Growth Energy Wednesday filed a motion in a U.S. federal appeals court to intervene in a challenge to the Environmental Protection Agency’s rule allowing year-round E15 sales. The final rule is being challenged by the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers who filed the lawsuit on Monday. Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor called the challenge “no surprise,” noting the industry saw similar challenges when E15 was first approved in 2011.

Skor says the oil industry “wants to inject uncertainty into the marketplace.”AFMP contends, “the plain language of the Clean Air Act does not authorize an RVP waiver expansion beyond E10.” Year-round E15 sales were authorized through a Reid vapor pressure waiver.

Under the Clean Air Act, legal challenges to EPA’s E15 rulemaking may be brought as a “petition for review” within 60 days of publication of the final rule in the Federal Register. Interested parties such as Growth Energy may also file a motion to intervene in the petition for review to protect their interests.

Senator Chuck Grassley this week announced a planned hearing regarding the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Grassley, chair of the Senate Finance Committee, says the committee will hear testimony from U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer. The committee will hold the hearing, “The President’s 2019 Trade Policy Agenda and the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement,” next Tuesday morning.

Grassley told reporters earlier this week, following meetings with House of Representatives leadership, that he expects demands from Democrats in the House can be worked out. The House must consider the agreement before the Senate can vote on ratification. Meanwhile, Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland is meeting with Lighthizer this week, focusing on ratifying USMCA.

President Trump also sided with a group of more than 950 agribusinesses and organizations, calling on lawmakers to quickly pass the agreement once formally submitted to Congress. Trump, on Twitter, says “our patriot farmers and rural America have spoken,” saying “now Congress must do its job” by passing the USMCA agreement.

Today, Governor Mike Parson congratulated Kansas City and all of Missouri for being selected by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue as the new home of USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) and National Institute of Food and Agricultural Policy (NIFA).

BREAKING: The @USDA announced that it will be moving @USDA_ERS & @USDA_NIFA offices to the Show-Me State! We thank @SecretarySonny for taking a common sense approach to co-locate these offices with farmers, ranchers & the agriculture research communities. #MoveItSonny pic.twitter.com/JBnaG4dx5o

— Missouri Dept. of Ag (@MoAgriculture) June 13, 2019

“We are thrilled that Secretary Perdue chose to relocate ERS and NIFA to the heartland. We appreciate all the hard work and commitment from Secretary Perdue, President Trump’s Administration, and the large Kansas City coalition in making this happen,” Governor Parson said. “Missouri agriculture has unrivaled diversity, access to cutting-edge research at our land grant universities, and a thriving agribusiness environment. By choosing a location close to their farmer-constituent base, these offices will remain rooted in agriculture and, as a result, will be better able to make decisions that serve American agriculture well. ”

Missouri agriculture is an $88.4 billion industry and remains the number one economic driver in the Show-Me State. To learn more, visit Agriculture.Mo.Gov.

WASHINGTON —U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue on Thursday announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will relocate the Economic Research Service (ERS) and National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to the Kansas City Region, according to a media release from the USDA.

“Following a rigorous site selection process, the Kansas City Region provides a win win – maximizing our mission function by putting taxpayer savings into programmatic outputs and providing affordability, easy commutes, and extraordinary living for our employees,” said Secretary Perdue.

“I am excited to hear USDA selected Kansas City as the new location for the Economic Research Service (ERS) and National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Agricultural research is a critical function of USDA, and I am committed to ensuring we continue to support and strengthen the research mission that our U.S. producers rely on. Kansas City is an obvious choice, as many other

USDA agencies in the area partner closely with stakeholders,” said Sen. Pat Roberts. “The vital research that will occur at the National Bio and Agro-defense Facility (NBAF) and already occurs throughout the KC Animal Health Corridor makes Kansas City a natural fit. I am pleased that USDA recognizes the rich resources the heartland provides.”

