U.S. Ag Secretary Perdue Visits Canada

From the USDA:

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue is in Canada today making his first international trip as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.

“The bilateral U.S.-Canada relationship is important to the prosperity of both of our countries and I look forward to strengthening this bond with our neighbors to the north moving forward,” said Perdue. 

Perdue will meet with Canadian Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Lawrence MacAulay and other Canadian officials in Toronto to discuss priority agricultural issues regarding Canada and the United States.   

In addition, Perdue will participate in the 10^th anniversary conference of the Southeastern United States-Canadian Provinces Alliance (SEUS-CP), of which he was a founding member while serving as Governor of Georgia.  At a downtown Toronto restaurant, he will also kick off what will be a two-week-long event showcasing U.S. foods and beverages.

As two of the world’s largest agricultural producers with a shared border, Canada and the United States are key markets for each other’s agricultural products. 

In 2016, the United States exported $20.2 billion of agricultural products to Canada, making it our second-largest agricultural export market, while Canada exported $21 billion of agricultural products to the United States.

Trade Concerns Surround Trump's Wall, Immigration Plans

Interesting story on President Trump's immigration ban and Mexico wall and how they might affect agriculture.

Go to http://newsok.com/trade-concerns-surrounding-trumps-wall-hit-agriculture-prices/article/5535913 to check out the story.

Farm Groups Bristle as Trump Leaves TPP

Go to http://www.agweb.com/article/farm-groups-bristle-as-trump-kills-tpp-negotiations-naa-ben-potter/ to read the story on Agweb.com

How Will Renegotiated NAFTA Affect Farmers?

Go to http://www.whec.com/news/nafta-changes-local-farms/4378834/ this link to read about it.

Trump's Tough Talk on China Could Hurt U.S. Agriculture

Find the story http://www.cnbc.com/2016/11/18/trumps-tough-talk-on-china-risks-impacting-agriculture-and-food-trade.html at this link.

New York, Canada Continue Dairy Talks

From Empire Farm & Dairy magazine

By JIM KRENCIK
JKRENCIK@BATAVIANEWS.COM
 
ALBANY — A confrontation over Canadian efforts to restrict New York-originated dairy products from a vital market remains at the forefront of dairy industry concerns and discussions between governments.
 
Dairy industry officials said Nov. 1 they are hopeful after the latest round of support from the state government will strengthen their position, but no resolution has been raised that would quell fears that a significant portion of the market is threatened.
 
Industry interest in Canadian policies has been heightened by the enactment of provincial regulations earlier this year which favored Ontario producers over their New York counterparts in supplying ultra-filtered milk.
 
The product, a protein-rich skim milk variety, is primarily used in cheese and yogurt production, and had enjoyed a duty-free status, but now faces increased costs to benefit Ontario dairies.
 
The proposed National Ingredient Strategy would expand the import limitations across Canada, despite claims that it violates existing trade agreements like NAFTA.
 
“At a time when low milk prices are threatening the viability of some family farms, any step by Canadian leaders to unfairly restrict the flow of milk into the Ontario province and beyond will have detrimental impacts on farmers and the overall farm economy,” said Dean Norton of Elba, the New York Farm Bureau’s president.
 
Industry officials pegged Canadian protectionism as risking an end market for more than 180 millions of pounds of milk. That’s roughly 20 percent of sales, O-AT-KA Milk Products Board Chairman John Gould said.
 
“Canada continually attempts to erect trade barriers where there should be none,” Gould said, noting his business reflects the “efforts, investment and hopes” of hundreds of dairy farmers and workers at the Batavia milk plant.
 
More than half of the state’s agricultural imports come from dairy products and components, with Canada the largest trading partner. But trade cooperation goes beyond milk, and far beyond agriculture. 

State Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard A. Ball said that message was firmly made at meetings marking the 25th anniversary of Tri-National Agricultural Accord, held in Niagara Falls, Ontario.
 
“It was very much implied that trade is about doing business with one another, that the goal of the Accord is to do more trade, not less. Free and open trade, and to try to stop countries from protecting unfairly a sector,” Ball said. “The tri-lateral accord can deal with trade irritants, but we made the case that for New York and the United States, this is something that rises above the level of an irritant.”
 
