Branstad Confirmed as Ambassador to China and Cuts to Crop Insurance

Branstad Confirmed as Ambassador to China and Cuts to Crop Insurance

Bob Larson
Bob Larson
From the Ag Information Network, I'm Bob Larson with your Agribusiness Update.

**The Senate voted 82 to 13 Monday to approve President Trump's choice of Iowa Governor Terry Branstad as U.S. ambassador to China.

Senate leaders say Branstad will now be tasked with a portfolio that is important not only for our diplomatic relationship with China, but also for our trade policy.

With China poised to lift its 13-year ban on U.S. beef, groups like the National Cattlemen's Beef Association really like Branstad's Ag experience.

** President Trump's fiscal 2018 budget proposes to cut crop insurance by $29 billion over 10 years, to slash nearly 30 percent from food stamp spending, and to gut some key conservation, international food aid and rural development programs.

The budget seeks to reduce federal spending by $3.6 trillion over 10 years.

The cuts to crop insurance would cap premium subsidies at $40,000 per farmer, impose a new means test on premiums, as well as farm bill commodity programs, and eliminate the Harvest Price Option on revenue policies.

**U.S. egg exports in the first quarter of 2017 are up nearly 30 percent compared to a year ago.

The American Egg Board's Ashley Richardson says they're working with the U.S.A. Poultry and Egg Export Council to grow demand overseas, and the results are encouraging.

She tells Brownfield Japan, Hong Kong, the Middle East, and Mexico are among the top markets for U.S. eggs.

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