U.S. wheat growers are thrilled about a joint announcement from Washington and Brazil that says the South American country will establish a 750,000-ton quota for tariff-free wheat imports. A Small Grain Dot Org article says U.S. Wheat Associates and the National Association of Wheat Growers welcome the announcement because it fulfills a longstanding obligation under Brazil’s World Trade Organization commitments.

U.S. Wheat Associates Chairman Chris Kolstad says they’re grateful to the Trump Administration for championing the interests of U.S. farmers. “Specifically, we say thank you to Chief Agricultural Negotiator Gregg Doud and USDA Under Secretary Ted McKinney for prioritizing Brazil’s WTO commitments,” he says. “This new opportunity gives us a chance to build stronger relationships with Brazilian millers and a more consistent market there for U.S. wheat.”

Brazil was the largest importer of wheat in Latin America, as well as the fourth-largest in the world during the 2017-2018 marketing year. The move could bring some relief to U.S. farmers who have lost export sales after President Trump pulled out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and slapped tariffs on major trading partners, which prompted retaliation against U.S. farm goods.

Livestock groups warn any trade allowing Brazil to export beef to the U.S. would put the U.S. beef industry at risk. President Donald Trump and his counterpart from Brazil discussed trade issues Tuesday, including beef, sugar and ethanol.

However, some livestock groups expressed concern regarding the potential reopening of fresh beef exports to the U.S. market. The United States Cattlemen’s Association reiterated its strong opposition to the move that the organization says would compromise the “health of the domestic cattle herd for the sake of increased beef exports, especially from a country marred by scandal.”

The group urged President Trump and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to strongly consider potential animal health issues stemming from possible trade with Brazil, including the 2017 discovery that Brazilian meat inspectors had been caught accepting bribes to allow expired meats to be sold and sanitary permits to be falsified.

(MODA) The Missouri Department of Agriculture launched the 10th annual Focus on Missouri Agriculture photo contest on Monday, March 11, asking Missourians to share the unique stories and images of agriculture through photographs.

The contest, which runs through June 14, is an opportunity for amateur photographers across the state to submit their best images of Missouri agriculture. That image may take shape through a breathtaking farm landscape, an aerial shot of harvest, a farm tractor that has been in the family for years or a fun moment captured on a mobile device showcasing farm life.

“Our annual photo contest is one of the best ways for farmers and ranchers across Missouri to share their stories,” said Director of Agriculture Chris Chinn. “Showcasing the legacy of Missouri agriculture fits right into our reachMORE pillar here at the Department, and there is no better way to jumpstart the contest’s 10th year than to kick it off during National Agriculture Week.”

The Focus on Missouri Agriculture Photo Contest is open to Missouri’s amateur photographers of all ages. Participants may enter up to three photos in each of the six categories. The photo contest categories are: Beauty of the Farm, Faces of the Farm, The Farmer’s Life, Pride of the Farm and Farm Selfie. Children’s Barnyard, a special category for budding photographers ages 12 and under, is back for the 10th annual contest as well.

The Golden Triangle Energy annual stockholder meeting has been postponed due to flooding and the evacuation of the City of Craig. The meeting has been rescheduled for Friday April, 5th at 11:30 am at the Club in Mound City.

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue this week again said China could triple its purchases of U.S. agricultural products. The U.S. and China are still hashing out the details of a trade agreement, now thought to conclude in June.

Perdue told Bloomberg Television this week “we could easily see, if we are able to come to a trade resolution, a doubling or tripling” of normal ag purchases by China over a period of two to five years. China has averaged about $20 billion a year of U.S. ag purchases, before the trade war beginning last year. As part of the talks, China earlier proposed to buy an additional $30 billion of U.S. ag products.

Additional massive purchases of U.S. farm products, particularly pork and soybeans which China has targeted in the trade war, would likely be a huge boon for the United States. China began “good-faith” purchases of U.S. agricultural products as the trade talks began in December.

Last week’s bomb cyclone continues to inundate parts of the Midwest with flood waters this week. Following the storm that hit Nebraska the hardest, the flood waters made their way downstream over the weekend to include, Iowa Kansas and Missouri. Multiple levees have been topped or breached, which has swamped farmland and small towns along the Missouri River.

Some areas broke record levels, including those set in the historic floods of 2011 and 1993. The Army Corps of Engineers has reduced water releases from the Gavins Point dam over the weekend, but much of the current problem stems from the saturated Platte River in Nebraska. Still, releases from Gavins Point have been above average since last June, stemming from a wet spring and fall last year.

Nearly the entire lower Missouri River, along with the Mississippi River, are included in flood warnings. Producers are urged to contact their local Farm Service Agency to find information on assistance programs. In addition, the Nebraska Farm Bureau has set up a relief fund and exchange. Details of the fund can be found at www.nefb.org.

China and the U.S. have reached a tentative agreement on enforcement of a potential trade agreement between the two nations. White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said Friday the mechanism blocks Beijing from retaliating if the U.S. implements tariffs on Chinese products because China violated the terms of an eventual agreement, according to Politico.

Seemingly, that means U.S. agricultural products would be protected from retaliation, like seen in the tit-for-tat trade war, if true. China targeted U.S. agricultural products such as pork and soybeans as part of its response to the massive list of U.S. tariffs placed on China by the Trump administration. The two sides appear to be inching closer to reach some sort of agreement. The agreement though, won’t come this month, as previously thought.

The administration says a summit between the U.S. and China will not happen at the end of March as more work is needed in the negotiations. That meeting may now be postponed until June. Also, while China may agree to enforcement measures, the adage of “say one thing, do another,” applies, as many market experts will caution that China has a history of ignoring previously agreed trade rules.