Agriculture News
Canada, Japan Move Closer to CPTPP Ratification
International Centre for Trade and Susatinable Development | Posted on June 28, 2018Legislation to ratify the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is making its way through both the Canadian and Japanese legislatures, officials say, bringing the deal closer to entering into force. Earlier this month, Canadian international trade minister François-Philippe Champagne pledged that his government would work “expeditiously” to advance the ratification process, though the final passage of the legislation may not take place before autumn, according to comments reported in Canadian newspaper iPolitics. The 11 signatories of the CPTPP include Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam. They signed the deal in March during a ceremony in Chile. he CPTPP incorporates the original TPP agreement, pledging to slash tariffs on 95 percent of trade in goods, along with covering a host of trade topics, ranging from technical barriers to trade and sanitary and phytosanitary measures to competition policy and intellectual property rights. The renewed deal suspends a number of the TPP’s original provisions, especially from the chapter on intellectual property rights. A few other provisions were suspended in chapters such as environment, investment, and public procurement.
Why care about undocumented immigrants?
San Francisco Gate | Posted on June 28, 2018While the nation’s attention is currently focused on the southern border, what’s being forgotten is that millions of undocumented immigrants continue to live in the U.S. – and most of them work. And in fact, these workers play vital roles in the U.S. economy, erecting American buildings, picking American apples and grapes, and taking care of American babies. Oh, and paying American taxes. Pew Research Center estimates that about 11.3 million people are currently living in the U.S. without authorization, down from a peak of 12.2 million in 2007. More than half come from Mexico, and about 15 percent come from other parts Latin America. About 8 million of them have jobs, making up 5 percent of the U.S. workforce, figures that have remained more or less steady for the past decade. Their representation in particular industries is even more pronounced, and the Department of Agriculture estimates that about half of the nation’s farmworkers are unauthorized, while 15 percent of those in construction lack papers – more than the share of legal immigrants in either industry. In the service sector, which would include jobs such as fast food and domestic help, the figure is about 9 percent. Further studies show that the importance of this population of workers will only grow in coming years. For example, in 2014, unauthorized immigrants made up 24 percent of maids and cleaners, an occupation expected to need 112,000 more workers by 2024. In construction, the number of additional laborers needed is estimated at close to 150,000. And while only 4 percent of personal care and home health aides are undocumented, the U.S. will soon require more than 800,000 people to fill the jobs necessary to take care of retiring baby boomers.
USDA surveys small, very small establishments
Meatingplace (free registration required) | Posted on June 28, 2018The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service is conducting a survey to “help enhance the creation and delivery of information and resources” for small and very small meat and poultry processing and slaughter establishments, the agency said in a news release. FSIS is emailing a survey link to small and very small establishments that slaughter or process livestock or poultry. Owners will have about 30 days to complete the survey.
Small area farms feel effect of labor shortage
Toledo Blade | Posted on June 28, 2018But in recent years, Ohio’s migrant work force has dwindled, with dire consequences for small to midsize growers, like Johnston. After more than 70 years’ worth of strawberries, the farm — which Mr. Mora now runs with his wife, Martha — has canceled its signature crop for lack of labor. “Thirty years ago, there used to be migrant workers everywhere,” said Mr. Mora, who became a co-owner when he married into the family. “Now, it’s like this.” Mr. Mora noticed a decline about 12 years ago, when regular workers began to lose touch — a grim surprise on a farm where, historically, those who come, stay. Before the drop-off, many migrants had been working at Johnston for more than 20 years. Now, though, “they don’t show up,” Mr. Mora said, leaning on a table in a vacant sales room. By necessity, the Moras started scaling back, bit by bit. Over the past decade, they have reduced their farm’s active acreage from 30 acres to seven to fit their work force, which, during strawberry season, has shrunk from about 15 to three. The downsize isn’t unique in a region dotted with family farms and beset by agricultural labor shortages. As the United States has sought to curb the inflow of illegal immigrant workers, farmers have increasingly turned to federal programs like the H2A guest worker visa, which allows farmers expecting shortages of U.S. labor to employ foreign workers legally without hurting American jobs.
