Arkansas Agriculture Magazine for Spring 2018

SPRING 2 0 1 8

FEATURES Black Vulture Problems Increasing, But Remedies Available Keith Sutton | Page 6 COLUMNS

Farm Bureau Perspective Randy Veach | Page 3

Ag News Staff Reports | Page 14

Policy Update Michelle Kitchens | Page 24

Ag Law Update

Harrison Pittman | Page 26

COVER PHOTO

by Keith Sutton

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SPRING 2018

Edition 49

Farm Bureau Perspective

by Randy Veach | President, Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation

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he Trade Winds have been blowing turbulently the this situation. There may still be time, but we need open past few months, and, frankly, there appears to be no communication lines and a true disposition to find constructive short-term resolution for this turmoil. Unfortunately, solutions.” Azevedo called the tariffs one of the most urgent farmers and ranchers, already stretched perilously thin by tight challenges and said the trade tensions threaten to stop the profit margins, could be the ones blown away by a Trade War. global economic recovery “in its tracks – with consequences The United States and China are spewing animosity at for jobs and GDP growth that would harm us all.” each other, with trade of agricultural items now included as Unlike the steel and aluminum tariffs, which took effect pawns in a debate that initially centered on steel, aluminum, almost immediately under section 232 (national security electronics, machinery and aerospace products. President consideration) of the Trade Expansion Act, the latest batch of Donald Trump is playing hardball with the Chinese, who U.S.-proposed tariffs would not take effect until after a comment period in May. Comments are due to USTR by May 11 and then have not always played by World Trade Organization rules up to 180 days are allowed for a final over the past several decades. decision by the administration. That The good news (or maybe the The United States and China are window of time could allow for more least bad news?) is that China and negotiations with China that could the U.S. are talking, according to spewing animosity at each other, result in a deal to avert the tariffs. administration officials. But that with trade of agricultural items now There is also the ongoing doesn’t stop the market reaction negotiations involving the North and the effect it already is having included as pawns in a debate that America Free Trade Agreement on farm prices. initially centered on steel, aluminum, (NAFTA). Every meticulous step Throughout this discord, seems to be accompanied American Farm Bureau President electronics, machinery and aerospace forward by a side-step, making for slow Zippy Duvall’s response has been clear and direct: “This has to stop. products. President Donald Trump is negotiations. I am fortunate to serve as a “trusted advisor” in my The Trump administration should playing hardball with the Chinese, role with the USDA/USTR not go through with these tariffs.”

Agricultural Trade Advisory AFBF is involved in three who have not always played by Committee. This agreement is broad coalition-type efforts World Trade Organization important for all three countries. I (Trade for America, Farmers believe, in the end, we will be able for Free Trade and Americans rules over the past several decades. to come to an agreement. for Farmers & Families) that Then we have President Trump’s are actively involved in trade recent back-and-forth declarations about re-entering the Trans promotion. We believe these efforts are being effective and Pacific Partnership, which he pulled the U.S. out of in one of getting the administration’s attention. In addition, AFBF is at his first acts after taking office. In early April he suggested it the table (as President Trump promised us we would be) at might make sense for the U.S. to reengage with the other 11 high-level discussions about trade. Of course, we have no way countries involved in the TPP. The remaining countries have of knowing what we will be able to accomplish through our moved forward with the agreement, known now as the coalition work or direct involvement, but Arkansas Farm Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Bureau and American Farm Bureau are doing everything we Partnership (CPTPP). They have left open the opportunity can to speak up and be the farmer’s voice, while also for the U.S. or China to join the agreement, however. maintaining vital lines of communication with the White Space does not allow a deep explanation into either NAFTA House, Congressional delegation and key federal officials. or CPTPP at this point. But it is obvious the direction of The dangers of a Trade War are real, as explained by World Trade Winds is difficult to predict. My advice to our farmers Trade Organization Director-General Roberto Azevedo, who I and ranchers: (as always) hunker down and ride this out. met in a 2014 trip to WTO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

And, without question, join your Arkansas Farm Bureau state In an April 3 speech to the Portuguese and Brazilian Schools board members and staff in engaging with our Congressional of Law in Lisbon, Azevedo said it is important to try and avoid delegation to remind them of the importance of trade to our “this escalation,” referring to the tariffs imposed by China and industry. God bless you and your families. God bless our farmers the United States. “Once the domino effect starts, it will be very and ranchers. And God bless Arkansas Farm Bureau. * difficult to revert it. I am talking to all sides to try to resolve

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An official publication of Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation distributed to more than 43,000 farming and ranching households in Arkansas.

