WASHINGTON, May 27, 2016 - Donald Trump will be in Fresno,
Calif., today where he’ll meet privately with a group of farmers before holding
a rally. Few details about the meeting with growers have been released. But a
source familiar with it tells Agri-Pulse that the discussion is
supposed to range from the water problems in the Central Valley but also trade
policy and immigration reform, issues that are of concern to farmers far beyond
California.
Yesterday Trump was in North Dakota, where he used an energy
conference to promise to pull out of the Paris climate agreement and kill the
Obama administration’s “waters of the U.S.” rule and regulations on greenhouse
gas emissions. Trump didn’t mention ethanol or the Renewable Fuel Standard.
During an earlier news conference, Trump was critical of wind power, which he
said “doesn’t work without subsidies.”
The Trump campaign posted a photo on Facebook of the
candidate celebrating the fact that he had locked up the 1,237 delegates. There
was no champagne. His feast consisted of a McDonald’s burger and fries and a
bottle of Diet Coke.
House GOP could restrict appropriations process. House
Republican leaders are considering whether to impose restrictions on amendments
for appropriations bills after yesterday’s defeat of the Energy-Water spending
bill. Some 130 Republicans voted against the bill after a gay-rights amendment
was added to the legislation.
House Speaker Paul Ryan told reporters that Republicans will
talk about the best way to proceed on the spending bills when lawmakers return
from the week-long Memorial Day recess. Ryan is on the spot because he promised
conservatives an open amendment process when he took over the speakership.
House Appropriations Chairman Harold Rogers said he expected
some restrictions on amendments to be considered but that the House would
continue debating the individual spending bills. “We’ll adapt to the
circumstances and move on. The Agriculture bill, which funds USDA and Food and
Drug Administration, is expected on the floor next month.
USDA finds superbug gene in pig. Investigators with
USDA are trying to track the origin of a pig that was carrying a bacteria gene
that makes the microbes resistant to the antibiotic-of-last-resort in human
medicine. The fear is that infections with bacteria with this kind of gene
can’t be treated by any antibiotic.
Yesterday, it was announced that E. coli bacteria with the
gene, known as MCR-1, had been identified in a woman in Pennsylvania, and federal
officials also disclosed that the gene had also been found in a sample
of pig intestines. The sample was one of 949 that have been tested by USDA’s
Agricultural Research Service. The E. coli bacteria are resistant to several
antibiotics, including colistin, which is used to treat patients with
infections that can’t be cured by any other drugs.
Colistin isn’t used in animals in the United States.
Officials say that findings from the USDA research will help determine whether
further steps are needed to understand the gene.
CDC Director Tom Frieden told
The Washington Post that the finding of the gene in the Pennsylvania
patient “shows us that the end of the road isn’t very far away for
antibiotics.”
Key lawmakers seek to slow down organic rule. Leaders
of the Senate and House Agriculture committees are appealing to USDA to allow
another 90 days of public comment on proposed new animal welfare
standards.
In a letter to
the department, the chairman and ranking Democrat on the committee cited multiple
concerns with the rule, including “reduced access to organic products,
substantially increased organic food costs for consumers” and significant
disruption to the organic feed sector. The rule would among other things expand
outdoor access requirements for laying hens.
USDA revises farm exports down. USDA is projecting that
agricultural exporters will total $124.5 billion for the year that ends Sept.
30. The forecast is down $500 million from the February projection and $15
billion below last year. It would be the first year-over-year decline since
2009. Projected exports were raised for oilseeds and grains were raised but
lowered for cotton as well as livestock, poultry and dairy products.
He said it. “For the farmers out here, you do an
awfully good job. Now you can fall asleep while we talk about energy.” - Donald
Trump, beginning his speech at the Bismarck energy conference.
Daybreak will return on Monday June 6, 2016. Enjoy the
Memorial Day weekend!
Wednesday’s Daybreak had an incorrect link for the USDA
study on organic price premiums. The correct link is here.
#30
For more news, go to: www.Agri-Pulse.com