Commodity prices decline, farmer suicides rise
Feedstuffs | Posted on June 28, 2018Ag suicides are the greatest unreported tragedy of its kind in America and around the world. If veteran suicide in America is epidemic, ag suicide is pandemic. Here's the hard data: Suicides among a group labeled Farming/Fishing/Forestry totaled 84.5 per hundred thousand. Far behind in second place was Construction/Extraction at 53.3 per hundred thousand. A few weeks ago, Washington state legislators unanimously passed House Bill 2671 which establishes a pilot program for free suicide prevention for employees of the agriculture industry. It seems to be similar to a proposed nationwide program called the Farm & Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN) program that you’ve suggested in the past. Is that state on the leading edge? Should other states consider something similar?A. Yes, the Washington state initiative is modeled after the Sowing the Seeds of Hope project and FRSAN. Minnesota has already implemented a farm crisis hotline that does well-attended community farmer meetings, and visits to farms by trained counselors/business consultants, all funded through the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. I've heard that Illinois and Colorado are considering something similar.(Rosmann sent this statement taken from a paper he wrote last year). The Nebraska Rural Response Helpline (1-800-464-0258) is a laudatory example of both governmental and private underwriting of the operation of a particularly useful behavioral health program for farmers and all rural residents of Nebraska. The Helpline depends on an annual state-wide non-tithe church collection, grants from private organizations, and on the Nebraska legislature to cover its costs.All these entities pitch in to support the operation of the statewide telephone and website to offer crisis assistance to Nebraska’s farm and rural populations, along with redeemable vouchers to obtain one or more counseling sessions from professionals who are familiar with agriculture.
Waste permit revoked for controversial Oregon dairy
Capital Press | Posted on June 28, 2018The Oregon Department of Agriculture and Department of Environmental Quality have revoked the waste management permit for Lost Valley Farm. The revocation comes just 15 months after the facility first received its permit from the Oregon Department of Agriculture and Department of Environmental Quality, which jointly manage the state’s confined animal feeding operation, or CAFO, program. Lost Valley now has 60 days to shut down, move all its animals and clean all waste systems.
Soybean Commodity Organizations React to Threatened Tariffs-Implications for Egg and Broiler Producers
Chick News | Posted on June 28, 2018The American Soybean Association, the U.S. Soybean Export Council and the United Soybean Board express concern over pricing of soybeans which relies heavily on exports. According to the June USDA-WASDE it was projected that 48 percent of the 2018 total U.S. supply of soybeans (4,810 million bushels) will be exported, amounting to 2,290 million bushels. China represented 44% of U.S. exports in 2017 attaining 1,000 million bushels. This quantity supplied 28 percent of soybean imports into China valued at $14 billion. In comparison Brazil supplied 51 percent of imports into China. Brazil would have a competitive advantage since U.S. product would carry a 25 percent punitive duty unless the escalation in threats to impose mutually destructive tariffs are not resolved by short-term negotiation. Given the close coupling between the price of soybeans and soybean meal, livestock producers in the U.S. will benefit from the disequilibrium between production and export demand. At the beginning of March soybean meal on the CME was quoted at $403 per short ton. Price rose to $424 per short ton at the beginning of May but has since fallen to $333 per short ton for July delivery as of June 25th. Each $10 per ton change in price of soybean meal represents 0.4 cents per dozen eggs or 0.25 cent per live weight lb. On the basis of a $10 per short ton reduction in price of soybean meal, U.S. broiler producers would collectively benefit by $4 million per day assuming 165 million birds per week at 6.1 lbs. live weight and egg producers would attain a windfall of $80,000 per day assuming 305 million hens in production.
EU imposes tariffs on US peanuts, motorcycles and whiskey
AP | Posted on June 28, 2018The European Union started enforcing tariffs Friday on American imports like bourbon, peanut butter and orange juice, part of a growing global trade rift that’s likely to intensify over the next few weeks. The EU tariffs on $3.4 billion worth of U.S. products are in retaliation for duties the Trump administration has imposed on European steel and aluminum.
Tariff uncertainty puts some Chinese hay orders on hold
Capital Press | Posted on June 28, 2018Chinese customers are holding back on some orders of alfalfa from Washington’s Columbia Basin as they wait to see what happens with tariffs, a major U.S. hay exporter says.
Turkey Hill Dairy, 3 national corporations focus on Lancaster County farmers over water pollution
Lancaster Online | Posted on June 28, 2018Turkey Hill Dairy’s milk products are known around the world. Now, the Lancaster-based company is taking an unprecedented step to make sure its milk and ice cream aren’t made at the expense of the environment. As part of new contracts with its dairy producers, about 100 farmers located within 50 miles of the plant will be required, for the first time, to have conservation plans in place to make sure they are not sending soil and manure into local streams and the Chesapeake Bay. The Turkey Hill Clean Water Partnership is just one of four new initiatives in which national corporations are reaching out to Lancaster County farmers as part of Pennsylvania’s struggling efforts to drastically reduce pollutants hindering the decades-long cleanup of the Chesapeake Bay.