President Donald Trump is once again threatening to tear up the North American Free Trade Agreement. USDA Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue spoke with the president this week about the merits of the trade deal. Bloomberg says Perdue is working to convince Trump that NAFTA has been a boon to agriculture. Perdue said the deal does have “rough edges” that could …
Dow-DuPont Merger Deal Closes
The Dow-DuPont merger closed Thursday. The deal was worth $150 billion and several spin-off companies could be formed soon. The Des Moines Register reports the first spinoff could be a combination of Pioneer and Dow AgroSciences. The reason that spinoffs could be formed soon is Dow and DuPont are under pressure from investors to create several smaller companies, now that …
Ag Groups Applaud Dairy MPP Exit Announcement
American Farm Bureau Federation The following statement may be attributed to Zippy Duvall, president, American Farm Bureau Federation: “The American Farm Bureau Federation is pleased by the announcement by the Agriculture Department to allow dairy farmers to exit the Margin Protection Program for dairy producers. Dairy farmers need access to effective risk management tools. Farm Bureau and our grassroots members …
Dairy Producers Can Enroll for 2018 Coverage
Secretary Allows Producers to Opt Out The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced that starting Sept. 1, 2017, dairy producers can enroll for 2018 coverage in the Margin Protection Program (MPP-Dairy). Secretary Sonny Perdue has utilized additional flexibility this year by providing dairy producers the option of opting out of the program for 2018. “Secretary Perdue …
RFA: Full Potential of Fuel Regulations Waiver Should Include Relaxing Additional Restrictions on Sale of E15
In a letter to EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, the Renewable Fuels Association thanked the agency for its Aug. 30 waiver in 12 states and the District of Columbia of certain fuel regulations due to the fuel supply emergency caused by Hurricane Harvey. The waiver, which relaxes the RVP requirement such that E15 (15% ethanol) may be sold immediately in conventional gasoline …
EPA Approves Emergency Fuel Waivers for Gulf and East Coast States
As a result of the continuing impacts of Gulf Coast-area refineries and disruption to the fuel distribution system caused by Hurricane Harvey, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt exercised EPA’s emergency fuel waiver authority to help ensure an adequate supply of fuel throughout the South, Southeast and the Mid-Atlantic. EPA has waived requirements for reformulated gasoline and low volatility gasoline through September 15 …
WOTUS May End Up in Court
President Trump’s effort to have his Environmental Protection Agency repeal the Obama EPA’s much-criticized ‘Waters of the U.S.’ rule, is likely to end up in court. But an American Farm Bureau official is hopeful the repeal will be upheld. When it comes to ‘WOTUS’ and the pending EPA rule to repeal it, AFB’s Don Parrish is sure of one thing…tape …
Officials from Mexico Visited Washington After NAFTA Threats
Two government officials from Mexico were in Washington D.C. earlier this week, following threats by President Donald Trump to terminate the North American Free Trade Agreement. While Canada and Mexico have both dismissed Trump’s threats as a negotiating tactic, two officials traveled to Washington on what the Mexican Government called a “pre-planned” trip. A source in the foreign ministry of …
Most U.S. Farmers Will Feel Impact from Hurricane Harvey
Hurricane Harvey stands to harm virtually all of U.S. agriculture, in some way. Many ports that ship agricultural commodities are in the path of the storm, from Texas to Louisiana, where the majority of corn and soybeans destined for other nations leave the United States. Texas produces high volumes of cotton, wheat, rice, and soy and is a large exporter …
USDA Forecasts Increase in Farm Income
The Department of Agriculture Wednesday predicted a slight increase in farm income for 2017, reversing three years of major decline. The August update of the farm income forecast predicts net cash farm income for 2017 at $100.4 billion, up $11.2 billion, or 12.6 percent, from 2016. Net farm income, a broader measure of profits, is forecasted at $63.4 billion, up …