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Included in membership dues ARKANSAS FARM BUREAU OFFICERS:

President • Randy Veach, Manila Vice President • Rich Hillman, Carlisle Secretary/Treasurer • Joe Christian, Jonesboro Executive Vice President • Warren Carter, Little Rock DIRECTORS:

Jon Carroll, Moro Terry Dabbs, Stuttgart Sherry Felts, Joiner Mike Freeze, Little Rock Bruce Jackson, Lockesburg Tom Jones, Pottsville Terry Laster, Strong Jeremy Miller, Huntsville Gene Pharr, Lincoln Caleb Plyler, Hope Rusty Smith, Des Arc Joe Thrash, Houston Dan Wright, Waldron EX OFFICIO

Magen Allen, Bismarck Donna Bemis, Little Rock Adam Cloninger, Keo Mark Morgan, Clarksville Executive Editor • Steve Eddington Editor • Rob Anderson Contributing Writers • Ken Moore, Gregg Patterson, Maddison Stewart, Keith Sutton ADVERTISING

Contact Tom Kennedy at Publishing Concepts for advertising rates tkennedy@pcipublishing.com (501) 221-9986 Fax (501) 225-3735 Arkansas Agriculture is published quarterly by the Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation 10720 Kanis Rd., Little Rock, AR 72211 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Arkansas Agriculture, P.O. Box 31, Little Rock, AR 72203 Issue #49 Publisher assumes no responsibility for any errors or omissions. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited.

The Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation reserves the right to accept or reject all advertising requests.

Send comments to: arkansasagriculture@arfb.com

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ARKANSAS FARM BUREAU • SPRING 2018

As black vulture populations skyrocket in Arkansas, complaints about them killing livestock and damaging property are increasing as well.

Photo by Keith Sutton

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PROBLEMS INCREASING, But Remedies Available

by Keith Sutton

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M

ost Arkansans are very familiar with vultures.

Often called buzzards, these large raptors live in every county. We see them daily soaring in the sky, roosting in trees with wings outstretched and feeding on roadkill.

Many people are unaware there are two species — turkey vultures and black vultures — that live here.

However, most know these birds play important natural roles as scavengers, helping keep the outdoors clean and disease-free by eating dead animals, the afterbirth of cattle and other animals, and other sorts of carrion. For this reason, vultures have long been protected by state and federal laws.

In recent decades, however, black vultures have grown increasingly common in Arkansas and elsewhere, and, unlike their larger more easygoing cousins, they are causing some very serious issues. While there is no simple solution, there are some methods ranchers can use to address the problem, including federal depredation permits issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Cattle Killers “Our problems with vultures started about 20 years ago,” said cattle rancher Forrest Wood of Flippin. “We’ve always had turkey vultures here, but they don’t hurt anything. They’re good birds. They clean up carrion. But two decades ago, black vultures started showing up, and they’ve gotten more and more abundant. Unlike turkey vultures, they will actually peck on a calf as it’s being born.

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They’ll peck its eyes out, injure it and sometimes kill it.

“My wife Nina recently called me to a pasture by our home where we have 60 heifers bearing their first calves,” Wood continued. “One heifer was giving birth, and there were 50 to 75 black vultures around her. They’re very aggressive, and if a cow can’t get up, they’ll sometimes severely injure it by pecking and tearing on its rear end.

Forrest and Nina Wood of Flippin have been fighting black vulture problems for more than two decades on their north Arkansas cattle ranch. These photos, taken by Forrest Wood, show a cow injured by vultures while giving birth, which had to be euthanized, and a newborn calf trampled to death when its mother was frightened by vultures flocking around it.

Arkansas Agriculture

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Photo by Keith Sutton

Thurman Booth heads the Arkansas branch of USDA’s Wildlife Services. “… these little black vultures, they’re bad dudes,” he says.

Photo by Keith Sutton Forrest and Nina Wood

Sometimes the cows giving birth get so disturbed while fighting off the vultures, they end up stepping on and killing their own calves, too.”

“It’s very disturbing to see what these vultures do,” Nina Wood said. “It just turns your stomach. It’s very costly, too.”

