Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley was the only member of the Senate Agriculture Committee to vote against the farm bill during Wednesday’s markup session. Grassley aired-out two concerns to the committee that led to his vote against the otherwise bipartisan bill. Grassley sought stronger payment limits to farmers in the bill, an idea he has long-supported. […]

National Sorghum Producers hosted Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt in South Dakota Wednesday, holding a roundtable with area farmers and ethanol producers to address Renewable Fuels Standard concerns, the sorghum oil advanced biofuels pathway and EPA decisions that impact South Dakota farmers and ranchers. “We appreciate Administrator Pruitt for taking the time to listen […]

The Senate Agriculture Committee Wednesday passed its version of the farm bill, sending the legislation on to the full Senate for consideration. Senators voted 20-1, with just Iowa’s Chuck Grassley voting against the bill. The markup session included a visit by Senate leader Mitch McConnell, who told the Committee the Senate will consider the farm […]

Kansas corn and ethanol leaders told Administrator Scott Pruitt that his efforts to undermine the Renewable Fuel Standard are helping Big Oil while hurting rural America. Administrator Pruitt toured the East Kansas Agri Energy LLC ethanol plant in Garnett, KS and sat down with a roomful of farmers and ethanol supporters Tuesday morning. Growers told […]

House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Collin Peterson of Minnesota welcomed farm bill text released by the Senate Agriculture Committee. In a statement released prior to Wednesday’s planned markup of the bill, Peterson applauded the Senate for its bipartisan approach and expressed hope that the House would bring a similarly bipartisan bill to conference. Notably, Peterson […]

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt spent part of a trip in Kansas at an ethanol production facility. Pruitt’s trip included a stop at the East Kansas Agri-Energy ethanol plant, along with meeting local agriculture groups. The visit comes a week after the White House stopped a proposal that ethanol groups say would harm the […]

Mexico is calling for flexibility in the North American Free Trade Agreement talks. A trade official from Mexico said Monday that the only way the countries renegotiating NAFTA will find a solution is through “sufficient flexibility” to narrow differences. Further, the official says Mexican and Canadian negotiators will be “engaging strongly” in July to reach […]

The Senate farm bill released last week includes language establishing a vaccine bank to deal with an outbreak of Foot-and-Mouth Disease, a priority for livestock groups. The House version of the bill includes FMD language, as well. National Pork Producers Council President Jim Heimerl called the language “encouraging,” adding that: “With a vaccine bank, we’ll […]