Senate GMO Labeling Bill Clears First Hurdle

The U.S. Senate Wednesday night cleared a procedural vote on the GMO labeling compromise by Senators Debbie Stabenow and Pat Roberts. The Senate voted 68-29 in favor of the bill, clearing the way for considerations on the Senate floor. Stabenow, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee, says the bill “will have the votes” to pass the Senate, likely next week. Senator Roberts, chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, echoed Stabenow’s comments after the vote saying he looks forward to the Senate acting on the bill next week. Still, Politico reported it’s unclear how many Democrats may ultimately support the bill. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders announced this week he plans to put a hold on the bill. Other Democrats want the bill to include mandatory on-package requirements, rather than giving food manufacturers the option of on-package labels, or smart labels that direct consumers to more information. However, it’s not too late for lawmakers to preempt Vermont's GMO labeling mandate. Though the state law takes effect Friday, the Vermont attorney general has said he will not start enforcing the law until the beginning of 2017.

Nobel Prize Winners Urge Greenpeace to End GMO Opposition

More than 100 Nobel Prize winners are asking Greenpeace to end its opposition to genetically modified organisms. A letter by the Nobel laureates asks Greenpeace to cease its efforts to block introduction of a genetically engineered strain of rice. Supporters say the rice strain could reduce Vitamin-A deficiencies causing blindness and death in children in the developing world. Richard Roberts, chief scientific officer of New England Biolabs, helped organize the letter campaign. Roberts stated the current stance on GMO’s by Greenpeace is “damaging, and is anti-science.” Greenpeace International's website says the release of GMOs into the natural world is a form of "genetic pollution." Nobel laureate Randy Schekman, a cell biologist at the University of California-Berkeley, told the Washington Post, “I find it surprising groups that are very supportive of science when it comes to global climate change…can be so dismissive of the general views of scientists when it comes to something as important as the world’s agricultural future.”

EU Promises Review of Any Bayer-Monsanto Merger

The European Union's antitrust agency this week says it will conduct a strict review of Bayer AG's proposed $62 billion purchase of Monsanto and similar mergers by rivals. Dow Jones reports the comments are unusually early and come before the EU has received formal notification of a deal. In a letter to the European Parliament, an antitrust official told lawmakers “our final decision must strictly and impartially apply European merger control rules.” In a review of a potential deal, the EU will consider the impact of a merger on prices, the variety of available seed products along with research and innovation. The European Commission has the power to block deals or demand the parties submit remedies, such as divesting assets, to ease any competition concerns. Monsanto said this week the company is still in discussions with Bayer and other companies regarding "alternative strategic options,” while also announcing lower-than-expected sales for the sixth straight quarter. Monsanto rejected the initial proposal by Bayer earlier this year.

Mexico Could Pass Japan as Top U.S. Corn Importer

Pro Farmer’s First Thing Today reports buying patterns for U.S. corn have shifted, with U.S. corn export sales to Mexico helping to offset light purchases by more traditional buyers like South Korea. Mexico is well positioned to take over the top buyer role of U.S. corn from Japan as Japan is on pace to buy the second smallest amount of U.S. corn since 1999. Data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows that South Korea's purchases through mid-month are also the second lowest in a decade. The data also highlights how the rise of suppliers like Ukraine and Brazil has shifted global grain flows. There is also concern the recent boost in demand among Asian buyers could stall due to Britain's vote to exit the European Union and its impact on the currency market.

European Commission Extending Glyphosate License

The European Commission is extending its approval of the herbicide ingredient glyphosate. The Commission will extend the license for 18 months, a move that was earlier proposed to allow time for more research on glyphosate. The Commission announced the extension after several rounds of failed talks within the European Union. The license was set to expire June 30th (today) without action. Expiration would have barred the use and sale of glyphosate throughout the EU and require a phase-out of products containing glyphosate. American Soybean Association President Richard Wilkins says the extension “gives U.S. farmers and exporters the assurance that they will at least have access to the European market for that period of time.” Some fear the ban of glyphosate could lead to export issues between the U.S. and the EU.

SNAP Participation Decreasing

The Agriculture Department’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, served an average of 45.8 million people per month in fiscal year 2015. USDA says the percent of Americans participating in the program declined from 15 percent in 2014 to 14.2 percent in 2015, marking the second consecutive year of a decline in the percent of the population receiving SNAP. Between 2014 and 2015, 39 States and the District of Columbia saw a decrease in the percent of residents receiving SNAP benefits, while 11 states experienced no change or small increases. The percent of state populations receiving SNAP benefits ranged from a low of 5.6 in Wyoming to a high of 21.7 in New Mexico, reflecting differences in need and program policies. Southeastern States have a particularly high share of residents receiving SNAP benefits, with participation rates of 16.4 to 21.3 percent.

Saudis Reportedly Lift Ban On Imported US Beef

The Saudi Food and Drug Authority reportedly has lifted a ban on imported U.S. beef launched four years ago when an outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) was confirmed.

The ban – which included beef and other products from Poland and Spain – was expected to be lifted this year after a royal decree in 2015 outlined conditions for the move, according to a report in the Saudi Gazette. The Saudi agency and U.S. officials conducted a series of negotiations to establish the parameters in a move to rescind the ban, the newspaper reported.

USDA noted the ban was launched after a BSE case was confirmed in dairy cattle in California, according to its website. The U.S. agency also said that it had continued negotiations with the Saudi government since 2012, although efforts by Meatingplace to secure a confirmation of the lifting of the ban were unsuccessful.

However, the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) expressed confidence that the Saudi move could restore beef trade relations that were worth more than $30 million annually to U.S. producers before it was imposed.

“While there are still some administrative steps that need to be taken before shipments can resume, USMEF supports the Saudi government's decision to lift its suspension on imports of U.S. beef,” an agency spokesman told Meatingplace. “(Saudi Arabia) had developed into a key market for several U.S. companies serving the Middle East. We look forward to assisting them in reclaiming this business, and to introducing new suppliers to the market.”

Senate looks at federal sage grouse management

The Senate energy and natural resources subcommittee on public lands, forests and mining held an oversight hearing Tuesday on federal sage grouse plans and their impact on the successful, ongoing state management of the species.

In his opening statement, subcommittee chairman John Barrasso (R., Wyo.) said whether talking about the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) planning success or sage grouse conservation across the 11 western states, “there is significant opposition on the ground to federal action that advocates broad, sweeping policy direction mandated by Washington,” he said. “These one-size-fits-all policies cripple public access to public lands and disenfranchise those who have a vested interest in healthy resources.”

Barrasso added, “The use of best science that reflects true habitat is good for wildlife, recreationalists, livestock and other land users, as well as sage grouse.”

