A five-minute summary of AAI, regulation, and industry activities for members of the largest state agribusiness association in the nation. | | |
Fall Elections, 2023 Session Focus of Legislative Committee Meeting | |
An impending election, a redistricted state, and a number of regulatory topics led the agenda for the AAI Legislative Committee meeting on Tuesday. Committee members met at the AAI Main Office in Des Moines and via Zoom to discuss and begin planning for the 2023 session.
The AAI lobbying team provided insight this fall and a recap on the 2022 session. Among last year’s successes were the changes to simplify the pesticide registration fee and the truck weight regulation that will allow businesses to pay an additional fee to run at higher weights instead of relying on annual proclamations from the governor.
While a range of topics affecting agribusiness received attention as part of the 2023 discussion, one key effort heading into the 2023 session will be making connections with new legislators as many long time friends of the industry will not be returning to the statehouse next year.
At the national level, AAI Legal Counsel Doug Gross provided a look at current political trends and key federal races to watch. Multiple factors will play into the fall election which could counteract some of the traditional party control flip typical of midterms. And, regardless of party, Gross said that international trade, which is extremely important to US agriculture, has few advocates.
Other topics discussed included Environmental Protection Agency regulations on atrazine, tribal water quality standards in Iowa, and the nitrogen initiative that is being supported by the Iowa Nutrient Research and Education Council.
Recommendations from the committee will be passed along to the AAI Board of Directors for the September meeting.
Get Involved!
The direction and impact of the association is a direct result of committee activities. Committees provide input and direction for the Board of Directors actions. You or someone within your company can serve on a committee by emailing aai@agribiz.org, calling the AAI office, or filling out a form online at https://www.agribiz.org/benefits-of-membership/join-a-committee/.
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INREC Board Reviews Progress, Plans for Future | |
The Iowa Nutrient Research & Education Council (INREC) board of directors met on Thursday at the AAI Main Office in Des Moines. The Agribusiness Association of Iowa (AAI) is represented on the INREC Board by Craig Struve, SoilView, and AAI CEO Bill Northey.
Directors and staff discussed the budget for 2023, the newly announced $250,000 grant from Google, the latest data from the INREC survey, and the Nitrogen Initiative. The meeting also included a strategic planning session to clarify INREC’s purpose and prepare for its next strategic planning session on September 20. After being established seven years ago, the strategic planning will guide the board to ensure investments in INREC demonstrate progress for the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy.
Access past Nutrient Progress Survey data and learn more about INREC:
https://www.iowanrec.org
Google Grant Press Release:
INREC Announces Google Grant to Help Improve Water Quality
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You're So Close
(Don't miss out!)
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Be a part of it all -
Register now for the September AAI Golf Outing
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Join your fellow agribusiness peers for a fantastic day in eastern Iowa AND enjoy the following benefits:
- Four Hole In One opportunities! Win $10,000 cash or other prizes!
- Complimentary soft drinks and snacks on the course
- Delicious lunch
- Entry into prize raffle (lots of prizes, including a Titleist Golf Bag and a Solo Stove Bonfire fire pit)
- Prizes for the longest and closest shots
- Trophy and prizes for the winning team
Register today to reserve your spot.
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AAI Golf Outings
September 7
Amana Colonies Golf Club - Amana, Iowa
July 21
Emerald Hills Golf Course - Okoboji, Iowa
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AAI Main Office closes at Noon on Fridays through Labor Day
August 29
Joint Transportation & Grain Committees Meeting
10:00 AM | AAI Board Room
September 5
AAI Offices Closed for Labor Day Holiday
September 7
AAI Golf Outing - Amana Colonies
Amana, Iowa | Click Here to Register
September 8
AAI Board of Directors Meeting
8:00 AM | Amana, Iowa
Membership Committee Meeting
3:00 PM | Amana, Iowa
September 12
Joint Agronomy & Environment Committees Meeting
10:00 AM | AAI Board Room
September 12 & 13
Agribusiness Leadership Academy Session #4
AAI Main Office
September 23
Showcase Committee Meeting
10:00 AM | AAI Board Room
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WATCH THE AGRIBUSINESS REPORT | |
(FREE) Hazard Communication & Chemical Hazards Training
Iowa State University and OSHA are offering FREE information and training to prepare employees, supervisors, and owners of manufacturing and construction companies for OSHA requirements, suggestions, and strategies for worker protection from Chemical Hazards in the workplace.
The program will offer attendees the opportunity to ask questions, share experiences and learn about Hazard Communication and Chemical Hazards, as well as keep up to date on information as OSHA gives updates.
Training sessions are offered virtually or on-site. Instructors are Professors of Occupational Safety.
Facilitators will be happy to provide a complementary 1-hour safety review for facilities hosting an on-site training session.
Information on each session, dates, and registration links can be found on the course website link here: http://sh.ae.iastate.edu
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Labels alerting customers that products contain ingredients from genetically engineered plants may reduce sales, at least in the short term, according to a new study from a research team including an agricultural economist in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences.
According to a news release from Penn State, the study analyzed sales trend data from Vermont after a law went into effect requiring labels on genetically engineered, or GE, foods — the only mandatory statewide GE labeling policy that ever has been implemented in the U.S.
The researchers found that after the law was implemented, sales of foods labeled as containing GE ingredients decreased by 5.9 percent. Meanwhile, sales of products labeled as not containing GE ingredients increased by 2.5 percent, and sales of organic products — which by law cannot contain GE ingredients — increased by 1.7 percent.
