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Corn Growers Join Farmers For Free Trade at #FPS18

Cindy Zimmerman

Last week was a big one for trade news impacting agriculture, so Farmers for Free Trade (FFT) Executive Director Brian Kuehl and National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) president Kevin Skunes had a lot to talk about during a press conference at Farm Progress Show. Regarding news that U.S. and Mexico had reached a preliminary NAFTA deal, Kuehl expressed some concerns. …

Audio, Corn, Farm Progress Show, NCGA, Trade

New NCGA Officer Talks Top Issues at #FPS18

Cindy Zimmerman

The National Corn Growers Association leadership team was out in full force last week at the Farm Progress Show, including the new kid on the board, Kevin Ross of Iowa. Ross was elected this summer to become the organization’s first vice president for the next fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1, and he is jumping right into the issues head …

Audio, Corn, Ethanol, Farm Bill, Farm Progress Show, NCGA, Trade

Secretary Perdue Comments on Current Issues

Cindy Zimmerman

Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue visited the Farm Progress Show this week, making an appearance for everyone at the show to enjoy with Max Armstrong and Orion Samuelson in the VIP tent, followed by a press gaggle where trade was the number one topic, along with WOTUS and the Renewable Fuel Standard. Asked about Canada and its dairy policy – …

AgWired Animal, AgWired Precision, Audio, Biofuels, Farm Progress Show, Trade, USDA

Export Panel at #ACEconf18 Explores Tariff Wars

Cindy Zimmerman

National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) interim CEO Jon Doggett and CHS Director of Global Trading Max Thomasson explored the impact of current trade negotiations and tariff wars on the global market for corn and ethanol during a panel at last week’s American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) conference in Minneapolis. Doggett drove home the point that if it was President Clinton …

ACE, Audio, Corn, Ethanol, Exports, NCGA, Trade

USDA Announces Trade Disruption Relief for Farmers

Cindy Zimmerman

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will take several actions to assist farmers negatively impacted by recent trade actions. President Trump directed Secretary Perdue to craft a short-term relief strategy to protect agricultural producers while the Administration works on free, fair, and reciprocal trade deals to open more markets in the long run to help American farmers compete globally. Specifically, …

AFBF, AgWired Animal, AgWired Precision, Audio, NCBA, NCGA, Trade, USDA

China’s Impact on U.S. Beef Demand

Carrie Muehling

China reopened its borders to United States beef in 2017, but that historic decision sparked both challenges and opportunities for American beef producers, according to Ian Lahiffe, Lead of Operations, Allflex Livestock Intelligence. Lahiffe said beef consumption has almost doubled in China over the past 10-15 years, but Chinese consumers are accustomed to grass-fed beef primarily from Brazil or Australia …

AgWired Animal, Alltech, Animal Agriculture, Audio, Beef, Trade

Farm Foundation Forum Features Ag Trade Perspectives

Cindy Zimmerman

A timely Farm Foundation Forum this week featured the current Chief Agriculture Negotiator of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and three of his predecessors going back to 2001 commenting on the current trade environment for agriculture. A Conversation with the Ambassadors: Trade War or Rhetoric? was moderated by Farm Foundation Vice President of Policy and Programs Megan Provost …

Audio, Trade

China Imposes Import Fee on U.S. Sorghum

Cindy Zimmerman

China’s Ministry of Commerce has imposed a “temporary antidumping measure” on U.S. sorghum imports, requiring a deposit of almost 179 percent on the value of sorghum shipments starting today. National Sorghum Producers president and CEO Tim Lust says they are “deeply disappointed” in the action. “National Sorghum Producers, alongside our producers, stakeholders and partners, has cooperated fully with China’s antidumping …

Audio, sorghum, Trade

Senators Excited About Prospects for TPP Revisit

Cindy Zimmerman

Farm state senators came out of a meeting with President Trump Thursday very optimistic about the future for agricultural trade. Republican Senators Pat Roberts of Kansas, John Hoeven of North Dakota, Deb Fischer and Ben Sasse of Nebraska held a press conference after the meeting and all agreed it was very productive, but the potential for re-entering the Trans Pacific …

Audio, Trade

Trump Discusses Agricultural Trade Issues

Cindy Zimmerman

Governors and senators from agricultural states such as Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, North and South Dakota had a meeting with President Donald Trump and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer today to discuss recent trade actions and how farmers may be impacted. In a press availability prior to the start of the meeting, President Trump talked about NAFTA, China, the European Union, …

AgWired Animal, Audio, Trade