Take 5 Newsletter

December 14 , 2017

A five-minute summary of AAI, regulation, and industry activities for members of the largest state agribusiness association in the nation.

In This Issue

Don't Relabel Dicamba Without Authorization

INREC Expands Nutrient Knowledge

Representing Our Membership

2018 ASC DOWNLOADS

Perdue Heads Into 2018 With Only Half of His Executive Team

Reynolds to Talk Trade in Washington

Agriculture Coalition Asks Federal Court to Halt California's Flawed Prop 65

AAI IN ACTION

Don't Relabel Dicamba Without Authorization

The Asmark Institute issued a note of caution to retailers about supplies of dicamba-based products left over from 2017.

New requirements imposed by the EPA on Engenia, FeXapan and XtendiMax for 2018 require each container (package, minibulk and bulk tank) to be relabeled with the 2018 information. Relabeling can only be performed legally at a facility that possesses an active EPA Establishment Number. If you do NOT have an EPA Establishment number, contact the supplier so they can handle repackaging responsibilities. EPA considers relabeling of these products to be repackaging.

If your facility is properly authorized and the repackaging is performed at one of your facilities, it will need to be included on your 2017 Pesticide Production Report.

Full release from Asmark - https://www.asmark.org/data/DicambaProductsTakeNewTwist.pdf

AAI Dicamba Information Page

The AAI website has a page dedicated to information about dicamba training and dicamba regulations. To stay current on the progress of state of Iowa regulations for the next growing season, visit http://DicambaTrainingIowa.org.

NOTE: The state of Iowa has not yet released the extra training requirements for those who wish to spray dicamba-based products in 2018. We will keep you informed as requirements are finalized and training opportunities are scheduled.

INREC Expands Nutrient Knowledge

The Iowa Nutrient Research and Education Council (INREC) has focused a great deal of effort on expanding the knowledge base of historical and current measures of environmental practice implementation. Those efforts enable Iowa to quantify progress in reducing nutrient losses from farm fields to Iowa streams. Updates on those activities were provided at the INREC board meeting this week.

INREC funded a critical research project by Iowa State University to calculate Iowa's average nutrient load export during the 1980-1996 period, and compare that to an existing calculation made by ISU at the time the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy was developed. The comparison shows changes in nutrient load exports from Iowa over time, and quantifies progress towards the 45% N and P reduction goals of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy. INREC also has been supporting other progress measurement projects that document structural practice implementation over time and research to test additional nutrient reduction practices.

AAI is a member of the INREC board. The INREC board is made up of members from all sectors of agriculture including agribusiness, major commodity groups, livestock production, and industry. Thank you to Iowa Farm Bureau for hosting the meeting.

Representing Our Membership

ARA Conference Focuses on Change

A dynamic, and fast changing, industry was the undercurrent at the Agricultural Retailers Association meeting in Phoenix, AZ this month. Agribusiness Association of Iowa Membership Director Reilly Vaughan attended the meeting on behalf of the association.

Vaughan said Dicamba was, unsurprisingly, a topic of discussion at the meeting. The repackaging of an old product into new formulations has brought new challenges to the industry as federal and state governments work on ways to best manage use. Vaughan also noted the increase of internet-based logistics and delivery systems similar to Amazon are changing the retailer marketplace.

"It was great to connect with a number of AAI members while I was at ARA, as well as put faces with directors from other state associations," said Vaughan.

Pruitt Speaks in Nevada

US Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt made a visit to Iowa recently to talk about recent EPA actions. AAI CEO Joel Brinkmeyer and AAI Past Chair David Tierney attended the invitation only event in Nevada at the Couser Farm.

Pruitt spent most of his time focusing on the Renewable Fuels Standard, but also addressed the Waters of the US (WOTUS) rules and the need for new rulemaking surrounding WOTUS.

Additional meetings involving AAI staff:

Freight Advisory Council - Reilly Vaughan
Iowa Drainage District Association Annual Meeting - Environmental Technology Director Shawn Richmond and Nutrient Management and Environmental Stewardship Director Dean Lemke.

2018 ASC DOWNLOADS

EXHIBITOR DEADLINE: DECEMBER 15

View the 2018 schedule of events online today! Register before Jan 16 and receive up to $50 off your purchase. All attendees are invited to the brand new Wednesday morning breakfast featuring the antics of Chris Cakes, a pancake company that you'll flip for!

Attention Exhibitors: Your registration deadline is fast approaching on Dec 15, 2017!

Quick Access Materials:

IN THE NEWS

Perdue Heads Into 2018 With Only Half of His Executive Team

by: Successful Farming

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue started work in April as President Trump's first nominee to the USDA. The former Georgia governor has been short-handed ever since and could finish his first year in office before his executive team is confirmed by the Senate.

The eight appointees who serve one step below Perdue (the deputy secretary and seven undersecretaries, each overseeing one of the USDA's operating arms) are the officials who turn administration policy into action on the ground. Without the decision-makers, the pace slows down and there are fewer chances for farm groups to exchange ideas with the USDA or to get a hint of how impending initiatives will affect producers. Read More

Reynolds to Talk Trade In Washington

by: Agribusiness Report

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds is headed to Washington D.C. to talk about Iowa trade. She will be joined by four other governors to meet Vice President Mike Pence and talk about the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

She will talk about NAFTA's importance to Iowa's economy, representing agriculture and manufacturing. While she agrees with modernizing NAFTA and fair and free trade, she says Canada and Mexico are the top two trading partners with Iowa. Read More

Other Articles

Reynolds heading to DC for meeting with Pence about NAFTA

Ag Leaders To Meet With Vice President Pence on NAFTA

Agriculture Coalition Asks Federal Court to Halt California's Flawed Prop 65 Requirement

by: High Plains Journal

A national coalition of agriculture groups led by the National Association of Wheat Growers is seeking to immediately halt the state of California's misguided labeling requirement for Glyphosate citing irreparable harm to American farmers, consumers and the nation's agriculture economy. The agriculture coalition today filed a motion for a preliminary injunction with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California in response to California's flawed Prop 65 regulation, which requires the labeling of products that may contain the herbicide glyphosate. Read More