All Ag News

“U.S. and Mexico at Odds Over Trucking Issue” Mexico continues to charge the United States with NAFTA “takebacks” after the U.S. terminated a cross-border trucking pilot program through the FY 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act.  In retaliation, Mexico imposed tariffs on a number of U.S. goods (see the list here: http://www.drinkerbiddle.com/files/upload/Mexico_Retaliatory.pdf).  About 40 members of Congress [...]

“Cuba Trade Bill Receives Support” The American Soybean Association and the National Corn Growers Association both are backing legislation introduced by House Ag Committee Chairman Collin Peterson that would expand U.S. agriculture exports to Cuba. The bill would accomplish its goals by expanding one-way trade and lifting current travel restrictions with Cuba. ASA President Rob [...]

“EPA Moves to Control Green House Gases” EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson has laid out the timetable for regulating greenhouse gas emissions. Writing in a letter to lawmakers, Jackson said she plans to start targeting large facilities such as power plants next year but won’t target small emitters before 2016. Jackson pledged that any regulation of [...]

“Supreme Court Decision Tightens Pesticide Regulation” The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to re-open the case of the National Cotton Council (NCC) vs. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). NCC Chairman Eddie Smith (grower from Floydada, TX) said the Court’s decision to not review the case “…creates  an uncertain regulatory future for the application of agricultural crop [...]

“U.S. Wind Energy Potential Barely Tapped” An analysis from the National Renewable Energy laboratory shows that onshore U.S. wind resources could generate more than nine times current total U.S. electricity consumption. That’s nearly 37-million gigawatt-hours. Current U.S. wind installed capacity is 35 GW and there is currently 158 GW installed world-wide. The latest U.S. estimate [...]

“2010 GlyTol Release Delayed” Due to a delay in Japan, Bayer CropScience has delayed their much-anticipated launch of the GlyTol cotton technology in the United States.  Paul Callaghan, Global Cotton Traits Manager for Bayer made the announcement on Thursday morning at the 2010 Southwest Cotton Technology Seminar in San Antonio, Texas.  Speaking to All Ag, [...]

“Mayers Resigns From Cotton Board Post” Drayton Mayers, CEO of the Cotton Board, resigned his post somewhat abrubtly on Wednesday afternoon. Details are sketchy but according to a Cotton Board press release, Mayers “…tendered his resignation to me in a letter” said Larkin Martin, Chairman of the Cotton Board and a Alabama cotton farmer. “I [...]

“ERS Forecasts Released by USDA” The USDA Economic Research Service projects that net farm income for U.S. producers will be up 11.8 percent this year from 2009.  That’s an upward move of 6.7-billion dollars to 63 billion. Still, that forecast is 1.4-billion below net farm income earned during the previous 10 years.  Net cash income [...]

“U.S. Grains Council Annual Meeting Continues” The 7th Annual International Marketing Conference and 50th Annual Membership Meeting of the U.S. Grains Council continues today in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. On the agenda is the General Session – which features the viewing of an America’s Heartland video, the Chairman’s Address with Rick Fruth, a review of Market [...]

“Guest Worker Program Rules Posted” Under changes published by the U.S. Labor Department, companies that seek H-2A visas for ag workers will have to provide documented evidence that they have looked for qualified U.S. citizens to fill the jobs. Previously, they only had to indicate they had looked for qualified workers. The rule will be [...]