ARLINGTON, Va., July 1, 2020 – The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) said the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which enters into force today, is a model 21st century trade accord that will contribute to growing, robust North American trade and serve as a strong foundation for the next generation of trade agreements. NGFA commended and congratulated the U.S., Mexican and Canadian governments for negotiating a modernized North American trade agreement, as well as the legislative chambers in all three countries that ratified it by strong, bipartisan votes. For grains, oilseeds ... Read More
Press Releases
NGFA and NAEGA support U.S. Grain Standards Reauthorization Act of 2020
ARLINGTON, Va., June 23, 2020 -- The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) and North American Export Grain Association (NAEGA) today said they strongly support legislation that would reauthorize and improve the U.S. Grain Standards Act. The Senate Agriculture Committee will consider the bill reauthorizing the U.S. Grain Standards Reauthorization Act for another five years during a June 24 business meeting. The Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) establishes official marketing standards for grains and oilseeds under the authorization ... Read More
NGFA, ag groups, urge congressional support of FARM to TABLE Act
ARLINGTON, Va., June 9, 2020 -- The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) and more than 60 other organizations urged members of Congress to support a bill that would help the nation’s agricultural suppliers, producers and transporters by ensuring hours-of-service rules for agricultural haulers are consistent throughout the year and across state lines. The “FARM to TABLE Act,” introduced by Rep. John Joyce, R-Pa., would help make the agricultural exception to the federal hours-of-service rules more widely available by making it available year-round and providing clarity with ... Read More
NGFA urges STB to require RRs to report additional info on demurrage invoices
ARLINGTON, Va., June 8, 2020 – The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) is urging the federal Surface Transportation Board (STB) to require the nation’s largest railroads to provide additional information to rail customers so they can better verify the accuracy of carriers’ demurrage bills. In a statement submitted to the agency on June 5, NGFA stressed that Class I railroads’ invoices for demurrage and accessorial charges frequently are inaccurate, and impose “burdensome, tedious, time-consuming and costly efforts” on behalf of rail customers to investigate and ... Read More
NGFA submits statement to CFTC on speculative position limits rule
WASHINGTON, D.C., May 18, 2020 -- The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) on May 15 submitted its official statement to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) on the agency’s latest attempt to implement speculative position limits across a range of commodities and futures contracts. The commission has attempted several times previously – during the almost 10 years since the Dodd-Frank financial reform legislation became law – to finalize rules for position limits. The NGFA has worked closely with CFTC over the years to resolve contentious issues that existed in earlier ... Read More
USDA’s final rule for regulating biotech products lacks adequate market transparency
WASHINGTON, D.C., May 15, 2020 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) finalized rule for regulating plant-based agricultural biotechnology products takes an overly broad approach that does not deliver adequate transparency and could contribute to future trade disruptions, said the National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) in a May 14 statement. USDA announced on May 14 its final rule updating its biotechnology regulations under the Plant Protection Act. The final rule exempts from regulation plants that could have been developed through conventional breeding. In addition, a number ... Read More
FMCSA finalizes hours-of-service rules
WASHINGTON, D.C., April 14, 2020 -- The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) today commended the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) for issuing its long-awaited final rule on changes to driver hours-of-service regulations with reforms that will increase driver flexibility and facilitate the availability of truck transportation, which moves the vast majority of agricultural freight. “FMCSA’s final hours-of-service rule should improve trucking efficiency and expand trucking capacity,” NGFA noted. “The decision to increase the air-mile radius to 150 miles (172.6 statute ... Read More
NGFA commends Senate committee for advancing new waterways cost-share formula
WASHINGTON, D.C., May 6, 2020 -- The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) commended members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee today for approving waterways legislation that would reform the funding cost-share model for rehabilitating the nation’s inland waterways system. NGFA said the legislation, which authorizes $17 billion for various infrastructure projects, would “enhance U.S. agriculture’s competitiveness, contribute to the overall efficiency of the U.S. transportation system, and promote overall U.S. economic growth and job creation.” The committee voted ... Read More
2020 Stand Up for Grain Safety Week raises awareness about grain handling and storage hazards
ARLINGTON, Va. April 8, 2020 — The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are hosting a major safety outreach effort – the “Stand Up for Grain Safety Week” – from April 13-17, 2020, to help raise awareness about grain handling and storage hazards and ways to prevent them, provide education and training, and convey safety best practices. Throughout the Stand Up for Grain Safety Week, companies may participate by providing a focused activity and/or toolbox talk for employees on any hazard-prevention measure. Featured topics that ... Read More
NGFA urges states to issue new CDLs during pandemic
WASHINGTON, D.C., April 6, 2020 — The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) urged U.S. governors to adopt measures to allow the issuance of new commercial driver’s licenses (CDL) during shutdowns or reduced operations of state motor vehicle offices in response to the coronavirus pandemic. “We are concerned that if driver’s license agencies continue to not issue new CDLs or limit service, trucking capacity may be inadequate to ensure continuity of operations for human and animal food supply participants,” noted NGFA’s April 6 letter. Seasonal CDLs, restricted agricultural CDLs ... Read More
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