Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue talked on Wednesday about the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) negotiations, saying he’s “somewhat disappointed” with the pace of the talks. Politico’s Morning Ag Report says Perdue tried to offer hope to U.S. farmers by saying there’s a potential for serious agricultural discussions next week when Round Four gets underway. “Honestly, we’ve been somewhat …
RFA Thanks 38 Senators for Leadership
38 senators, led by Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), sent a letter to EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, urging him to implement a strong final 2018 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) rule that reflects Congressional intent to promote future biofuels growth. Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Bob Dinneen offered the following statement: “We applaud the leadership of these lawmakers, …
Secretary Perdue Statement on Ibach & Northey Senate Committee Hearing
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue commended Greg Ibach and Bill Northey, two nominees for key posts at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), for their joint appearance before the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. President Donald J. Trump nominated Ibach to serve as Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs (MRP) and selected Northey for Under Secretary …
National Beef Quality Audit Shows Continued Progress
The U.S. beef industry, of which dairy cows comprise a significant portion, continues to improve the quality of its management practices, according to the 2016 National Beef Quality Audit (NBQA) commissioned by the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program. BQA and the National Dairy FARM Program shared the results at a news conference at the 51st World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisc. …
Corn and Soybean Stocks Explored
Last week’s Grain Stocks report should reduce the ending stocks for both corn and soybeans this month. USDA’s quarterly grain stocks estimate suggests there are fewer bushels of corn and soybeans left over from last year than have been reported so far. University of Illinois Commodity Grain Markets Specialist Todd Hubbs says corn is off by 56 million bushels and …
Enhancing Entrepreneurship a Farm Bureau Focus
Building a strong rural America through entrepreneurship Dr. Lisa Benson, director of rural development at the American Farm Bureau Federation, described to the House Small Business Agriculture, Energy and Trade Subcommittee the organization’s focus on programs to enhance entrepreneurship. “Entrepreneurship can be a tool to sustain economic growth, create local jobs and improve the quality of life for rural Americans,” …
EU, Canada, Settle 21 Year Beef Fight
Canada and the European Union have settled a 21-year dispute of hormone-treated meat, according to Reuters. In a filing with the World Trade Organization this week, Canada and the EU announced the settlement of the dispute that began in 1996. Under the terms of the settlement, Canada gives up any right to retaliate over the decades-old complaint, which alleged the …
Two Groups Urge USDA to Finalize Farmer Fair Practices Rule
Two farm groups are urging the Department of Agriculture to finalize the Farmer Fair Practices rule under the Grain Inspection, Packers & Stockyards Administration. The U.S. Cattlemen’s Association and the National Farmers Union say the rule will go into effect in less than three weeks, barring any setbacks from USDA. The two groups say the rule would protect family farmers …
CME Analysis Warns of La Niña Risks
An analysis by CME Groups says the La Niña weather phenomenon may be coming back for real this time, after a head fake last year. La Niña is associated with cooler, wetter conditions along the U.S.-Canadian border, warmer, drier conditions in much of the southern United States, and impacts weather patterns worldwide. CME Group Senior Economist Erik Norland says past …
U.S. Ag Groups Want Intervention of GI Review
Farm and food groups want the Trump Administration to address a trade consideration between Mexico and Japan regarding geographical indications. Japan and Mexico are considering giving exclusive status to various European geographical food and drink names. In a letter to President Trump, the groups say that the European Union is currently negotiating with both nations on lists of protected geographical …