Thurman Booth, state director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services in Arkansas, is quite familiar with black vulture problems. His agency is the one people turn to for help when out-of-control animals like feral hogs and cormorants are wreaking havoc. Issues with black vultures have skyrocketed, he reports.

“The black vulture population has literally exploded in Arkansas,” Booth said. “It’s for the same reason we have more bald eagles and cormorants. Persistent chemicals like DDT are now at much much lower levels in the environment and, because of that, eggshell thinning caused by these chemicals has ended, more eggs hatch instead of getting broken, and there are more vultures as a result.

“Even though they’re smaller, black vultures are much more aggressive than turkey vultures,” he continued. “They don’t just clean up afterbirth. They come in and the first thing they do is peck the eyes out of the newborn calves.

They will actually get into the internal organs, and when they finish with that, quite often they will take the mother cow down. As a result, the cow may have to be euthanized.”

The problem isn’t limited to Arkansas. Recent figures from the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service attribute 11,900 cattle/calf deaths valued at $4.64 million to vultures. That doesn’t include impacts to other types of livestock such as pigs, goats, sheep and poultry, which also have been reported in many areas of the Southeast.

Damage Beyond Cattle Black vultures are causing other problems as well — problems that seem almost surreal.

Vultures play important roles as nature’s garbage cleaners, feeding on the carcasses of dead animals.

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Photo by Keith Sutton

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“We’ve seen big black vulture flocks peck the roofs off homes along the White River where they roost,” said Forrest Wood. “They’ve pulled plastic chairs and other items out of our carport and torn them up, and one got down our chimney and got hung, causing us to have to take the chimney down to repair it.

“A White River fishing guide recently told me he drove his vehicle to an access area where he met customers in two other vehicles,” he continued. “While they were out fishing, vultures pecked the windshield wipers and other vinyl pieces off all three vehicles. There are just so many of them, and they’re very aggressive.”

“You wouldn’t believe some of the things they’ll tear up,” Booth said. “They’ll rip shingles off houses, tear up seats on tractors and other farm equipment, and shred the coverings on party barges and other boats. When they roost on homes and cabins — as many as 200 vultures in a flock — their droppings create such a mess and the smell is so horrific that people can’t live there. We get almost as many calls about this type of property damage as we do about livestock problems.

“Turkey vultures have never been problematic like that,” he added. “They’re not nearly that aggressive. But these little black vultures, they’re bad dudes.”

Possible Solutions The good news is that there are some proven methods to help alleviate vulture problems, and help is available from the experts at Wildlife Services.

“We suggest that people with vulture problems call us immediately,” said Booth. “If they call our Stuttgart office at 870-673-1121, or our Sherwood office at 501-835-2318, we’ll send a biologist to their farm who can provide specific recommendations. These may be non-lethal control methods like using pyrotechnics to frighten the vultures away, in which case we can provide materials needed for that. Or, if problems are bad enough, we may recommend getting a federal depredation permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that authorizes killing birds to protect the property owner’s interests. Vultures are scared of dead birds of their own species, so if you hang a dead vulture near an existing roost, the roosting birds will relocate.

“When we feel a depredation permit is needed, we will write an application for the livestock or property owner. All they must do is sign their name, then send that and a Form 37, which we fill out, to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service office in Atlanta where permits are issued.”

The permit application processing fee, payable to the Fish and Wildlife Service, is $100 for most permittees. The fee is $50 for homeowners experiencing damage to their personal residence or property. The permits can be renewed annually.

“So far, the Fish and Wildlife Service has never refused an application,” said Booth. “We believe every livestock producer who sees a vulture on his property should get a permit and be prepared, because the quicker you get on it,

the easier the vultures are to run off. The longer they stay there feeding, the harder they are to run off.”

“We followed the recommendations of the Wildlife Services people and we’ve had far fewer problems,” said Forrest Wood. “We keep our depredation permit up to date, and when we kill a vulture, we hang it up to keep others away. That’s the best thing you can do.

“Still, the black vultures are very hard to kill,” he continued. “They’re wary, and if you drive them off your property, they’re just causing problems for someone else.

“I wish more folks having vulture problems would call their legislators and tell them how much damage these birds are doing. Many of us would like to see them legalize the shooting of black vultures year-round to thin the population. It’s a shame that current laws are such that people can’t properly protect their own property from these little demons.”

