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.
USCA Blog
Here are timely updates about issues impacting the canola sector. Subscribe to Canola Quick Bytes for notifications of new blog posts.
Vexed by Clubroot? Tips from an Expert
What is clubroot?
Clubroot is a disease that affects the roots of plants from the botanical family of crucifer crops. This family includes broccoli, cabbage, canola, cauliflower, kale, radish, mustard, among others. It can also hit plants considered weeds, like Shepard’s purse and wild mustard. The causal organism requires a living plant to reproduce and complete its lifecycle; however, in the absence of a host, it can survive in soil as a cyst for many years. Cysts are resting spores that can germinate in the proximity of roots of host plants. Upon germination, “zoospores” emerging from cysts will swim towards root hairs and penetrate.
USCA Pushes for Biodiesel Tax Credit Extension
The U.S. Canola Association (USCA), along with other biodiesel industry stakeholders, continues to lobby Congress to reinstate the biodiesel blenders tax credit. The $1 per gallon credit for biodiesel and renewable diesel expired at the end of 2017, and while a bill that would have extended it seven years was passed by the House last December, it was not acted on by the Senate before Congress adjourned for the year. Supporters are keeping up the push in 2019 with USCA Capitol Hill visits in late January, a targeted industry fly-in in early February and an industry coalition letter to House leadership urging quick action on a package of tax extenders. Read More »
Glyphosate Safety: Facts vs. Fiction
On Feb. 25, 2019, the first case in the federal multidistrict litigation In re Roundup Products Liability Litigation (MDL) before Judge Vince Chhabria went to trial in San Francisco. Glyphosate is the active ingredient in most Roundup® brand herbicides and other weed-control products.
Glyphosate, given its effectiveness and wide adaptation, is one of the most studied herbicides in the world. An extensive body of research on it and glyphosate-based herbicides, including more than 800 studies over several decades, 40 years of real world experience and conclusions of regulators and international agencies around the world support the safety of these products when used as directed.
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.
Hot, Hot, Hot: Use of Biologicals on Crops
Interest in agricultural biologicals is increasing and the numbers are showing it: the biological industry grew to $6.2 billion in 2018. Inoculants on soybeans have been used for hundreds of years and wewe are just now starting to expand the use of beneficial bacteria and other organisms beyond Rhizobium species. As we learn more about soil bacteria, we also see the potential of new species to improve the health and vigor of crop plants.
New NAFTA, Trade War, Oh My!
On Nov. 30, the United States-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) Agreement was officially signed by North American leaders at the G-20 Summit in Buenos Aires. However, each country has to get their respective legislatures to approve it before it officially goes into effect.
National Canola Research Conference Serves Up “Spicy” Topics
From proof of health benefits to reports on canola production in Canada, Australia and Brazil to ways to improve growing canola in various U.S. regions, the 5th National Canola Research Conference (NCRC) “planted” great facts and stats in Baltimore, Md., Nov. 5-6, 2018. It was held again in conjunction with the American Society of Agronomy (ASA) and Crop Science Society of America (CSSA) Annual Meetings. Here’s a round-up of some presentations:
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:
Mid-Term Election Results Bode Well for 2018 Farm Bill
With several races still too close to call while absentee ballots are counted, Democrats added a net of at least 28 House seats, giving them a majority of 223 in the 435-member chamber. As a result, it is expected that Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) will again be elected Speaker when members of the new Congress return to Washington next week.