Ball said support for the state’s position was echoed by other dairy-heavy states like Wisconsin and Vermont, those without a strong dairy connection, and even the Mexican representatives — who are concerned that subsidized Canadian milk could flood their production markets.
 
“We’ve stood our ground ... very seriously and in a decent way, and they heard the message,” Ball said.
 
NYFB spokesman Steve Ammerman said the national American Farm Bureau Federation, headed by President Zippy Duvall, has also met with Canadian representatives.
 
“The word our president received is that this is a provincial, but not a national issue, but there was no promise it won’t spread to other provinces,” said Ammerman, who noted the importance to keep applying pressure on the Canadians. “Talks are going on at every level ... we’re hopeful they will reverse course, but that hasn’t happened at this point.”
 
New York will explore all options available to ensure the dairy industry has fair access to the Canadian export market, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in announcing his opposition to the proposed regulations. In a letter to Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau, Cuomo urged the Canadian government to develop a mutually beneficial national agreement.
 
While intentions are in concert, the industry is uncertain about the result. A conclusion to the issue is difficult to speculate, O-AT-KA Milk Products CEO Bill Schreiber said, as there’s been no clear change in Canadian mindsets and no announced changes to the programs under consideration.
 
“What I can say with certainty is that members of the dairy industry, organizations representing the dairy industry and members of government at every level have gotten behind this effort, to get Canada to play by the rules,” Schreiber said. “We’re hopeful, and grateful for their support.”
 
The impact of the negotiations will weigh on the industry’s support for other trade deals.
 
“I question if we, as a New York cooperative, should give our support to the passage of the Trans-Pacific Partnership if we cannot trust the Canadian government to comply with its past agreements,” said Upstate Niagara Cooperative CEO Larry Webster, who added that Trudeau’s response “should answer that question.”
 
Speaking with the Canadian representatives, Ball said he pointed to the support the dairy industry had offered in the past. When the U.S. lost a World Trade Organization ruling over County of Origin Labeling, it was dairy farmers that went to Washington to find a solution. They are the same farmers the latest issue will harm the most.
 
“We need to work together, not against each other,” Ball said.

New York Farm Bureau Lists National Priorities for 2016

From New York Farm Bureau:

New York Farm Bureau leaders met with members of New York’s congressional delegation this week in Washington, DC to discuss the organization’s member-approved national public policy priorities for 2016.

Following the visits, New York Farm Bureau President Dean Norton and Elizabeth Wolters, NYFB’s associate director of national affairs, held a press conference call with reporters this morning to publicly unveil the priorities. 

The priorities are:


GMO LABELING

New York’s visit was timely with next week’s expected markup of Sen. Pat Robert’s bill that would establish national standards for the labeling of products that contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs). 

GMO labeling is an important issue in New York state as a proposed bill looks to create a statewide label for ingredients created with the assistance of biotechnology. This disregards the clear scientific evidence that shows the food is just as safe and nutritious as ingredients bred using more traditional methods. 

New York Farm Bureau opposes a statewide approach because it would create a patchwork of labeling laws that would prove costly for New York farmers and consumers alike.  Because of the concern, New York Farm Bureau is supportive of Sen. Robert’s bill.

The chairman’s proposal is centered on a strong foundation to protect interstate commerce and prevent state-by-state labeling laws. It will direct USDA to initiate formal rulemaking to set definitions and standards for the labeling of products that may contain ingredients derived from agricultural biotechnology. The bill also contains an educational component to inform consumers about the safety of GMOs.

REGULATIONS

New York Farm Bureau has long been in opposition to proposed changes to the Clean Water Act that members believe broaden the jurisdiction from navigable waters to also including dry land. 

The new “Waters of the U.S.” rule will vastly increase the scope of the Clean Water Act and put an undue burden and more regulatory control on farmers and their land with no benefit to the environment.

Both houses of Congress voted in a bipartisan fashion to repeal the rule. Unfortunately, the President vetoed the measure. 

That doesn’t mean this issue is settled.  The Sixth Circuit Court has issued a stay based on legal concerns. While it works its way through the legal system, New York Farm Bureau will continue to work with Congress to find a solution on the matter along with advocating for more comprehensive regulatory reform.

