U.S. Canola Association

Search

Articles under Capitol Hill

Biden Poised to Take Presidency, House Margins Tighten and Senate Control Pending

By Tom Hance

The 2020 U.S. presidential election was closer than many polls showed, but it appears Joe Biden will become the next president. Contrary to pre-election projections, Republicans look likely to gain a few seats in the House of Representatives. Democrats will maintain the House majority but with a smaller margin. Senate control will come down to run-off elections on Jan. 5 in Georgia. Historical trends suggest Republicans will be favored to win these run-offs and maintain majority in the Senate, but a lot of money will be spent by both parties and trends can be broken.

Read More »

The 2020 Election and Agriculture

By Tom Hance and Dale Thorenson

The upcoming election will not only determine the next U.S. president, but also control of the Senate and agriculture committees in both chambers. The change in leadership will affect the policy agenda, including trade, anti-trust, energy and environmental issues in the near-term and how the next farm bill is developed over the longer term. The 2018 Farm Bill is effective until Sept. 30, 2023. Read More »

USCA Calls for Canola to Receive Market Facilitation Payments

On May 15, 2019, the U.S. Canola Association once again called upon U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue to include canola and other crops indirectly affected by retaliatory trade tariffs in Market Facilitation Payments (MFPs). While these payments in 2018 were limited to commodities directly subjected to tariffs, it is vital for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide assistance this year to other crops whose prices and demand are tied to those of crops with tariffs.

Read More »

High-Oleic Canola Oil Eligible for Heart-Healthy Claim

On Nov. 19, 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized a qualified health claim that consuming the monounsaturated fat oleic acid in edible oils, such as high-oleic canola oil, may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. After reviewing available scientific evidence, the FDA now allows the use of the following two claims associating consumption of edible oils containing at least 70 percent of oleic acid per serving and reduced risk of heart disease:

Read More »

Shut Down Government Foolishness

The country’s longest government shutdown in history came to a sputtering close on Jan. 25, costing the U.S. economy an estimated $6 billion and a wave of anxiety among Americans from TSA agents to national park workers to, yes, canola producers. Lawmakers agreed to reopen the government for 21 days to try to reach a deal with President Trump – and they succeeded in keeping the government functioning – but the quagmire around border security remains.

Read More »

NIFA Announces Nearly $770,000 for Canola Research

WASHINGTON, Feb. 28, 2017 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced the availability of up to $766,000 for fundamental and applied research to help develop and share new commercial canola varieties and products, and expand the crop’s growing regions. This funding is made available through NIFA’s Supplemental and Alternative Crops Competitive (SACC) grants program.

Read More »

Trump Appointees and Initiatives Debated ‘Ag’ Nauseam

The Administration of President Donald Trump has officially begun and everyone in D.C. is buzzing. The early days suggest it will indeed be a new paradigm – one that is unconventional in style, substance and process.  The cabinet is beginning to take shape as the Senate works through the process of confirming nominees – –but no cabinet is complete without the Secretary of Agriculture, currently still vacant.  Look for the Senate Agriculture Committee to hold confirmation hearings in the coming weeks for nominee Sonny Perdue. This former Governor of Georgia is making the rounds with Senators to share his vision for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and answer questions.  The Senate aims to have him confirmed by the end of February or early March.

Read More »

Already Time for Another Farm Bill?

Most farmers mark the passing years with references to crop years. “1977 was the year we were hailed out. 1988, now that drought had to rival those our elders suffered through during the Dirty Thirties. 1999, who knew prices could go so low! 2010, a bumper crop and great prices!”

 

Read More »

Farm Bill Funding May Test Traditional Alliances

As talks continue on the 2018 Farm Bill, the current state of the U.S. farm economy has prompted farm organizations to encourage the House and Senate Agriculture Committees to write the legislation in a way that helps farmers better respond to shifting market conditions. These tactics range in their scope and approach, but all involve the same concept: increased spending.

Read More »

Farm Bill Unlikely Before Lame Duck Session

With the end of Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 on Sept. 30, time will run out on the Agricultural Act of 2014. Major programs, including crop insurance and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP or food stamps), will continue because they are permanently authorized and funded. The 2014 Act also provides funding through the marketing year for 2018 program crops, but the dairy program will expire at the end of December. While the Conservation Reserve Program is permanently funded, its authority will lapse in October, meaning that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will honor existing contracts but not be able to enter into new ones.  Read More »