Each year people from around the world come to World Pork Expo (WPX) and ask the question: what new things will I find there? So I asked Dr. Howard Hill, National Pork Producer Council (NPPC) president, veterinarian and Iowa pork producer, that question and his answer: a lot. A few highlights he mentioned included all the press conferences and seminars …
Pork Urges Trade Deal Without Japan
Pending trade deals, particularly the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), will be among the topics on the plate – along with lots of barbequed pork! – at the World Pork Expo this week. Just last week, the National Pork Producers Council joined with dairy, wheat and rice organizations in calling on the Obama administration to conclude the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations …
Grassley and Ag Reject Japan’s TPP Offer
Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) took time between votes today to join with several agricultural organizations and voice strong opposition to Japan’s negotiating position in the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership to exclude a number of agricultural products as part of a final agreement. “Japan seems to believe that they’re entitled to keep five sacred agriculture products off the table,” said Grassley, who …
North American Meat Unhappy With Farm Bill
Members of the North American Meat Association (NAMA) here at the International Production and Processing Expo are disappointed to see that Congress is likely to pass a farm bill this week with no changes to the Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) law being challenged in the World Trade Organization by Mexico and Canada. “It needs to be fixed and Congress …
Farm Bill Could Draw Trade Retaliation
Livestock organizations and food associations are concerned that their members will face economic harm because the farm bill out of conference committee this week makes no changes to the U.S. Country of Origin Labeling law (COOL). Canada and Mexico filed a complaint over the law with the World Trade Organization, which is expected to rule on it next month. If …
Argentina’s Export Tariffs
During the IFAJ Congress, I was very surprised to learn that Argentina has export tariffs on a number of agricultural commodities, including corn and soybeans. I understand import tariffs, but export tariffs would seem to do nothing but hurt a country’s agricultural industry. “Argentina has export taxes on almost every product that we export, but in the case of grain …
Selling House Water Bill on Social Media
The chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is using social media to promote the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2013 (WRRDA) introduced last week by the committee. Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA) narrates a whiteboard-doodled YouTube video on why the legislation to improve our nation’s waterway infrastructure “matters to every American, the Nation’s economy, jobs, and our …
Farm Foundation Leads Talk on Trade
As the United States and the European Union open negotiations on trade, our friends at Farm Foundation will be hosting a forum on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). The session, next Wednesday, July 17th at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., will focus on food and ag issues, especially tariffs, tariff-rated quotas and non-tariff barriers across multiple …
Corn Growers Provide Trade Negotiation Advice
During a House Committee on Small Business hearing this week in Washington, National Corn Growers Association President Pam Johnson provided policy recommendations for the U.S. Trade Representative on growing export opportunities, particularly the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). “Agricultural producers succeed when industry and government work side-by-side,” NCGA President Pam Johnson said during …
China Approves Monsanto DroughtGard Hybrids
The drought tolerance trait in Monsanto’s Genuity® DroughtGard® hybrids recently received final import approval from China, a major market for U.S. corn grain and dried distillers grain solubles (DDGS). The approval was granted last week as part of a broader series of approvals and represents a significant step forward for technology approvals in China, according to Monsanto officials. “The import …