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National AG News June 22

6 years, 9 months ago AFBF

Trump Stops in Iowa

President Donald Trump pledged to include rural broadband in his infrastructure plan while in Iowa Wednesday. The President visited Kirkwood University in Cedar Rapids, Iowa to talk agricultural technology, and held a rally in downtown Cedar Rapids. Trump was joined by Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross while highlighting the need to expand rural broadband to give farmers access to new tools, according to Politico. The event was also a sendoff for former Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, now U.S. Ambassador to China, as he heads for Beijing following his confirmation vote by the Senate last month. Bill Northey, who is reported to be Perdue's pick for a key Department of Agriculture undersecretary post, also attended the events. Northey currently serves as Iowa's Secretary of Agriculture.

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NAFTA Renegotiations to Take Center Stage

A series of public hearings next week on the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement seeks comments on the efforts. The U.S. is scheduled to post its NAFTA renegotiation goals July 17th, following the meetings. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer told the Senate Finance Committee Wednesday that while the negotiations will then begin August 16th, there is no deadline to complete the negotiation process. However, the administration does want the talks to move quickly. Lighthizer says he is prepared to continue to negotiate until a “high standard agreement” is reached, unless there is a total stalemate, which case Lighthizer says he will consult with lawmakers on the next steps forward. Ron Wyden, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, urged the U.S. to take the time it needs to hammer out new trade terms. Wyden says “NAFTA could use a complete overhaul,” adding that the overhaul should include issues like labor, currency manipulation, and industry specific issues regarding dairy and wine.

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Study: TPP Withdrawal Creates Export Loss for U.S., Gains for Canada

A new study says the U.S. withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership will cost the nation more than $3 billion in exports. Meanwhile, the remaining 11 members would enjoy marginal gains from the U.S.’ TPP withdrawal, with Mexico and Canada set to benefit the most. A study by a firm from Canada told the Global Trade Review this week that TPP-11 would generate an increase of 2.4 percent in exports among the 11 remaining partners, however, this is just 40 percent of the increase that would have happened under the original deal that included the United States. The study says an 11 nation TPP, however, would be better than the original agreement for Canadian agriculture and agri-food, because the sector would no longer compete with the US in TPP markets. The study says that Canadian beef would benefit from access to the Japanese market without having to share access with the U.S., and that fruit and vegetable exports, processed food products, and pork and poultry would likewise do well.

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Arkansas to Revote on Dicamba Ban

The Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Plant Board will meet yet again this week in an attempt to pass a temporary ban on the use of dicamba-based herbicides. The move comes after the board failed to pass the vote Tuesday because of a procedural error. The board did limit the use of dicamba to hooded sprayers and requires a one mile downwind buffer. Arkansas has received more than 130 complaints from farmers who say their crops were damaged by dicamba that drifted into their fields from neighboring fields. Despite eight board members voting for the ban and six voting against the ban, the board was not sure whether or not it needed nine votes to pass the measure, but that requirement of nine votes is now being questioned. So, the board will meet again on Friday to reconsider the temporary ban that must receive approval from the state’s governor before going into effect. Arkansas already banned Monsanto’s Xtendimax dicamba formulations in January, but gave a green light to BASF’s Engenia product line for the 2017 crop season.

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Nebraska Delegation Traveling to Canada Over Trade

Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts will lead a trade mission to Canada in August to “say thank you” to the state’s number one trading partner. The trip will come just before official renegotiations can begin on the North American Free Trade Agreement. Ricketts says “we think NAFTA is working very well for Nebraska. The Lincoln Journal Star says Canada is Nebraska's fourth-largest agricultural export market, with ag exports in 2016 estimated at $468 million. The largest share of that market came in the form of beef and pork. Ricketts will make stops in Toronto and Ottawa on his trip that follows similar travels to Japan, China and Europe.

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China Plans Bird Flu Vaccine for Poultry

China will begin vaccinating poultry next month against the H7N9 avian influenza virus which has claimed hundreds of lives and caused major damage to the nation's poultry industry. Reuters says the program will kick off in early July and targets all species including broiler chickens, ducks, geese and laying hens. The managing director of the China Poultry Association says "in the near-term, it's a good thing" but adds that “In the long run, vaccination does not help the eradication of the disease." H7N9 first emerged in China in 2013, but human cases increased last winter, claiming at least 268 lives since October, and mostly during the first few months of this year. While the virus initially had little impact on birds, the high number of human cases led authorities to shut down live poultry markets around the country, hitting demand for eggs and the native yellow-feather chickens, commonly sold in such marketplaces.

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