Brenda Richards, an Owyhee County, Ida., rancher and president of the Public Lands Council, testified on behalf of the council and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Assn. that any federal management plan must first recognize the essential contribution of grazing to conservation.

“Ranchers across the west have a vested interest not just in the health of their livestock but in the rangelands that support their herds and the wildlife that thrive alongside them,” Richards said. “The businesses they operate form the economic nucleus of many rural communities, providing jobs and opportunities where they wouldn’t exist otherwise. Additionally, ranchers often serve as first responders in emergency situations across vast, remote stretches of unoccupied federal lands. Simply put, public lands ranchers are an essential element of strong communities, healthy economies and productive rangelands across the West.”

Roughly 22,000 ranchers steward approximately 250 million acres of federal land and 140 million acres of adjacent private land all across the West. With as much as 80% of productive sage grouse habitat on private lands adjacent to federal permit ground, this makes private partnership essential in increasing sage grouse numbers. However, concern remains that BLM is ignoring local stakeholder input.

“Items such as focal areas, mandatory stubble height requirements and withdrawals of permits impose radically severe and unnecessary management restrictions on this vast area in opposition to proven strategies,” Richards said. “Rather than embracing grazing as a resource and tool for conservation benefit, these plan amendments impose arbitrary restrictions to satisfy requirements for newly minted objectives such as focal areas and net conservation benefit. Wildfire, invasive species and infrastructure are the major threats to sage grouse habitat, and they are all most effectively managed through grazing.”

According to the latest data from the Western Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies reported in the August 2015 "Greater Sage Grouse Population Trends: An Analysis of Lek Count Databases 1965-2015," the number of male grouse counted on leks range-wide went from 43,397 in 2013 to 80,284 in 2015. That’s a 63% increase in the past two years and contributes to a minimum breeding population of 424,645 birds, which does not include grouse populations on unknown leks.

“The results of these voluntary, local conservation efforts around the West are undeniable: Habitat is being preserved, and the sage grouse populations are responding,” Richards said. “Proper grazing specifically addresses the biggest threats to sage grouse habitat, while reduced grazing allows these threats to compound. To arbitrarily restrict grazing when it’s needed most is a recipe for failure. Local input and decades of successful, collaborative conservation efforts must be the starting point for future federal involvement, not an afterthought, as it is now being treated.”

Public lands ranchers encourage the BLM and federal agencies to work with them to continue to conserve and protect sage grouse habitat.

North American Leaders Look To Project Image Of Unity

(Dow Jones) -- North American leaders are looking to project an image of unity in a summit on Wednesday in the wake of the referendum last week in the U.K. that disrupted markets by shaking the global political order.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will play host to U.S. President Barack Obama and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto in Ottawa for an event sometimes called the Three Amigos summit.

The landmark U.K. vote to leave the European Union sparked concern that other political and trading blocs could fracture.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who has backed the so-called Brexit, said Tuesday that, if elected, he would take steps to withdraw the U.S. from the North American Free Trade Agreement unless it could be renegotiated on more-favorable terms.

The agenda in Ottawa will focus on the fallout of the U.K. decision and ways to coordinate efforts to insulate North America from the sudden uncertainty in global markets.

"There are opportunities to highlight the significance of North America, " said Mark Feierstein, senior director for Western Hemisphere affairs at the White House's National Security Council.

Leaders want to show that the three Nafta countries are unified on the goal of maintaining economic and political ties.

North America is "a compelling example we want to showcase at a time unfortunately people are prone to turning inward -- which will be at the cost of economic growth," Mr. Trudeau said at a presummit press conference with Mr. Peña Nieto on Tuesday.

The three leaders were expected to discuss to discuss such issues as energy, trade, immigration, and regional and global cooperation. The leaders will commit to a goal that clean power should account for 50% of their energy output by 2025, and Mexico will join a U.S.-Canada pact to reduce methane emissions by up to 45% in less than a decade, according to U.S. officials.

The three leaders come into the summit in very different political positions. For Mr. Obama, who has less than a year left in office, the summit is another opportunity to solidify his administration's legacy and relations with two of its most important trading partners.

Mr. Trudeau, on the other hand, is in the first year of his term and has made closer ties with Washington and Mexico City a key plank of his Liberal government's foreign policy.

Mr. Trudeau's predecessor, Stephen Harper, canceled last year's scheduled summit in Canada due in part to White House stalling on the Keystone XL pipeline. Mr. Obama eventually rejected the pipeline after Mr. Trudeau came to power.

"Canada seemed liked the least enthusiastic partner, in some ways," said Christopher Sands, the director of the Center for Canadian Studies at Johns Hopkins University. "Trudeau wanted to make a break with that, and embrace the North American process."

For his part, Mr. Peña Nieto is fighting both political headwinds and economic lethargy at home, and as Mexican officials gear up a publicity campaign meant to blunt the negative image of Mexico and Nafta in the U.S.

A recent online survey of American attitudes toward their southern neighbor by Austin consulting firm Vianovo and ad agency GSD&M showed that only 22% of respondents had a positive image of Mexico, compared with three-quarters who viewed Canada in a good light. Drugs, criminal cartels and corruption were the words most mentioned, according to the survey, which had a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.

"U.S. public opinion on whether to remain in or withdraw from Nafta looks very similar to the Brexit vote," said Michael Shannon, a partner at Vianovo, which advises Mexican officials and executives in their dealings with the U.S. "It's not healthy for sustaining a North American partnership, especially in the environment we're in right now."

Mexico recently replaced its ambassador to Washington and the heads of 29 of its 49 consulates across the U.S. with the goal of empowering Mexican immigrants by encouraging both dual citizenship and civic activities, Mexican Foreign Minister Claudia Ruiz Massieu said in a recent interview

Before developments in Europe, Canada, as host country, was looking to focus discussions on climate change and energy, doubting that the summit would produce any grand vision given Mr. Obama's pending departure.

But the Brexit vote has fueled fears in the U.S. that voters in November could opt for candidates who champion protectionism and nationalism. Mr. Trump has said he sees parallels with his campaign, which has focused on border and immigration control.

"The North American leaders realize the whole framework of continental integration and cooperation could be in jeopardy," said Eric Miller, head of Washington-based Rideau Potomac Strategy Group, a consultancy that specializes in trade issues. "Nobody really believed that Britain would leave the EU. But when you start seeing fractures in the major trading blocs in the world, you start to seeing questions raised about blocs" like Nafta.

Monsanto CEO Gives No Formal Update On Bayer AG Takeover Proposal

(Dow Jones) -- Monsanto Co.'s chief executive gave no formal update Wednesday on a $62 billion takeover proposal from Bayer AG, as the biotech-seed company said its earnings fell more than Wall Street expected amid unforeseen challenges.

Shares rose 2.3% to $103.44 in early trading in New York, as Monsanto Chief Executive Hugh Grant signaled he has been discussing potential strategic alternatives.

