7 years, 2 months ago AFBF, USDA, Jim Dewey
The Transportation and Infrastructure Committees in the U.S. House and Senate are prepping for a busy year as the President is readying a push against the nation’s “failing infrastructure.”
The American Society of Civil Engineers says the U.S. transportation system, wastewater and drinking water infrastructure, schools and the energy grid need improvements, estimated at $3.6 trillion.
President Trump has said he will propose a massive infrastructure improvement plan for the U.S. that could total up to $1 trillion. In a recent House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing, Cargill and Vermeer represented the agriculture sector.
For agriculture, top transportation priorities include updating the nation’s waterways transportation system, and ensuring viable road and rail transport of agricultural commodities and inputs.
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The Donald Trump administration is expected to make an announcement soon regarding taxes and possible reforms.
While little details were available, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer last week said the administration would make a tax-related announcement this month.
Talks regarding a tax plan by President Trump are apparently coming along well, and Trump indicated an announcement would be coming “over the next two or three weeks.”
Tax reform is a top priority for some in agriculture, including the American Farm Bureau Federation.
AFBF see’s lowering tax rates in a way that doesn’t result in a tax increase, and eliminating the estate tax as critical tax reforms needed for farmers.
Trump has said he wants to cut the corporate tax rate to 15 or 20 percent, according to Politico, and he has threatened a 35 percent tax on businesses that go overseas.
It’s unclear, however, what specifically the president was alluding to or how reliable his timeline is.
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South Korea last week raised the nation's foot-and-mouth disease alert status to its highest level, as a second strain of the disease was confirmed at a dairy farm.
South Korea also announced plans to vaccinate all cattle in the nation against FMD.
The first confirmed FMD case in South Korea in more than a year was confirmed last week, and two other FMD confirmations followed, prompting the alert status and vaccination announcement.
South Korea, Asia's fourth-largest economy, last raised the country's foot-and-mouth disease alert status to the highest level in 2010 when the country grappled with its worst-ever FMD outbreak, according to Reuters.
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We have seen a strong start in soybean exports this year - but will that continue? Rod Bain takes a look.
