Senator Tom Udall of New Mexico is urging Congress to “step up” and tell President Trump that there is widespread support for the North American Free Trade Agreement modernization effort, but not an exit from the trade deal. The Democrat says Trump “cannot unilaterally repeal” trade laws regarding NAFTA, “even if he can issue unilateral statements” regarding NAFTA participation, according to Politico. The comments came during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing earlier this week. Udall says the withdraw threat is “a tactic doomed to fail,” and adds that, if carried through, “our economy and border will suffer great damage.” The President also received a letter from high ranking Senate Republicans before his State of the Union Address earlier this week, highlighting the economic benefits of the deal, particularly for the agricultural and manufacturing sectors. The group, led by Colorado Republican Cory Gardner, says modernizing the deal would be “the next step to advance the economy.” Senate Agriculture Chair Pat Roberts also signed the letter, along with Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and others.

Angus Genetics, Inc. announced the release of two new foot score research EPDs, the first of its kind in the U.S. for beef cattle. The American Angus Association has been collecting foot scores since 2015, with approximately 12,000 data points sent in. Members have reported two scores for claw set and foot angle. The pair of scores are based on a scale from one to nine, with five being ideal for both traits. AGI Director of Genetic Research Stephen Miller says the collaboration with membership in collecting foot scores allowed steady advancement toward a foot score research EPD. “Angus breeders have completed a tremendous amount of data reporting in such a short period of time; this is truly a testament to their commitment toward genetic progress,” Miller said. “We are absolutely thrilled to begin the process of rolling this breakthrough out to the membership.”

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told CNBC that the North American Free Trade Agreement renegotiations are “far from being completed.” While noting that progress was made on easier provisions, he says “very little has been done on the hard issues,” including automotive trade and agriculture. Ross says President Trump could still choose to withdrawal from the agreement, saying a final renegotiated deal “will either be 100 percent or zero percent” acceptable. However, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (true-doh), in an interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Corp Wednesday said: “I don’t think the president is going to be cancelling it,” saying it would be “obviously bad,” if he did. The next series of talks are to begin February 26th in Mexico City. Meanwhile, there’s speculation that the bid to salvage the free-trade pact will continue beyond an end of March deadline, which was set to avoid Mexico’s presidential race.

(NCGA) With only days remaining, the National Corn Growers Association is reminding farmers to complete U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service’s 2017 Census of Agriculture before the February 5 deadline. Conducted once every five years, the census aims to get a complete and accurate picture of American agriculture. The resulting data are used by farmers, ranchers, trade associations, researchers, policymakers and many others to help make decisions in community planning, farm assistance programs, technology development, farm advocacy, agribusiness setup, rural development and more. “The Census of Agriculture is USDA’s largest data collection endeavor, providing some of the most widely used statistics in the industry,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. “Collected in service to American agriculture since 1840, the census gives every producer the opportunity to be represented so that informed decisions can support their efforts to provide the world with food, fuel, feed and fiber. Every response matters.”

House Agriculture Committee Democrat Jim McGovern of Massachusetts says he would “rather have no farm bill this year than a lousy farm bill.” McGovern told the Hagstrom Report that he has not seen the House draft of the farm bill, but that he would work to defeat the bill if he does not like it, in hopes for a better farm bill in 2019, in hopes Democrats will control the House. Committee Chairman Mike Conaway, a Texas Republican, has sent the farm bill draft to the Congressional Budget Office for review. McGovern pointed out that Conaway has not shown him a draft of the nutrition title even though he is the ranking member on the Nutrition Subcommittee. A spokesperson for Conaway says the Congressman has received scores on some titles of the farm bill, but not all, and does not want to share drafts of the bill “before we know what we can afford.” The Republican leadership is expected to need Democratic votes to pass the farm bill this year because conservative Republicans are unlikely to support it.

Farm groups call for unity and a follow-through on promises from President Donald Trump after his State of the Union address Tuesday night.

In a released statement, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said President Trump’s infrastructure investment plan, touted during the speech, will be a “boon to a rural America.”

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall said the roadmap outlined by the president “aims to unify and strengthen our nation,” and continue the theme of “renewing rural America.” The President presented what Duvall called a “bold” package for immigration reform, that should “prime the pump for overdue action.” Meanwhile, National Farmers Union urged Trump to follow-through on his promises, specific to rural America, on trade and infrastructure. Noting that the president promised to “turn the page” on “decades of unfair trade deals,” while also commenting on the president’s infrastructure plan, NFU President Roger Johnson said agriculture is “looking to President Trump to deliver on his promises to fix the nation’s failed free trade agreement framework and crumbling rural infrastructure.”

(NAFB) Talks to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement are at a “much better point,” according to trade officials from Mexico. Speaking at the conclusion of the latest round of talks held in Canada, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said: “we finally began to discuss the core issues.” All three sides agreed to language governing anti-corruption during the latest round, while making progress on customs and food sanitation issues. However, two of the biggest issues, auto trade and a sunset clause, remain. Some speculate that the trade agreement renegotiation effort will stretch into the upcoming Mexican election cycle, a timeline that negotiators had hoped to avoid. Farmers for Free Trade, a bipartisan campaign focusing on NAFTA, says it is “heartening” to see progress but notes that further delays create more uncertainty for U.S. farmers. Lighthizer said Monday that the U.S. is “committed to moving forward” with the renegotiation effort. Two more rounds are scheduled, one in Mexico next month, and a hopeful final round in Washington, D.C. in March.

Boehringer Ingelheim is excited to announce the launch of a new website, www.swineresource.com, which is designed to provide swine producers and veterinarians with the latest research and knowledge in swine health and disease management.  “This website is your resource for new and cutting-edge swine health information, with an emphasis on disease prevention,” says Del Birkhofer, head of U.S. Swine and Newport Laboratories at Boehringer Ingelheim. “As part of our mantra, ‘Start Healthy. End Strong.,’ we are committed to helping farmers and veterinarians succeed in preventing swine diseases by providing the right tools for a healthy start. It’s simple: Sick pigs fail to reach their potential, and we can give you resources to help protect your bottom line.” The site, www.swineresource.com, offers easily navigable information on swine health, respiratory and enteric diseases, and other disease prevention and diagnostic topics. Fresh content will continuously be available in the form of rotating feature articles. And, a mix of content types in each section, including new research studies, white papers and videos, offers users the most relevant and valuable content tools for them. The website also gives you the ability to download items, and share content straight from the site.