Since May is World Trade Month, you would think it would be a great time for Congress to pass those pesky pending Free Trade Agreements with Korea, Colombia and Panama that have been awaiting approval for years. Several of the nation’s largest agricultural organizations who testified before the House Agriculture Committee this week on why it is so important to …
Agriculture Excited About Colombia Free Trade News
It’s taken over four years to get to this point, but some action is finally happening on the Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement (TPA) and U.S. agriculture interests are thrilled. President Obama announced today that an agreement has been reached on the deal that was signed by the U.S. Trade Representative and the Colombian trade minister on Nov. 22, 2006. The …
Republican Budget Would Cut Farm Spending
The FY 2012 Budget Resolution unveiled by House Budget Committee Chair Paul Ryan (R-Wis) includes reforming current farm programs. The Republican budget plan would cut farm program spending by $30 billion over the next decade to “reflect the economic reality of record-high farm income by restructuring farm programs, saving taxpayers money and increasing farmer independence.” Net farm income this year …
Farmers’ Share of Food Dollar
I have been meaning to do a post on the recent report from USDA’s Economic Research Service about the farmers’ share of the food dollar, but I just can’t top the simplicity of a post that NCGA’s Ken Colombini did on Corn Commentary, which he titled “The 88% Solution.” It just says it all. The USDA now tells us that …
A Record-Setting Commodity Classic
The 2011 Commodity Classic is one for the record books. Attendance at the annual meeting of corn, soybean, wheat and sorghum growers shattered previous records. Total attendance was more than 4826, breaking the previous record at Nashville three years ago by almost 300. Total number of growers was over 1600, compared to the previous record of 1513 in 2009 in …
Classic Commodity Group Unity
We’re talking commodity group unity here at Commodity Classic. Here’s the leaders of each of the participating groups, Bart Schott, NCGA, Alan Kemper, ASA, Gerald Simonsen, NAWG and Jerry McReynolds, NSP. Emceeing this morning’s general session once again was Mark Mayfield. He asked them each to answer the question, “What are you doing to enhance public trust and what efforts …
BASF Announces NCGA and ASA Scholarships
Along with the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA)and the American Soybean Association (ASA), BASF Crop Protection announced the winners of six scholarships during the 2011 Commodity Classic on Thursday in Tampa. This is the fourth year for both scholarship programs. “BASF is dedicated to providing the next generation of agricultural industry leaders with resources to further their education and advance …
Trade Top Issue for Corn and Soybean Leaders
The issue at the top of the list for the farmer leaders of the American Soybean Association (ASA) and the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) is trade. “In the last marketing year, over 60% of the soybeans in the U.S. were exported, compared to 55% just a year ago,” said ASA president Alan Kemper of Indiana during a press conference …
Secretary Tom Vilsack, Chairman Frank Lucas to Speak at Commodity Classic
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack is returning to the Commodity Classic and will be joined this year by U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture Chairman Frank Lucas. The two will deliver keynote addresses during the General Session on March 4th in Tampa, Florida. “We are honored to welcome two of the most respected and influential men in Washington on agriculture …
NCGA to Feature IRM Calculator at Commodity Classic
Hard to believe that Commodity Classic is just around the corner now, but it is – and, thankfully, so is spring! As spring approaches, growers must again consider refuge requirement compliance. The National Corn Growers Association, along with agribusiness partners, offers the Insect Resistance Management Refuge Calculator as a tool to help farmers determine how to comply with varying and …