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FDA Commissioner Reveals Part of FDA Reorganization Plan

On June 27 Commissioner Robert Califf announced part of his FDA reorganization plan, focusing on the Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA). ORA’s core mission will be investigations, inspections, and imports for all FDA-regulated products he said. ORA will be overseen by a deputy commissioner who will have authority for all food operations and will report directly to Califf. Currently food operations are handled by two agency administrators. MORE

Source: Food Northwest

Mexico Surpassed China as The Top U.S. Trading Partner

Mexico supplanted China this year as the United States' top trading partner. Why it matters: The milestone reflects a real shift in the dynamics of the global economy - away from prioritizing low prices and greater efficiency (via super fragile supply chains) to something more nuanced. "Today's global economic relationships encompass a myriad of concerns, among them national security, climate policy and supply-chain resiliency," writes Luis Torres, senior business economist at the Dallas Fed in a piece out this week highlighting the change. MORE

Source: MBS

Bipartisan Support to Protect Domestic Food and Can Manufacturing

In a letter to the Biden Administration, 36 bipartisan members of Congress showed support for America's everyday essential product manufacturers. The letter highlights how a pending petition to impose new duties on certain types of imported tin mill steel could negatively affect domestic manufacturing sectors and harm consumers. Read more.

Source: CBA

Why Steel Tariffs Argument Fails to Hold Water

The illegal dumping argument posed by supporters of proposed tinplate steel tariffs is invalid, as the domestic supply fails to meet the specific tinplate steel needs of US consumer packaged goods companies, tariff opponents argue. The move would also worsen trade relations with the EU and increase canned goods prices up to 30%, according to the Consumer Brands Association. MORE

Source: CBA

Finstad Optimistic About New $1.5 Trillion Farm Bill as Lobbying Intensifies

Rep. Brad Finstad is a fourth-generation farmer and proud of his 700-acre farm near New Ulm, where he grows corn and soybeans. “I am one of the few real farmers in Congress,” he said. But, unlike other Minnesota lawmakers, Finstad, R-1st District, has never been in the position he finds himself in now, with the opportunity to shape farm policy for all U.S. farmers and able to look out for the welfare of those in his district and state. MORE

Source: MBS

Collin Peterson Says Farm Bill Discussions Are in Good Shape

With Congress raising the debt ceiling and dealing with concerns about work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in June, some common sticking points that historically have kept a farm bill from timely passage appear to have been cleared up, a former long-time agriculture policymaker says. “Everything has been positive so far as far as the obstacles,” explained Collin Peterson. MORE

Source: MBS

Farm Bill Listening Session to Kick Off Farmfest Forums

An exciting lineup of feature forums is planned for Farmfest 2023, according to Kent Thiesse, Farmfest educational forum coordinator. The forums will be held all three days of the farm show, Aug. 1, 2 and 3, in the Wick Buildings Forum and Education Center. The Farmfest site which is located at Gilfillan Estate, 7 miles southeast of Redwood Falls, Minnesota. Forums will have a heavy emphasis on the new farm bill and other key topics and policy issues affecting farm families and rural communities, said Thiesse. MORE

Source: MBS

Drought Strains U.S. Agriculture

The most widespread drought in a decade is taking a toll on U.S. agriculture, reports The Wall Street Journal, causing a division with clear winners and losers. As of June 27, roughly 65 percent of the Midwest was in at least a moderate drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. The USDA shared that 70 percent of domestic corn production by area, and 63 percent of soybeans, were affected, a leap from the five-year average of 18 percent for corn and 15 percent for soybeans. MORE

Source: Constitution Partners



Aggies Motion Court to Toss WOTUS Rule

Agriculture groups have asked a federal court to order the Biden administration to implement immediate changes to the waters of the U.S. rule following the Supreme Court's ruling in Sackett v EPA that essentially left the current rule unenforceable. Among the immediate changes sought in a motion filed by the groups in federal court in North Dakota is for the agencies to apply the Sackett ruling and formally declare ephemeral and isolated waters as no longer jurisdictional. MORE

Source: MBS

WOTUS Ruling Causing Confusion in Key Ag States

The recent decision in the Sackett v. EPA case by the Supreme Court has sowed confusion among landowners in three states: Michigan, New Jersey, and Florida. These states, which handle federal permitting on their soil, are reportedly struggling to understand the breadth of wetlands regulations following the high court's ruling. State officials and people closely observing the situation have noted that these states serve as early examples of the challenges other places may face in response to the Sackett ruling. MORE

Source: MBS



U.S. Announces New Rule to Cut Hydrofluorocarbons by 40%

The Biden administration has announced plans to continue its reduction of hydrofluorocarbons, releasing a new rule that aims to cut the United States' use of the greenhouse gases by almost half starting next year. Hydrofluorocarbon is a category of greenhouse gases used for refrigeration and air-conditioning as well as in a number of other applications but is linked to global warming. MORE

