Trade aid package in the works, Bayer ordered to pay $2 billion in Roundup trial and new Iowa vodka.

Janet Kubat Willette, E-Content Editor

May 17, 2019

2 Min Read
NolanBerg11/flySnow/SteveOehlenschlager/ThinkstockPhotos

Busy in the field? Here are seven agricultural stories you might have missed this week.

1. J.P. Morgan analyst Ann Duignan said the state of American agriculture is “rapidly deteriorating” into crisis due to declining exports, a poor crop of corn and soybeans and the trade war with China. – CNBC

2. USDA will be looking to offset the trade disruption to farmers in the range of $15 billion to $20 billion, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said. USDA continues to work on finalizing how the aid will be constructed.  – Farm Futures

3. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, warned the European Union that excluding agriculture from any trade deal will undermine talks before they begin. Congress will not consider a deal that doesn’t address farm subsidies, Grassley said. – Washington Examiner

4. North Dakota soybean farmer Josh Gackle says soybean shipments from the state to China are down 80% from a typical year and the prices he’s receiving for soybeans are 20% to 25% lower than pre-tariff levels. – NPR

5. Bayer plans to appeal a third verdict, issued Monday, that awards $2 billion to Alva and Alberta Pilliod. The California couple sued Bayer, alleging they contracted non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma because of their use of Roundup. Bayer says the verdict issued Monday “conflicts directly with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s interim registration review decision.” – Farm Futures

6. Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies, says he has secured a commitment from U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer that there will be an exclusion process for the new round of tariffs. The rules will be rolled out in the coming weeks. Under the exclusion process, businesses that are negatively impacted by tariffs on products they import may apply for an exclusion, which the USTR will either award or deny. – Kansas Farmer

7. The North Dakota Grain Growers Association has withdrawn from the National Association of Wheat Growers. In a statement, the NDGGA said, “we believe we’re no longer seeing an adequate return on investment and have decided not to renew our contract that expires on June 30, 2019.” – Dakota Farmer

And if you need a drink, an Iowa distillery has you covered.

Foundry Distilling Co. is launching Okoboji vodka made from corn, the majority of which is grown in Iowa. Okoboji vodka will be available at retailers in the Lake Okoboji area as well as central Iowa. – Des Moines Register

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