Farm News, Saturday Sept 17, 2016

Ag Groups Push for Cuban Trade

The House Agriculture Committee held a hearing on potential trade opportunities with Cuba and several major ag groups, including the U.S. Agriculture Coalition for Cuba, weighed in on the possibilities. The National Association of Wheat Growers supports the elimination of trade barriers with Cuba, which represents a potentially large export market for wheat. Current financing restrictions don’t permit Cuba to buy on credit, but instead require cash up front, and the Wheat Growers say that puts them at a competitive disadvantage to other countries in the Cuban market. The American Farm Bureau has long pushed for trade with our neighbors 90 miles to the south. The Farm Bureau said, “Real opportunities of increased sales exist in Cuba for American agricultural products because of demand driven by a population of 11 million people. There’s no better time to provide American farmers and ranchers with the tools they need to expand exports and survive a difficult economic time.”

TPP Biggest Priority During Pork Producers Fly-In

The National Pork Producers Council held its annual fly-in this week in Washington D.C., and TPP was at the top of their conversations with their senators and representatives. Over 130 producers from 20 states pressed their congressional lawmakers to push for a vote on the Trans-Pacific Partnership this year. They also want funding for a Foot-and-Mouth Vaccine Bank included in the next farm bill. Farm families also asked their congressional representatives to oppose a U.S. Department of Agriculture regulation, the GIPSA rule, that would restrict the buying and selling of livestock. NPPC President John Dyer of Iowa said those three issues are very important to pork producers but getting TPP passed in the lame-duck session of Congress is the primary issue they’re working on. During the Capitol Hill visit, producers are stressing just how much of a negative impact not passing TPP would have on their bottom line. “We cannot just walk away from this deal,” said Weber. “The entire economy would lose access to one of the fastest-growing regions in the world, but we also lose market share in the 11 other TPP countries, and that means lost jobs and a devastating impact on the economy.”

Source:  NAFB News