New regulations regarding products from Cuba announced last week also ease restrictions on farm equipment and inputs. The Obama Administration Friday announced the new regulations that ease restrictions on products such as rum and cigars, but the new rules give Cuba more of an opportunity to be a part of supply chains. Politico says certain authorized goods exported to Cuba can be imported back into the U.S. This will allow items initially sent to Cuba to come back to the U.S. for repair or service. The amendments also make it possible for exporters to directly finance shipments of tractors, pesticides and other goods used in agriculture, avoiding cash in advance requirements that apply to transactions for agricultural commodities. The National Farmers Union applauded the regulations, saying the enhanced engagement with the people of Cuba could offer long-term advantages for agricultural trade.

New research unveiled in Austria last week claims a family of proteins in wheat may be responsible for activating inflammation in chronic health conditions such as multiple sclerosis, asthma, and rheumatoid arthritis. Medical News Today reports the findings were announced at UEG Week 2016, a meeting organized by United European Gastroenterology. Most research regarding wheat has focused on gluten, but this latest study focused on a group of proteins known as ATI’s, which only make up about four percent of wheat. The research claims the ATI’s have been shown to trigger an immune response in the gut that can spread to other tissues in the body. Researchers are currently preparing studies to investigate further. A lead researcher in the study said “we are hoping that this research can lead us toward being able to recommend an ATI-free diet to help treat a variety of potentially serious immunological disorders.”

Deere & Co. says the Department of Justice is unfairly accusing the company of trying to monopolize a market that does not exist. Deere responded last week to a DOJ challenge to the companies planned purchase of Monsanto’s seed planting equipment line, Precision Planting. The Wall Street Journal reports the government aims to block Deere from buying Precision Planting on grounds the deal would suppress competition for technology that allows farmers to plant crops at accelerated rates. Deere already offers high-speed components for its own planters. Deere denied that the purchase would give the company 86 percent of all precision-plating system sales in the United States. The DOJ filed a lawsuit against the deal at the end of August. Deere responded last week and repeatedly challenged the government’s attempts to distinguish high-speed planting systems from slower, conventional planting equipment. Deere also says products from Precision Planting would be widely available for non-Deere equipment after the deal is finalized. Precision Planting’s U.S. sales were about $100 million in 2015, while Deere’s U.S. sales of planter-related equipment last was near $900 million.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s office in China expects the nation will likely import a record 86 million metric tons of soybeans during the current marketing year, up 3.5 million metric tons from last year. Pro Farmer’s First Thing Today reports a recovery in swine production and steady growth in the poultry sector has boosted demand for feed and protein meal in China. However, USDA expects the rate of growth for soybean imports to slow as the country’s soybean production recovers and China unloads soybean and oilseed product reserves. Meanwhile, lower imports of distillers dried grains due to China’s antidumping duties should boost soymeal demand and thus soybean imports, according to USDA. That’s welcome news for U.S. soybean farmers as a recent USDA report forecasted another record soybean harvest for the current growing season.

Lawmakers in Japan are starting to discuss legislation to implement and ratify the Trans-Pacific Partnership. DTN reports the current administration in Japan wants to approve the trade agreement before the U.S. presidential election next month. Japanese lawmakers have paved the way to consider TPP, after approving a supplementary Fiscal 2016 budget that was standing ahead in line of TPP. That leaves TPP related legislation as the next and effectively only remaining legislation to be debated by lawmakers. Deliberations began Friday as Japan’s government urged the nation’s parliament to quickly pass the deal to pressure the U.S. into approving TPP. Japan says there is “absolutely no intention” of renegotiating the trade deal. However, Japan must overcome its own opposition, as an opposition group cites the U.S. presidential candidates opposition as a reason to not support the trade agreement.

CME Group officials last week indicated the group is considering switching to a cash settlement process for its live cattle futures. Traders continue to complain to CME regarding the extreme volatility in the live cattle futures, and are looking to CME group to bring some control back to the market. Sharp declines in price last fall led to the scrutiny. If implemented, the change would be a major attempt to restore confidence in the market by adjusting the way it operates. CME’s Dave Lehman says discussions about the new settlement procedure were part of an all-encompassing review of the market by CME. He told Reuters “it’s on the table,” adding that CME was also looking at potential modifications to the physical delivery process. Feeder cattle and lean hog futures are already cash-settled, leaving live cattle as the remaining physical delivery settled market. Lehman says volatility is getting worse and farmers have been selling cattle to packer’s months in advance, rather than negotiating shortly before slaughter. Producers say that has led to questionable pricing systems and price discovery for the market.

(Missourinet) – The Occupational Safety and Health Organization wants Missouri’s grain handling industry to be vigilant in stemming the tide of tragedies.

More than half of all workers “engulfed” in grain die in 60 seconds from suffocation. Since January, there have been two grain-handling deaths and four preventable incidents in Kansas and Nebraska.

Brian Drake with OSHA’s Kansas City office notes workers face numerous dangers. “The hazards of asphyxiation when going into the grain bins, or going into the pits” said Drake. (That’s) why it’s so important to test the atmosphere before the employees go in there to make sure there’s not a lack of oxygen, or other chemicals that might cause their demise.”

The Occupational Safety and Health Organization is currently investigating six grain industry fatalities and incidents. One involved a 42-year-old worker in Prosser, Nebraska, who suffered fatal injuries caused by an operating auger as he drew grain from a bin.

In May of this year, a 53-year-old man working in West Point, Nebraska suffered severe injuries in a grain bin when a wall of corn product collapsed and engulfed him. OSHA says died of his injuries two days later.

Drake says employers are responsible for making conditions as safe as possible. “It’s their responsibility to ensure that employees, when they’re going into those bins, that they’re aware of the hazards of engulfment, they’re aware that the augers are not supposed to be running when they go in there. And that they’re aware that when they go in there and the augers are running, and grain is being pulled down into the auger underneath their feet, that they can be sucked down in there.”

Drake contends the industry’s hazards can be avoided. “All of these incidents can be prevented. I say incident, and not accident, because they’re not accidents. An accident is something that you can’t prevent. And these fatalities in this industry, as in any industry, can be prevented.”

Grain handling plays an important role in agriculture, which is the number-one industry in Missouri. There have been no industry related deaths in Missouri in 2016.

The Renewable Fuels Association is getting into the outdoors, announcing it will be a co-sponsor of the Crappie Masters Tournament Trail with Bass Pro Shops. The goal of the sponsorship will be to educate boaters and outdoors enthusiasts about the benefits of ethanol and its uses in boats and other marine applications. The RFA said it is pleased to co-sponsor the Crappie Masters with Bass Pro Shops, saying it gives them an opportunity to spread the word about ethanol’s benefits to boaters. “There’s been a lot of misinformation perpetuated by biofuels opponents regarding boating and ethanol,” said RFA V.P. of Industry Relations, Robert White. “For the past 30 years, 10 percent ethanol has been used in all types of marine engines and the blend is approved by all major manufacturers.” Bass Pro Shops Crappiemasters Owner and President Brian Sowers said, “We aim to dispel myths and educate the public regarding the safe use of E10 in outboard engines.”