The company turned down a $62 billion takeover bid from Bayer AG last month. Mr. Grant said Wednesday that he has been in discussions with Bayer's management and others regarding strategic options over the past several weeks, but gave no formal update on a potential tie-up.

"We continue to believe in the value potential of the right combination, " Mr. Grant said on a conference call discussing the company's third-quarter results. "It's clear Monsanto remains the partner of choice in this industry."

Mr. Grant said that Monsanto's "growth prospects with or without a deal remain strong."

Monsanto said Bayer's offer undervalued the company. The bid, which would be the largest ever corporate takeover by a German firm, would create the world's biggest seed and pesticide business. But Bayer Chief Executive Werner Baumann has been struggling to sway investors following Monsanto's public rejection. He has since reiterated the $122-a-share bid, which Monsanto again rebuffed. Mr. Baumann previously said he plans to continue negotiating with Monsanto in private, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Monsanto said its results were hurt by glyphosate pricing declines, costs related to the delayed launch of its Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans and lower soybean volume due to the delay, India cotton-pricing regulations, and other headwinds.

The company now sees adjusted per-share profit this year at the low end of its $3.36 to $4.14 range. Monsanto also expects gross profit growth from its core seeds and genomics segment to be down about 5%, compared with prior guidance of unchanged from the previous year.

"Our industry is running at a low point in the overall agriculture cycle, " Mr. Grant said.

For the period ended May 31, Monsanto reported a profit of $717 million, or $1.63 a share, compared with $1.14 billion, or $2.39 a share, a year ago. Excluding items, such as restructuring charges and Argentine-related tax matters, earnings per share fell to $2.17. Total sales slid 8.5% to $4.19 billion.

Analysts, on average, projected $2.40 in adjusted earnings per share and $4.49 billion in sales, according to Thomson Reuters.

In its latest quarter, Monsanto saw revenue from seeds and genomics, its biggest business, edged up 0.4% to $3.21 billion. Sales in its agricultural productivity segment, meanwhile, slid 29% to $982 million.

Monsanto said it expects European officials in the "near-term" to approve new biotech soybeans, which have awaited final signoff from EU officials since early this year. The company said it also expects EU officials to grant an 18-month extension for glyphosate, the herbicide it markets under the Roundup brand.

TransCanada Files Complaint Claiming Delay In Rejection Of Keystone XL Pipeline Violates NAFTA

(DTN) -- TransCanada has filed a complaint against the United States, claiming the more than seven-year delay before rejecting the Keystone XL pipeline route through South Dakota and Nebraska was in violation of the North American Free Trade Agreement. The company is seeking through a NAFTA tribunal some $15 billion in damages as a result of lost revenues.

Environmental groups, farmers and ranchers fought TransCanada tooth and nail for years to stop the building of the pipeline through sensitive habitats across the Nebraska Sandhills, for fear that any pipeline breaches could harm the environment.

In a claim the company filed officially last weekend, TransCanada said it believes the Obama administration made the decision to reject the pipeline based on politics, breaking from the norm when it comes to other similar projects.

"At the time Keystone submitted its applications, the express policy of the United States was to expedite the development of energy production and transmission projects, including oil pipelines," the company said in its complaint.

"That remains the official policy of the United States even today, despite the denials of Keystone's applications...Claimants and Keystone legitimately expected that the state department would process Keystone's application for a presidential permit for the Keystone XL pipeline within these general parameters. For political reasons, however, the state department refused to expedite the processing of Keystone's applications, and ultimately took over seven years to make a decision..."

The company said the Keystone proposal was not "controversial" when it was first proposed back in 2008. That changed as a result of a number of oil-related accidents.

"Concocting an argument that denying the proposed pipeline would halt or slow development of the Canadian oil sands, environmental organizations seized on the Keystone XL pipeline as a rallying point to energize the activist community," the company said in the complaint.

Within hours after the NAFTA complaint became official, one of those environmental activist groups, BOLD Nebraska, began to rally followers to protest the company and to sign a pledge on the group's website, http://act.boldnebraska.org/….

The group took the occasion to call out NAFTA and ongoing negotiations in the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

"Under our bad international trade deal (NAFTA), TransCanada is suing all U.S. taxpayers for 'lost revenue' due to President Obama's rightful rejection of the company's risky, export pipeline that used eminent domain to take farmers' and ranchers' land, and bought off politicians to try to garner support for an unnecessary, climate-wrecking, water-polluting project," BOLD Nebraska says on the pledge.

"Under the secret court systems set up under trade deals like NAFTA and the TPP, citizens do not even get to engage in the legal process," BOLD Nebraska stated on its website. "In this case, TransCanada gets to have their $15 billion claim heard behind closed doors, and even pick one of the three judges who will decide the case. Trade deals like NAFTA and the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) are bad for farmers, ranchers, Indigenous Nations, and religious communities -- and these trade deals are bad for all of our water and property rights."

Jane Kleeb, president of Bold Alliance and recently elected chairman of the Democratic Party in Nebraska, said the president's decision to reject the pipeline was his way of standing with agriculture interests.

"President Obama stood with farmers, ranchers and Tribal Nations when he rejected the risky KXL pipeline," she said in a statement.

"TransCanada has no right to sue the American people on the terms of us standing up for property rights and the impacts of climate change. Since NAFTA, just like TPP, are governed by secret courts, we will be in the streets standing up for the American values of property rights and clean water and standing up to the TransCanada bullies."

Michael Brune, Sierra Club executive director, said the TransCanada action is a reason why Congress should reject the TPP

"TransCanada's attempt to make American taxpayers hand over more than $15 billion because the company's dirty Keystone XL pipeline was rejected shows exactly why NAFTA was wrong and why the even more dangerous and far-reaching Trans-Pacific Partnership must be stopped in its tracks," he said in a statement.

TransCanada first submitted an application to build Keystone on Sept. 19, 2008, asking the U.S. State Department for a presidential permit. The administration sat on the application for more than three years and Congress passed legislation to force the agency to act on the application within 60 days.

On Jan. 18, 2012, the State Department denied the application claiming it needed more time beyond the 60 days to make a decision. The company was then free to submit another application for a permit and did so on May 4, 2012. The State Department denied that application more than three years later on Nov. 6, 2015.

Oral Arguments Scheduled for WOTUS Venue Question

Oral arguments over the appropriate venue, district or circuit court, for challenges in federal courts to the Environmental Protection Agency's waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule have been scheduled for July 8 in Atlanta before the U.S. Eleventh Circuit of Appeals.

The challenges were brought by an 11-state coalition, led by Georgia. The Eleventh Circuit previously postponed scheduling for arguments pending a resolution to a related challenge before the Sixth Circuit, and following a fractured ruling and then a dismissal of a request for rehearing in that court, the Eleventh Circuit decided to move forward with the litigation before it.

