Florence Agriculture Disaster Program

On October 15, 2018, the NC General Assembly established the Hurricane Florence Agricultural Disaster Program of 2018. This program is a one-time assistance program from producers who had losses occurred during the storm. The program will be administered by the NC Department of Agriculture. Applications must be submitted from November 7th to December 10th, 2018 to receive assistance. The program…

Details

$240 Million for Ag Disaster Program

Yesterday, the NC General Assembly passed the Hurricane Florence Supplemental Act (SB 823)  which included $240 million for the NCDA Ag Disaster Program. The bill was passed unanimously by both chambers and is now on its way to Governor Cooper’s desk for final approval. Farmers with damage from Tropical Storm Michael may also be eligible for disaster assistance from the…

Details

G20’s Agreement to Try And Agree

President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met this weekend during the G20 Summit in Buenos Aires. Soon after, the White House released a statement that the two countries had potentially agreed to de-escalate the current trade friction and continue negotiations. In return for the U.S. not raising the current 10% tariff to 25% on January…

Details

Urgent: Ask Congress to Renew Tax Incentive

The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) is urging Congress to act before the end of this year and provide a multiyear extension of the expired biodiesel and renewable diesel tax incentive. NBB is respectfully asking Congress, at a minimum, to extend the tax incentive for 2018 and 2019. Congress must approve remaining appropriations bills or a…

Details

2nd Round of MFP Payments

Secretary of Agriculture Sunny Perdue has announced that the President approved the second round of payments on the Market Facilitation Program  (MFP) that is designed to lessen the effect felt by tariffs from China. President Trump tweeted out saying “Today I am making good on my promise to defend our farmers’ and ranchers from unjustified trade…

Details

Calculating Hurricane Disaster Payments

Since January 30th, NCDA & CS has processed 70% of the Hurricane Florence Agricultural Disaster Program of 2018 applications and more than $54.8 million in payments have been sent out across North Carolina disaster-declared counties. If you are unsure of the status of your application, you can check it by following this link to the…

Details

Beans on Capitol Hill

Growers from N.C. took on Capitol Hill again last week to advocate for farmers and key agricultural issues in the state. Six board members made the trip to the nation’s Capital including Jimmy Thomas, Jeff Tyson, Greg Manning, Chris Naylor, and Michael McPherson. Angela Berben had been a participant in the American Soybean Association’s Leadership…

Details

Trade Aid for Farmers Impacted by Tariffs

Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced yesterday that USDA will be assisting farmers in response to the continued toll that the tariffs have taken on the industry. The administration authorized $16 billion in aid programs that will be overseen by USDA while they continue to work on trade relations. The dollar amount is an estimate…

Details

Long Awaited Federal Disaster Aid & 2019 NC Farm Act

$19.1 Billion Approved for Federal Disaster Aid President Trump signed the $19.1 billion federal disaster bill after the House of Representatives was finally able to pass it through (354-58) this week. The bill failed three times in the past several weeks while the House was not in session (the House majority was looking for a unanimous vote). The approval of the…

Details

Soybeans on the Hill

Five growers from NC made the trip to Washington, DC this week to spend time with the state’s Representatives and Senators. The trip was a part of the American Soybean Association’s summer board meeting that included a day of Capitol Hill visits. NC’s ASA Representative Jimmy Thomas, NCSPA Secretary Gary Hendrix, NC SoyPAC Chair Michael…

Details

USDA Announces WHIP+

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced this week that producers who have been affected by 2018 & 2019 natural disasters will now be able to apply for assistance through the Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus (WHIP+). The program’s creation was authorized by the Supplemental Relief Act of 2019 passed by Congress and signed by…

Details