“After months of advocating to Secretary Perdue that NIFA and ERS ought to be relocated to the Kansas City area, I’m thrilled that USDA has selected Kansas City to house these critical research agencies,” said Sen. Jerry Moran. “The animal health corridor, stretching from Manhattan, Kansas to Columbia, Missouri, is the largest concentration of animal health companies in the world, and Kansas is also the home of the National Bio and Agro-defense Facility – and today’s decision further bolsters Kansas City’s status as a national leader in the ag industry. It is always positive when our government can operate outside of Washington and closer to the people it serves, and I am certain that the decision to relocate NIFA and ERS to Kansas City is a good one. I look forward to helping welcome these USDA agencies and employees to Kansas City.”

Kansas First District Congressman Roger Marshall said of the News on Twitter, “Great team effort by so many people to make this happen. Shout out to @KState and @KUnews in working so diligently with our federal delegation to help make the case for Kansas City. Agriculture and Kansas are truly synonymous – so we thank you, @SecretarySonny!

“The Kansas City Region has proven itself to be hub for all things agriculture and is a booming city in America’s heartland. There is already a significant presence of USDA and federal government employees in the region, including the Kansas City ‘Ag Bank’ Federal Reserve.

This agriculture talent pool, in addition to multiple land-grant and research universities within driving distance, provides access to a stable labor force for the future. The Kansas City Region will allow ERS and NIFA to increase efficiencies and effectiveness and bring important resources and manpower closer to all of our customers.”

USDA conducted a Cost Benefit Analysis and conservative estimates show a savings of nearly $300 million nominally over a 15-year lease term on employment costs and rent or about $20 million per year, which will allow more funding for research of critical needs like rural prosperity and agricultural competitiveness, and for programs and employees to be retained in the long run, even in the face of tightening budgets. On top of that, state and local governments offered generous relocation incentives packages totaling more than $26 million. Finally, this relocation will give USDA the opportunity to attract a diverse staff with training and interest in agriculture. To learn more about USDA’s Cost Benefit Analysis, you may view the USDA Cost Benefit Analysis document (PDF, 143 KB).

“We did not undertake these relocations lightly, and we are doing it to enhance long-term sustainability and success of these agencies. The considerable taxpayer savings will allow us to be more efficient and improve our ability to retain more employees in the long run. We will be placing important USDA resources closer to many stakeholders, most of whom live and work far from Washington, D.C. In addition, we are increasing the probability of attracting highly-qualified staff with training and interests in agriculture, many of whom come from land-grant universities. We look forward to this new chapter as we seek to fulfill our motto at USDA, which is to ‘do right and feed everyone,’” added Secretary Perdue.

Secretary Perdue sent this letter (PDF, 39.1 KB) to all USDA employees this morning and will be holding an all hands meeting with ERS and NIFA employees today to discuss the decision, the process, and next steps.

In addition, USDA announced in August the realignment of ERS under the Office of the Chief Economist. While we believe there is considerable synergies and benefits to a realignment, after hearing feedback from stakeholders and Members of Congress, USDA will not move forward with the realignment plans. The agency of ERS will remain under the Research, Education, and Economics mission area.

Background:

USDA announced in August it would undertake the relocations for three main reasons:

1. To improve USDA’s ability to attract and retain highly qualified staff with training and interests in agriculture, many of whom come from land-grant universities. USDA has experienced significant turnover in these positions, and it has been difficult to recruit employees to the Washington, D.C. area, particularly given the high cost of living and long commutes.
2. To place these important USDA resources closer to many of our stakeholders, most of whom live and work far from the Washington, D.C. area.
3. To benefit the American taxpayers. There will be significant savings on employment costs and rent, which will allow more employees to be retained in the long run, even in the face of tightening budgets.

As part of the rigorous site selection process, USDA narrowed the 136 Expressions of Interest received using a set of established criteria defined by USDA, NIFA, and ERS leadership. The criteria included:

• Quality of Life: Subcategory examples include Diversity Index, Residential Housing Costs, Access to Healthcare, and Home and Community Safety Ranking.
• Costs (Capital and Operating): Subcategory examples include Commercial Real Estate Costs, CPI Index, and Wage Costs.
• Workforce: Subcategory examples include Labor Force Growth Rate, Unemployment Rate, and the Labor Force Population.
• Logistics / IT Infrastructure: Subcategory examples include Lodging Availability, Proximity to Customers, and Airport Accessibility.