The Eleventh Circuit proceeded with oral arguments after giving all parties to the litigation an opportunity for supplemental briefing on the question of legal jurisdiction. The court issued the scheduling order June 24.

If the Eleventh Circuit decision conflicts with that of the Sixth Circuit, which found it did have jurisdiction over the WOTUS challenges, it would set the stage for the jurisdictional question to potentially come before the Supreme Court.

Washington Insider: GMO Label Deal

A Senate deal has been struck on a nationwide labeling system for genetically modified organisms, but it has some ways to go before it is written into legislation and approved. Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kans., and ranking member Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., both backed the deal June 23.

It would establish a mandatory labeling system that allows food makers to choose to disclose GMO ingredients on the package using text, a symbol, or an Internet link directing consumers to more information.

However, there are still a number of aspects of the deal that make some stakeholders unhappy, Bloomberg says -- possibly including House ag chair Michael Conaway, R-Texas, who says he wants to go to conference with his voluntary-only standard. He says he is still studying the Senate deal language.

The draft Senate bill would next face consideration in the Senate, where a voluntary labeling system failed in March. The Senate will not take up the deal this week, so it is not clear when lawmakers might schedule a vote. The House doesn't return until July 5.

While there is much that is still in flux regarding the deal, it clearly won't be done in time to derail Vermont's labeling law which will take effect next week if not superseded.

The Senate negotiators are claiming progress, however. And, a key feature is that any state law regulating GMO labeling would be prevented.

Still, it is unclear whether the current deal will resolve the basic stand-off, Bloomberg says. One of the food industry's top lobbying organizations, the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), backs the deal since it would "ensure consumers across the nation" clear, consistent information about their food and beverage ingredients "and prevents a patchwork of confusing and costly state labeling laws," GMA president and CEO Pamela Bailey said.

Also backing the deal are the American Soybean Association and the National Association of Manufacturers.

On the other side of the debate, Just Label It supported the nationwide, mandatory labeling standard requiring explicit, on-packaging labeling and say they are "disappointed that the proposal will require many consumers to rely on smartphones" to learn basic information about their food.

The American Farm Bureau Federation didn't oppose the new language outright, saying that it was reviewing the proposal and still supported a voluntary labeling system. "This deal clearly seeks to prevent a 50-state mismatched quilt of differing labeling standards," the group said. "But the mandatory feature holds significant potential to contribute to confusion and unnecessary alarm."

Advocates note that the proposal "covers tens of thousands of food products exempt from Vermont's law, and protects the integrity of organic food," Stabenow told Bloomberg. And, in a concession to the biotech industry, the bill would tightly define "genetic engineering" in a way that does not include new techniques like gene editing. Still, in a strange move, beef, pork, poultry and eggs would not be subject to labeling when a majority of a product is made with those products, no GMO label would be required. In the case of a pepperoni pizza, for instance, a label would be needed if the flour in the crust originated as GMO wheat, Stabenow said in a statement.

Producers who've secured a "certified organic" designation from USDA would be allowed to clearly display a "non-GMO" label on their products.

The Obama administration praised Roberts and Stabenow for their work but did not officially endorse their language. "It is our hope that their colleagues in the Senate and House of Representatives recognize the difficulty of their work, and the importance of creating a path forward," USDA spokeswoman Catherine Cochran said.

So, the fight seems to have progressed beyond the point where anyone is seriously questioning whether consumers really have any use for on-package labels that finger GMOs -- even though many products are exempt. Still, this fight is far from over. Unfortunately, it seems to be drifting even deeper into the weeds in terms of what is labeled and how the labels are focused, defined, and presented. And, it still has the possibility of raising consumer food costs quite considerably. So the debate still carries high stakes for producers and should be watched carefully as it proceeds, Washington Insider believes.

Biodiesel Industry Supports 48,000 Jobs

Nearly 100 biodiesel industry leaders converged on Capitol Hill today (Tuesday) to call for a stronger clean-fuels policy just as a new report shows the industry supports nearly 48,000 jobs. The study found that 2.1 billion gallons of biodiesel and renewable diesel used in America had an economic impact of $8.4 billion dollars across different sectors of the economy. The 47,400 jobs paid out $1.9 billion in wages. The report also found that imports are affecting the domestic industry’s production and impact. If all biodiesel and renewable diesel had been produced domestically, it would have supported another 21,200 additional jobs. Instead, almost a third of the product came from overseas. Stakeholders in the industry went to Washington D.C. to call for higher biomass-based and advanced biofuel requirements under the Renewable Fuels Standard than what the Environmental Protection Agency recently proposed. They also want extension and reform of the biodiesel tax credit which is scheduled to expire at the end of the year.

Fourth of July Cookout Cost Up Slightly

America’s favorite Fourth of July cookout foods include hot dogs, cheeseburgers, pork spare ribs, baked beans, potato salad, and milk, which will all cost a little more this year, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. However, the cost to feed a group of ten people comes in at $56.06, which is less than $6 per person. Although the cost is up slightly at less than one percent, the Farm Bureau notes that prices at the meat case are looking better for consumers. Beef prices are lower thanks to rising cattle inventory and production numbers from lows of a couple of years ago. They also say pork production continues to grow and is at its highest level in 25 years. Watermelon is another favorite on the Fourth and prices will be slightly higher. Shipments of watermelons are down 8 percent from a year ago. 

Senate Schedule Tight for Vote On GMO labeling compromise

Supporters of the Genetically Modified Organism labeling agreement reached on June 23rd are hoping it gets to the Senate floor this week, but the schedule is full. Work on the Senate schedule includes things like votes on Zika, military construction, and the VA. It also includes work on the commerce, science, and justice fiscal 2017 appropriations bill. Debate continues over add-ons in the appropriations bill aimed at curbing gun violence and there’s no final vote in sight yet. Politico says food and agriculture groups are asking members to contact their senators and tell them to support the GMO labeling bill, which is the product of months of negotiations. An American Soybean Association newsletter says it needs all 25,000 members engaged in the process as the technology is important to the industry. It encourages members not to assume their senator is on board just because they’re in a farm state, and calls and emails are needed to all 60 soy-state Senators repeatedly until this legislation is passed. The House is out until July fifth. 

Farmland Values Lower but Still Strong

According to the Farmers National Company, a ten-year run-up in land prices appears to be leveling off. Farmers National is one of the nation’s top ag real estate companies, and they say average values of crop ground and grasslands has dropped from the historic highs of recent years but they’re still very strong. The supply of land for sale mirrors the amount of demand to buy land, so the market is in “equilibrium.” The supply of land for sale is lower as some farmers are deciding whether or not to keep their land, and buyer demand has trended lower too. With farm and ranch profits lower, lenders are also being more cautious about what they’ll lend for land purchases. Investor interest in farm and ranch land also declined as prices got higher and return on investments went lower. As land prices begin to fall, investors and fund buyers are moving back into the market. Farmers National says overall demand for good land is solid, but not so much on lower quality farm ground and grasslands everywhere.

