RFA Ethanol Podcast

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, and his philosophy on tariffs. “We want more trade, we want no barriers,” said Trump. “The tariffs have really helped us. When used properly, they get people to the table and that’s what we want.”

Trump says he wants a fair NAFTA deal. “NAFTA has been a disaster,” he said. “So we are either going to come up with a great NAFTA deal and a fair one or we’re just going to do something else, and agriculture will be taken care of, 100 percent.”

Listen to Trump’s comments here: Trump talks farm trade issues

The big news coming out of that meeting, however, was about ethanol, as President Trump said he supported allowing the year-round use of 15% ethanol blended fuel (E15). “This is no guarantee, but we’re going to raise it up to 15 percent, which makes a lot of people happy,” said the president prior to a meeting with lawmakers on agricultural trade issues. “We’re going to go to 12 months, which makes a lot of farmers very happy.”

Listen to Trump’s E15 comments here: Trump comments on E15

AgWired Animal, Audio, Trade

House Ag Committee Unveils Agriculture and Nutrition Act

Cindy Zimmerman

House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway (R-TX) today introduced the first draft of a new farm bill, the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (H.R. 2).

““The farm bill keeps faith with our nation’s farmers and ranchers through the current agriculture recession by providing certainty and helping producers manage the enormous risks that are inherent in agriculture,” said Rep. Conaway. “The farm bill also keeps faith with these families by not only maintaining SNAP benefits but by offering SNAP beneficiaries a springboard out of poverty to a good paying job, and opportunity for a better way of life for themselves and their families.”

Conaway introduced the bill along with House Ag Committee Vice Chair Glenn Thompson (R-PA).

Listen to the press conference: House Ag farm bill introduction

AgWired Animal, AgWired Precision, Audio, Farm Bill

2018 IFAJ/Alltech Young Leaders Announced

Cindy Zimmerman

The International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) has announced the recipients of the 2018 IFAJ/Alltech Young Leaders in Agricultural Journalism Award.

This year’s program, sponsored by Alltech, honors 10 young agricultural journalists and communicators who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in reporting as well as excellent potential as leaders of the industry in the years to come. The honorees were chosen by an international jury among applicants from many of IFAJ’s 43 member countries.

Congratulations to these new young leaders:

Hannes Baumgartner, Der Landwirt, Austria
Marike Brits, Plaas Media, South Africa
Lydia Burton, Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Dagmar Deutsch, Agrarheute, Germany
Joseph Gakpo, Multimedia Group, Ltd., Ghana
Katie Knapp, The Ag Photographer, USA
Oonagh O’Mahony, IFP Media, Republic of Ireland
Ashley Robinson, Commodity News Service Canada
Tuulikki Viilo, Maaseudun Tulevaisuus, Finland
Rasmus Bue Willesen, Landbrugsmedierne, Denmark

The 10 honorees will attend the 2018 IFAJ Congress in Wageningen, The Netherlands, in July. The Young Leaders will also participate in a Boot Camp in the days prior to Congress, which includes professional development and networking workshops and farm visits in the Wageningen area.

Read more

Alltech, IFAJ, International

WEDA Acquires Friend Management Systems™

Cindy Zimmerman

Western Equipment Dealers Association (WEDA) announced today that it is acquiring Friend Management Systems™ (FMS), pairing two leading providers of management consulting and professional development services for equipment dealers.

Friend Management is a Canadian-based management consulting firm providing leadership development and peer-to-peer learning to agricultural, consumer, and golf equipment dealerships in Canada, United States and Australia. The company is also John Deere’s recommended provider of Leadership Dealer Performance Groups and provides aftermarket and golf distributor specific leadership groups.

After 30 years of providing management and financial advice and peer group facilitation to John Deere dealer groups, Doug Friend decided it was the right time to look at succession. “I am pleased to join with WEDA,” said Friend. “Our consolidated energies will make us well-positioned to offer deeper client consultative analysis, broader scope of products and enhanced geographical footprint, to the already large ($6 Billion annual sales) data base.”

Dealer Institute, one of WEDA’s largest divisions, provides consulting, education and training to dealers so the addition of FMS will expand the suite of services to their members.

“We’re delighted with the opportunities presented by fusing our collective consultative approaches with Friend Management’s technology and support,” said WEDA CEO John Schmeiser. “This joining of talent not only brings leading-edge expertise to our association but will further expand on our ability to offer specialized experience and insight that dealers rely on for strategizing and growing their business.”

Schmeiser adds that Boyd Hofmann, former partner in a large multi-store John Deere dealership, will also join WEDA and Dealer Institute and will focus on the facilitation of the current Large Ag and Large Turf Dealer Performance Groups as part of this transition.

