Agriculture groups unite to end Cuban embargo

Prominent U.S. food and agriculture associations and companies, including the National Chicken Council and National Turkey Federation, announced the formation of a coalition that seeks to advance trade relations between the United States and Cuba by ending the embargo policy. The U.S. Agriculture Coalition for Cuba (USACC) is supported by more than 30 agricultural organizations and companies committed to and united around the opportunity presented by a deeper U.S.-Cuba relationship.
"The historic policy changes announced by the president will take steps to make American farm and products more price competitive, which will expand choices for Cuban shoppers at the grocery store and create a new customer base for America's farmers and ranchers," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "The president and this administration look forward to engaging in an honest and serious debate about next steps in Cuba, and I have no doubt that the USACC will have an important role to play as these conversations continue and we expand our relationship with the Cuban people in the coming years."
The purpose of the USACC is to expand Cuba as a market for U.S. food and agriculture exports and address liberalizing trade between the United States and Cuba. The coalition will work to end the embargo and allow for open trade and investment.
"Changes to U.S. policy toward Cuba can support economic growth and well-being in both countries," said Devry Boughner Vorwerk, Cargill vice president and chair of the USACC. "Improvements in Cuba market access allows for U.S. farmers, ranchers and food companies to serve a nearby market and the Cuban people gain improved access to healthy and affordable food and feed."
Under current sanctions, U.S. food and agriculture companies can legally export to Cuba. However, financing and trade restrictions limit the ability of the U.S. industry to competitively serve the market. Increasingly, foreign competitors such as Canada, Brazil, and Argentina are able to win market share from the U.S. agriculture and food industry because those countries do not face the same restrictions on financing.
The USACC seeks to establish a more collaborative relationship with Cuban agricultural producers and support the import of food, beverages and other agricultural products produced in Cuba. Two-way trade is a critical step in advancing an efficient and globally competitive trade relationship.
Cuba is a logical market for U.S. food and agriculture exports with 11 million consuming citizens only 90 miles off the coast of the United States. Normalizing trade relations between the United States and Cuba will enhance Cuban citizens' access to affordable food while providing the U.S. farm and business community with new market access opportunities. Liberalized trade will drive growth in both countries and allow the U.S. farmers, ranchers and food companies to efficiently address Cuban citizens' food security needs.
USACC members include American Farm Bureau Federation, American Soybean Association, Corn Refiners Association, Illinois Cuba Working Group, Illinois Soybean Growers, Illinois Farm Bureau, International Dairy Foods Association, National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, National Association of Wheat Growers, National Barley Growers Association, National Chicken Council, National Corn Growers Association, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, National Farmers Union, National Grain and Feed Association, National Milk Producers Federation, National Oilseed Processors Association, National Sorghum Producers, National Turkey Federation, North American Export Grain Association, North American Meat Institute, Soyfoods Association of North America, US Canola Association, US Dairy Export Council, US Dry Bean Council, US Soybean Export Council, US Wheat Associates, USA Rice Federation, Smithfield Foods, Chicago Foods International, Cargill and CoBank.

Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board appoints four new members

The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board has appointed four new members to the HGCA Board. Robert Lasseter, Paul Temple, George Lawrie and Charles Matts will take their posts on April 1, 2013. They replace outgoing grower board members Arthur Hill, Rad Thomas, Stewart Vernon and Colin West.
Jonathan Tipples, HGCA chairman, said: “I am delighted to welcome Paul, Robert, George and Charles onto the Board and look forward to working with them in the future. It was a very difficult selection process due to the high calibre of applicants, which is testament to the value the industry places on our work.”
Robert Lasseter farms 160 hectares in Dorset, running a four-year rotation of winter wheat, spring barley, winter barley and oilseed rape as well as breeding Freedom Food finished pigs. He is a Nuffield scholar and is actively involved with the National Farmers Union, where he currently sits on the national crops board and has previously served as regional board chairman and on the governance board. He is a non-executive director at Wessex Grain.
Paul Temple farms 312 hectares in partnership on the East Yorkshire Wolds, producing cereals for seed, oilseed rape, vegetables and beef. The farm has participated in the GM Field Scale Evaluation trials and is part of the Higher Level Stewardship scheme. Paul is a past vice president for the National Farmers Union, chairman of the COPA COGECA Cereals, Oilseeds & Protein Group and founder of the European Biotech Forum. He currently sits on the National Non Food Crops Centre Board.
George Lawrie grows spring barley for seed in partnership with his brother on their family farm in Kinross, Perthshire. He has worked extensively with the NFU Scotland, where he is treasurer, past chair of the Land Use and Environment Committee and also represents NFU Scotland on HGCA’s Research and Knowledge Transfer Committee. He is chairman of Scottish Agronomy, a co-op based in East Scotland that provides trials and advice to members, who farm around 50,000 hectares of cereals and potatoes.
Charles Matts farms in a family partnership on 630 acres in Northamptonshire, mainly growing arable crops alongside sheep on a permanent pasture. He is managing director of the Brixworth Farming Company, a farm management company responsible for 6,500 acres of combinable crops and founder of the Joint Venture Farming Group. Charles is Chairman of the NFU Mutual Midlands Regional Advisory Board and a member of the Agricultural Land Tribunal.