Dow Chemical to Cut 2,500 jobs

Dow Chemical will lay off 2,500 employees, or about 4 percent of its workforce, as part of a deal to assume full control of Dow Corning, which is a joint venture with glass maker Corning, Inc. According to Reuters, Dow will shut down silicon manufacturing plants in North Carolina and Japan as well as other facilities in different locations. Down Chemical first announced the deal for Dow Corning in December, and then said it would merge with DuPont in an all-stock deal. The combined companies were then valued at $130 billion. Dow Chemical raised its annual cost savings estimate for the deal to $400 million.

Senate Holds Oversight Hearing on Sage Grouse Habitat Management

WASHINGTON (June 28, 2016) – Today, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests and Mining held an oversight hearing on the Federal sage grouse plans and their impact to successful ongoing state management of the species. Brenda Richards, Owyhee County Idaho rancher and president of the Public Lands Council,testified on behalf of the PLC and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. Richards said that any Federal management plan must first recognize the essential contribution of grazing to conservation.

“Ranchers across the west have a vested interest not just in the health of their livestock, but in the rangelands that support their herds and the wildlife that thrive alongside them,” said Richards. “The businesses they operate form the economic nucleus of many rural communities, providing jobs and opportunities where they wouldn’t exist otherwise. Additionally, ranchers often serve as first responders in emergency situations across vast, remote stretches of unoccupied federal lands. Simply put, public lands ranchers are an essential element of strong communities, healthy economies, and productive rangelands across the west.”

Across the west, roughly 22,000 ranchers steward approximately 250 million acres of federal land and 140 million acres of adjacent private land. With as much as 80 percent of productive sage grouse habitat on private lands adjacent to federal permit ground, this makes private partnership essential in increasing sage grouse numbers. However, concern remains that local stakeholder input is being ignored by the Bureau of Land Management.

“Items such as Focal Areas, mandatory stubble height requirements and withdrawals of permits impose radically severe and unnecessary management restrictions on this vast area in opposition to proven strategies,” said Richards. “Rather than embracing grazing as a resource and tool for conservation benefit, these plan amendments impose arbitrary restrictions to satisfy requirements for newly minted objectives such as Focal Areas and Net Conservation Benefit. Wildfire, invasive species and infrastructure are the major threats to sage grouse habitat and they are all most effectively managed through grazing.”

According to the latest data from the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’ August 2015 report – Greater Sage Grouse Population Trends: An Analysis of Lek Count Databases 1965-2015, the number of male grouse counted on leks range-wide went from 43,397 in 2013 to 80,284 in 2015.  That’s a 63 percent increase in the past two years and contributes to a minimum breeding population of 424,645 birds, which does not include grouse populations on unknown leks.

“The results of these voluntary, local conservation efforts around the west are undeniable; habitat is being preserved and the sage grouse populations are responding,” said Richards. “Proper grazing specifically addresses the biggest threats to sage grouse habitat, while reduced grazing allows these threats to compound. To arbitrarily restrict grazing when it’s needed most is a recipe for failure. Local input and decades of successful, collaborative conservation efforts must be the starting point for future Federal involvement, not an afterthought as it is now being treated.”

Public lands ranchers encourage the BLM and Federal agencies to work with them to continue to conserve and protect sage grouse habitat.

Export Inspections Report Neutral To Bullish

 (DTN) -- Corn inspections were neutral, soybean inspections were neutral to bearish and wheat inspections were bullish in this week's export inspections report, according to DTN Analyst Todd Hultman.

Corn weekly export inspections were 57.1 million bushels (1,451,227 metric tons) for the week ending Thursday, June 23. This is above 41.0 mb for the same week a year ago. Inspections for 2015-16 total 1.334 billion bushels, down 6% from a year ago and below USDA's projected demand decrease of 2%. Monday's report should be viewed as neutral, Hultman said.

Soybean weekly export inspections were 10.0 mb (272,066 mt) for the week ending June 23. This is below 10.9 mb for the same week a year ago. Inspections for 2015-16 total 1.626 billion bushels, which is down 8% from the previous year and below USDA's projected demand decrease of 5%. Monday's report should be viewed as neutral to bearish, Hultman said.

Wheat weekly export inspections were 18.8 mb (511,701 mt) for the week ending June 23. This is above 13.2 mb for the same week a year ago. Marketing-year inspections for 2016-17 total 62.6 mb and are up 38% from the previous year and above USDA's projected demand of a 16% increase. Monday's report should be viewed as bullish, Hultman said.

Latest USDA Crop Progess Report

OMAHA (DTN) -- Six percent of the nation's corn was silking and 9% of the soybeans were blooming as of June 26, according to the USDA Crop Progress report released Monday.

Corn silking progress was 1 percentage point ahead of the average and 3 percentage points ahead of last year. Corn condition worsened just slightly to 5% poor to very poor, compared to 4% last week. The good-to-excellent category remained steady at 75%.

"USDA said 75% of the corn crop was rated good to excellent, resulting in a one-point drop in the DTN Corn Condition Index to 180," said DTN Analyst Todd Hultman. "DTN's index was up from 164 a year ago and is above the five-year average of 161. Monday's report is bearish for corn."

Soybean blooming at 9% is 2 percentage points ahead of last year and the five-year average, both at 7%. Soybean conditions worsened slightly to 72% good to excellent, compared to 73% last week.

"USDA said 72% of soybeans were rated good to excellent, resulting in a 1-point drop in the DTN Soybean Condition Index to 173," Hultman said. "DTN's index is up from 154 a year ago and is also above the five-year average of 155. Monday's report is bearish for soybeans."

Winter wheat is 45% harvested, compared to 25% last week, 33% last year and 41% on average. Winter wheat condition improved slightly to 62% good to excellent compared to 61% last week.

"USDA said that 62% of winter wheat was rated good-to-excellent, resulting in a 3-point increase in the DTN Winter Wheat Condition Index to 156," Hultman said. "DTN's index is up from 95 a year ago and well above the five-year average of 63. Monday's report is bearish for winter wheat."

Spring wheat is 56% headed, compared to 28% last week, 42% last year and a 27% average. Spring wheat condition declined to 72% good to excellent, compared to 76% last week.

"Seventy-two percent of spring wheat was rated good-to-excellent, resulting in an 8-point drop in the DTN Spring Wheat Condition Index to 171," Hultman said. "DTN's index is down from 174 a year ago and is below the five-year average of 174. Monday's report is neutral for spring wheat."

