All Ag All Day Reports From DC

Cindy Zimmerman

Thanks to COVID, there have been few opportunities for in-person visits on Capitol Hill but farm broadcaster Tony Ricketts spent all last week on the 4th Annual All Ag, All Day DC Capitol Ag Tour. Ricketts met with members of Congress, including the House Ag Committee, and agricultural industry leaders to discuss important topics such as trade, infrastructure, broadband, and …

Audio, Media, NCGA, Trade, USGC, Wheat

Branstad Coming Home from China

Cindy Zimmerman

U.S. Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China Terry Branstad will retire from his position as U.S. envoy and depart Beijing in early October. During his tenure as ambassador, which began in June 2017, the former Iowa governor traveled to 26 provinces and autonomous regions in China, and would have visited all of them if COVID-19 had not limited his …

Audio, Trade

International Trade Issues at #BeefMeet Summer Meeting

Chuck Zimmerman

The 2020 Cattle Industry Summer Business Meeting is taking place in Denver, CO. Committees will be meeting to provide direction for the organizations that participate which include the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion & Research Board, American National CattleWomen, Inc. and the National Cattlemen’s Foundation. We have created a virtual ag newsroom on AgNewsWire to provide a resource …

Audio, Beef, NCBA, Trade

USMCA Implementation Celebration Roundtable

Cindy Zimmerman

To celebrate the July 1 implementation of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson and U.S. Senator Joni Ernst held a virtual roundtable Tuesday to discuss the importance of USMCA to farmers, rural communities and ag exports. The roundtable was hosted by Farmers for Free Trade, which showed support for USMCA with an 11 state, 4,300 mile …

Audio, Exports, Trade

ASA Focused on Trade

Carrie Muehling

The American Soybean Association (ASA) is one of the groups who holds its annual meeting during the Commodity Classic each year. It’s an opportunity to set goals and work through the resolution process for the year ahead, according to Minnesota farmer Bill Gordon, who currently serves as the organization’s president. Gordon said the association’s number one priority right now is …

ASA, Audio, Commodity Classic, Trade

Northern Commodity Transportation Conference to Debut

Cindy Zimmerman

The inaugural Northern Commodity Transportation Conference (NCTC) is being held March 11-12 in Bloomington, Minn. The conference is being organized by Ag Management Solutions (AMS), in conjunction with commodity groups from Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota, and is focused on uniting the commodity transportation industry to discuss trade and transportation issues and challenges. Transportation and non-tariff barrier topics such …

Agribusiness, Soybean, Trade, transportation

USDA’s McKinney Optimistic About Ethanol Exports

Cindy Zimmerman

USDA Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Ted McKinney says he will leave “no stone unturned” in his quest to increase U.S. agricultural exports, including ethanol. McKinney spoke to the Renewable Fuels Association National Ethanol Conference Wednesday about the markets where he sees the most potential for ethanol, including China, Mexico, Brazil, and India. Listen to his remarks: …

Audio, Ethanol, Exports, National Ethanol Conference, RFA, Trade, USDA

President Trump Signs USMCA

Cindy Zimmerman

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 …

Ag Groups, Audio, Trade

Secretary Perdue Press Call from Rome

Cindy Zimmerman

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 …

Audio, Exports, International, Trade, USDA

Trump Touts Trade Triumphs at Farm Bureau Meeting

Cindy Zimmerman

President Donald Trump addressed farmer and rancher members of the American Farm Bureau Federation for the third year in a row Sunday, and promised to be back next year while continuing to fight for what is important to them. “My administration understands that if we want to stand up for America, we must stand up for American farmers,” said President …

AFBF, Audio, Ethanol, Trade