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Arkansas Agriculture

A dead vulture, left where it can be seen acts to deter other vultures from staying and roosting in that area. To legally kill these raptors, however, ranchers need a federal depredation permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Photo by Gregg Patterson

ACA on Vultures Cody Burkham, executive vice president of the Arkansas Cattlemen’s Association, said the black vulture problem is “extensive enough that it is beginning to have a voice and gain some traction in the halls of Congress, which is the only place this issue can really be resolved.” |

ARKANSAS FARM BUREAU • SPRING 2018

Burkham noted that because black vultures are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, it is illegal to kill or “take” a vulture without a depredation permit. But “while depredation permits are helpful, they don’t always allow a producer to take the number of vultures needed to affect the birds,” he continued. “Though we may never see vulture depredation stopped completely, we would like to see a loosening of regulations that allows cattle and livestock producers to better protect their investments.

I’m not sure if this would be a larger number of takes under a depredation permit or some other method.

“In Arkansas, we are fortunate to have members of our Congressional delegation who sit on relevant committees and could push for hearings or legislation on the black vulture issue,” he continued.

“We stand ready to assist them with whatever information they may need.”

Burkham encourages producers to report any loss of calves or cattle by black vultures to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service state office, as well as taking photographic evidence. “These reports will not only help build a case for increased take numbers but will also help producers build rapport with people inside the responsible federal agencies,” he said. “The ACA will continue to work with our congressional delegation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the USDA to push for better management of black vultures.” *

BLACK VULTURE OR TURKEY VULTURE?

Photo by Keith Sutton

It’s important to distinguish between the aggressive and problematic black vulture and its harmless turkey vulture cousin.

Identification is easy if you have a clear view of an adult bird’s featherless head. Black vultures have black or grayish heads. Turkey vultures have red or pinkish heads. Black vultures are slightly smaller than turkey vultures as well, and have a shorter tail and wings.

Looking at the underside of the open wings provides another way to identify these birds. Each species has a different silvery feather pattern on the underside of the wings, which can be seen when the birds are flying overhead.

Turkey vultures are black on the leading edge of their underwings, with the trailing edge of the wings and the outer flight feathers a contrasting gray. Put more simply, a turkey vulture circling above will look like its wings are black in the front and silver in the back.

Black vultures, on the other hand, are all black underneath except for grayish or white wingtips, which some people call “stars.” Think of the black vulture as dressed in black evening wear with white gloves on its hands.

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AgNEWS

Photo by Keith Sutton

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E.A.T. Underway at ASU-Newport SU-Newport (ASUN) has implemented a new Educating Agriculture Technology (E.A.T.) program to provide students hand-on experience with the latest technology in precision agriculture and crop monitoring. Funded by a grant of more than $600,000, the program was developed to create “an integrated educational pathway for regional workers seeking employment in farm management, seed and chemical industry management, crop consulting or other agriculture-related management fields.”

According to the school’s website, the program connects students with local farmers, ranchers and industry partners, who put them to work in the field with technology such as mobile precision ag labs, GPS, GIS and various farm-management software and guided tractor systems.

“In addition to basic agronomy and plant science, our students will demonstrate knowledge in modern precision agriculture practice,” Robert Summers, dean for applied science at ASUN, said in a news release announcing the new program. “This will include Site Specific Crop Management, a data driven process for farm management. Students will understand and use Global Positioning System (GPS) and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) systems that include auto steer technology and Variable Rate Technology for planting and spraying.”

Jackson County Farm Bureau President Tommy Young was a member of the steering committee that helped guide the overall scope of the E.A.T. initiative. He said he wanted to do something to ensure “we will have a qualified workforce for today and tomorrow’s high-tech agriculture.”

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“As a farmer in northeast Arkansas, I am very happy to hear that a real need in our area might be filled in the future – that need being qualified, skilled agricultural workers being educated by ASUNewport’s new agricultural associate degree program,” said Young.

For more information on the program, visit www.asun. edu/programs/agtech.

– Keith Sutton, ArFB, and ASU–Newport U of A Division of Ag announces Cargill Poultry Research Center Scientists looking for alternatives to antibiotics to keep poultry healthy will have a state-of-the-art facility for their work, thanks to a $150,000 donation from Cargill, as part of the company’s focus on safely, responsibly and sustainably producing food.

The 4,200-square foot facility will be located on the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture farm north of the Fayetteville campus. The facility will be named the Cargill Poultry Research Center. A groundbreaking ceremony for the center was held April 19.

