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Sponsored by the American Farm Bureau Federation
“Food, Ag Groups Urge Federal Government to Find Solutions to End Ports Disputes”
Yesterday (Wednesday) – the National Pork Producers Council – along with 92 other food, ag and allied industry groups – urged parties involved in the West Coast ports labor dispute to resolve their differences as soon as possible. Due to this dispute – it’s estimated the U.S. meat and poultry industries are losing more than 30-million dollars a week. Exports to Asian markets – which are most directly affected by the ports slowdowns – have grown to 144-billion dollars as of 2013 from 46-million in 1994. The organizations have written an open letter to the White House, Congress, the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union – pointing out the increase in food and ag products exported has been beneficial to the companies that own West Coast ports and the dock workers – yet the indifference by the PMA and ILWU to the impact the slowdowns are having on the food and ag sectors is disturbing.
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“AFBF Disappointed with Court’s Ruling Regarding Farmers’ Personal Information”
Late Tuesday – the federal district court in Minnesota dismissed its lawsuit seeking to block the Environmental Protection Agency from releasing the personal information of livestock and poultry farmers and ranchers in response to Freedom of Information Act requests. The court decided no federally permitted livestock or poultry farmer is injured by such disclosure because the Clean Water Act mandates disclosure of information concerning permit issuance. For those without a permit – it concluded EPA’s distribution of their personal information doesn’t result in any injury to the farmer – as long as the farmer’s information can be found on the Internet. American Farm Bureau President Bob Stallman says farmers, ranchers and citizens in general should be concerned about the court’s disregard for individual privacy. Stallman says the court seems to believe the Internet age has eliminated the individual’s interest in controlling the distribution of his or her personal information – and Farm Bureau strongly disagrees. AFBF and its co-plaintiff – the National Pork Producers Council – have 60 days to appeal the decision.
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“TPP Problems with Canada”
According to The Hagstrom Report – Chief U.S. Agricultural Trade Negotiator Darci Vetter says all eyes are on Canada right now in the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations. Vetter says Canada really needs to bring something more comprehensive to the table regarding dairy, poultry and eggs. While there still are trade barriers with Japan that Vetter says shouldn’t be there – she says Canada is now the main problem – but she expects the country to come to the table.
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“EPA Confuses U.S. Soybean Farmers”
The Environmental Protection Agency Wednesday announced it will approve an application allowing Argentine biodiesel easier access to the U.S. market. American Soybean Association President Wade Cowan says this decision shows a lack of coordination and alarming tone-deafness regarding the purposes of the Renewable Fuels Standard. Cowan says EPA has put the interest of foreign competitors above those of U.S. soybean farmers. Cowan says it seems EPA doesn’t recognize that they haven’t set volume requirements for 2014 or 2015 – nor do they realize every link in the biodiesel supply chain is in limbo awaiting these decisions. He says the agency also seems to neglect the fact the RFS is supposed to increase domestic energy independence.
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“NCGA New Leaders Meet This Week”
The 2015 National Corn Growers Association DuPont New Leaders Program is taking place this week in Des Moines. NCGA First Vice President Rob Elliott says he was happy to meet such a dedicated group of growers new to industry involvement. Through the program – participants learn to enhance communications depending on personality traits, use improve techniques to better communicate, master top social media tools and learn the importance of conversation and dialogue from U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance representatives. Program participants will travel to Delaware and Washington, D.C. in July to attend NCGA action team meetings, Corn Congress sessions and visit their state delegates on Capitol Hill.
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“Scientists Research Phosphorus Losses in the Midwest”
For the past seven-years – USDA Agricultural Research Service soil scientist Doug Smith has been monitoring phosphorus in surface runoff and tile drainage from farm fields in the St. Joseph River Watershed in Indiana. From 2008 to 2013 – Smith noticed 49-percent of dissolved phosphorus and 48-percent of total phosphorus in the watershed was discharged through tile drains. Ag engineer Kevin King monitored phosphorus levels in the discharge from six tile drains and the outlet of a headwater watershed in Ohio from 2005 to 2012 and noticed 47-percent of discharge came through tile drains. King’s measurements show around two-percent of phosphorus applied by farmers was lost through runoff – but concentrations in the tile drainage and watershed discharge exceed concentrations recommended for preventing algal blooms. As a result – King’s team believes reducing phosphorus losses will require practices that mitigate losses through tile drainage in the late fall, winter and early spring.
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“30 Students Selected for USDA Ag Outlook Forum Student Diversity Program”
USDA has announced the 30 university students it has chosen based on their essays regarding Agriculture as a Career to attend the 2015 Agricultural Outlook Forum in Virginia February 19th and 20th. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says the Forum will help give students the chance to lay the groundwork for their future, hear speakers from diverse backgrounds in agriculture and help them expand their opportunities in their chosen fields. For more information on the Forum – visit USDA dot gov slash OCE slash forum (www.usda.gov/oce/forum).
The undergraduate student winners are: Alexis Allen, Tennessee State University; Nicole Bayne, Oklahoma State University; Taylor Benedict, University of Arizona – Yuma; Darryl Blakely, Pennsylvania State University; Rycal Blount, North Carolina A&T State University; Rodrigo Bonilla, Washington State University; Ariel Bourne, University of Maryland College Park; Nathan Carson, University of Florida; George Collier, University of Maryland Eastern Shore; Jamie Duggan-Lara, San Diego State University-Imperial Valley; Conlee Fry, Prairie View A&M University; Morgan Fortune, Tuskegee University; Onelisa Garza, Texas A&M University – Kingsville; Petros Maskal, California State University – Stanislaus; Kaylin McNary, Prairie View A&M University; Jamal Palmer, University of Maryland Eastern Shore; Fatma Rekik, Cornell University; Martin Sanchez, Oregon State University;Gianfranco Santaliz-Rogers; University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez; and Malcolm Smith, Iowa State University.
The graduate student winners are: Parker Byington, Washington State University; Latisha Judd, University of Maryland College Park; Heather King, Humboldt State University; Alison Leathers, Tennessee State University; Emily Loehmer, Southern Illinois University – Carbondale; Holly Mayton; University of California, Riverside; Joshua Moore, University of Arizona; Wallace Seda-Calderon, Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico; Cassandra Skenandore; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; and Melissa Woolpert, University of Vermont.
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“Chefs to Receive Honor for Produce Excellence in Foodservice”
The United Fresh Produce Association wants to recognize seven chefs in different business categories for their use of fresh produce in the culinary arts. The categories are business in industry, casual and family dining restaurants, colleges and universities, fine dining restaurants, hotels and healthcare, K-12 school foodservice and quick service restaurants. Creativity in concept development, menu design using fresh produce, knowledge of handling fresh produce, produce-related events and recognition among peers or by the company all are considered when choosing the winners. Each winner and their corporate executives receive complimentary registration to United Fresh 2015. To nominate a chef – visit United Fresh dot org (www.unitedfresh.org). The nomination deadline is March 16th.
SOURCE: NAFB News Service

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