Trump asks China to remove tariffs on U.S. ag exports
With the trade war stunting U.S. farm exports after two years of growth, President Trump said he has asked China to remove its retaliatory tariffs on U.S. food and ag exports. Trump announced the request on the same day four large farm groups opened their annual meetings with a joint endorsement of the new North American trade pact negotiated by the White House.
Sign-up for ARC and PLC may begin Sept. 1
Late this summer, growers will get their first chance in years to switch between the Agricultural Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage subsidies, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue told lawmakers last week.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Fish farming expands, overfishing continues (Forbes): With consumption of seafood on the rise, aquaculture is expanding but overfishing of the ocean continues partly because feed rations for fish farms include wild-caught fish.
Truly, a sting operation (Vice News): When bee bandits strike during pollination time in California’s Central Valley, Butte County deputy sheriff Rowdy Freeman is the officer on the job.
June cut-off dates for dicamba (DTN/Progressive Farmer): State agriculture officials in Illinois and Indiana set a June 30 cut-off date, and in Minnesota the cut-off is June 20 for spraying the weedkiller dicamba on soybeans in hopes of preventing damage to nearby crops.
Saving aquifers may mean fallow land (New Food Economy): The think tank Public Policy Institute says 535,000 acres of farmland are likely to be fallowed in California if farmers reduce their use of irrigation water in order to restore aquifers.
Getting back into China (Minneapolis Star Tribune): China may become so accustomed to alternatives to U.S. soybeans, whether they’re canola and sunflowers or Brazilian soy, that it will be difficult to win sales for U.S. soybeans when the trade war ends, say analysts.
ON THE CALENDAR
Monday
– Farm Foundation forum, “U.S. and Canadian Perspectives on Trans-Pacific Trade,” discusses two studies on the impact of the so-called TPP-11 trade agreement that covers the original participants in the TPP except for the United States, 2 p.m. ET, National Press Club.
– National Farmers Union holds annual convention, through Tuesday, Bellevue, Washington.
– National WIC Association holds Washington Leadership Conference, through Tuesday, Washington.
– Food Marketing Institute and North American Meat Institute host Annual Meat Conference, through Tuesday, Dallas.
Tuesday
– Purdue University releases monthly Ag Economy Barometer, a gauge of the agricultural economy’s health, West Lafayette, Ind.
– New Hope Network hosts Natural Products Expo West, “the world’s largest natural, organic and healthy products event, through Saturday, Anaheim, California.
Wednesday
– USDA releases Farm Income forecast, 11 a.m. ET, with a webinar at 1 p.m. ET. In mid-February, USDA issued a bare-bones balance sheet of farm revenue and expenses that said net farm income would be $77.6 billion this year, the highest since the commodity boom collapsed in 2014.
– National Pork Board, which oversees the farmer-funded pork checkoff program, hosts National Pork Industry Forum, with this year’s theme, “Moving at the speed of business,” through Friday, Orlando.
Thursday
– House Science subcommittee on energy hearing, “The energy-water nexus: Drier watts and cheaper drops,” 10 a.m ET, 2138 Rayburn.
– UN Food and Agriculture Organization releases monthly Food Price Index, Rome.
– USDA releases monthly Cold Storage report, 3 p.m. ET.
Friday
– USDA releases monthly Crop Production and WASDE reports, noon ET.
– USDA released monthly Cattle on Feed report, 3 p.m. ET.
Saturday
– North American Millers Association spring conference, through March 12, Hilton Marco Island Resort.
Sunday
– Start of daylight savings time, through Nov. 3.