New York Farm Bureau also was successful this year at the American Farm Bureau Federation national meeting in Orlando, FL to pass a resolution in the national policy book related to the Natural Resources Conservation Service.   

New York Farm Bureau supports allowing third party accredited individuals as well as Natural Resources Conservation Service staff to complete wetland determinations. This will help to reduce the amount of time farmers have to wait to have a determination completed. Currently, the delays of up to a year hinder what farmers can do with their land.

IMMIGRATION REFORM

New York Farm Bureau has long been saying we need a stable workforce on our farms or else the rural economy and our local food supply will ultimately suffer. 

Despite the political climate in Washington and the current presidential campaign, immigration reform remains a top priority for New York Farm Bureau. It is time to end the immigration stalemate and pass reform legislation that addresses short and long-term farm labor needs.
Because of the unlikelihood of that happening in 2016, New York Farm Bureau is changing its focus this year to look for reforming the H2A seasonal guest worker program. This includes modernizing the application process to use electronic submissions as opposed to the current paper applications that must be mailed to the U.S. Department of Labor. 

In addition, New York Farm Bureau is looking for opportunities to open up the H2A program to dairy farmers who need help year round.

Until this is completed, New York Farm Bureau will work with Congress to minimize negative impacts of farm labor shortages and will oppose a mandatory E-Verify program unless and until a new comprehensive agricultural guest-worker program is in place to provide farmers with workforce security.

FOOD SAFETY RULES

Food safety is another top priority for New York Farm Bureau. The FDA is in the process of implementing new food safety rules as part of the Food Safety Modernization Act and New York Farm Bureau is monitoring the implementation, particularly those dealing with produce and animal feed, and will be working with the FDA to balance the compliance burden with an actual public health benefit.

Federal money should also be used to provide adequate training of inspectors and provide for inspections for foreign farms. The United States must ensure foreign farms and the goods that they produce are held to the same standards so as not to make domestic farms non-competitive and offshore our food production. 

If we are to be able to compete on the world market place, our farmers’ hands cannot be tied by our own rules and food should be safe regardless of where it comes from. 

TRADE

With a growing export market for a number of things that we produce in New York, New York Farm Bureau will continue to support the next generation of trade negotiations that remove unscientific barriers and high tariffs and provide new opportunities for our farms. 

This includes the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership  agreement with the European Union.

The Pacific agreement is expected to increase cash receipts and net exports from New York by $111.4 million and $66.2 million per year, respectively. It is estimated the increased marketing opportunities for New York’s farmers and ranchers will add more than 500 jobs to the New York economy.

How Will the Trans-Pacific Parntership Affect Agriculture?

A story from FarmFutures about the Trans-Pacific Partnership's effect on agriculture.

Go to http://farmfutures.com/blogs-how-tpp-impacts-agriculture-10276 to see the story. 

New York Farm Bureau Lists its National Agenda

While in Washington, DC meeting with members of the state’s congressional delegation, New York Farm Bureau released its national public policy priorities for the year. 

The agenda originated at the grassroots level and is member approved.

IMMIGRATION REFORM

Immigration reform remains a top priority for the state’s farmers and their employees. NYFB has long pushed for a flexible guest-worker visa program that addresses both seasonal and long-term needs of New York agriculture.  

There is of special concern as the House of Representatives is looking to move ahead with an enforcement only action that American Farm Bureau Federation estimates could cost the country’s farmers as much as $60 billion and raise food prices by 5 percent to 6 percent. New York Farm Bureau is calling for a comprehensive approach to immigration reform that also takes agricultural labor needs into account.

“We need a stable workforce on our farms that benefits the rural economy and the local food supply,” said NYFB President Dean Norton during the conference call with reporters. “It must be comprehensive. Enforcement-only reforms put the chicken before the egg so to speak. They all need to go together.”

FOOD SAFETY

The implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is also a public policy priority. New York’s farmers already participate in a host of food safety programs and audits, but the Food and Drug Administration is instituting new food safety rules. 

