Two leading advocates for normalizing trade with Cuba announced the release of a new white paper, Opportunities for U.S. Agriculture in Cuba: A White Paper, that examines how 16 farm states could benefit if the U.S. repeals longstanding restrictions on food sales to the island nation. The paper was produced by Cuba Trade Magazine and the U.S. Agriculture Coalition for …
Trade Tops Priority List for Beef Sector
A fourth-generation rancher on the central coast of California, Kevin Kester is president-elect for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA). I was able to catch up with him during the National Association of Farm Broadcasting’s annual event to learn about NCBA’s top priorities going into 2018. As you can guess trade will top their list. Kester is on Secretary of …
Trade, Farm Bill & Taxes…Oh My!
Missouri Farm Bureau President Blake Hurst represented the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) at last week’s NAFB Trade Talk. As you can guess, trade, 2018 farm bill and tax reform were key issues we discussed. When it comes to NAFTA renegotiations, Hurst said, “U.S. agriculture can see some benefits from this renegotiation. We can see changes to phytosanitary rules. We …
NCGA Fighting For NAFTA
The National Corn Growers Association is making it clear that free trade with Mexico is a top priority for its members. NCGA First Vice President Lynn Chrisp said Mexico buys $2.5 billion worth of corn from U.S. farmers each year, making it the number one export market for that product. NCGA is one of 168 companies and trade associations from …
Howard Buffett Discusses World Ag Issues at NAFB
The National Association of Farm Broadcasting welcomed Howard G. Buffett to the 2017 NAFB Convention in Kansas City on Thursday. In addition to being Chairman and CEO of the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, Buffett also owns farms in Illinois and Nebraska and oversees ranches in Arizona and a farm in Texas. Buffett participated in a question and answer session moderated …
Secretary Perdue in Europe
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has been on a whirlwind trip around Europe for the past several days, starting with meetings in London before participating in the G-7 ministerial, taking part in World Food Day in Rome and meeting Pope Francis yesterday, and concluding his trip today in Madrid. “It’s been a very productive trip,” said Perdue during a …
AFBF Endorses Farmers for Free Trade
American Farm Bureau Federation Zippy Duvall took part in a press conference this week to support Farmers for Free Trade, a bipartisan campaign to rebuild support for trade at the grassroots level. Farmers for Free Trade, led by former Senators Max Baucus and Richard Lugar, is a bipartisan, non-profit organization that informs, mobilizes and amplifies the voice of U.S. farmers …
USDA Trade Mission Heading to Brazil
A USDA Foreign Agriculture Service trade mission to São Paulo and Recife, Brazil, is underway this week with leaders from 24 U.S. agribusinesses and trade organizations looking to expand their agricultural exports and further develop their business relationships in Brazil. “Brazil holds significant untapped market potential for U.S. exporters,” said Mark Slupek, deputy administrator of the Office of Trade Programs …
CREAATE Act Would Promote Ag Exports
U.S. Senators Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Angus King (I-Maine), Joe Donnelly (D-IN), and Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced bipartisan legislation this week that would increase funding to USDA’s export promotion programs. The Cultivating Revitalization by Expanding American Agricultural Trade and Exports (CREAATE) Act would double funding for two of the USDA’s most successful programs, the Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market …
Iowa Makes $2.8B Grain Deal with Taiwan
A trade team from Taiwan visited Iowa last week and signed letters of intent to purchase $2.8 billion worth of U.S. grains over the next two years. The deal includes corn, soybeans, wheat, and the ethanol co-product distillers dried grain with solubles (DDGS). Iowa Corn Promotion Board (ICPB) Director Mark Heckman signed the letter of intent between ICPB and the …