Cargill is investing in Memphis Meats Inc., a company that makes meat from self-reproducing animal cells. The investment is the first by a traditional meat company into the so-called “clean meat” sector, according to the Wall Street Journal. Neither company has disclosed the size of the investment, but Memphis Meats said Wednesday Cargill’s investment was part of $17 million in …
EU Starts In-Depth Look at Bayer-Monsanto Deal
A regulatory watchdog in the European Union is taking an in-depth look at the Bayer-Monsanto deal, a move that Bayer says the company expected. A news release by Bayer says the company had expected a further review of the proposed acquisition of Monsanto due to the size and scope of the transaction. Bayer believes that the proposed combination will be …
NFU Hires Steckel to Make Push for Biofuels
The National Farmers Union announced Anne Steckel will lead the organization’s push for biofuels. Steckel, the former vice president of federal affairs at the National Biodiesel Board, is principal and founder of Ardent Strategies, LLC. The National Farmers Union says the U.S. must implement federal-level policies that encourage expanded markets for biofuels and remove regulatory barriers that inhibit their growth. …
South Korea Says No to KORUS Talks
Government Officials in South Korea say the U.S. and Korea have not reached an agreement on possible revisions to the U.S.-Korea Trade Agreement, known as KORUS. A South Korea news agency reports that the nation’s top negotiator said there were differences between the U.S. and South Korea regarding the trade deal, but declined to elaborate. A meeting this week between …
Trump NAFTA Comments Worrisome to Agriculture
President Donald Trump told a crowd in Arizona earlier this week regarding the North American Free Trade Agreement talks that “I don’t think we can make a deal,” putting billions of dollars of agricultural exports in jeopardy. However, Reuters says Mexico and Canada dismissed Trump’s threat, describing it as a negotiating tactic designed to gain an advantage during the negotiation …
RFA, USGC, Growth Energy Statement On Brazil Decision To Impose U.S. Ethanol Import Tariff
Brazilian Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply Blairo Maggi tweeted that CAMEX, Brazil’s Chamber of Foreign Trade, has approved a recommendation to impose a 20 percent tariff on U.S. ethanol imports after a 600 million liter tariff rate quota. Local media are reporting this TRQ would be in place for the following two years, stymying access to a large and …
USDA Seeks Public Input on Updates to Animal Welfare Act Licensing Requirements
Announcement During Week of 51st Anniversary of Law Protecting Animals in Research & Exhibition Marking the 51st anniversary of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue asked for input from the public to help determine potential updates to the law’s licensing requirements. The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), …
Senator Seeks Money for Springs, St. Johns River
The chairman of the Senate Environmental Preservation and Conservation Committee filed a proposal this week that would funnel tens of millions of dollars to protecting natural springs and restoring the St. Johns River. Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, filed the proposal (SB 204) for consideration during the 2018 legislative session, which starts in January. Under the proposal, the state would …
New UF/IFAS Program Teaches Veterans About Agribusiness
After retiring from a 28-year-career in the U.S. Air Force, Mike Burrell thought about what he could pass down to the next generation. He considered starting his own small business and he looked into law school, but his post-9/11 GI Bill would not cover the latter. “With these things in mind, I was thinking about purchasing several acres of land …
United Soybean Board Announces Polly Ruhland as New CEO
After an intensive search by a farmer-led team, the United Soybean Board (USB) has named Polly Ruhland as the new chief executive officer (CEO) effective November 1, 2017. “Polly exceeded all of the attributes for what we as a board were looking for in a new CEO to lead us into the future,” says John Motter, USB chair and soybean …