and economic opportunity – no matter what zip code you live in,” Hazlett said. “Under Secretary …
WHIP Signup Officially Open
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced that agricultural producers affected by hurricanes and wildfires in 2017 now may apply for assistance to help recover and rebuild their farming operations. Signup begins July 16, 2018, and continues through November 16, 2018. “Hurricanes and wildfires caused billions of dollars in losses to America’s farmers last year. Our objective is to get relief funds …
Pre-Conference Committee Farm Bill Discussions Get Heated in House
The U.S. House could take a step forward on moving farm bill talks ahead by voting to send the bill to conference. However, Politico says Thursday was the latest indicator that the bad blood between House Ag leaders is one of the many issues that need to be fixed. House Ag Chair Mike Conaway and Ranking Member Collin Peterson met …
Chinese Trade Surplus with U.S. Hits High Amid Tariff Concerns
The Chinese trade surplus with the United States hit a record number in June as its exports grew at a solid pace, something that could possibly make a trade dispute with Washington, D.C., that much worse. A Nasdaq.com article points out that it could be a “one-off” as Chinese exporters were rushing to get shipments out before tariffs went into …
McKinney to Lead Trade Mission to Southeast Asia
USDA Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Ted McKinney will lead a trade mission to Southeast Asia July 16-19. He’ll be joined by U.S. business and state government leaders who are seeking to expand agricultural opportunities in Southeast Asia. The trade mission will be based in Jakarta, Indonesia, but will also include delegations of buyers from Malaysia and …
NCBA Comments on “Fake Meat” Oversight
Danielle Beck, director of government affairs for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) advocated for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to oversee lab-grown fake-meat products. She spoke during a meeting hosted by the Food and Drug Administration. The goal of the meeting was to give interested parties and the public a chance to comment on the technology and regulations …