The U.S. House of Representatives reached an agreement to fund the federal government through Dec. 11, including extending the Commodity Credit Corporation spending cap and COVID-19 food assistance programs. The $1.4 trillion agreement will provide an additional $8 billion in nutrition benefits and extend a group of nutrition-related regulatory waivers. The Senate passed it on Sept. 30 and now it heads to President Donald Trump for signature.

The U.S. Senate failed to pass the “skinny” coronavirus relief package proposed by Republicans, which included an additional $20 billion in agricultural assistance. It is increasingly likely no additional COVID-19 relief packages will be passed before November elections.

The USDA released additional details on CFAP 2, including $14 billion to directly support agricultural producers of eligible commodities due increased marketing costs associated with the pandemic. CFAP2 payments are for three categories of commodities: Price Trigger Commodities that meet a minimum 5 percent price decline over a specified period of time; Flat-Rate Crops that do not meet this price decline trigger or do not have data available to calculate a price change; and Sales Commodities not included in the other categories. Canola is a Flat-Rate Crop and payments will equal to eligible acres multiplied by $15 per acre. Eligible acres will include a producer’s share of determined acres, or reported acres if the former is not present, excluding prevented plant and experimental acres. Crops will be identified as “acreage-based” so information must be provided by the Farm Service Agency through its annual reporting process, either through an application initiated by USDA Service Center staff or by applying online between Sept. 21 and Dec. 11, 2020.

The U.S. Canola Association (USCA) and Canola Council of Canada met with industry stakeholders in September about a canola renewable diesel petition for Renewable Fuel Standard eligibility. The industry coalition hopes to encourage the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to expedite its approval and sent a letter to President Trump.

The USCA signed on to four letters around various topics, including:

• The UN Food Summit, requesting a North American agricultural representative be included in the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit.
• Grain Standard Reauthorization Act, urging the Senate to take action on current grain standards before they expired in September 2020.
• The World Trade Organization, addressed to the S. Trade Representative, urging the United States to remain as active and support some reforms.
• Congressional support for pesticides under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and opposition to the Protect America’s Children from Toxic Pesticides Act of 2020, which calls for major reform of FIFRA and a ban of all organophosphates and neonicotinoids and any pesticide banned in the EU or Canada.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed to exempt from regulation certain Plant-Incorporated Protectants (PIPs), which will streamline biotech trait approvals. The agency said it will “facilitate the development of new tools for American farmers to protect their crops and control agricultural pests.” The USCA will submit comments in support of the EPA’s proposal.

Looking to grow winter canola? According to No-Till Farmer, there are many considerations to take into account before growing in extreme temperatures, including variety selection, site selection, seedbed preparation, depth and row spacing and more.

North Dakota State University, with funding from the Northern Canola Growers Association, is offering free analysis of soil samples for detection and quantification of clubroot on canola. Anyone interested in sending in a sample should fill out this form. Not only will the data inform growers, it will aid the industry combat the effects of clubroot.

Looking to switch up your cooking oils? Food NDTV suggests switching to canola oil could be a great investment in your health. Canola oil has the least saturated fat compared to other cooking oils, it’s heart-healthy with omega-3 fat, and it contains vitamins E and K. It is also widely available for consumers, making the switch easy.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has new “Feed Your Mind” consumer education materials about plant biotechnology. Developed in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Environmental Protection Agency, this initiative aims to provide science-based information about genetic engineering from farm to fork.

In Canada, canola has remained the golden crop that keeps on giving. This is partially because Canadian farmers have found a loophole to continue to sell canola to China, despite the ongoing trade war. There is still a strong global demand for canola, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, but the complete outlook depends on this year’s harvest.

U.S.-based Bunge is investing $22.8 million in Canada-based Merit Foods, giving it a minority stake in the company. The investment is expected to help fund construction of a commercial pea and canola protein plant expected to be completed in December. Many other large agribusinesses have also invested big in plant proteins.

WinCup, a leading manufacturer of disposable to-go ware for food service, has commercialized phade, a new line of biodegradable straws and stirrers. These products are made with Danimer Scientific’s Nodax™ PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate), a naturally occurring material derived from canola oil. They are soil biodegradable as well as home and industrial compostable. Unlike other eco-friendly straws, phade does not sacrifice performance and has the look and feel of traditional plastic straws.

The Northern Canola Growers Association will hold its 14^th Annual Research Conference in-person on Thursday, Nov. 5 at the North Dakota State University Alumni Center. Canola researchers from the region will present findings from 2020 projects. The NCGA will host its 23^rd Annual Canola Expo online on Dec. 8, 2020.

The USCA’s fall board of directors’ meeting will be online due to COVID-19 on Monday, Nov. 9. Times and dial-in instructions will be provided to participants closer to the date.

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