EU Will Decide Region’s Fate of Glyphosate Use this Week

The European Commission is expected to make a decision this week on the use of glyphosate in the European Union after politicians in the EU failed to reach an agreement. While the EU’s attention last week was primarily focused on Britain’s decision to exit the EU, an appeals committee of representatives from the 28 member states failed to agree on whether to extend the license for the herbicide glyphosate after it expires this week, according to Reuters. The Commission, after failing to win support for a 15-year renewal of the license, had offered a 12 to 18 month extension to allow time for a further study by the European Chemicals Agency. However, France and Malta voted against the proposal and seven countries, including Germany, Italy and Austria, abstained, failing to meet a required majority decision. If the license is not extended, manufacturers will have six months to phase out products containing glyphosate in the European Union.

Inflated Wheat Stocks Prompts Silo Inspections in Egypt

Top Egyptian officials dismissed allegations of fraud after the country reported that it had purchased nearly five million metric tons of wheat from local farmers via its procurement season, according to Pro Farmer’s First Thing Today. The figure is the second highest on record and well above the 3.0 to 3.5 million metric tons farmers delivered annually over the past decade. Wheat millers and traders said the high figure was the result of private suppliers misreporting their stocks to collect government payments for highly subsidized domestic wheat. On Sunday, Egypt's Ministry of Supplies said it would punish domestic suppliers that misreported stocks. The government also said it will launch inspections of wheat silos this month to investigate the reports. If the accusations do have merit, the country may need to import more wheat, at a time when Egypt is rejecting cargoes based on what some traders call an unreasonable zero tolerance ergot policy. The international trade standard is 0.5 percent ergot contamination.

USDA Providing Additional Funding for Farm Loans

Agri-Pulse reports Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has notified Congress he will use $500 million in discretionary funding to cover a projected funding shortfall for farm loans. The Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency, which administers the program, predicts a shortfall in funding for guaranteed farm ownership loans during the fiscal year that ends in September. Lower commodity prices and reduced farm income caused banks to become more cautious in their lending practices, creating greater demand for USDA guaranteed loans. The Farm Service Agency announced recently that USDA was about to run exhaust the $2 billion Congress approved for the program. FSA is also looking at a projected shortfall in federally assisted farm operating loans.

Federal Judge Refuses to Dismiss Wheat Price Rigging Lawsuit

A federal judge in Chicago refused to dismiss a lawsuit in which wheat traders accuse Kraft Foods and Modelez International of illegally manipulating the grain's price at their expense. The judge on Monday said traders may pursue claims that a large, late 2011 purchase by Kraft Foods of wheat futures contracts violated the Sherman antitrust law and the Commodity Exchange Act, according to Reuters. Many of the allegations were similar to those raised by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission in an April 2015 lawsuit. The CFTC said Kraft Foods bought $90 million of December 2011 wheat futures, giving it a dominant position in that market, despite never intending to take possession of the grain, to depress prices in the cash wheat market.

Idaho Beef Council Celebrates Idaho Beef Month

June 27, 2016 -- Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter has declared that July is Idaho Beef Month and this year marks the 15^th annual month-long celebration. Idaho Beef Month celebrates the significant contributions the beef industry makes to Idaho and the important role of beef in a healthy and balanced diet.

To celebrate Beef Month this year, the Idaho Beef Council will debut a new display at the Boise airport. The display features a giant steer, coined Bubba, surrounded by a replica of Idaho’s ranches. Bubba will be located by the baggage claim.

If you find yourself waiting on your luggage after a flight or waiting to pick up family or a friend, make sure to snap a selfie and share on the IBC’s Facebook or Instagram page with the hashtags #smileandsaybeef and #idahobeefcouncil. Those who do will have a chance to win free beef for a year! Bubba will be in the airport beginning late June through early September.

Idaho’s ranchers are committed to providing a wholesome, nutritious, safe and delicious product to consumers and are proud of their role in feeding our nation.  Join Idaho’s cattle ranchers in celebrating Beef Month by visiting the airport and snapping a selfie, enjoying your favorite beef dish, and thanking your local rancher.   

Frozen Poultry Supplies Up 7%

Total frozen poultry supplies on May 31 were up 4 percent from the previous month and up 7 percent from a year ago, according to USDA’s monthly Cold Storage report.

Total stocks of chicken were down slightly from the previous month but up 9 percent from last year. Total pounds of turkey in freezers were up 14 percent from last month and up 3 percent from May 31, 2015.

Total red meat supplies in freezers were down 2 percent from the previous month and down 5 percent from last year.

Total pounds of beef in freezers were down 1 percent from the previous month and down 6 percent from last year.

Frozen pork supplies were down 4 percent from the previous month and down 6 percent from last year. Stocks of pork bellies were up 7 percent from last month and up 20 percent from last year.

Brexit Impact on Agriculture, Markets, Immediate

Britain’s exit from the European Union is projected to take years, but the impact on U.S. agriculture is immediate. Britain voted to leave the EU on Thursday, and many British farmers seemed to prefer the exit because they were upset over EU regulations. However, those same farmers will lose massive amounts of farm subsidies, according to the Hagstrom Report. British farmers have often complained about the European Common Agricultural Policy but also have opposed measures restricting subsidies. For the UK will no longer be included in the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership negotiations. Britain will have to negotiate trade deals of its own. The United States is currently the single largest investor in Britain. The U.S. sells near $2 billion of agriculture and food products to Britain each year.

Vermont Governor Concerned with U.S. Senate GMO Bill

Vermont’s Governor says a national GMO labeling standard makes sense, but Peter Shumlin says he has deep concerns regarding the Senate’s bill. Vermont Public Radio reported Shumlin is concerned because the Senate compromise would delay labeling “for several years,” and allows the food manufacturer to choose how to disclose the information. Shumlin signed the Vermont mandatory labeling law in 2014. The Senate bill would supersede Vermont’s law and prohibit states from setting their own labeling requirements. It would also give the U.S. Department of Agriculture two years to finalize the national regulations. Many agriculture groups applauded the compromise announced by the Senate Agriculture Committee last week, recognizing the need for a national standard, rather than a patchwork of state laws. The legislation does not come in time to completely block the Vermont law, as the House is on recess until July 5th. It is also still unclear if the Senate has enough votes to pass the legislation. A voluntary GMO labeling bill failed on a procedural vote in the Senate earlier this year.

Bayer Shareholder Approval Not Needed for Potential Monsanto Acquisition

Bayer AG says the company does not need the approval of shareholders to acquire Monsanto. In a legal filing, an executive from Bayer wrote “a shareholder vote is not required by German law." The statement comes after Bayer had spent more than a month trying to warm shareholders to the idea that buying Monsanto is good for business, according to the St Louis Business Journal. The St Louis, Missouri Based Monsanto has rejected an offer by German-owned Bayer. Bayer reportedly has secured $63 billion in financing but has not publicly stated if it's presented another offer to acquire Monsanto. Monsanto rejected the initial offer and also rejected a request for information to justify Bayer increasing its bid. Monsanto said it would only release more details if Bayer boosted its offer, stalling the efforts.

