Pakistani Companies Tour US Cotton Belt

John Davis

cottonRepresentatives from Pakistani companies are touring the U.S. cotton belt. The tour is going on now through May 9. It’s put on by Cotton Council International (CCI), the National Cotton Council’s export promotions arm, and shows the key textile executives from 11 Pakistani companies the ins and outs of American cotton production, processing and marketing.

At this point in the 2014-15 marketing year (which ends on July 31, 2015), Pakistan ranks as the eighth largest U.S. cotton importer with current U.S. export commitments to Pakistan of 335,000 bales — up from 169,000 bales in the 2013-14 marketing year.

This trade mission’s 11 participating Pakistani companies collectively are expected to consume about 1.8 million bales in this marketing year of which 184,000 bales, or 10 percent, will be U.S. cotton.

CCI President Dahlen K. Hancock, a Ropesville, Texas, cotton producer, said, “We believe there is potential for even greater sales of U.S. cotton to this growing market. This event will enable CCI to provide some high level Pakistani textile manufacturing executives a better understanding of U.S. raw cotton’s merits including our fiber’s superior quality and our industry’s outstanding reputation for timely delivery.”

Stops on the tour include New York , cotton research in North Carolina, and meeting with exporters in the cotton belt’s four major regions.

Cotton, International, Trade

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2nd Annual Fields-of-Corn Photo Contest

Chuck Zimmerman

NCGA Fields of CornThe National Corn Growers Association has just kicked off its second Field-of-Corn Photo Contest. The entry period is May 1-November 30, 2015.

The National Corn Growers Association is calling on photographers to help tell the story of farming field corn in America. The goal is to capture high-resolution photos of growing corn from seed to harvest, the women and men who grow it and their families.

For many, May 1st is early in the corn season, but perhaps you’ll see a beautiful rainbow or other aesthically pleasing photo-op to capture.

NCGA is a strong proponent of safety on the farm. Please make sure no one is in harm’s way for your contest photo, or endanger yourself taking the photo. To learn more about farm safety click here.

Ag Groups, Corn, NCGA, Photography

Cal-Davis Tops in Ag, Veterinary Sciences

John Davis

ucdavis_logoThe University of California, Davis, is rated as the top school in the world for teaching and research in agriculture and forestry as well as veterinary sciences. This news release from the university says the information comes from the QS World University Rankings and is the third consecutive year that UC Davis has been ranked first in ag and forestry.

The organization ranked UC Davis in 27 of the 36 subjects covered. This was the first time the subject area of veterinary sciences was included in QS rankings. UC Davis is the only University of California campus this year that was ranked first in any of the disciplines ranked by QS.

The organization ranked UC Davis among the top 50 universities in various subjects, including environmental sciences (15), biological sciences (29), earth and marine sciences (41), history (42), and statistics and operational research (50).

“These rankings reconfirm that our faculty and researchers are respected the world over and that their work is making an impact throughout the globe,” said UC Davis Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi. “This is a proud day for UC Davis and for all our faculty, staff, students and alumni.”

The UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences was founded in 1905 and has more than 6,200 undergraduate students in 27 majors and more than 1,000 graduate students in 45 graduate groups and programs.

Agribusiness, Forestry, Research, University, Veterinary

Support for Food Labeling Act

Cindy Zimmerman

cfsafHundreds of organizations representing various sectors of the food and agriculture industry signed on to a letter to members of the U.S. House of Representatives this week asking them to support the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act.

The groups representing the Coalition for Safe Affordable Food urged members of Congress to consider co-sponsoring the bill introduced last month by Reps. Mike Pompeo (R-KS) and G. K. Butterfield (D-NC) that would “ensure people across our nation continue to have access to consistent science-based standards for food labeling.”

coppock-araAmong the 373 organizations signing the letter is the Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) and president Darren Coppock says they are also working to get a companion bill introduced in the Senate. “I’m encouraged that there’s bipartisan support for the issue and that it’s moving forward in the House,” said Coppock during an interview at NAFB Washington Watch this week. “What the Pompeo-Butterfield bill has put together is a good compromise that satisfies the needs of those asking those questions (about GMOs).”

During the interview, Coppock also addressed another piece of legislation important to ag retailers which would provide an important fix to the Clean Water Act NPDES permitting rule. “That extra layer of regulation provides no benefit to the environment or society, it’s just an additional cost and burden for applicators,” he said. ARA has been working on getting the fix for the past four years and they are hopeful it will pass this year. “I think the chips are better lined up this time to get action on both sides of the Hill,” Coppock added.

Listen to the interview with Coppock conducting by Agri-Pulse reporter Spencer Chase: Interview with Darren Coppock, ARA president and CEO

ARA, Audio, Biotech

Senators Call for Revised WOTUS

Cindy Zimmerman

A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators today introduced a bill that would repeal EPA’s “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) proposal.

EPA Ditch the RuleThe senators, including John Barrasso (R-WY), Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Joe Manchin (D-WV), jointly introduced the Federal Water Quality Protection Act, directing EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to issue a revised WOTUS rule that “does not include things such as isolated ponds, ditches, agriculture water, storm water, groundwater, floodwater, municipal water supply systems, wastewater management systems, and streams without enough flow to carry pollutants to navigable waters.”

