Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue had the opportunity to give his opinion about the EPA granting numerous Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) waivers to refiners during a Senate Agricultural Appropriations subcommittee hearing on Wednesday. While the purpose of the hearing was to review USDA’s FY2019 budget request, Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) brought up the RFS waiver issue and pointed out that he …
Western Equipment Dealers Association Acquires Friend Management Systems™
Combination Adds to Offerings of WEDA Business Management Services to the Equipment Dealer Industry (April 11, 2017 – Kansas City, MO) Western Equipment Dealers Association announced today that it is acquiring Friend Management Systems™ in a transaction pairing two leading providers of management consulting and professional development programs and services for equipment dealers. Friend Management Systems™ is a Canadian-based management …
Power Up with #NAMA18
The 2018 National Agri-Marketing Conference is back in Kansas City April 11-13, with the theme “Power Up.” The National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) is the nation’s largest association for marketing and agribusiness professionals and this annual event features industry awards, educational sessions, and the Connection Point trade show. This virtual ag newsroom includes links to photos and audio content available free …
Legislative Tax Victories for Oklahoma Equipment Dealers
Comments from Western Equipment Dealers Association (WEDA) Vice President of Government Affairs Eric Wareham (April 10, 2018 – Kansas City, Missouri) The 2018 Oklahoma state legislature has seen several bills this session that seek to increase revenue by making tax policy changes that would impact the agriculture industry at an already difficult time, and the Western Equipment Dealers Association (WEDA) …
ZimmCast on International Travel and #NAMA18
This episode of the ZimmCast features a preview of the National Agri-Marketing Conference from this year’s chair Jenna Oesch, Global Marketing Lead & Customer Experience Council Lead, Monsanto Company, Vegetable Seeds Division. Also, Jamie Johansen talks about her trip around the world, first to Ireland with Alltech and KEENAN, followed by a week in Indonesia with the U.S. Soybean Export …
Ethanol Report on EPA Small Refinery Waivers
Outrage is growing this week over revelations that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been granting Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) compliance exemptions to dozens of oil refineries. Combined with the approval of the Philadelphia Energy Solutions bankruptcy agreement and the agency’s refusal to enforce the 2016 RFS requirements as remanded by the courts, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) is saying …
Growth Energy Comments on Recent EPA Actions
With the scandal over the Environmental Protection Agency granting numerous small refinery hardship waivers growing, Growth Energy has sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt demanding a moratorium on waivers being issued. In this edition of the Growth Energy Driving Ethanol podcast, CEO Emily Skor comments on this, as well as objections to the Philadelphia Energy …
Nebraska Water for Food at 8th World Water Forum in Brazil
The 8th World Water Forum, held in Brazil last month, drew more than 20,000 participants from 170 countries to focus on the challenges and solutions to ensuring water security around the world. The Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute at the University of Nebraska (DWFI) coordinated the Water for Food track of sessions with the Food and Agriculture …
China Adds Tariffs on Beef and Soybeans
More U.S. agricultural products are on the second list of retaliatory tariffs from China, including both soybeans and beef, of 25 percent. Kent Bacus, Director of International Trade and Market Access for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), calls the action unsettling but not surprising. “This is a battle between two governments, and the unfortunate casualties will be America’s cattlemen …
ASTA Pleased With USDA Decision on Gene Edited Plants
The American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) is pleased with the clarification made by USDA last week regarding oversight of plants produced through innovative new breeding techniques, including gene editing. “The (USDA) announcement really clarifies the practice they’ve had had ongoing for the last couple of years in that products created through gene editing don’t need to go through pre-market, regulatory …
American Lamb Board Establishes Goal of 2 Percent Demand Growth Yearly
The American Lamb Board (ALB) has approved a new long range plan for 2018-2022 to focus the work of the checkoff and its stakeholders in the areas of promotion, information and research over the next five years – and it boldly sets a demand growth goal. The strategic objective of the plan is to increase demand for American Lamb by …
Farmers Intend to Plant Less Corn and Soybeans in 2018
U.S. farmers are expected to plant more soybean acres than corn but overall intentions are down slightly from the record year in 2017, according to the Prospective Plantings report released today by the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Producers surveyed across the United States intend to plant an estimated 89.0 million acres of soybeans and 88.0 million acres of …
Remote Sensing Data for Agriculture
Earth Observing System (EOS), a Menlo Park based startup, announces the release of a unique cloud-based platform called EOS Crop Monitoring, which provides solutions for Input Suppliers, Farmers, Commodity Traders, Crop Insurance companies, and all members of the Agriculture supply-chain. EOS Crop Monitoring is the result of three years of extensive collaboration between EOS’ dedicated team of data scientists and …
ZimmCast 578 from Ag Week in DC
This podcast includes National Ag Day comments from Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, interviews with American Coalition for Ethanol CEO Brian Jennings, Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), and Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), and comments from the newly appointed chief ag negotiator for USTR, Gregg Doud. You can find lots more audio and photos from all of …
Scholar Farms Offers Masterclass for Drones
If you’ve got a drone and are looking for some lessons then you need to talk to Dr. Greg Crutsinger, Founder, Scholar Farms. You can listen to my conversation with him about his newly announced Phytomappers Pro Masterclass below. The course is available for $397 from www.ScholarFarms.com. Additionally, there is a free lesson available, “A Quick Start Guide to Plants …