Data Coalition Forms Farmer Advisory Board

Last week, the Agriculture Data Coalition formed a farmer advisory board aimed at helping guide the coalition as it develops a data management repository to house agricultural information. The ten member board features members from seven states who raise crops ranging from corn and soybeans to cotton, sorghum, wheat and potatoes. One of the coalition’s founder members, Keith Coble of Mississippi State, says the members will “provide invaluable insight into the unique needs of these different regions and their various crops." ADC is entering a pilot phase, and many advisory board members will be among the first to work with ADC to drive short and long-term user needs, according to the Coalition. ADC's mission is to create a neutral, independent warehouse where farmers can securely store and control the data generated by their tractors, harvesters, aerial imaging and other devices.

Great Britain Votes To Leave EU

(DTN) -- In a historic move that will have major long-term implications on trade and markets, voters in Great Britain surprised the world by voting Thursday to leave the European Union.

David Cameron, Great Britain's prime minister, announced Friday morning he was resigning after the vote of 17.4 million (52%) to leave versus 16.1 million (48%) to remain in the EU trading bloc.

DTN analysts reported on market reaction throughout the night. As expected, European Equity markets took a hit shortly after Friday's open. London's FTSE 100 was down about 500 points, Germany's DAX was off more than 1,000 points, and France's CAC 40 was down 350 points. Asian markets continue to trade lower with Japan's Nikkei off roughly 1,290 points.

With the exception of gold, the commodity sector in general was hit by heavy investment fund selling due to the explosive rally in the USDX. Crude oil initially dropped $3.40, or about 7% of its price, in a short period of time while grains continued to be pummeled. July corn fell as much as 10 1/2 cents while July soybeans moved 20 1/2 cents lower. Even Chicago wheat, where noncommercial traders already held a net-short futures position, fell 12 1/2 cents.

As DTN Senior Analyst Darin Newsom wrote, after an initial rally the British sterling fell to a 35-year low while the U.S. dollar index (USDX) rallied 3.174 (3.4%) from Thursday's close. Reflecting a race to safe haven markets, gold gained $99.50. That's right, just four bits short of a $100 rally.

Global equity markets were in full panic selling mode with Japan's Nikkei losing about 1,300 points (8%) ahead of what was expected to be a crushing open in European markets. As expected London's FTSE 100 fell about 500 points, Germany's DAX dropped more than 1,000 points, and Frances CAC-40 dipped 400 points.

"What was interesting though, within the first hour, was the FTSE 100 started to rebound. Was it a case of nothing more than a dead-cat bounce, or as chatter started to pick up on, was the Brexit vote more troublesome for the rest of Europe more than the U.K.?," Newsom said.

The U.S. dollar index moved upward quickly after the vote and remained firm early in the morning, up 1.840, while gold was still holding a gain of $57.

In U.S. equity markets, the Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were down 500 points early, off session lows but still pointing at a sharply lower open later Monday morning.

European equity markets remain under pressure across the board with London's FTSE still doing better than indexes seen over the rest of Europe.

DTN's market coverage will continue in our normal Before the Bell, Quick Takes, and Closing analysis.

The British departure leaves world leaders wondering how to treat the Great Britain. President Barack Obama and other U.S. officials before the vote said they had no plans to negotiate separate trade deals with Great Britain compared to Europe. At the same time, the U.S. government has always maintained a special, separate relationship with Great Britain so any pre-vote posturing will have to be immediately re-evaluated. The White House did not release any immediate statements following the vote but it is likely the president will have more to say on Friday.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel called for Europeans to remain "calm and composed" in the wake of the vote and insisted that the EU would continue to have close ties to Britain. Still, Merkel also called the vote "a turning point" in the EU.

The vote is seen as a nationalist rebuke of European policies on immigration and refugee resettlement from war-torn areas such as Syria. By separating itself from EU policies, Britain will likely be able to tighten its borders. Voting patterns showed much of England voted to leave the EU while Scotland voted to stay with the Europeans. Voting in Ireland appeared more mixed.

However, the vote will have long-term implications for agriculture and markets as well. The UK was a net importer of food and bought $2.7 billion in U.S. agriculture, fish and forestry products in 2014, according to USDA. That's compared to $13 billion in U.S. agricultural exports to major EU members as a whole.

DTN Political Correspondent Jerry Hagstrom noted British farmers were believed to have voted heavily in favor of leaving the EU. Still, the departure also means British farmers will lose massive amounts of farm subsidies. The UK has often complained about the European Common Agricultural Policy, but it has also opposed measures restricting subsidies to large farms because the UK has had some of the largest farms within the EU.

The UK's departure also means that a major voice in favor of genetic modification will be missing from EU debates in the future. The vote for Great Britain to exit the EU -- known as "Brexit" -- also means the UK will no longer be part of the TransAtlantic Trade and Investment Partnership negotiations.

The EU agricultural lobby Copa-Cogeca issued a statement noting the group is still analyzing the impact on agriculture of the vote, based on both EU institutions and UK government decisions, but noting a key point will be to avoid any further disruption to the European agriculture market.

"It's crucial to maintain market stability," the group stated.

New DOL Rules Require Farmer's Review

(DTN) -- Agriculture's 24/7 workload poses special issues for payroll. Most farmers assume they are not required to pay overtime for any farm work performed by their employees, points out Paul Neiffer, a CPA with CliftonLarsonAllen in Yakima, Washington. But given the new rules imposed by the Department of Labor starting December 1, you need to carefully review that policy and the impact on your labor expense, he advises.

The Department of Labor announced final regulations on new overtime rules May 18, greatly expanding who qualifies for overtime treatment.

"Direct" agricultural work still is generally exempt from overtime, so if you're pressed to run full speed during planting and harvest, you simply pay field hands their hourly rate multiplied by time worked. Immediate family members employed on farm also are completely exempt from overtime rules. Neither of those exemptions have changed, says Angie Ziegler who advises clients on payroll issues for the accounting firm of EideBailly in Mankato, Minnesota.

WHERE IT GETS COMPLICATED

However, today's farms also include a number of business entities, some which will qualify as "farm" and some which may not. Frequently non-farm sidelines can include commercial trucking, custom hire work or perhaps a commercial grain elevator. In those cases, the work performed is no longer exempt from overtime rules.

For example, hourly employees who haul for someone other than the farm would need to be paid time-and-a-half on hours that exceed 40 hours per week. That's the case, even if they worked 40 hours on the farm and 20 hours for your trucking company.