“At a time when consumers are more interested in the source of their food, it’s increasingly important for the poultry industry to find ways to keep birds healthy in sustainable ways,” said Mark Cochran, vice president-agriculture for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “We are most appreciative of this generous donation from Cargill to enable our world-class poultry scientists to further advance the science for the healthiest poultry.”

– Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service

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2018 Farm Bill Progress The House Agriculture Committee, on April 18, passed the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018, and a vote by the full House of Representatives is expected to happen in short order. This is an important first step in the process toward developing a new farm bill ahead of the expiration of current farm programs.

The bill maintains both the ARC-County and PLC program, and includes Farm Bureau supported provisions to include RMA data in ARC yield calculations, and contains an escalator clause for PLC reference prices. The bill also includes seed cotton as a covered commodity.

The bill creates the Dairy Risk Management Program which sets production history based on actual production from 2001-2013, creating a program similar to base acres for row crops. Coverage is expanded to $9/cwt, adding both an $8.50 and $9 coverage option, and coverage can range from 0 percent to 90 percent in 5 percent increments.

Farm Bureau also supports changes to the Actively Engaged rule that expands the definition of a “family farm” to include nieces, nephews and first cousins. Farm Bureau policy opposes means testing and payments limits of any kind, but Farm Bureau is supporting changes that exempt marketing loan gains from payment limits and applies the payment limit and AGI to each individual in a pass through entity.

The bill does, however, cut $795 million out of conservation programs over 10 years. The CRP acreage cap is increased to 29 million acres, but payment rates decline significantly for reenrollments, and rental rates are capped. CSP is eliminated and rolled into EQIP, and the 60 percent carve-out for livestock in EQIP is eliminated.

– Brandy Carroll, ArFB *

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PolicyUPDATE Michelle coordinates the policy development process for Arkansas Farm Bureau and regularly updates the membership on legislative and regulatory issues. She grew up on a cattle and poultry farm in southwest Arkansas and earned a degree in communication management from Harding University.

By Michelle Kitchens, Assistant Director, ArFB Public Affairs & Government Relations

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Photo by Keith Sutton

he United States has one of the worst voter turnout records among world democracies. According to several sources, Arkansas has one of the lowest voter turnout records in the country. It frequently hovers around the 50 percent mark for the state. In a recent special election to select a state senator, 2,400 voters decided who would represent approximately 85,000 Arkansans at the state Capitol. Low voter turnout signals to elected officials that they don’t have to be too concerned with the wants and needs of their districts.

If you’re a grassroots advocate, you should start as a grassroots voter. Sometimes you’ll find your work as an advocate makes your job as a voter easier because you know the candidates. If you know an elected official is responsive to you and has a good voting record on key issues, then support them with your time, money and vote.

Voting can take time, but it doesn’t have to be burdensome.

First, you have to register. Registration takes place 30 days before an election. If you have moved recently, you should update your information. You cannot do this online but you can download the form at www.sos.arkansas.gov.

Things you should do to be an informed voter: 1. Register to vote by the deadline or update your voter registration.

2. Learn the voting calendar – primaries, special elections, general elections and runoffs.

3. Find out who is running in the primary election at every level of government.

4. Research the candidates in the primary election.

5. Vote in the primary (May 22).

6. Learn about the ballot issues for the general election.

7. Repeat 1-5 for the general election (Nov. 6).

8. Vote in every election.

Don’t ignore the primaries, because elections are frequently decided there. In Arkansas, you do not have to be registered with a political party to vote in the primary, you simply have to choose which one to vote in. You can vote in a different party’s primary in two years and you can vote for a different candidate in the general election. Many counties offer early voting options for convenience.

Arkansans vote on ballot issues almost every election cycle.

Casinos, alcohol sales, ethics amendments, highway funding, tort reform and many others are some recent examples. Ballot issues can be referred by the legislature or citizen initiative. A good resource for learning about ballot issues is the Cooperative Extension Service public policy department. Email them at publicpolicycenter@uaex.edu to be added to the eletter list or call: 501-671-2078 to schedule a group presentation.

If you want to go the extra mile, consider helping with a campaign. Arkansas Farm Bureau doesn’t endorse candidates but our members frequently help them.

• Put up yard signs or large signs. Farmers sometimes have prime highway frontage for signs of support.

• Volunteer for campaigns. Volunteers help with going door to door, putting up signs, hosting fundraisers or even driving voters to the polls.