“After working together for months, we’ve introduced a strong bipartisan bill that will protect America’s waterways – and America’s farmers, ranchers and landowners. Our legislation gives the EPA the direction it needs to write a reasonable rule that will truly protect our ‘navigable’ waterways,” said Barrasso. “Our next step is to work together to ensure this bill moves quickly through Congress.”

“No one wants cleaner water or better land conditions than the families who live on American farms,” said Donnelly. “That is why it is incredibly important that the EPA rewrite the Waters of the United States rule with input from the people who live and work on the land and alongside these waters every day.”

Agriculture groups are already responding positively to the move urging Congress to act swiftly, before the rule is final, so agencies can re-craft the rule to ensure it is practical and addresses the concerns of farmers, ranchers and business owners across the country.

Audio of press conference: Senators introduce bill to revise WOTUS

Audio, EPA, Water

Mixed Signals on Biotech from EU

Cindy Zimmerman

euMixed signals regarding biotech crops coming from the European Union last week have left representatives of the agriculture community shaking their heads.

First the EU announced it would allow member nations to ban the import of food and feed containing biotech ingredients, and then a few days later announced the approval of 17 biotech traits for import.

“I’m just characterizing it as flat goofy,” said American Farm Bureau Federation president Bob Stallman. “Doing business that way is going to make it very difficult for us to do a transatlantic trade agreement with them.”

National Corn Growers Association public policy director Zach Kinne says the opt out policy for EU nations creates a lot of uncertainty going forward. “It would really just be a nightmare when you look at the supply chain and importing of the crops that we produce,” he said, adding that other major exporting countries like Argentina and Brazil are also expressing concerns. “Hopefully we’ll see them withdraw that.”

American Soybean Association first vice president Richard Wilkins of Delaware says the opt out policy would definitely have a negative impact on US soy trade with the EU, but the trait approval news is very positive. “The deregulation of the four soybean biotech events that we’ve been waiting for means that we can now move towards full commercialization of high oleic soybeans.”

During NAFB Washington Watch this week, Spencer Chase with Agri-Pulse interviewed all three of these representatives. Interview with Bob Stallman, AFBF Interview with Zach Kinne, NCGA Interview with Richard Wilkins, ASA

AFBF, ASA, Audio, Biotech, Exports, International, NCGA

Two Peas…

Melissa Sandfort

20150429_201617Last week, Aunt Jeanette wrote about a bird’s nest perched atop of her old wagon wheel. The story made me chuckle because it only reminded me of how many things we have in common:

1. We both love to read (although I must admit I don’t have as much time to do so anymore).
2. We both enjoy writing (and I’m glad I finally convinced her to write for AgWalk with me!).
3. We both routinely “walk” – both physically and on this blog.
4. We both enjoy finding antique items that inspire us because they are a part of history and a part of our family.
5. We both have old wagon wheels leaning up against either the shed or the house.
6. Our passion for being out in the country and connected to agriculture is very much a shared interest.
7. The dentist back home recently mistook Aunt Jeanette for my mom. I take that as a compliment.

The list could go on, but the underlying theme is that we think alike in so many ways it’s almost eerie.

I’m sure many of you out there reading these posts have a family member or friend with whom you have a connection unlike any other. The great thing about my work is that it is ALSO my passion. I get to connect family, work and love all in one. A simple story about a wagon wheel becomes so much more – it’s a way of bridging the 2-hour gap between my aunt and I.

So as we continue to “walk”, I hope our stories about flowers and antiques and gravel roads encourage you to reflect on those in your life that make you feel at “home”, even when you find yourself so far away from it at times.

Until we walk again …

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U.S., Honduras Trade Deal to Promote Ag Development

John Davis

USDAA new trade deal between the U.S. and Honduras is expected to promote agricultural development. This U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) news release says Deputy Agriculture Secretary Krysta Harden and Honduras Secretary of Agriculture and Livestock Jacobo Paz inked the agreement.

Through the Food for Progress Program, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service will provide the government of Honduras with 30,000 metric tons of U.S. yellow corn and 18,000 tons of U.S. soybean meal, valued at approximately $17 million. The Honduran government will use proceeds from the sale of the commodities to implement projects aimed at improving agricultural productivity, enhancing farmers’ access to information and market skills, building government capacity, and strengthening local, regional and international trade in agricultural products.

“The Food for Progress Program is a cornerstone in USDA’s efforts to support sustainable agricultural production in developing nations and promote agricultural trade,” Harden said. “The Obama administration remains committed to investing in the creation of economic stability and opportunity in Central America. Today’s agreement continues USDA’s successful partnership with the Honduran government and the private sector under Food for Progress and the McGovern-Dole Food for Education Program. I am proud that our cooperative efforts are building a stronger agricultural sector, creating new opportunities and better lives for the people of Honduras.”

Projects supported by this new agreement will focus on the creation of jobs and income opportunities for some of Honduras’ most vulnerable citizens. The beneficiaries will include small farmers, as well as small businesses and producer organizations, particularly those that support rural women and youth.

Agribusiness, Trade, USDA

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