Cuba’s newly opened relationship with the United States gives us access to an emerging market and provides new perspectives on it’s lands. The opportunities for new agriculture, technology and food concepts is something we can’t ignore. Alltech calls it a one-of-a-kind opportunity. I sat down with Dr. Jorge Arias, Global Aqua Director, Alltech, during ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference to …
Senate Ag Committee Urges T-TIP
The 13th round of Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-TIP) beings today in New York. In preparation for the new round of talks U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, along with 26 other Senators, set a letter to the U.S. Trade Representative, Michael Forman, to ask for a strong framework for …
Vilsack Traveling to Japan, Vietnam
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has made plans to attend the G7 Agriculture Ministers Meeting in Niigata, Japan. Following the meeting he will then travel to Vietnam to highlight the agricultural relationship between the two countries and point out the importance of the Trans-Pacific Partnership to the each as well. At the G7 meeting, Vilsack and other participating ministers will discuss …
NCC Disputes Results of Turkish Investigation
Turkey is the second largest export market for U.S. cotton, but now that is being threatened by what the National Cotton Council (NCC) maintains are false allegations. The government of Turkey has claimed the United States dumped cotton into the Turkish market, injuring their domestic prices. They have now released their final decision, based on their investigation of the incident. …
China’s Wheat Policies Hurt US Farmers
A 2014 study by DTB Associates revealed that China pays farmers more than $10 per bushel of wheat and subsidizes input costs as well. The U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) and the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) have demonstrated several times in the last few years how policies like this one are hurting wheat trade in the U.S. and other …
Corn Growers Focused on Expanding Trade
Remarks made by National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) President Chip Bowling at the U.S. Grains Council’s 13th International Marketing Conference this week emphasized the importance of trade to corn growers. “We have set an ambitious goal of building demand in the years ahead, and it’s a goal we cannot meet without looking outside our nation’s borders,” Bowling said. “Exports or …
USB Educates Growers on Global Markets
The United Soybean Board (USB) invites soybean farmers with a desire to take a look at their customers beyond the elevator and to learn more about the soy checkoff’s role in marketing U.S. soy, to take part in their See for Yourself program. Tina Holst, Chilston, Wisconsin soybean farmer, took advantage of this opportunity last year and I caught up …
China Opens DDGS Anti-Dumping Investigation
China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) has initiated, again, an anti-dumping countervailing duty investigations into U.S. produced distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) exported to the country. This is not the first time that China has been down this road. Back in 2011 China began an investigation into DDGs but then in 2012, they dropped it. Now, in 2015, they have …
Push for TPP Approval is On
President Obama met with agriculture and business leaders on Tuesday as the push to get Congress to approve the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) begins. “History of free trade agreements with reference to agriculture will tell us that agriculture is a winner every time,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in a press conference about the agreement. “TPP is going to be …
US Equipment Exports Decline by 16%
The first half of 2015 showed a drop of 16 % in the exports of U.S.-made agricultural equipment as compared to 2014. In total $4 billion were shipped to global markets. Exports to Europe dropped 31% and South America was down 30%. Markets in Asia grew by 19% and sales were up in Central America as well. The second quarter of …