The top Expressions of Interest were reviewed in detail, and USDA selected a short list of locationsoffering existing buildings with sufficient space to meet ERS and NIFA requirements.

While 90% of USDA employees are located outside of the D.C. area, ERS and NIFA are the only USDA agencies that don’t have representation outside of the national Capital Region (NCR). Upon the relocation announcement, USDA proposed that sufficient staff levels would remain in the NCR to complete mission critical activities that require physical presence in or near Washington, D.C. at the recommendation of customers and stakeholders. In both the cases of ERS and NIFA, leadership reviewed the critical functions and staffing needs within and outside the NCR. Senior ERS and NIFA staff, with input from partner agencies and stakeholders, recommended to Secretary Perdue the critical functions to be retained within the NCR.

Out of NIFA’s 315 positions, 294 will relocate while 21 will stay in the NCR. Of the 329 ERS positions, 253 will relocate while 76 will stay in the Washington, D.C. area.

As a result of this move, no ERS or NIFA employees will be involuntarily separated. Every employee who wants to continue working will have an opportunity to do so, although that will mean moving to a new location for most. Employees will be offered relocation assistance and will receive the same base pay as before, and the locality pay for the new location.

USDA will be working with the General Services Administration to secure a permanent lease space through a competitive process in the Kansas City Region. USDA will continue to keep ERS and NIFA employees apprised as updates occur.

The National Association of Conservation Districts is urging farmers to explore transitioning to conservation practices, including no-till and cover crops, to prevent further soil erosion in the face of extreme weather. The U.S. is currently experiencing the wettest 12 months on record, and farmers have faced a well-documented wet spring, and historically slow planting pace.

In February, NACD hosted two focus groups at its annual meeting in San Antonio, for discussions on how soil health practices like cover crops and no-till have impacted farm fields in the face of extreme weather patterns. A total of 22 producers participated in the focus groups, representing 15 states.

Reports compiled following the discussion are available to farmers considering what their options are, and provides an overview of the producers’ testimony, examining how they and their neighbors are responding to extreme weather events. The report states, “producers said they believe soil health practices make their operations more resilient in several ways,” allowing them to “withstand the extremes.” Find the reports online at www.nacdnet.org.

Farmers are making progress on planting, but the wet spring means lower production. Department of Agriculture Crop Progress numbers show roughly 15.8 million acres of corn and 33.6 million acres of soybeans remains to be planted based. The World Agriculture Supply and Demand Report, released Tuesday, predicts U.S. corn production to fall 1.45 billion bushels to 13.7 billion.

However, USDA left the soybean forecast unchanged, with “several weeks remaining in the planting season.” USDA raised the expected season-average corn price to $3.80 a bushel, and the season-average soybean price to $8.25 a bushel. Meanwhile, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue confirmed this week that prevent plant acres could not be included in the Market Facilitation Program.

However, Perdue says USDA is “exploring legal flexibilities” to provide a minimal per acre payment to farmers who filed prevent plant and chose to plant an eligible cover crop. Perdue says USDA will provide more details “in the coming weeks.” The Market Facilitation Program is currently under review by the White House Office of Management and Budget.

Employees of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture joined the Economic Research Service in a vote to unionize, according to Agri-Pulse. The vote comes as the Department of Agriculture, within the next few weeks, is expected to announce the sites for the agencies as part of its plan to relocate the two. USDA had previously narrowed the list to the Kansas City Area, Raleigh, North Carolina, and multiple sites in Indiana.

The controversial proposal prompted the Economic Research Service to unionize last month, and Tuesday, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture did the same. Both have formed a so-called bargaining unit with the American Federation of Government Employees. The Federation claims the proposed relocation would impact 568 out of 664 positions total between the two agencies.

By establishing a union at the worksite, the USDA agencies are legally required to notify employees in advance of any proposed changes to their working conditions and to bargain with the union in good faith over those proposed changes.