Top policy priorities for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) in 2020 are focused on implementing and protecting regulatory and trade gains made in 2019, while further advancing progress into new territory. This year’s priorities include an emphasis on climate policy and policy such as the proposed Green New Deal. NCBA plans to “Continue to push back against misguided climate …
#CattleCon20 Kicking Off
Meetings have been underway for two days already in San Antonio as cattle industry representatives have been gathering for the 2020 Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show this week. But today is the day it officially gets underway with the opening general session and trade show welcome reception this afternoon. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association president Jennifer Houston of Tennessee …
USDA Trains Dogs to Hunt Citrus Greening
Dogs specially trained by Agriculture Research Service (ARS) scientists have proven to be the most efficient way to detect huanglongbing, better known as citrus greening. Currently, the only solid hope of curtailing the spread of citrus greening is to eliminate trees with the disease as quickly as possible to prevent further spread. Early detection of the citrus greening pathogen is …
Trump, Ethanol and Cows
President Donald Trump rallied his base in Iowa last night, as many of his rivals for the presidency remain stuck in Washington D.C. on the impeachment trial in the Senate only days before the Iowa caucus. The president touted his recent trade accomplishments and how they will help farmers, and he repeated his frequent refrain about getting “the ethanol” for …
Ethanol and Corn Back on Crappie Masters Tournament Trail
The Renewable Fuels Association and the National Corn Growers Association have signed on for the fourth year as co-title sponsors of the Crappie Masters Tournament Trail. The first tournament begins Friday, Jan. 31 at St. Johns River in Deland, Fla. This year, the competition is bigger than ever and includes state-level tournament trails in Oklahoma, Kentucky, Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Florida, …
President Trump Signs USMCA
President Donald J. Trump today signed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), replacing the outdated North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), with improved access to both markets for U.S. farmers and ranchers. “This agreement is a tremendous breakthrough for American agriculture,” said President Trump in remarks before signing the agreement. “Poultry exports to Canada are expected to rise 50 percent and …
AgWorks + FieldReveal Delivers Decision Support Software
The recently announced partnership between AgWorks and FieldReveal is focused on delivering world-class zone-based variable rate and decision support software to retailers throughout North America. AgWorks has invested decades developing a decision support system that creates real value for both the grower and retailer through their award-winning HighQ® product. This product has been utilized on over 5 million acres and …
Secretary Perdue Press Call from Rome
Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has been traveling Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy this week to engage with his counterparts on important issues facing agriculture at home and abroad. The Secretary, along with Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Ted McKinney has been participating in events with government officials and agricultural leaders. As President Trump was preparing to …
New Biodiesel Board Chair Optimistic for 2020
Renewable Energy Group (REG) CFO Chad Stone was recently elected as the new chairman for the National Biodiesel Board and last week he addressed the membership at the National Biodiesel Conference in Tampa. While 2019 was a disastrous year for the industry, which saw REG having to shut down a plant, Stone is very optimistic about biodiesel going forward. “For …
Plasma Blue Debuts at Biodiesel Conference
A novel process using electricity and liquid plasma to induce the transesterification process needed to produce biodiesel is generating a lot of interest at the National Biodiesel Conference this week in Tampa. The Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council saw the potential for the technology, developed by scientists at the University of Minnesota, which could produce six gallons of biodiesel …