In this interview, Schmeiser explains how this move enhances the offerings of WEDA Business Management Services to benefit the equipment dealer industry. Interview with WEDA CEO John Schmeiser

Read more about this story

For more information about Friend Management Systems™, visit the website DealerInstitute.org.

Agribusiness, AgWired Precision, Audio, Equipment, John Deere

2018 Agri-Marketing Conference Underway

Chuck Zimmerman

The Golden Mic invites you to stop by the ZimmComm booth at the Agri-Marketing Conference Connection Point (#302). Are you a member of the club? It’s pretty easy to join and Jamie, Joanna and I will help you out. Stop by and see many of the people who are already members.

It’s not just about taking your picture with the Golden Mic. It’s also about being interviewed by the Golden Mic. That’s what we’re going to be doing. Do you have a story to tell? About you, your company, your products and services? Stop by and tell it and we’ll share it.

An added feature of our booth again this year is the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance. Joining us is James Massie, Marketing Manager. James will be demonstrating USFRA’s new engAGe App and signing you up. I’m signed up and I think you should too.

Meanwhile, we’re also taking photos this year. I will be taking them at this evening’s Best of NAMA Awards which takes place just prior to the opening of the Connection Point. We’ve already been collecting some photos for your viewing and sharing pleasure. You know where to find them and what to do with them, right?

2018 National Agri-Marketing Conference Photo Album

For a preview of this year’s conference, I spoke with Conference Chair Jenna Oesch, Monsanto. That interview is part of this week’s ZimmCast podcast but you can listen to Jenna’s segment below.

Preview interview with Jenna Oesch, Monsanto, Conference Chair
Uncategorized

Growing Asian Market Benefits U.S. Soy

Carrie Muehling

The U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) hosted its 13th SE Asia Soy Food Symposium and Ag Supply Chain Asia 2018 events in Surabaya, Indonesia, bringing together all stakeholders in the soy food industry in that region. Among those participating were exporters of United States soy products like Bob Sinner, President of SB&B Foods, Inc. in North Dakota. Sinner has been in the export business since 1988.

“As business has expanded internationally, we look at this region as a pretty key area for growth. The economies of Indonesia and Vietnam, particularly, are some of the highest GDPs in all of Asia,” said Sinner, who is the fourth generation to work in the family business.

The event brought together over 100 soy food companies to talk about opportunities, challenges, and new things that are going on in the industry.

“All of the markets bring benefits back to the North Dakota soybean producers as higher premiums for identity preserved soybeans,” said Sinner. “These farmers are making a commitment to produce and provide a quality soybean that is used directly into the soy food industries. This is a real opportunity for North Dakota producers, as well as other growers in different regions.”

Sinner said soy has gotten the attention of the world as the health benefits of soy continue to impress everyone in the industry. The Southeast Asian region specifically represents growth in the soy industry that stands to greatly benefit U.S. suppliers and producers.

Listen to Jamie’s interviews with exporters of U.S. soy:
Interview with Bob Sinner, SB&B Foods, Inc.

Interview with Dan Pengra, CHS, Inc.

Interview with Craig Pietig, Ag Processing Inc.

Interview with Brian Arnold, The DeLong Company, Inc.

USSEC SE Asia Buyers Conferences Photo Album

Audio, Soybean, USSEC

Precision Ag Bytes 4/11

Carrie Muehling

  • Cytozyme Laboratories, Inc. has announced the recent opening of a Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprise office in Beijing, China, to improve its business processes and meet the growing demands of consumers throughout the region.
  • The LG Seeds brand announces the launch of a new Technical Team Agronomist role. This role will provide technical support services to LG Seeds’ sales team, customers, and dealers. These individuals will leverage the product knowledge that already exists among AgReliant Genetics’ six regional brand agronomy teams making up the new LG Seeds brand. The team will focus on supporting sales growth and strategic brand initiatives, including the company’s digital ag platform, Advantage Acre.
  • Western Growers and Radicle Growth have partnered to create The Radicle Automation Challenge, a competition where AgTech automation entrepreneurs are eligible to compete for a minimum of $250,000 in investment capital and exclusive access to farm acreage to pilot their technologies. Four finalists will be chosen to showcase their technologies in front of a group of investors, corporate partners and agribusiness experts and the winner will be announced during the Western Growers Innovation Showcase Dinner at the Forbes AgTech Summit on June 26, 2018.
  • Syngenta is offering members of the ag community a way to honor those individuals who have ignited their ag passion the most. The application period is now open for the annual #RootedinAg contest. In exchange for sharing their stories, participants will have a chance to be named one of five finalists, who will each receive mini touch-screen tablets and have their inspirational stories featured on the Syngenta Thrive website. From those finalists, one grand prizewinner will receive a $500 gift card and have their story published in Thrive magazine, plus Syngenta will make a $1,000 donation in the winner’s name to a local charity or civic organization.
  • AgVend, the leader in agricultural eCommerce, announces the close of a $1.75m seed fundraising round led by Iowa native Drew Oetting at 8VC.
  • Agrian Inc. continues to expand internationally, announcing that they will bring their comprehensive agriculture software platform to Brazilian agronomists, growers, retailers and food processors. To spearhead efforts in the new territory, Agrian has hired Ed Siatti as the senior sales director, Brazil.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes

Equipment Dealers Fighting Tax Policy Changes

Cindy Zimmerman

The 2018 Oklahoma state legislature has seen several bills this session that seek to increase revenue by making tax policy changes that would impact the agriculture industry at an already difficult time, and the Western Equipment Dealers Association (WEDA) says they expect more such challenges in the future.

WEDA Vice President of Government Affairs Eric Wareham explains that the Oklahoma legislature faced a $400-600 million projected budget gap at the beginning of this year. “Once again legislators have taken to turning over every rock to raise revenue, and the teacher walkout has upped the ante on finding funding sources,” said Wareham.

In Oklahoma, there have been three major bills this legislative session that would impact both farmers and farm equipment dealers. Wareham says one bill would have sunset all tax credits and exemptions by 2021, including the farm equipment sales tax exemption. Another bill would have eliminated the ag sales tax exemption for purchases under $25,000, and the third would repeal the state capital gains exemption. The bills have all been either changed, killed or stalled, thanks to the efforts of WEDA and others.

Wareham says other states, such as Kansas and Oregon, have attempted to take similar actions as commodity prices have dropped in the past few years. “Over the past 4-5 years, net farm income has reduced by 50 percent and therefore (states) are not receiving the money from farmers because they’re just not making it.” But Wareham says trying to “tax your way out of a hole by increasing taxes on the hardest hit segment of the economy” to quote Winston Churchill “that’s like standing in a bucket and trying to pull yourself up by the handles.”

In this interview, Wareham provides an update on the Oklahoma legislation, and comments on the potential for more challenges in the future and how such actions would impact an already depressed farm economy. Interview with WEDA Vice President of Government Affairs Eric Wareham

AgWired Precision, Audio, Equipment

Deere’s Lagemann New AEM Vice Chair

Carrie Muehling

John D. Lagemann is the new Vice Chair of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), filling the unexpired officer term of recently retired Jim Walker of CNH Industrial. Lagemann is Deere & Co. Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing-Regions 3 & 4. Lagemann has served in AEM leadership roles since 2001.

AEM has also elected CNH Industrial’s Scott Harris to its Board of Directors, filling Walker’s unexpired 2018 Board term.

“We are very pleased to announce John’s expanded leadership of AEM and welcome Scott to its Board of Directors. Their knowledge and dedication exemplify the active company participation that underpins AEM’s success and growth for its members, the equipment industry and the overall agriculture and construction-related sectors,” said Dennis Slater, AEM president. “We also take this opportunity to publicly thank Jim Walker for his years of leadership as an AEM officer and Board member, and his support of the AEM staff.”

Listen to this interview with Lagemann at the 2017 Commodity Classic where he represented AEM as Agriculture Chair: Interview with John Lagemann, John Deere

AEM, AgWired Precision, Audio, John Deere

ZimmCast on International Travel and #NAMA18

Chuck Zimmerman

It’s Agri-Marketing Conference Week and the ZimmComm Team will be on location. This week’s episode features a preview from the Chair of this year’s conference, Jenna Oesch, Global Marketing Lead & Customer Experience Council Lead, Monsanto Company, Vegetable Seeds Division.

The program starts out with Jamie talking about her trip around the world. That would be to Ireland with Alltech and to Indonesia with the USSEC. She shares some of her interviews. It was a long trip and Jamie is still working on publishing content from it.

Getting back to the NAMA Conference for a moment, ZimmComm is exhibiting once again in the Connection Point. We’ll be in booth 302 and hope to see you there.

Listen to the ZimmCast here: ZimmCast 579 - Ireland, Indonesia & #NAMA18

Subscribe to the ZimmCast podcast here. Use this url in iTunes or your favorite news reader program/app.

The ZimmCast

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Alltech, Audio, International, USSEC, ZimmCast