ARLINGTON, Va. March 29, 2021 — The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Grain Elevator and Processing Society (GEAPS) and the Grain Handling Safety Council (GHSC) today launched its fifth annual, weeklong safety outreach effort – “Stand Up 4 Grain Safety Week” – to help raise awareness about grain handling and storage hazards and provide safety education and training. Throughout the Stand Up 4 Grain Safety Week, which is March 29-April 2, 2021, companies may participate by providing a focused activity and/or toolbox talk ... Read More
Subject-focused News
NGFA 2020-21 Annual Report now available
NGFA’s 2020-21 Annual Report covers the time between the start of the association’s fiscal year in February 2020 and the start of 2021. The Annual Report, which documents challenges and accomplishments that encompass multiple facets of NGFA’s wide-ranging portfolio, now is available to read and download on ngfa.org. The National Grain and Feed Foundation has its own 2020-21 Annual Report, which highlights featured and ongoing projects and donors. The Foundation 2020-21 Annual Report can be found at ngfa.org/foundation. ... Read More
NGFA supports HAULS Act to provide regulatory relief for ag truckers
ARLINGTON, Va., March 18, 2021 – The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) today commended lawmakers for their introduction of the Haulers of Agriculture and Livestock Safety (HAULS) Act of 2021, which would provide much-needed regulatory relief for agricultural truckers. Sens. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., Jon Tester, D-Mont., Tina Smith, D-Minn., Roger Wicker, R-Miss., re-introduced the HAULS Act – a bill based on legislation first introduced in 2020 – that includes updates to the agricultural exemption to the hours-of-service (HOS) rules. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s ... Read More
NGFA outlines ag priorities for the next surface transportation bill
ARLINGTON, March 17, 2021 -- The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) today urged lawmakers to prioritize improvements to U.S. freight transportation in the next surface transportation bill that are environmentally responsible and enhance the economic health of U.S. agriculture. In a March 17 letter to each member of Congress led by NGFA and signed by dozens of agricultural producer, commodity, agribusiness, food manufacturer and food-related organizations, NGFA and the other groups noted that “Congress can achieve positive benefits for the environment while improving the economic ... Read More
NGFA congratulates Katherine Tai on her confirmation as U.S. Trade Representative
ARLINGTON, Va., March 17, 2021 – National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) President and CEO Mike Seyfert today congratulated Katherine Tai on her confirmation as U.S. Trade Representative. The Senate on March 17 confirmed Tai, President Biden’s nominee to be the nation’s chief trade negotiator, with a 98-0 vote. “Ambassador Tai is eminently qualified to serve as the U.S. Trade Representative and has demonstrated her deep familiarity with opening foreign markets and reducing barriers for U.S. food and agriculture as well as developing strong bipartisan support for trade agreements,” ... Read More
National Grain and Feed Foundation launches student scholarship
ARLINGTON, Va., March 12, 2021 -- The National Grain and Feed Foundation announced today that it has launched a scholarship in partnership with the Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS) national society. The Foundation will provide support to MANRRS student members who are engaged in undergraduate or graduate studies in the grain, feed or processing industry or a closely related field at an accredited college or university or to student members pursuing a degree from a technical school focusing on grain handling, feed manufacturing or grain processing ... Read More
Share the new ‘Grain Bin Safety Saves Lives’ flyer
The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) has created an easy-to-share flyer on the importance of adhering to grain bin safety procedures to prevent potential grain engulfments and entanglements. This flyer, which is preceded by a short cover letter, is being shared with all NGFA member companies. The flyer includes best practices for safe grain bin entry and implores anyone working around grain bins to adhere to basic safety precautions if they find it necessary to enter a bin. NGFA members are encouraged to share this document internally with employees and contractors. Importantly, ... Read More
NGFA releases new interactive safety training module on ‘Lockout/Tagout’
ARLINGTON, Va., February 9, 2021 -- The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) has issued a new, interactive and free training module that thoroughly covers a vital safety procedure for all grain, feed and processing facilities – Lockout/Tagout. Lockout/Tagout is a safety procedure used to ensure that machines that can pose a safety hazard are shut off or tagged-out properly so they are not started up again prior to the completion of maintenance or repair work. This procedure requires that hazardous energy sources be “isolated and rendered inoperative” before work is started ... Read More
OSHA issues new COVID-19 worker safety guidance
The U.S. Department of Labor announced Jan. 29 that its Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued stronger worker safety guidance recommending what employers should do to protect employees from exposure to the coronavirus. The guidance fulfills President Joe Biden’s executive order directing OSHA to release “clear guidance” for employers designed to keep workers safe from COVID-19 exposure. The guidance, entitled “Protecting Workers: Guidance on Mitigating and Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 in the Workplace,” details key measures for limiting the spread of COVID-19, ... Read More
CME Group announces plans to increase speculative position limits
By Todd Kemp, Senior Vice President, Treasurer The CME Group on Jan. 27 notified the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) that it intends to increase both spot-month and all-months-combined speculative position limits effective March 15. The change is intended to coincide with the effective date of CFTC’s final rule that revises speculative position limits for corn, wheat, soybeans and other agricultural commodities, and imposes such limits on some energy, metals and financial futures contracts for the first time. For corn, wheat and soybean contracts, and subject ... Read More
Lacy Holleman
National Grain and Feed Association
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