• Donate to a campaign. Arkansas law, A.C.A. 7-6-222, even lets you claim up to $50 ($100 for couples) as a tax credit for donations to candidates or political Action Committees. Small donations are meaningful. You can add a note in the memo line, “Farmers for INSERT CANDIDATE NAME.” Donations in Arkansas must come from a personal account. They cannot be accepted from a corporation.

It’s acceptable to let candidates know how you feel about issues and ask them their positions. Know the impact a candidate can have on the issue. While you might be interested to know what a state legislator’s position is on the national debt, recognize they don’t vote on the national budget. As Farm Bureau members, please bring up agriculture issues with them.

For example, ask candidates for Congress about trade, tax policy, regulations and funding for farm bill, agriculture research and rural development. Ask candidates for the state General Assembly about highway funding, state government reform, private property protection, right to farm, tax exemptions and support for rural schools. Farm Bureau’s positions on all these issues are available on our website.

Citizens frequently feel that their votes are not important in elections and avoid the whole process but a few votes can make a huge difference in a close election. Be a grassroots voter. Take the time to learn about the candidates and the issues then get out and vote. *

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Ag LawUPDATE Harrison M. Pittman is director of the National Agricultural Law Center, which serves as the nation’s leading source of agricultural and food law research and information. The Center deals with legal issues around the country that impact agriculture at the state and federal levels.

by Harrison Pittman, Director, National Agricultural Law Center University of Arkansas System, Division of Agriculture

Photo by Keith Sutton

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018 Farm Bill “Kickoff.” On April 12, U.S. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway released his draft of the 2018 Farm Bill, the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (H.R. 2). On April 18, the bill was reported out of House Agriculture Committee on 26-20 party line vote. New Farm Bills have been increasingly difficult to enact, and debate around the 2018 Farm Bill will occur against a backdrop of lower commodity prices, heightened concerns over international agricultural trade, and during an election year that some believe result in a change in power of one or both chambers of Congress. The fate of the House legislation is uncertain, both in terms of when it will be brought to the House floor and whether there will be enough votes to ultimately pass it out of the House. The Senate Agriculture Committee continues work on its version of the farm bill, which promises to be very different from the current House version. As in 2014, much of the controversy relates to the Nutrition Title, primarily the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Expect this to be a bumpy legislative ride fraught with uncertainty and much on the line for Arkansas and U.S. agriculture.

Ag Trade. With 95 percent or more of the world’s consumers living outside the United States, export markets are a key ingredient to the success of agriculture in Arkansas and beyond.

Agricultural trade is currently facing significant tension on virtually every front, with the outcome far from certain. Among the top issues is a looming trade standoff between the U.S. and China, the European Union, and other nations spurred largely by talk of increasing tariffs on aluminum and steel imported into the U.S. The threat of tariff increases places U.S. agriculture in the crosshairs of international retaliation that could result in decreased market access of U.S. agricultural products. The future of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

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also hangs in the balance, not only in terms of whether the U.S., Mexico, and Canada renegotiate a new deal but also whether Congress will subsequently ratify the terms of a new deal. The “new” Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), known as the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), has been entered into by the remaining 11 countries and will become effective in less than a year. The United States withdrew from TPP in January 2017. The future impact of CPTPP on U.S. agricultural trade remains to be seen, but could place the U.S. agricultural exports at a competitive disadvantage relative to the 11 countries.

Beef Checkoff. A number of legal issues are playing out around the country regarding federal and state checkoff programs, one of which is the ongoing saga regarding the constitutionality of assessments retained by the Montana Beef Council. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently issued a ruling in favor of the parties alleging that the assessments violate their First Amendment rights, which continues to raise issues about the future implementation of both the national beef and soybean programs. This is an emerging issue to watch in the weeks ahead across the country.

Dicamba. The fate of the Arkansas State Plant Board rule that prohibits over-the-top application of dicamba from April 15 through Oct. 31 remains in flux as it legal challenges wind their way through the state court system. The rule remains effective statewide, but recent court decisions have created some confusion about whether the regulation applies to all producers.

The Arkansas Supreme Court will soon weigh in on whether on whether lower courts’ decisions to halt application of the Plant Board rule will apply to the farmers who filed those actions seeking a decision that would allow them spray dicamba. *

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y a w a Get

MARCH 31-APRIL 7, 2019

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Arkansas Agriculture

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PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID LITTLE ROCK, AR PERMIT NO. 1884