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NAWG Weekly Updates, August 09, 2018

NAWG Weekly Updates, August 09, 2018

National Wheat Foundation’s Success File Segment Airs on the Fox Business Network Tonight!
Catch the National Wheat Foundation’s Success Files air tonight on the Fox Business Network at 9:41pmEST/8:41pmCST/7:41pmMST/6:41pmPST. It will play again on Sunday, August 12th at 8:40pmEST/7:40pmCST/6:40pmPST/5:40pmPST!

In the segment former Chairman of the National Wheat Foundation Phil McClain talks on the important role wheat farmers play in boosting the economy. He also talks about the Foundation’s work to educate policymakers, the Administration, and other third parties on why wheat is such a versatile crop and vital for human diets. Visit the National Wheat Foundation’s Facebook page to get a sneak peak of the commercial.

NAWG Board Member Participates in Roundtable on Nuisance Lawsuits
A special national agriculture roundtable was held on August 3, 2018 to highlight the recent wave of nuisance lawsuits targeting North Carolina hog farms. The event was organized by U.S. Congressman David Rouzer (R-NC), U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC), U.S. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway (R-TX), and North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. The purpose of the roundtable was to discuss the threat that nuisance lawsuits pose to the U.S. agriculture industry, rural America, and farm families nationwide. It was comprised of 25-30 participants ranging from federal officials to growers to state officials and economists.

NAWG Board of Director and North Carolina wheat grower Timmy Thomas participated in the roundtable and provided a grower perspective on this issue.

NAWG Participates in North Carolina Small Grains Field Day and Meeting
On August 8-10, 2018, NAWG Federal Government Relations Coordinator Craig Berning attended the North Carolina Small Grain Growers Association (NCSGGA)’s Summer Board Meeting and Field Day in Hickory, NC. Follow @wheatworld for pictures of Berning participating in NCSGGA events.

From Oregon to Yemen: Wheat Plays Lifesaving Role in World’s Worst Humanitarian Crisis
On Friday, August 10, 2018, the World Food Program will host an event around a shipment of U.S. wheat going out of Oregon to Yemen for their food aid program. A total of 176,000 metric tons of wheat will be shipped to Yemen on seven ships from late July through August. The wheat was donated by Food for Peace which is a program NAWG supports and wheat is consistently their top commodity purchase. This wheat will feed 7 million people for two months. For more information, listen here.

U.S. Wheat Associates Vice President of the Portland Branch Micheal Anderson will be attending the event, along with USW Officer Darren Padget. Additionally, Oregon Wheat Growers League CEO Blake Rowe will be attending as the NAWG representative.

NWF Blog Touches on the History of Tariffs
The National Wheat Foundation’s recent blog piece points to an article published by AgriPulse which highlights the history of on agriculture and how they work. Read the blog in its entirety here.

IRS Proposed Section 199A Regulations
The International Revenue Service (IRS) has issued proposed regulations for the new Section 199A deduction. Here is the link to the frequently asked questions (FAQ) page and the proposed regulation itself can be found here. There will be a 45 day comment period on the proposed regulations.

Trump Moves Ahead with China Tariffs; FFT Responds
The Trump administration has taken another step to intensify its pressure on China. The White House yesterday finalized a second round of Section 301 tariffs on imports worth $16 billion. The tariffs will hit 279 of the original 284 tariff lines that were proposed for tariffs in June. The final list includes a few types of farm equipment, including no-till direct seeders and fertilizer distributors.

The announcement provoked an immediate response from Farmers for Free Trade, a group supported by NAWG and other farm groups that favor free trade. In its release, Farmers for Free Trade announced a new round of radio, television, and print advertising that will run initially in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

ASTA and BIO Submit Gene Editing Session for SXSW – Votes Needed!
The American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) and the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) recently submitted a proposal for a gene editing session at South by Southwest (SXSW) which is held annually in March in Austin, TX. They need votes to help make the cut! If selected, their expert panel representing academia, scientists and farmers will discuss the biggest challenges facing modern food production – from climate change to disease and population growth – and explore how innovations like gene editing will shape our future. Attendees will get a glimpse into new innovations that could be coming down the pipeline (including low-gluten wheat), and learn about the environmental, health and social implications of gene editing.

How to vote for the session, Gene Editing and the Future of Food & Ag

AgriPulse: Farm Mood Dims Amid Trade Disputes
Farmer confidence has dropped sharply in the wake of Trump administration’s escalating trade war, according to a monthly survey produced by Purdue University and the CME Group. The Ag Economy Barometer fell 26 points in July to 117, driven by lower farmer assessments of current conditions and the year ahead. That’s the largest decline in the nearly three-year history of the barometer and the lowest it has been since the November 2016 election. Producers indicated in the survey that they were “decidedly more negative than they were just one month earlier” about the shape of the farm economy over the next 12 months. 

NWF Seeking for WILOT Applicants
The National Wheat Foundation’s Wheat Industry Leaders of Tomorrow (WILOT) program will be taking place in St. Louis, MO, from November 11-16th, 2018 and seeks applicants to participate. This week-long training program that is sponsored by Monsanto is geared towards current leaders and those who soon could take on leadership positions at the state and national levels for wheat organizations. The program will focus on personal leadership, communicating to earn the public’s trust, agricultural policy, advocacy skills, and media and messaging training. Thanks to Monsanto, this program will not cost state associations or farmers any money to participate. Please contact Craig Berning, cberning@wheatworld.org, if you are interested or would like to nominate someone to participate by Monday, September 3rd.

2018 NWYC Signup Summary
The 2018 National Wheat Yield Contest has completed its enrollment for the 2018 contest! The National Wheat Foundation (NWF) received a total of 318 submissions. Twenty-five states were represented through the entries with North Dakota and Kansas leading in grower applications. Geographically, NWF received 35 entries from Eastern States (Soft Red Winter) and 283 entries from Western States (Hard Wheat). For private lines, WestBred varieties made up 51% of the total entries. While Colorado State led with 22 public entries.

The 2018 Contest could not have been a success without its twelve sponsors: Syngenta (AgriPro), Croplan, Limagrain Cereal Seeds (LCS), AgriMaxx Seeds, WestBred, BASF, Mennel Milling, Ardent Mills, Grain Craft, Miller Milling, Indigo Ag and John Deere!

SHP Launches New Social Media Campaign
The Soil Health Partnership has launched a new 2018 social media campaign to spread the word about soil health and the innovative management practices that make a difference. The #SoilSmart social media campaign is designed to build the following on Soil Health Partnership’s social media channels, reach new farmer audiences and provide helpful content to spread awareness of soil health. The campaign kicked off on August 1 on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

 

Source: National Association of Wheat Growers