Ag Headlines, Tuesday October 6, 2015

Majority of Ag Groups Applaud TPP Agreement

Following the announcement of an agreement in the Trans-Pacific Partnership talks, many agriculture organizations approved of the trade deal, despite many details yet to be made public. The full text will be available once made ready by President Obama’s Administration and trade negotiators. Then, 60 days later, the administration can present the agreement to Congress for a vote. In a joint statement by trade negotiators, the next step is technical work to prepare a complete text for public release, including the legal review, translation, and drafting and verification of the text. A statement released by the White House said the TPP will provide a near-term boost to the U.S. economy, and it will shape our economic and strategic relationships in the Asia-Pacific region. USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said “Increased demand for American agricultural products and expanded agricultural exports as a result of this agreement will support stronger commodity prices and increase farm income.”

Countries in the Trans-Pacific Partnership currently account for up to 42 percent of all U.S. agricultural exports, totaling $63 billion, according to USDA. Vilsack, among others, says the deal will help level the playing field in global trade. The Wall Street Journal reported Monday Canada and Japan have agreed to increase access to their dairy markets, allowing some American dairy products in, but New Zealand also persuaded the U.S. to accept more of its milk products. Dairy, auto trade and pharmaceuticals were the final sticking points in the negotiations.

Farmers Union Voices Opposition to TPP

One of the few agriculture groups to express displeasure with the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement says the deal needs currency manipulation enforcement. National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson said Monday following the announcement of an agreement by trade negotiators that “any deal that lacks tough language against currency manipulation is not worth the paper it’s written on.” Further, Johnson claimed gains that may have been made in the agreement to ensure fairness and equity in trade for America’s family farmers and ranchers are likely to be lost due to currency manipulation.

USDA Awards $113 Million to Support Specialty Crop Production

USDA announced Monday more than $113 million in program grants to support farmers growing fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, and nursery crops. The specialty crop grants were awarded for research, agricultural extension activities, and programs to increase demand and address the needs of America's specialty crop industry. USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service is awarding $63 million to 755 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program projects nation-wide. The grants are issued to State departments of agriculture for projects that help support specialty crop growers, since 2009, AMS has awarded 385 grants totaling $392.9 million for 5,484 projects. USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture also announced $50 million in grants funded through the Specialty Crop Research Initiative. The program develops science-based tools to address the needs of specific crops across the entire spectrum of specialty crops production.

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