Syngenta has reached a confidential settlement with a Nebraska farmer who claims the company mishandled marketing of its genetically modified seed, which in turn caused corn prices to plummet. Bloomberg says a settlement heads off a trial that was to start this week. Terms of the settlement were not made public. It was just two weeks ago that Syngenta lost a jury verdict worth $218 million dollars because of a class action suit brought by Kansas farmers alleging similar claims against the company. Syngenta will next face a class action suit, which starts in August, up in Minnesota. Farmers there are seeking more than $600 million dollars. The farmers allege that Syngenta rushed its seed into the marketplace before getting approval from China to export the grain over there. China stopped bringing in shipments of corn in 2013, calling the grain shipments contaminated by the GMO seed. The farmers say that set off a five-year depression in corn prices. They also say Syngenta misled them on when China would approve the seed for import. Syngenta disputes the damage claims, saying it did nothing wrong. The company says it didn’t sell the seed until approved in the U.S. and didn’t need China’s approval to do so.

The Missouri and Arkansas Agriculture Departments both halted the sale and usage of dicamba in their respective states. Those two states have been in the middle of hundreds of misuse complaints. The Arkansas ban is effective for 120 days while the Missouri Ag Department would like to reinstate product usage this growing season after their investigation is concluded. The Missouri Soybean Association issued a statement saying over 200,000 acres of soybeans show at least some level of dicamba damage. The state’s soybean checkoff issued a statement saying it’s clear some type of action is necessary. Missouri Ag Director Chris Chinn said in a statement on the department’s YouTube channel that they’re actively working on the issue. “I’ve asked the makers of these approved, post emergent products and farmers to work with us to determine how we can expeditiously allow applications to resume this growing season,” she said in the video. Monsanto released a statement saying they’re complying with the order and they encourage all growers to do the same. The 120-day ban goes into effect at midnight on Tuesday, July 11th. Arkansas farmers have filed nearly 600 complaints in which dicamba is the suspected pesticide.

(Missourinet) – Missouri Director of Agriculture Chris Chinn has issued a Stop Sale, Use or Removal Order on all products labeled for agricultural use that the contain dicamba pesticide in Missouri.

In a news release, the department said that all on-farm applications of dicamba products must cease immediately.

“We fully support what the Missouri Department of Agriculture did,” said Missouri Farm Bureau President Blake Hurst from his Northwest Missouri farm Friday.  “I think the Department did the best they could to try to deal with the problem.”

So far this year, the Department’s Bureau of Pesticide Control has received more than 130 pesticide drift complaints believed to be related to dicamba, which has allegedly damaged thousands of acres of crops. The decision to issue a Stop Sale, Use or Removal Order in Missouri was made with an abundance of caution, said the Department’s news release, and is temporary until a more permanent solution is reached.

“We want to protect farmers and their livelihoods. At the same time, my commitment to technology and innovation in agriculture is unwavering,” Director of Agriculture Chris Chinn said. “That’s why I am asking the makers of these approved post-emergent products, researchers and farmers to work with us to determine how we can allow applications to resume this growing season, under certain agreed upon conditions.”

Pesticide distributors and retailers must immediately stop all sales and offers of sales of all dicamba products labeled for agricultural use. All agricultural pesticide users, including certified commercial applicators and private applicators, must immediately cease in-crop, post-emergent use of all dicamba products. Products include, but are not limited to:

• FeXapan herbicide plus VaporGrip Technology, EPA Registration Number 352-913;
• Engenia Herbicide, EPA Registration Number 7969-345; and
• XTENDIMAX with VaporGrip Technology, EPA Registration Number 524-617

Distributors, retailers and pesticide applicators in possession of dicamba products labeled for agricultural use are advised not to sell or use the products until the stop sale expires or is lifted. Sale, use or removal of such products would be a violation of Section 281.101 RSMo and subject to civil penalties.

