READ the NAFB’s National Ag News for Monday, July 30th
Sponsored by the American Farm Bureau Federation
Trump to Approve Year-Round E15 Soon
President Trump says his administration is “very close” to approving the year-round sale of the E15 blend of ethanol very soon. During a trip to Iowa on Thursday, Trump told the audience, “I’m very close to pulling off something that you’ve been looking forward to for many years, and that’s the 12-month E15 waiver. We’re getting very close to doing that.” The Quad City Times says Trump called the process “very complex.” The President noted that he stuck with ethanol, saying most of the other candidates “weren’t there, to put it mildly.” Pro-ethanol group Growth Energy says, “We are pleased to hear President Trump say he’s ‘very close’ to making E15 available year-round, fulfilling his promise to America’s farmers.” Growth Energy says increased access to U.S. markets will provide America’s farmers with some financial confidence and they hope the President will direct the Environmental Protection Agency to act quickly to provide year-round RVP (Reid Vapor Pressure) relief.
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EU Insists Agriculture Not a Part of Trade Truce with Trump
The European Union says that the proposed trade talks with the United States wouldn’t include farming. The website Business Times Dot Com says this directly contradicts what President Donald Trump says. An EU Commission spokeswoman says they’ve been very clear on that fact. The spokeswoman adds that agriculture is not part of it, only the things that were specifically mentioned in the statement that came out Thursday. “The joint statement shows no mention of agriculture, as such you’ll see a mention of farmers and a mention of soybeans, which are part of the discussion,” says Mina (MEE-nah) Andreeva. “That is part of the discussion and we will follow up on that.” The EU clarification comes one day after the president called the agreement a “major victory for U.S. farmers,” who’ve seen plummeting exports due to Washington’s trade policies. Trump told a rally in Iowa that “We’ve just opened up Europe for you farmers.” The EU may be feeling pressure to emphasize that there was no farming concession made to Trump because of opposition in Europe to more genetically modified imports from America.
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Bankers: Farmers Want Trade Not Handouts
Following the president’s announcement of a $12 billion trade assistance package to farmers, the nation’s bankers echoed farmer sentiments, saying producers want free trade and not handouts. A Farm Journal report quotes ag lender Alan Hoskins as saying it’s far too soon to know how beneficial the aid will be. Hoskins did say one thing is clear; it’s not what farmers want. “They want to be able to turn a profit by selling their grain,” Hoskins says, “and not by getting government handouts.” Hoskins says cash flow is going to be very tight this year, which will lead to some difficult conversations between producers and lenders. However, he says it’s not something to be feared by producers, but rather it’s an opportunity to sit down and work together to figure out something that will benefit farmers. Illinois producer Michael Cox tells Farm Journal that the aid package is just a temporary fix, at best, because there are too many questions about the program. Hoskins says many farmers are wide open to market volatility at this point and those payments will come in handy.
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Lighthizer Testimony: NAFTA Deal Possible in August
During congressional testimony on Thursday, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer told lawmakers that it’s entirely possible that the three North American Free Trade Agreement members will reach a deal in August. Lighthizer says that would meet the Mexican objective of having current President Enrique Pena (PAIN-ya) Nieto (KNEE-eh-toe) sign the deal before he leaves office in December. Bloomberg says U.S. trade law requires a three-month waiting period before the parties can sign off on the deal. Should the three countries not reach a deal until September or later, the incoming President of Mexico would have to sign off on it after he takes office. Lighthizer says Canada may be the sticking point in reaching a new NAFTA agreement. “My hope is that we’ll have a quick resolution with Mexico, and, as a result of that, Canada may come in more willing to compromise,” Lighthizer said in testimony. The current Mexican Economy Minister says it is possible they will reach a deal with the U.S. in August. The chief NAFTA negotiator for the incoming government says he’s more “cautiously optimistic” about the direction of the talks.
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Senate Stalls on Farm Bill Conference
The Senate left Washington on Thursday without voting to move the farm bill forward to conference, or even naming conferees. Politico says those were two goals that Ag Chair Pat Roberts and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow wanted to get done before Senators left town. Politico says the delay could be a result of a number of different things, including backdoor, last-minute deals and jostling by Senators who want to get a seat on the conference committee. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says he and South Dakota Senator John Thune, who represent key ag states, could be left off the committee if leadership only names five Republicans to the panel. If the lingering issues get worked out over the weekend, the earliest the Senate could vote would be Monday afternoon. The House left for its summer recess last Thursday. However, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell tells the Hagstrom Report that the Senate is expected to vote to go to conference in the coming week.
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Groups Want “Fake Meat” Regulated by USDA
Seven groups that represent meat and poultry producers, as well as processors, wrote a letter to President Trump asking him to place cell-cultured protein products under USDA regulation. The meat industry website Meating Place Dot Com says the groups want these products held to the same high standards for food safety and labeling that meat and poultry are held to under the USDA regulatory system. In the letter, the groups say, “Cell-cultured products that purport to be meat or poultry should be subject to the same comprehensive inspection system that governs amenable meat and poultry products to ensure that they are wholesome and safe for public consumption.” The groups also want the products regulated in a way that ensures they are labeled and marketed in a manner that levels the playing field in the marketplace. The groups also say that the Food and Drug Administration tried to assert itself as the primary regulator of cell-cultured products at a public meeting the USDA was excluded from. The groups say that is inconsistent with meat and poultry inspection statutes, as well as a White House Agency reorganization plan that consolidates food safety inspection duties into a single USDA agency.
SOURCE: NAFB News Service

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