SD Corn Comments
Weather has been one difficulty for farmers this spring. Learn more in this week's Corn Comments, an update from the South Dakota Corn Utilization Council.
News
Rural Mainstreet Index Impacted by Trade Concerns
The Rural Mainstreet Index, which measures the economic outlook in rural America, was impacted by rural bankers who expressed concerns about trade tensions and their effect on the farm economy. Seventy-six percent of rural bankers said export markets are very…
Arkansas Dicamba Battle Continues
Nearly 200 farmers have obtained temporary restraining orders against the Arkansas in-season ban on dicamba use. A spokesperson for the attorney general’s office says those farmers are free to use dicamba while the orders are in place. The Arkansas State…
Russia Approves Bayer Acquisition of Monsanto
A Dow Jones report says Russia has given conditional approval of Bayer’s $57 billion acquisition of Monsanto. Under the approval terms, Bayer agreed to transfer molecular breeding assets in several crops for a period of five years. The company didn’t…
Improvements Needed in Infrastructure Funding Process
A study commissioned by the Soy Transportation Coalition and conducted by Texas A&M University shows improvements can be made in how infrastructure repair money is spent. STC Executive Director Mike Steenhoek says improvement can be made on the cost side…
Mexico and EU Sign Trade Deal
The European Union and Mexico have come to terms on a new free trade agreement. Nearly all products, including agriculture and food products, will be duty-free. With the fate of the NAFTA trade talks an uncertainty, Mexico sees the EU…
Senators Challenge EPA Waivers
A bipartisan group of farm-state senators has asked the EPA to stop issuing waivers that allow oil refiners to forego the biofuels mandate. The senators said the recent rash of waivers undermines the Renewable Fuel Standard. This effort is being…
NDCGA Looks to the Senate for Farm Bill Adjustments
In the view of North Dakota Corn Growers Association Executive Director Dale Ihry, there are positive adjustments made to the ARC-county provisions in the House Agriculture Committee farm bill, including the use of RMA data. The reduction in base acres…
Farm Bill Cuts to Specialty Crop Research Program
Most of the programs related to specialty crops don’t have funding increases in the proposed House farm bill. Rather that status quo, National Potato Council Senior Director of Public Policy Kam Quarles says there are cuts in the specialty crop…
Farm Bill Discussion “A Familiar Dance”
A new farm bill will face many hurdles and an extension remains a possibility. If the legislation goes into 2019, Cook Political Report House Editor David Wasserman says politics could be the reason. “There will be differences between the House…