According to the researchers, GE and genetically modified organisms, often referred to as GMOs, are essentially the same thing but used in different contexts, both referring to humans altering an organism’s DNA or RNA. For example, scientists have tweaked the genes of potatoes to make them more resistant to browning.
Linlin Fan, assistant professor of agricultural economics at Penn State, said the findings could give clues about how a new law mandating labels on GE foods nationwide in the U.S. will affect sales trends.
“We know that GE products are safe, but many are concerned that mandatory labeling would lead to people rejecting these products and increased problems with food insecurity,” Fan said. “While we did see a small decrease in sales, it wasn’t a large effect, and we also found that attitudes about GE products improved over time.”
[...] Read Full Story
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The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) released its annual, “Our Industry, Our Promise,” report today, detailing the challenges the U.S. feed and pet food industry faced over the past year and the steps the AFIA took to address member priorities. The report provides an overview of this unique industry segment’s impact on the U.S. economy, its efforts to promote animal food safety and worker health and safety, and its forward-thinking initiatives to enhance global competitiveness and industry environmental sustainability programs.
“Global, and sometimes unexpected, turmoil continued throughout 2021 and into 2022, but through it all, our industry stayed strong, worked together and formed new partnerships along the journey,” said AFIA President and Chief Executive Officer Constance Cullman. “The AFIA serves as a means to speak with one industry voice about global supply chain challenges, the need for regulatory modernization and the importance of championing the innovative solutions that will allow us all to thrive.”
The report, which concentrates on work completed during AFIA’s fiscal year from May 1, 2021, through April 30, 2022, discusses the:
- Business climate for U.S. animal food manufacturers, including how they are managing problems with shipping delays and maintaining a stable workforce;
- State issues that would lead to a hodgepodge of state regulations and/or costly mandates not associated with the regulatory review of state feed products;
- Management of animal food safety and animal health risks, including the return to in-person, routine regulatory reviews and improvements in mitigating disease threats to U.S. farms;
- Work to maintain U.S. competitiveness amid global pressures, including the industry’s response to the Russia-Ukraine war and efforts to remove regulatory hurdles slowing the approval of new feed ingredients or that could stymie trade of animal food-based products;
- Priorities for U.S. agricultural trade policy, including identifying areas where the Biden administration should focus, such as increasing market access in China, Vietnam and Brazil;
[...] Read Full Story
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Source: Progressive Farmer
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Crop season 2022 is much different in the central and southern U.S. crop areas than a year ago. A key detail in that difference is simply that this year was hotter than last year -- not only during day, but also at night.
July 2022 posted the hottest nightly temperature average for any month in 128 years of record keeping, according to statistics from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The contiguous U.S. had an average low temperature in July of 63.6 degrees Fahrenheit (17.6 Celsius). That was more than five degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the 20th Century average.
Central and southern U.S. crop areas have borne the brunt of that midsummer heat and it's showing in both graphic displays along with in-field looks at crops. From approximately Interstate 90 at Sioux Falls, South Dakota, south, vegetation index scores are much worse than at this point in 2021. Shades of orange and red, indicating dry and withering crops and pastures, are widespread on the vegetation index chart. And in the field, corn tip back -- caused when developing corn kernels at the end of the cob die off when it's too dry -- is notable.
That inability of crops to completely revive even with a dose of rain in late summer was evident in the Monday, Aug. 22 USDA weekly Crop Progress and Condition reports, following a week when periods of rain worked across the U.S. heartland. Moisture and milder temperatures make up the combination for improved crop ratings. However, that didn't happen. Corn and soybean ratings slipped from the previous week, even with that spell of more favorable weather. Again, that shows the impact of the hot, dry June and July pattern, which put corn and soybeans in a stressful situation right away.
[...] Read Full Story
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) welcomed the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, which will deliver $19.5 billion in new conservation funding to support climate-smart agriculture. This historic funding will bolster the new steps that USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced today to improve opportunities for nutrient management. NRCS will target funding, increasing program flexibilities, launch a new outreach campaign to promote nutrient management’s economic benefits, in addition to expanding partnerships to develop nutrient management plans. This is part of USDA’s broader effort to address future fertilizer availability and cost challenges for U.S. producers.
"President Biden and Congress have taken an important, historic step towards easing the burden of inflation on the American public and meeting the moment on climate,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “Agriculture has long been at the forefront of our fight against climate change. From climate-smart agriculture, to supporting healthy forests and conservation, to tax credits, to biofuels, infrastructure and beyond, the Inflation Reduction Act provides USDA with significant additional resources to continue to lead the charge.”
Through USDA’s conservation programs, America’s farmers and ranchers will have streamlined opportunities to improve their nutrient management planning, which provides conservation benefits while mitigating the impacts of supply chain disruptions and increased input costs.
“The pandemic and Ukraine invasion have led to supply chain disruptions, higher prices of inputs, and goods shortages in countries across the globe,” Vilsack said. “USDA is responding to the needs of U.S. producers and consumers by adding program flexibilities, expanding options and assistance, and investing in nutrient management strategies to help farmers address local resource concerns and global food security while also improving their bottom line.”
[...] Read Full Story
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THE AGRIBUSINESS REPORT
Follow host David Geiger on Twitter:
@geigerreports
Watch daily broadcast live:
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Watch online any time:
https://agribiz.org/report
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