Source: IMA

Wage Gains, Low Unemployment Keep Pressure on Fed; Hiring Cooled in June

U.S. employers added 209,000 workers in June, a solid monthly gain but down from May’s revised 306,000. In the first half of this year, payrolls grew by an average of 278,000 a month, down from nearly 400,000 last year. The unemployment rate fell to 3.6% last month from 3.7% in May. The latest jobs and wage data adds to evidence that economic activity hasn’t slowed as much as Fed officials expected and leaves them likely to lift interest rates to a 22-year high at their July 25-26 meeting. MORE

Source: WMC

US Inflation Falls to 3%, Lowest Level in More than 2 Years, as Price Pressures Ease

After two years of painfully high prices, inflation in the United States has reached its lowest point in more than two years — 3% in June compared with 12 months earlier — a sign that the Federal Reserve’s interest rate hikes have steadily slowed price increases across the economy. MORE

Source: MN Chamber

US Employers Relying on Foreign Work Visas to Fill Jobs

Amid the labor shortage impacting businesses across the U.S., a viable solution for many is to hire more foreign workers. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the number of available jobs is nearly double the unemployment rate. To bridge the gap, companies are turning to foreign work visa programs, including the H-2A and H-2B visas, to recruit workers from abroad. MORE

Source: WMC

Error in Tax Bill would cost Minnesota Taxpayers $352 Million, but Leaders Vow to Fix it in Time 

It’s the kind of “oops” that can happen in the drafting of legislation that is hundreds of pages long being written with legislative deadlines approaching. But when it happens in the bill that controls Minnesota state taxes, small errors can cost a lot of money. An error in this past session’s omnibus taxes bill discovered a month after it was signed by the governor will cost state taxpayers $352 million a year extra if not corrected. MORE

Source: MN Chamber



Are Minnesota Businesses Prepared for Legal Cannabis?

The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce has been meeting with employers around the state to answer questions about drug testing, workplace bans and how the federal government fits into all of this. Lauryn Schothorst is the chamber’s director of workplace management and workforce development policy. She talked with MPR News host Cathy Wurzer. MORE

Source: MN Chamber

Wisconsin’s Democratic Governor Scales Back Republican Tax Cut, Signs State Budget

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers signed off on a two-year spending plan Wednesday after dramatically scaling back the size of a Republican income tax cut that would have moved the state closer to a flat rate. MORE

Source: MN Chamber

2023 WI Task Force on Broadband Access Report

The 2023 report from the Governor’s Task Force on Broadband Access has been released. According to the release, the Task Force reviewed the goals from previous years and in some cases updated those goals, including:

• By 2028/2029, all homes and businesses will have access to high-speed broadband service that reliably provides a download speed of at least 100 Mbps and an upload speed of at least 20 Mbps.
• By 2028/2029, all community anchor institutions will have access to high-speed broadband service that reliably provides a download speed of at least 1000 Mbps and an upload speed of at least 1000 Mbps.

The recommendations are in five areas, including preparing to capitalize on federal funds and mapping and data.

Source: The Wheeler Report

Evers' Budget Vetoes Leave State with Projected $4B Surplus

One of the biggest questions headed into this year's state budget debate was how Republican lawmakers and Gov. Tony Evers would handle Wisconsin's record surplus. Now that the dust has mostly settled, there's plenty of money left over. Wisconsin began the two-year budget cycle with a projected surplus of roughly $7 billion in its general fund. Following the budget vetoes last week by Evers, the current projected surplus for the next budget is about $4 billion. MORE

Source: WisPolitics



Dating Dilemma: Date Labels Could be Causing Food Waste

Ohio State University researchers using eye-tracking technology found that 50% of study participants declared their intent to throw away milk based on the date stamped on the container — without even looking at the wording. Food is wasted throughout the production process, but most of it happens at the consumer level. MORE

Source: CLFP

Food Waste Solutions Must Not Shy Away from Processing, IFT Says

The fact that a third of all food within the global supply chain goes to waste is not a new problem. The Institute of Food Technologists' Anna Rosales believes the answer lies in food processing technology, which she said CPG companies should not be afraid to embrace. MORE

Source: CLFP

View 2023 MWFPA Sponsorship Opportunities - HERE!

Joint Environment Field Day with Wisconsin Cheesemakers Association

July 26th at Meister's Cheese in Muscoda, WI

Register HERE

Upcoming 2023 Raw Products Committee Haltvick Meetings

• Hancock Snap Bean and Sweet Corn Trial - August 10
• West Madison ARS - September 7

SAVE THE DATE! October 10 - Sporting Clays Classic

Registration available August 1st!

Woods & Meadow Hunting Preserve

Warrens, Wisconsin

https://www.woodsandmeadow.com

November 28 - 30 - 2023 Convention & Processing Crops Conference

Kalahari Resort & Convention Center, Wisconsin Dells

Booth/Exhibitor Registration is Live! Visit the MWFPA Convention Website

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