A DTN report says Congress may be close to replacing the Section 199A language in the new tax law that curbs the advantages of farmers who sell their products to cooperatives rather than private companies. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says a possible fix would give farmer cooperatives the same tax benefits they had under the old Section 199A, known as …
Mexico Buying More Brazilian Corn as NAFTA Negotiations Continue
Mexico purchased ten times more corn from Brazil last year than it had previously. Reuters says that’s due to the uncertainty regarding the potential outcome of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) negotiations. Mexican government data and top grain merchants all say they fear supply disruption from the U.S. if the White House ever followed through on its threat …
NCGA Responds to Cruz Speech on RFS
The following is a statement from North Dakota farmer Kevin Skunes, president of the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), in response to Senator Cruz’s remarks during the Philadelphia refinery (PES) town hall. “While most refiners are reporting double digit profit increases, Philadelphia Energy Solutions has filed for bankruptcy protection because its investors put their interests ahead of their workers’ interests. …
USDA Seeks Ideas to Help SNAP Participants Become Independent
The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced that it is looking for innovative ideas to promote work and self-sufficiency among able-bodied adults participating in the department’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The public is invited to provide input through a notice in the Federal Register. Comments can be submitted on the web through the Federal Register tomorrow. USDA intends to use …
USDA Opens New Office in Vietnam to Help Facilitate Increasing Agricultural Trade
The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently celebrated the opening of its new office in Hanoi, Vietnam. The office will play a vital role in helping expand the United States’ $2.5 billion-dollar agricultural export market in Vietnam. “Growing agricultural trade between the United States and Vietnam means new opportunities for American producers,” said Greg …
How Potential ADM, Bungee Merger Would Impact Farmers
The possible merger of ADM and Bungee could decrease marketing outlets for farmers as the companies would combine operations. Chad Hart of Iowa State University told DTN-The Progressive Farmer this week that, however, unlike mergers in the seed business, there still is a fair amount of competition in crop marketing. Hart says there are “plenty of marketing outlets” independent from …
Joint Ventures in Dairy Increasing
As the dairy industry evolves, companies across the U.S. are looking to capitalize on increasing milk production through international joint ventures. A new report from CoBank says that while the U.S. has heavily invested in milk production, Europe and other regions that faced production constraints focused their effort and investment on technology for the processing sector. And, in 2017, many …
Efforts to Move Northey Block Continues
Iowa Republicans took a strike at Senator Ted Cruz of Texas this week, saying his hold on the nomination of Iowa’s Bill Northey to the Department of Agriculture will harm his political standing. As Cruz continued his attack of the Renewable Fuel Standard Wednesday, speaking at Philadelphia Energy Solution’s so-called anti-ethanol rally, the Iowa Republican Party warned Cruz that continuing …
Republicans Deliver Letter to Congressional Leadership Calling on Section 199A Changes
A group of Republican lawmakers Wednesday sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan calling for changes to Section 199A in the tax code. The group of more than 80 lawmakers says the changes will restore the competitive balance in the agricultural marketplace. Led by Iowa Representative David Young, the group says the changes …
Plant-based Protein Eaters: It’s About Taste
New results from a research firm shows U.S. adults who eat plant-based proteins do so for taste above all other factors. Research firm Mintel reports 52 percent of adults surveyed say taste is the top reason for the choice, outranking diet concerns at ten percent, animal protection at 11 percent, the environment at 13 percent and even health at 39 …