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
Press Releases
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
NGFA, ag supply chain groups urge administration to curtail unfair fees on shipping containers hauling U.S. ag products
WASHINGTON, D.C., April 6, 2020 — The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) and 79 other associations representing the U.S. food and agriculture supply chain requested urgent engagement from Trump administration officials to ensure the competitive, fluid movement of shipping containers to international markets. In an April 3 letter to National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow and Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, the groups requested their “urgent intervention” to encourage the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) to adopt a rule that would address “the ongoing ... Read More
NGFA provides new COVID-19 industry resources
WASHINGTON, D.C., April 3, 2020 -- The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) has made several resources available intended to assist grain, feed, processing and export companies navigate the uncertainties of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), including a recording of NGFA’s April 2 webinar presented in partnership with Grain Journal. The webinar, and many other resources, including federal agency announcements and guidance documents, can be found on ngfa.org/covid-19. During the “Grain, Feed, Processing and Export Industry Update on COVID-19” webinar, more than 700 attendees ... Read More
NGFA, ag groups request states increase truck weight limits
WASHINGTON, D.C., March 30, 2020 – The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) and more than 60 national agricultural groups today urged each state to increase truck weight limits on highways within their jurisdictions to a “minimum harmonized weight” of 88,000 pounds. “Increased truck weights improve the food and agriculture industry’s efficiency and capacity to deliver essential food, feed and key ingredients which sustain our food supply chain,” the groups said in aMarch 30 letter to all state governors, lieutenant governors, transportation directors and agriculture commissioners. ... Read More
NGFA, ag groups, request expansion of hours-of-service exemption for all agricultural haulers during COVID-19 pandemic
WASHINGTON, D.C., March 25, 2020 -- In a letter to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) and 53 other agricultural groups today urged that the agency grant relief from federal drive time rules for all truck drivers hauling agricultural goods. “As trucking capacity and the availability of drivers tightens due to COVID-19, neither surge nor normal trucking capacity may be adequately available to provide the required just-in-time deliveries to animal feeding operations, food processing and manufacturing plants, distribution ... Read More
National Grain and Feed Association
TwitterYoutubeFacebookLinkedin