The Colombian government increased its national blend mandate for ethanol to E10 as of the beginning of this month. Government officials in Colombia say sugar prices dropped considerably in early 2018, encouraging the production of ethanol, which led to the mandated increase. Colombia has a growing domestic ethanol industry, producing sugar-based ethanol. Additionally, U.S. ethanol enters Colombia duty-free per the …
House Committee Seeking Reauthorization of Animal Drug Legislation
Lawmakers are seeking to renew the Animal Drug User Fee Act and the Animal Generic Drug User Fee Amendments, set to expire later this year. Last week, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health discussed reauthorization of the regulations that expires September 30th. Both grant the Food and Drug Administration permission to collect fees from the makers of new …
EU, U.S., to Talk Tariff Exemption
The European Union and U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross are meeting in Washington, D.C. this week to consider a potential tariff exemption. The EU is exploring an exemption from President Donald Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs, according to Politico. The EU is seeking “more clarity” on the criteria on which such an exemption could be granted. U.S. Trade Representative Robert …
House Democrats Want to Review Farm Bill Draft
Democrats on the House Agriculture Committee have asked ranking member Collin Peterson to stop negotiating on the farm bill until Chairman Mike Conaway releases the bill to the full committee. Roll Call reports Peterson is heeding the request, and says the move “will give the members information about what is actually being proposed.” The proposed farm bill reportedly included many …
Renewal Options Offered for Expiring CSP Contracts
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) encourages agricultural producers with existing Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) contracts expiring on Dec. 31, 2018 to renew their contract. Participants with contracts expiring later this year can access the benefits of the recent program changes through an option to renew their CSP contracts for an additional five years if they agree to adopt additional …
National Ag Day Reminds Us of the Enormous Impact of Agriculture on Our Daily Lives
When most people walk into a grocery store, the shelves are stocked year-round with all the food they want, so they might not consider the origins of their food. Jack Payne, UF senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources, said it’s critical to know the origins of our food supply, and not just the sake of being aware. “As …
Georgia Peanut Commission Holds Referendum March 16-April 16
The Georgia Peanut Commission (GPC) will hold a referendum March 16 through April 16 giving peanut producers an opportunity to vote on reaffirming the commission. State law mandates that a referendum be held every three years. Georgia peanut producers invest $2 per ton to fund the commission and its research, education, promotion and communication programs. The last referendum in 2015 …
Justice Department Not Satisfied With Bayer/Monsanto Proposals
Bayer’s plan to get antitrust approval from the U.S. Justice Department hasn’t satisfied the expectations of U.S. officials. Two sources told Bloomberg that those officials are worried that the merger could hurt competition. The department feels the Bayer proposal to sell off assets doesn’t go far enough. The U.S. government wants Bayer to sell off more of its assets in …
South Korea Adopts New Poultry Import Policy
The South Korean Ministry of Agriculture has adopted a new regionalization policy that is good news for the U.S. poultry and egg industry. The new policy prevents a countrywide ban on U.S. exports to Korea in the event of a future finding of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza. Should a case be found in the future, only exports from each affected …
Senate Finance Committee Wants to Talk Trade, Tariffs
The Senate Finance Committee will hold a hearing next Thursday, March 22, regarding the Trump Administration’s trade policy. The Hagstrom Report says that U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer will be the lone witness at the proceedings. The committee chair, Republican Orrin Hatch of Utah, has been critical of President Donald Trump’s announced trade tariffs. Hatch says in a news release, …