The top USDA trade official, Ted McKinney, says he anticipates a trade deal with Japan will likely take place if the United States doesn’t re-enter into the Trans-Pacific Partnership. McKinney …
McKinney Leads Trade Mission to Central America
Ag Department Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Ted McKinney will lead a trade mission to Central America. The mission will be in Guatemala from February 26 to …
Trump to Meet with Cabinet, Senators of Biofuels
President Trump has scheduled a meeting with Cabinet officials and key Senators to talk over potential changes to the nation’s biofuels policy. The Renewable Fuels Standard is coming under increasing …
Governors Lobby for NAFTA Conclusion
Governors from more than 40 states are in Washington, D.C., this weekend for their annual winter meeting. International issues like the future of trade will be among the topics they’ll …
White House Economist Dodges NAFTA Withdrawal Questions
Kevin Hassett, Chief White House Economist, attacked the integrity of past and present government officials who have negotiated U.S. trade agreements. However, he declined to say if the U.S. would …
Western Growers Also Opposes Immigration Bill
Legislation that would worsen the worker shortage crisis for farmers throughout the country has received unanimous opposition from the board of directors of Western Growers, whose members supply more than …
USDA Releases 2018 Planting Estimates
While some planters are already working in Texas, the Corn Belt seems a long way away from planting because of snow and ice. However, the USDA is already thinking about …
Changes Made to H-2C Immigration Bill
A bill proposed by Virginia Republican Representative Bob Goodlatte would scrap the current H-2A program which is partly controlled by the U.S. Labor Department. It would institute an H-2C program …
Perdue Promotes “Harvest Box”
Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue wants people who don’t like the idea of “America’s Harvest Box” to know that they are very serious about the idea. He says House Ag Committee …
Section 199A Fix Is Coming
A DTN report says Congress may be close to replacing the Section 199A language in the new tax law that curbs the advantages of farmers who sell their products to …
Mexico Buying More Brazilian Corn as NAFTA Negotiations Continue
Mexico purchased ten times more corn from Brazil last year than it had previously. Reuters says that’s due to the uncertainty regarding the potential outcome of the North American Free …
NCGA Responds to Cruz Speech on RFS
The following is a statement from North Dakota farmer Kevin Skunes, president of the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), in response to Senator Cruz’s remarks during the Philadelphia refinery (PES) …
USDA Seeks Ideas to Help SNAP Participants Become Independent
The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced that it is looking for innovative ideas to promote work and self-sufficiency among able-bodied adults participating in the department’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program …
USDA Opens New Office in Vietnam to Help Facilitate Increasing Agricultural Trade
The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently celebrated the opening of its new office in Hanoi, Vietnam. The office will play a vital …