Articles Tagged with ''trade''

Despite a slow harvest, farmer optimism toward the ag economy strengthened in October.

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in a Clean Water Act case with major implications for agriculture, while farm groups who back a bipartisan ag labor bill will be lobbying lawmakers ahead of an expected House committee debate.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi still isn’t ready to hold a vote on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, but the pace of talks between Democrats and the White House is picking up speed as both sides aim for ratification before the end of the year.

Farming is about community. It always has been. From the earliest known farming communities in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia to the modern farms punctuating the landscape of Rural America, people have worked together for centuries to cultivate the crops that feed the world.

As much as growers long for an end to the trade war with China, there are long-term threats to demand for corn, soybeans and other crops that could depress commodity prices for years to come and lead to calls for higher government spending, economists say.

American agriculture is facing numerous challenges and unfortunately, an overwhelming share is being shouldered by U.S. pork producers like myself. However, the news earlier this week of a signed trade deal with Japan is significant and hopefully a catalyst for similar agreements in other countries.

Deputy Ag Secretary Steve Censky says last week’s preliminary trade conversations with Chinese officials were “positive, productive” talks.

The Senate is expected to clear a stopgap spending bill this week that will keep the government operating and trade-aid payments flowing to farmers after the new fiscal year begins Oct. 1.

High-level U.S. and Chinese agricultural trade officials are prominent in the bilateral trade talks this week as Gregg Doud, the top ag negotiator for the U.S. Trade Representative, and Han Jun, China’s vice minister of agriculture and rural affairs, met together with others at USTR's Washington headquarters Thursday.