“With only a small window left for application in this growing season, I understand the critical need to resolve this issue,” Director Chinn said. “I look forward to working with our farmers, researchers and industry partners to find an immediate solution.”

Arkansas lawmakers Friday put a 120-day ban on dicamba effective July 11.

Just a few hours before the Missouri dicamba ban announcement, University of Missouri weed specialist Kevin Bradley told participants at a pest management field event about the extent of reported damage.

“Our estimate right now from the extension field faculty all throughout the state of Missouri is 200-and-some-thousand acres of soybeans in our state injured with dicamba,” Bradley said. “And that number increases every day.”

Bradley said that it’s time for everyone to work together on the issue, from researchers, to farmers, to companies that make the herbicide.

“This is an issue that can’t be swept under the rug,” Bradley said. “We have to deal with it, we have to communicate.”

Missourinet sister network Brownfield Ag News obtained a statement from Monsanto, the maker of Xtendimax dicamba herbicide, saying the company is concerned about reports of potential crop injury and appreciates Missouri’s expedited investigation process. Monsanto says it will actively engage in the process and continue to collaborate with the State of Missouri. The other dicamba formulations under the ban are Engenia by BASF and FeXapan by DuPont.

Farmers, ranchers, and agribusinesses from all over the country have been very generous in donating to wildfire relief. Donations have topped $640,000 for the Drovers/Farm Journal Foundation Million Dollar Wildfire Relief Challenge to benefit ranchers. That total pushes the partnership with the Howard Buffet Foundation more than halfway to its goal. The Foundation agreed to match, dollar-for-dollar, up to $1 million by July 31st. With the match included, the goal is to raise $2 million for wildfire relief for ranchers affected by March wildfires. There’s a lot to rebuild, especially fencing. The damage totaled 1.6 million acres in Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and Colorado. Thousands of miles of fencing were damaged, estimated to cover 18,000 miles at a cost of up to $10,000 a mile. Thousands of cows will also need to be added back to herds. Charlene Finck, President of the Farm Journal Foundation, says, “We’re grateful for the outpouring of support to date and we’re working hard to meet the full challenge. We hope that all of agriculture will pull together to meet the challenge by July 31st.”

Amazon has a new Prime program for the millions of Americans who have EBT cards. The new policy is causing America’s grocers to complain to Washington, D.C. that the online giant may not be playing by the rules. Politico’s Morning Agriculture Report says USDA feels Amazon isn’t doing anything wrong. The grocery store industry is telling USDA officials and lawmakers that the Prime deal, which includes rapid free shipping and other perks, violates a USDA rule mandating equal treatment for the 42 million people on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. A grocery store insider who wanted to remain anonymous told Politico’s Morning Ag Report that the “Marketplace has been ruffled. It’s an unfair targeting of SNAP recipients which is creating an unfair playing field.” Grocery retailers are asking lawmakers to take another look at SNAP program guidelines. Those rules are understood to mean that retailers can neither discriminate against SNAP recipients or give them preferential treatment and special programs.

The European Union and Japan formally agreed to the outline of a free trade deal. America’s pork producers want to know why the U.S. isn’t moving on its own bilateral deal with Japan, the highest value market for U.S. pork exports. A Pork Network Dot Com article says now that the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement has gone away, the U.S. needs to be moving forward quickly on a T.P.P. type of deal with Japan. Under the old TPP, Japan’s tariffs on pork would have been completely eliminated. When their agreement is fully in place, the E.U. will be able to sell pork at a lower tariff rate that will eventually disappear, making it harder for American pork to compete in the market. Other countries are moving ahead on bilateral trade agreements and U.S. pork producers don’t want to miss out on opportunities. “We’ve let the administration know they should focus on the Asian-Pacific area and start with Japan,” says Dave Warner of the National Pork Producers Council. “It’s the fastest growing area in the world.” Japanese consumers purchased $1.6 billion in U.S. pork. Demand is very strong in spite of tariffs and other measures that limit market access.