This past year NYFB submitted comments to the FDA over its planned rollout of FSMA.  NYFB is pleased many of the concerns were addressed relating to proposed requirements for animal feed and the commodity value threshold that would trigger the new regulations on an individual farm. 

However, there are additional changes that NYFB would like to see before the rules take effect. This includes reworking the unscientific standards FDA has established for irrigation water.  The organization will continue to work with the FDA and fellow stakeholders so the final rules address the real risks that exist and can be successfully implemented on our farms. In the end, both public health and agriculture will benefit.

CLEAN WATER ACT EXPANSION

New York Farm Bureau has long been in opposition to proposed changes to the Clean Water Act that it believe broadens the jurisdiction from navigable waters to dry land. This month farmers had a partial victory in their campaign when the Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers withdrew their interpretive rule as mandated by both Congress and the President.  

Contrary to what the agencies had claimed, the farm exemptions provided in the Interpretive Rule actually narrowed “normal farming and ranching” exemptions by imposing burdensome new requirements for farmers and ranchers.

NYFB will continue to advocate for the repeal of the full rule through Congressional action to stop the EPA and the Army Corps from expanding federal jurisdiction onto New York farms.

FARM BILL IMPLEMENTATION

NYFB has been closely monitoring the USDA’s rollout of the 2014 Farm Bill. It is imperative the new programs and expanded crop insurance follow the intent of the law that was passed.

Nearly half of the dairy farms in New York state have signed up for the new Margin Protection Program. This will offer a safety net should dropping milk prices fall below a selected margin, which is the gap between the price of milk and the cost of feed. Over the past few months, lower milk prices have underscored the need for effective risk management.   

NYFB will work with lawmakers to insure that it is meeting the needs as it was intended.

The organization will also review the development of new and enhanced programs for specialty crops, including the NAP buy-up crop insurance program.

TRADE

With a growing export market for a number of things that farmers produce in New York, New York Farm Bureau will continue to support the next generation of trade negotiations that remove unscientific barriers and high tariffs and provide new opportunities for our farms.

This includes renewing the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA). It is imperative that the White House and Congress be on the same page during trade negotiations.  Swift passage in Congress without additional individual member amendments to already negotiated pacts is essential to having successful trade policy.

NYFB also will continue to oppose limitations based on the use of geographic indicators. New York is a big dairy producing state, but if farms and cooperatives can’t market cheeses based on how they are known around the world, like parmesan for instance, this will put New York products at a serious competitive disadvantage.

LOCAL FOOD AND SCHOOL PROGRAMS

NYFB’s final top priority will be to support additional funding for school and local food purchasing programs, food infrastructure initiatives and food-based entrepreneurship programs.  

Funding for these was allocated in the Farm Bill and it serves many important needs. For one, it connects farmers with those who often have limited access to healthy food, including children and seniors in low income communities or urban food deserts. 

Not only do these programs put food on the table but they also support local farms in New York. 

This priority also includes efforts to increase farmer food donations. Last year, New York’s farmers donated a record amount of food, more than 10 million pounds, to regional food banks across the state. NYFB would like to see that climb even higher.

Its members support the Fighting Hunger Incentive Tax Act that would help offset the costs of harvesting, packaging and transporting the food to the donation site. Corporations, like big box stores, receive a similar tax credit for food donations, and they are not the ones actually growing the food.

“We want to encourage greater donations and provide an important source of fresh, local food for low-income New Yorkers who may not have access to this food otherwise,’ said Elizabeth Wolters, NYFB’s associate director of national affairs. “It’s a win-win for our communities and our farms.”

“New York agriculture is a large part of the state’s economy. Over $5 billion in direct farm receipts and more than 200,000 jobs are created by agriculture," said farm bureau President Norton. "These issues are important to us as we strive to move the economy forward. We look forward to working with our congressional representatives to make sure that happens for us on the national level.”

Farm Bill Needed for Ag Exports and Trade

Weekly column from Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack:

Over the course of 2013, we’ve seen yet another banner year for U.S. agricultural exports.

Exports of U.S. farm and ranch products reached a record $140.9 billion in 2013 and supported about a million U.S. jobs. In fact, compared to the previous five-year period from 2004-2008, U.S. agricultural exports from 2009-2013 increased by a total of nearly $230 billion.

