The Department of Agriculture is investing $267 million in 103 infrastructure projects across the nation to upgrade water and wastewater systems in rural communities. Announced by Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett Monday, the program makes investments in 35 states through the Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant program. The funds can be used to finance drinking water, stormwater drainage and waste disposal systems for rural communities with 10,000 or fewer residents. In the Announcement, Hazlett noted that: “Robust, modern infrastructure is foundational for quality of life and economic opportunity.” In funding for fiscal year 2018, USDA says Congress provided a historic level of funding for water and wastewater infrastructure. The 2018 Omnibus spending bill includes $5.2 billion for USDA loans and grants, up from $1.2 billion. Learn more and find a list of projects at visit www.rd.usda.gov.

Soybean farmers in Canada are feeling the impact of the U.S.-China trade war as soybean prices decline. CNBC reports that while Canadian soybean farmers could see an increased market share from importing nations, experts say the current soybean market plays a much more significant role. Since April, soybean futures have dropped nearly 20 percent in the United States, and Canadian soybean prices are closely tied to the U.S. futures market. A market expert from Canada says “we are being caught in the crossfire” of the U.S.-China dispute. A market advisor based in Winnipeg claims “North America has really become one large agricultural market with no border,” adding all soybeans grown in Canada are priced “basically directly off the U.S. futures market.” China has forecast its total soybean imports will be lower for the next crop year due to the new tariffs. China is also encouraging the use of alternative animal feeds, as China currently buys about two-thirds of the world’s soybean exports, using most of it as feed for the roughly 700 million pigs in the country.

USDA Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Ted McKinney will lead a trade mission to Southeast Asia July 16-19. He’ll be joined by U.S. business and state government leaders who are seeking to expand agricultural opportunities in Southeast Asia. The trade mission will be based in Jakarta, Indonesia, but will also include delegations of buyers from Malaysia and the Phillippines who are interested in purchasing U.S. farm and food products. “USDA trade missions are an incredible opportunity for companies looking to branch out into new markets,” McKinney says. “Participants have the chance to forge personal relationships with potential customers and learn first-hand about the ins and outs of doing business in those countries.” Like much of the rest of Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Phillippines are experiencing rapidly growing economies, rising middle-class populations, and continuing urbanization. Those are all factors that contribute to favorable conditions for U.S. export expansion. Trade mission participants include members of the Georgia and Idaho Departments of Agriculture, as well as representatives from 24 U.S. businesses.

The Chinese trade surplus with the U.S. hit a record number in June as its exports grew at a solid pace, something that could possibly make a trade dispute with Washington, D.C., that much worse. A Nasdaq Dot Com article points out that it could be a “one-off” as Chinese exporters were rushing to get shipments out before tariffs went into effect during the first week in July. Analysts say the trade balance will be much less in China’s favor during the months ahead as tariffs take a bite out of their business. China’s trade surplus with America is a key component of the trade dispute and it widened to a record monthly high of $28.97 billion. One analyst tells Nasdaq that “the record surplus won’t help the already sour relations and escalating tensions.” President Trump has demanded that China cut into that trade surplus, threatening to eventually impose tariffs on a total of $500 billion in Chinese imports. The dispute between the two largest economies in the world has jolted global financial markets and triggered worries of a full-scale trade war possibly derailing the world economy.

The U.S. House could take a step forward on moving farm bill talks ahead by voting to send the bill to conference. However, Politico says Thursday was the latest indicator that the bad blood between House Ag leaders is one of the many issues that need to be fixed. House Ag Chair Mike Conaway and Ranking Member Collin Peterson met for the first time in two months. Their working relationship burst into flames over proposed changes to the food stamp program, which Democrats say won’t happen. Peterson vowed to team up with Senate Ag counterparts Pat Roberts and Debbie Stabenow during the conference negotiations. Both of the Senate Ag Committee leaders say they won’t play ball with any significant adjustments to the program outside of what they try to do in their version of the farm bill, which is to combat fraud. Peterson says the face-to-face got heated on Thursday. “I was not easy on him and told him bluntly what I think, which I always do,” he says. “He didn’t like it, but I said I’m just telling what I think and I’m trying to be helpful.” Peterson adds that when the bill goes to conference, if people are “sensible,” it won’t take long to get it done.

The Environmental Protection Agency has ditched a proposal to make up for lost biofuel volumes stemming from hardship waivers as part of the Renewable Fuel Standard. The plan was seen as a fix for the waivers granted generously by the EPA under former administer Scott Pruitt, which lowered biofuel volumes by granting refiners a break from the rules. The plan would boost the renewable fuel blending obligation to 11.76 percent from 10.88 percent to offset volumes lost under the waiver program. However, pressure from the refining industry has kept the plan stalled, and now apparently thrown out. The plan was first rumored when Sonny Perdue talked of a meeting with Pruitt earlier this year, asking for a hardship waiver fix. In April, Perdue told Congress that from USDA’s standpoint, “our conclusion is that’s direct demand destruction.”

Senator Pat Roberts points out that the U.S. House has the next move on the farm bill. The Senate Agriculture Committee chairman told a group of veteran farmers this week that the farm bill conference should begin “soon,” according to the Hagstrom Report. However, Roberts says the House must make the next move by rejecting the Senate version of the bill and asking to move forward to the conference effort. A spokesperson from House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway’s office said there is no plan yet on when to send the bill back to the Senate, but says staff from the Senate and House agriculture committees are working to figure out how to “handle the mechanics” of the conference committee. Even if the conference does not begin until after the August recess, “the goal remains getting a farm bill done on time,” according to Conaway’s office. An on-time bill means lawmakers must send the bill to President Trump before September 30th.

(ASA) The American Soybean Association this week expressed extreme disappointment in USTR’s announcement that an additional $200 billion in tariffs will be imposed on Chinese goods. The new list of goods will be subject to a 10 percent tariff. This action worsens the trade dispute between the U.S. and China, which have already initiated plans to impose $50 billion in tariffs on each other’s products. “While trade tensions with U.S. soy’s largest customer continue to escalate, soy growers from across 30 states are in Washington, talking with the members of the Administration and Congress, urging them to rescind these tariffs and bring a sense of stability and certainty back to farmers who depend on trade,” said ASA President and Iowa soybean farmer John Heisdorffer. “The announcement of additional tariffs on China is a move in the opposite direction. We’re focused on increasing trade opportunities and keeping the robust and growing Chinese market we have worked for decades to secure. Our message to the administration and lawmakers remains the same: these tariffs needlessly hurt soy growers and rural communities.” The American Soybean Association continues to encourage the Administration to find a non-tariff solution to address its concerns with China, while also utilizing soy as the largest agricultural export to help reduce our nation’s trade deficit with China.