Former agriculture secretary leaving public office

U.S. Sen. Mike Johanns, R-Neb., has said that he will not seek re-election in 2014.
The Senate Agriculture Committee member said he wants a "quieter time" to focus on his family following a busy political career. Prior to joining the U.S. Senate, he served as his state’s governor and as President George W. Bush's agriculture secretary.
Johanns, 62, announced that he was retiring from the Senate after one term. He said he and his wife, Stephanie, had decided that the time had come to end a public career that has spanned more than half of his life. Stephanie Johanns is a former state legislator. Between the two of them, they held eight different offices over the course of 32 years.
Johanns is the second Senate Agriculture Committee member opting not to seek re-election. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, made a similar announcement in January.

AFIA supports delay of reform act swap-related provision

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission's proposed order to grant temporary relief of implementation dates for two categories of Title VII of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform & Consumer Protection Act has gained the support of the American Feed Industry Association.
The extension specifically relates to rulemaking that includes the definition of a swap, swap dealer and other swap related terms, which are in process. This proposed action will delay the swap-related provisions of the law, which are scheduled to go into effect on July 16, until Dec. 31 or earlier. “We feel this is a prudent move on the part of the CFTC to enable completion of the implementation process in an orderly way and to ensure current practices for bona fide hedgers and end-users of agricultural commodities are not unduly disrupted during the transition," said AFIA’s president and CEO Joel G. Newman.
Agriculture commodity markets were established to provide an efficient price discovery mechanism and a hedging/risk management tool for producers and end users, said AFIA. It is critical in this rulemaking and implementation process that bona fide end users and hedgers of agricultural commodities do not lose the efficient use of this important tool and that they are not subject to additional costs or burdensome regulations.

EU agriculture producers oppose Mercosur trade agreement

A Mercosur trade agreement could have a detrimental effect on the agriculture in the European Union, according to EU producers.
The Committee of Agricultural Organizations and Cooperatives in Europe, Copa-Cogeca, and industry representatives presented data on the effect of a potential alliance with the Latin American bloc. Gerd Sonnleitner, president of Copa-Cogeca, said losses for the European agricultural sector would amount to €13 billion (US$18.7 billion), which would impact employment in rural areas of the EU. In addition, since the Latin American bloc is already exporting over its quota, there is no need for additional concessions to increase trade. "If an agreement is reached, the EU would be dependent on an external source to satisfy their food security and therefore would be exposed to weather conditions or political decisions of these countries," said Sonnleitner.
Mercosur currently provides 86% of cattle imports, 70% of poultry meat purchases and 50% of the European demand for vegetable protein.

EPA's rule for numeric nutrient criteria may cost US farmers up to $1.1 billion by 2040

The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) has opposed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s rule to establish numeric nutrient criteria for nitrogen and phosphorus for waters in the state of Florida. Estimates indicate that the rule will cost U.S. farmers between $272 million and $1.1 billion by 2040.
“This rule has an enormous cost and little benefit and we are urging EPA to reconsider this action,” said TFI President Ford West. “We advocate smart and targeted policies that address water quality without placing an undue economic burden on farmers and the industries that support them.”
The rule goes into effect 15 months after publication, but the site-specific alternative criteria process will begin in 60 days. “While TFI appreciates the EPA’s efforts to remedy some of the arbitrary effects of its rule by delaying implementation, the fact remains that, with 12% unemployment and job recovery uncertain, this rule is a threat to many sectors of Florida’s economy, including the fertilizer industry,” said West.

USDA to re-establish APAC, ATACs committees to provide advice on agricultural trade policies, priorities

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accepting nominations to re-establish the Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee for Trade (APAC) and six different Agricultural Technical Advisory Committees for Trade (ATACs).
The USDA and the U.S. Trade Representative rely on these committees, originally established by Congress in 1974, to provide advice on U.S. trade policy and priorities. The APAC submits advice on agricultural trade policy objectives and positions with regards to trade agreements and other trade matters. The ATACs focus on specific commodities: animals and animal products; fruits and vegetables; grains, feeds, oilseeds and planting seeds; processed foods; sweeteners and sweeteners products; and tobacco, cotton and peanuts.
Member nominations must be received by 5:00 p.m. on Dec. 17, 2010.

Informa Economics announces 2010 policy conference

Sen. Mike Johanns, R-Neb., will provide the keynote address at the Informa Economics 18th Annual Food and Agriculture Policy Conference, to be held April 22-23 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Va.
Ambassador Isi Siddiqui, the chief agricultural negotiator at the U.S. Trade Representative's office, will also speak at the conference. The event, titled “Beyond the Farm Bill: Agriculture’s New Challenges,” is co-sponsored by Deere & Co., Monsanto and Syngenta.
The conference will focus on the policy concerns and economic prospects for the sector, including renewable fuels policies and the administration’s new anti-trust efforts. The first day will conclude with a panel discussion of farm politics, the Administration’s first year and a look ahead.
Day two will focus on the outlook for agricultural trade, a discussion of future productivity growth, and expectations for new food safety legislation. It will conclude with a special guest speaker sponsored by Monsanto, Jennifer Duffy, editor of the Cook Political Report, who will discuss possible outcomes of the fall elections.
Pre-conference warm up speakers include Informa Economics Executive Vice President Rick Andersen and Informa Senior Vice President Jim Sullivan, who will present the company's latest livestock and grain-oilseed market outlooks.