Looking ahead to the second and third quarter of 2017, Rabobank says pork export projections look favorable for the industry. Rabobank Research Food and Agribusiness analysts find that a stable market is ahead into the third quarter as increased U.S. pork production is being absorbed into Asian export markets. The report on National Hog Farmer Dot Com says the industry …
Commerce Department to End Mexican Sugar Dumping
The U.S. Department of Commerce announced it intends to end the antidumping and countervailing duty suspension agreements in place with Mexico over what it calls that country’s unfair trading practices. The department will impose duties on Mexican sugar imports beginning on June 5, unless the two countries can come to an agreement. Phillip Hayes, a spokesman for the American Sugar …
Dow/DuPont Merger Gets Conditional China Approval
Dow and DuPont announced this week they’ve been given conditional regulatory merger approval the Ministry of Commerce of China. The approval is conditionally based on the companies fulfilling commitments that were given to the Ministry regarding the deal. The conditions for approval are similar to commitments the companies already made to get approval from the European Union Commission. For example, …
Minnesota Court Delays Syngenta Lawsuit Hearing
The Associated Press reports that the first of literally tens of thousands of lawsuits against Syngenta has been delayed until July. The suits accuse the Swiss agribusiness company of introducing a genetically engineered corn variety before China had approved it for imports, thereby causing farmers economic harm. The case was supposed to go to trial last week in a Minnesota …
Renewal Sign-up Deadline for Expiring CSP Contracts is Friday
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) wants to remind landowners with existing Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) contracts that expire on December 31, the contract renewal sign-up deadline is this Friday, May 5. And even if you are not involved in CSP, NRCS Acting Chief Leonard Jordan, says they made several updates to the program last fall to help producers better evaluate …
NACD Applauds Appropriations Bill in Support of Conservation
Congress is expected to pass an appropriations bill this week that for the remainder of this fiscal year would provide strong support for many of the voluntary conservation programs that millions of landowners nationwide utilize to protect and improve America’s water quality, soil health, and wildlife habitat. “NACD is very pleased that House and Senate appropriators have finally reached an …
Organic Farmers Push for Welfare Standards Implementation
Organic dairy and livestock farmers are pushing for Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue to let animal welfare standards formed at the end of the Obama Administration to go into effect. Politico’s Morning Agriculture Report says the farmers argue that the long sought-after rules will give consumers what they want. The measure has long been supported by the USDA’s Organic Advisory Board …
TPP Nations Meet in Canada to Discuss Future of Pact
Bloomberg reports Canada is hosting what it calls an “exploratory” round of talks regarding the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Senior trade officials from the remaining countries in the pact are in talks this week in Toronto. The event is expected to be a stage-setter for an upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Vietnam. The article says this week’s trade talks are a …
Monsanto Terminates Sale of Precision Planting to John Deere
The U.S. Department of Justice announced this week that John Deere and Monsanto had terminated their attempted sale of Precision Planting, LLC., from Monsanto to John Deere. The department filed suit to block the sale on August 31, 2016, to block the acquisition. The reasoning behind the suit was the Justice Department felt the sale was a merger-to-monopoly in high-speed …
Ag Lender Survey: Farm Profitability Down, Commodity Prices Top Concern
ABA and Farmer Mac release first biannual survey of agricultural lenders Nearly 90 percent of agricultural lenders have seen an overall decline in farm profitability in the last 12 months, according to a joint survey by the American Bankers Association and the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (Farmer Mac; NYSE: AGM and AGM.A). The survey of more than 350 agricultural lenders …