President Donald Trump gathered farmers and ranchers and other stakeholders at the White House on Monday for the signing of the U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement. In his remarks prior to the signing, President Trump talked about the many agricultural commodities that will benefit from the new agreement.
Trade Factors in Future of Farming
Trade disputes, tariffs and negotiations are a significant factor when looking at the future of agriculture around the world. The Bayer Future of Farming Dialogue last week included a panel on trade featuring Iowa farmer and former president of the National Corn Growers Association Pam Johnson. Johnson says a free trade world is a necessity for agriculture. “Trade wars are …
Industry Reaction to Administration Biofuels Plan
Industry stakeholders reacted positively to the Trump Administration biofuels plan announced Friday, under which the Environmental Protection Agency will propose and request public comment on expanding biofuel requirements beginning in 2020 and on actions to ensure that more than 15 billion gallons of conventional ethanol be blended into the nation’s fuel supply, and that the volume obligation for biomass-based diesel …
EPA and USDA Announce Biofuels Agreement
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler and USDA Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue issued joint statements on an agreement promoting biofuels under the Renewable Fuel Standard. “President Trump’s leadership has led to an agreement that continues to promote domestic ethanol and biodiesel production, supporting our Nation’s farmers and providing greater energy security,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “Today’s agreement …
Sonny and Zippy Debut Podcasts
Fellow agricultural leaders from Georgia both introduced new podcasts this week. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue introduced “The Sonnyside of the Farm,” a monthly podcast with new editions every first Friday of the month. Born and raised on a family farm in middle Georgia, Secretary Perdue is an agriculturalist through and through – having worked as a veterinarian, owning his …
Farmers and Ethanol Producers Need Relief Now
Ethanol producers and corn farmers held a telephone press conference Wednesday to spotlight recent research on the impacts of ethanol plant closings, a new survey on voter attitudes about ethanol, and a potential White House agreement to promote further renewable fuels use. The main message from Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper, new National Corn Growers Association President …
Bayer Maintains Strong R&D Commitment to Agriculture
A year after its acquisition of Monsanto, Bayer remains more committed than ever before to investments in new data science and technologies for food production. “We are very proud of our leading R&D pipeline with 75 projects in seed & traits, crop protection and Digital Ag pipelines,” said Bob Reiter, Head of Research and Development for the Crop Science Division. …
New Pig Farmer of the Year is From Pennsylvania
America’s Pig Farmer of the Year for 2019-2020 is Chris Hoffman from McAlisterville, Pennsylvania. The award recognizes the pig farmers who exemplify industry leadership, a demonstrated focus in raising pigs following the We Care ethical principles and a commitment to connecting consumers with the farmers who raise the pork they consume. Hoffman was named America’s Pig Farmer of the Year …
USDA Urged to Establish Foot and Mouth Vaccine Bank
Representatives of the National Pork Producers Council, the National Milk Producers Federation, the National Corn Growers Association and Iowa State University are urging U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to move quickly to establish a Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccine bank. At a press conference Tuesday, the groups recognized steps USDA has already taken to establish the bank, but called for “expedient …
Bayer Committed to More Sustainable Food System
Farmers, industry experts, journalists and other stakeholders are in Monheim, Germany this week for the Bayer 2019 Future of Farming Dialogue to engage in a collaborative discussion on the future of agriculture. “Agriculture needs to feed a growing world without starving the planet”, said Liam Condon, member of the Bayer Board of Management and president of the Crop Science Division. …