U.S. corn shipments to Mexico have slipped in recent months and Mexico in no longer the number one buyer of American corn. A Bloomberg article says it may be a sign that trade tensions are forcing the country to look elsewhere for corn in case the U.S. is no longer a reliable supplier. Sales through May of this year were down almost seven percent from last year, coming in at $1.04 billion. Japan has become the biggest importer of U.S. corn after boosting its purchases by 53 percent, totaling $1.19 billion. Mexico began looking for other corn suppliers after President Donald Trump’s criticism, which began on the campaign trail when he said Mexico has taken advantage of the U.S. through the North American Free Trade Agreement. Mexican corn purchases are picking up as the peso rebounds from a record low against the dollar in January. Lesly McNitt, Public Policy Director for the National Corn Growers Association, says the sluggish pace of U.S. corn shipments to Mexico shows the trade relationship may be at risk. “They’re preparing a Plan B,” she said to Bloomberg. Mexico has initiated discussions with suppliers in Argentina and Brazil.

The European Union and Japan have formally agreed to the outline of a new free trade deal. It will eventually lead to an agreement allowing free trade between two of the world’s biggest economies. BBC Dot Com says there are few specific details available yet and a full and workable agreement may still take some time. The agreement is seen as a boon for the Japanese auto industry and agricultural products from the E.U. The outline was formally signed this week in Brussels. Donald Tusk, President of the European Council, says the agreement shows the E.U.’s commitment to world trade. “We did it,” he says. “We were able to conclude political and trade talks with Japan. E.U. is more and more engaged globally.” Japan is the third-largest economy in the world and Europe’s seventh biggest export market. European Union dairy farmers have struggled with dropping domestic demand at the same time that Japan’s appetite for milk and dairy products has grown in recent years. Even with a signed agreement in place, it will likely take up to 15 years before the agreement is fully in effect. The delay gives businesses in both areas time to adjust to increased outside competition.

Some advanced biofuels were cut when the Environmental Protection Agency released its proposed renewable fuels volumes for 2018. The American Soybean Association wasn’t pleased with the lack of growth proposed by the EPA in biomass-based diesel volumes as well as a reduction in advanced biofuels. A.S.A. President and Illinois farmer Ron Moore called it disappointing and a missed opportunity for the administration to demonstrate support for biodiesel and soybean farmers. “A.S.A. believes the volumes for the biomass-based diesel category and the over-arching advanced biofuels category should be higher to capitalize on the opportunity to boost domestic biodiesel production,” says Moore. The National Farmers Union was pleased that the conventional biofuels obligation remained consistent but said the overall proposal falls short of preserving the integrity of the RFS. “President Trump and his administration have assured family farmers and rural residents that this administration plans to support biofuels and uphold the intent of Congress as it relates to the RFS,” says NFU President Roger Johnson. “But today’s disappointing proposal seems to back off these assurances.” Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley called the lack of any biodiesel increase a “missed opportunity.”

The Environmental Protection Agency released its proposals on how much biofuels will go into the national fuel supply next year and it was a mixed bag. Politico’s Morning Agriculture Report says there were some pleasant surprises and some disappointments. Ethanol producers wanted the continuation of an Obama-era requirement of 15 billion gallons of ethanol in the nation’s fuel supply and that’s precisely what they got. Advanced biofuels didn’t fare as well. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt cut the requirement for advanced biofuels by 40 million gallons, reducing the total amount of biofuel required under the program. Pruitt also cut the cellulosic ethanol mandate by almost a quarter. But the EPA chief didn’t stop there, starting down a path to possible significant changes to the guidelines. He’s starting an analysis for a possible reset of the volumes allowed under the law. He’s looking for comments on imported ethanol and biodiesel. Pruitt is also opening the door to examine the market with zero percent ethanol. Meantime, the EPA will accept comments on its current proposals until November 30th, analyze them, and come up with a final rule.