All told, the past five years represent the strongest five-year period in our nation’s history for agricultural exports.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has focused on two key factors in recent years to help make this success possible. First, an unprecedented effort by USDA and our Federal partners to expand and grow markets around the world. Second, a commitment to make sure our farmers and ranchers have the tools to grow more, even in the face of uncertainty.

Thanks to the Farm Bill, particularly the Foreign Market Development Program and Market Access Program, USDA has been able to work with hundreds of U.S. businesses since 2009 to expand trade. We have led more than 150 U.S. agribusinesses on agricultural trade missions and helped more than 1,000 U.S. companies and organizations promote their wares at trade shows around the world.

Together, these trade promotion programs yield $35 in economic benefits for every dollar invested. Unfortunately, without a new Farm Bill, these programs can’t continue.

The trade promotion programs complement USDA efforts with our Federal partners to expand trade agreements and break down unfair barriers to trade. In the past five years, the Obama Administration has challenged more than 750 sanitary and phytosanitary trade barriers, compared to less than 400 such challenges in the previous five-year period. 

We’ve also helped achieve new trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea, along with equivalency agreements for organic products to Canada, the European Union and Japan.

But the Farm Bill stands at the heart of our trade promotion effort, and companies across the nation need a renewed commitment to agricultural trade promotion that only a new Farm Bill can provide.

As we have undertaken record efforts to promote U.S. trade, we’re also hard at work here at home to help America’s farmers and ranchers increase their productivity.

Since 2009, USDA has provided a record number of farm loans – more than 159,000 – to help farmers get started and keep growing. Additionally, using Farm Bill programs that have since expired, we stepped in to help hundreds of thousands of producers facing disaster. 

So, in addition to the many trade-related benefits of the Farm Bill, USDA is awaiting passage of this legislation to continue helping farmers and ranchers grow the food needed to drive exports even higher.  

A new Farm Bill would continue assistance to farm businesses through loans and loan guarantees, while also reauthorizing disaster assistance programs and providing retroactive help to livestock producers who have been hit particularly hard in the past two years.

American agriculture has been an economic success story in recent years – growing more despite adversity, sending more food around the world and creating more jobs here at home. There is even more success ahead, but we need a new Farm Bill as soon as possible to keep this record momentum going.

Agriculture Trade Outlook Could Be New Record

Here is a release from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and a statement from Ag Secretary Thomas Vilsack:

The USDA released its fourth Outlook for U.S. Agriculture Trade in fiscal year 2013 today.

USDA projects $139.5 billion in agricultural exports in FY 2013, which if realized would be a new record. Since 2009, U.S. agricultural exports have climbed from $96.3 billion in 2009 to the most-recent forecast of $139.5 billion.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack made the following statement:

"Today's report is promising news that keeps American agriculture on track to continue the strongest period of exports in our nation's history. Agricultural exports are an important part of our economy, supporting more than one million jobs - and as a part of President Obama's National Export Initiative to double U.S. exports by the end of 2014, USDA has worked hard to open new markets for quality U.S. agricultural products. 

We've helped achieve new trade agreements with countries around the world, helped organic producers export more products through new equivalency agreements, broken down hundreds of unfair barriers to trade, and utilized trade promotion programs that have helped more than 1,000 U.S. businesses and organizations promote agricultural products abroad.

Today, we're looking ahead to the next big achievements -- particularly a Trans-Pacific Partnership with Asian nations, and a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership with the European Union.

We must continue working to strengthen markets and opportunity in American agriculture. That's one reason why it is important that Congress achieve passage of a comprehensive Food, Farm and Jobs Bill as soon as possible. Trade promotion efforts provided by the current Farm Bill have been extremely valuable for U.S. producers.

A long-term Food, Farm and Jobs Bill would continue these programs, enabling USDA to keep working with producers and businesses to promote their quality products around the world. This is an important step to further increase agricultural exports from the United States and create more good jobs here at home.

As we continue our efforts to strengthen agricultural trade, USDA will keep working hard to help Congress pass a multiyear, comprehensive bill as soon as possible."