FTA's Cleared for Passage & Chinese Grain Estimates
FTA’s Cleared for Passage & Chinese Grain Estimates plus Food Forethought. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.
The President has sent to Capitol Hill implementing legislation to ratify three bilateral free-trade agreements between the United States and Korea, Colombia and Panama. Nebraska Senator and former Ag Secretary Mike Johanns applauded the move - but said it is not certain when Majority Leader Harry Reid will bring the agreements up for consideration in the Senate. Calling it an important part of President Obama's jobs agenda - Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack urged Congress to take action on the trade deals and trade adjustment assistance. He says completing the agreements will level the playing field and secure markets for America's farmers, ranchers, growers and producers ahead of other competitors in the global marketplace.
For the seventh year in a row - the U.S. Grains Council projects Chinese corn production will fall short of anticipated demand - making imports necessary. U.S. Grains Council Advisory Team Member Kevin Rempp participated in the tour..
REMPP: We determined that China will produce a bumper crop this year with a production estimate of 167-million metric tons or roughly 6.6-billion bushels. This is considering the projected corn harvest area of 76.35 million acres.
Now with today’s Food Forethought, here’s Lacy Gray.
Right to farm laws were put into place to protect farmers from nuisance lawsuits. Farmers are only protected by these laws though if they are meeting specified conditions and following generally accepted agricultural practices. They are not protected by “right to farm” laws for nuisances caused by negligence or reckless misconduct. Recently in Oregon a lawsuit challenging that state’s right to farm law as unconstitutional was thrown out of court by a state judge. In this instance the original dropped lawsuit was aimed at not only farmers but foresters as well who are also protected under Oregon’s Right to Farm and Forest Act. The plaintiffs inability to find satisfaction in court due to the state’s right to farm law led them to sue the state. Not always, but often, such lawsuits are brought by urbanites moving to the country seeking the idyllic rural life; not realizing that the rural community they’ve chosen more often than not was built and survives because of agricultural practices, with all its sights, sounds, and smells. Again, right to farm laws don’t give farmers carte blanche to do as they please, it just gives them the right to carry out normal farming practices.
Thanks Lacy. That’s today’s Northwest Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.