"The problem is there aren't a lot of specific rules and regulations on this. This is not something that's been pinned down by the Department of Labor. But that's my educated guess, based on discussion with attorneys and reviews of revenue rulings," Neiffer says.

The big change in a new Labor Department rule is white-collar employees who have been paid more than $455 per week ($23,660 per year) and were exempt from overtime in the past because of their job category. In the past, managers, administrative staff and technical workers who worked on farms were still considered farm labor. "As long as they were paid at least $455 per week, they were entitled to nothing for overtime," Neiffer says.

Beginning Dec. 1, 2016, however, the overtime-wage standard for white-collar jobs jumps to $913 per week, or $47,476 per year. "White-collar" employees who earn less than $47,476 a year and who work in non-farm businesses must be paid overtime at time-and-a-half for all hours above 40 hours a week.

However, "white-collar" employees who work for the farm and earn under the $47,476 salary threshold -- and are not involved in any non-farm sideline businesses -- won't need to be paid time-and-a-half, Neiffer emphasizes. Still, these workers will need to be paid their flat hourly wage for all hours above 40 hours per week, he says.

"Under the old rules, a farm's white-collar workers were no big deal since almost everyone earned more than $23,000 a year if they were on salary, so they weren't collecting any overtime pay. But with non-taxable benefits like housing and company vehicles, many farm employees do earn less than $47,476 a year and will now need some compensation for those excess hours," Neiffer says.

It's common at certain times of the year that a farm's clerical staff or other managers put in 60 or more hours per week, so there's a chance that farm labor costs will go up if employers don't monitor the situation, EideBailly's Ziegler says. Besides salary, the rules could affect FICA taxes and retirement plans.

"Farm employers may need to work out their options," she says. "They can jump salaried employees to a higher pay rate to avoid overtime rules; keep them at current salary and pay overtime; convert salaried workers to hourly workers; or reduce an employee's hourly wages but pay over-time that will keep them at their current annual earnings."

Roberts, Stabenow, Announce GMO Labeling Compromise

Senate Agriculture Committee Members, Chairman Pat Roberts and ranking Democrat Debbie Stabenow released a GMO labeling law Thursday that would preempt state laws, such as the one taking effect July first in Vermont. The bill would require mandatory labeling of most foods with genetically modified ingredients but with labeling options. The bill offers companies a choice of providing an on-package label or a symbol or scannable electronic label, according to the Hagstrom Report. The law would preempt state labeling laws but gives the U.S. Department of Agriculture two years to develop the labeling standards. Stabenow said the bill ensures that organic producers can clearly display a “non-GMO” label, but is “also a win for our nation’s farmers and food producers.” Roberts says the legislation recognizes the 30-plus years of proven safety of biotechnology and urged Senators to support the bill. He called the legislation “a far better alternative than Vermont’s law.” Grocery Manufacturers Association CEO Pamela Bailey said the compromise is “the commonsense solution for consumers, farmers and businesses,” and urged the Senate to quickly pass the bill.

Despite Compromise, Vermont Labeling Law Becomes De Facto Standard, For Now

The Vermont GMO labeling law is poised to be the de facto national standard, at least, for now. The Senate Agriculture Committee unveiled its GMO labeling bill Thursday, but with the House in recess, the Vermont law will stand, for at least a few days. That is if the Senate can garner the votes needed to pass the compromise and the bill can be passed by the House once the chamber returns on July 5th. The House squashed all hope of defeating the Vermont law before it comes into effect on July first after Democrats caused chaos in the chamber with a ‘sit in’ demanding action on gun control measures. Republican leaders of the House responded by adjourning for recess, skipping the final two working days on the calendar for the House this month. The Vermont law does have a six-month grace period on penalties until January. However, many major food companies pledged to comply nationally with the Vermont mandatory GMO labeling law and have already begun shipping properly labeled products.

House Lawmakers Question EPA on Glyphosate Report

At a U.S. House committee hearing this week, the Environmental Protection Agency Administrator told lawmakers the recently published report on glyphosate is no indication of what the EPA’s final decision will be. In early May, the EPA published, and then pulled a report from the agency’s website that concluded glyphosate is not likely to be carcinogenic to humans. That report, labeled “final,” from the EPA's independent Cancer Assessment Review Committee, was only a “step in the process,” according to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. She says the warrants a larger agency review. DTN reports the final decision by the EPA on glyphosate is expected sometime this fall. Representative Frank Lucas of Oklahoma says there is concern among the farm community the agency's action may indicate a disagreement with the conclusion EPA had mistakenly released last month. McCarthy responded by saying “this is not an indication we don't agree with the assessment,” adding “the problem was it was not a final agency decision.”

Agriculture: A Deadly Occupation

New numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show agriculture as one of the most dangerous occupations in the country. A list compiled by Forbes shows the top 15 most dangerous jobs in the United States. Agriculture directly made the list in three separate categories. Classified under, Miscellaneous Agricultural Workers, farm laborers and equipment operators were ranked 12th on the list, with 18.2 fatalities per 100,000 employees in 2014.The classification Farming, Fishing and Forestry Occupations made the list at number nine, with 24.1 deaths per 100,00 employees. Finally, ranked seventh on the list, the general category of Farmers, Ranchers and other Agricultural Managers logged 26 fatalities per 100,000 employees in 2014. Further, an argument can be made that the two most dangerous jobs in the nation are also directly related to agriculture. The second deadliest job in the United States is Fishing and Related Fishing Workers. Topping the list was logging workers, with 109.5 fatalities per 100,000 workers in 2014.

Monsanto, Argentina, Agree to Royalties Collection Pact

Monsanto and Argentina have announced an agreement regarding the collection of royalties of genetically modified soybeans in Argentina. The agreement ends years of dispute between the world’s largest seed company and the third-largest grower of soybeans, according to Bloomberg News. Under the agreement, Argentina will have full control of seed commercialization to ensure private companies like Monsanto will be able to collect royalties’ payments. The agreement represents a cultural shift for Argentine farmers, who have generally avoided paying royalties to seed companies by using GMO seeds saved from previous harvests or purchased from non-registered suppliers. The agreement should help secure revenue for Monsanto from its third-largest market, after the U.S. and Brazil.

DuPont, Bayer Launch Agriculture Startup Venture

DuPont, Bayer AG, the venture capital firm Finistere Ventures, along with two others have launched a $15-million accelerator fund known as Radicle that will back startup agriculture technology companies. Pro Farmer’s First Thing Today reports that many companies have jumped into the billion dollar agriculture-tech startup industry, hoping to profit from increasingly sophisticated tools regarding seed traits, weather sensors and unmanned aerial vehicles, among other technologies. For Bayer and DuPont, the venture may bring access to new research to address or complement gaps in their product lines.