AG/FDA Blog

Jack Block: This and That August 2018

August 8th, 2018
Contributor: John R. Block
By former USDA Secretary John R. Block Good news – ethanol exports are up 33% so far this year. By year’s end, we should exceed last year’s record of 1.38 billion gallons. Turn to hogs – we have raised hogs on my farm all my life. I know that… Read More
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Categories: Public Policy
Tags: Almond Milk, cell-cultured meat, Chicken, China, Ethanol, FDA, Grain, hogs, John R. Block, Livestock, Milk, Poultry, Scott Gottlieb, Smithfield Foods, Trade, Trade War

Jack Block: This and That July 2018

July 26th, 2018
Contributor: John R. Block
By former USDA Secretary John R. Block I’m going to focus on some different issues today. Trade is in the spotlight. We can only encourage the U.S. and the countries that we have challenged – Canada, Mexico, EU, and China – to sit down and nego… Read More
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Categories: Public Policy
Tags: Beef, Canada, Cargill, cell-cultured meat, Chicken, China, EU, Genetically Engineered, John R. Block, Meat, Mexico, Pork Producers, President Trump, Russia, Sonny Perdue, Soviet Union, Trade, Tyson

Jack Block: Trade and China

June 19th, 2018
Contributor: John R. Block
By former USDA Secretary John R. Block I am headed to China this week with 30 farm broadcasters and farm and ranch leaders. We will talk to Ambassador Terry Branstad and other U.S. representatives in our Embassy and spend time with Chinese government… Read More
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Categories: Public Policy
Tags: Agriculture, AgriPulse, Ambassador Terry Branstad, Canada, China, DDG, Dried Grains with Solubles, John R. Block, Mexico, NAFTA, North American Free Trade Agreement, President Trump, Robert Lighthizer, Sonny Perdue, Soybeans, Steve Censky, Tariffs, Trade

Jack Block: China

June 13th, 2018
Contributor: John R. Block
By former USDA Secretary John R. Block Next week, I am going to China. Last November, I was asked by the National Association of Farm Broadcasters to lead a team of farm broadcasters and ag leaders to visit China. At that time, we all knew how import… Read More
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Categories: Public Policy
Tags: Ambassador Terry Branstad, Beijing, China, Hong Kong, Kim Jong-un, National Association of Farm Broadcasters, North Korea, President Trump, Shanghai, Trade, Trade War

John Block: Issues

June 6th, 2018
Contributor: John R. Block
By former USDA Secretary John R. Block It could be announced any time, but we still don’t know. Will the EPA provide a waiver to allow the sale of E15 ethanol blended fuel during the summer? Right now, the sale of E15 is restricted June 1 through S… Read More
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Categories: Public Policy
Tags: China, E15, Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, Ethanol, Gorbachev, Iran, John R. Block, Kim Jong-un, North Korea, President Nixon, President Reagan, President Trump, Singapore, Trade War

Jack Block: Trade and the Farm Bill

May 16th, 2018
Contributor: John R. Block
By former USDA Secretary John R. Block I was on the farm in Illinois last week. I went into the coffee shop, talked to neighbors, and all the questions were about a trade war and the farm bill legislation. Almost everyone in the county is a Trump sup… Read More
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Categories: Public Policy
Tags: Agriculture, China, Corn, Farm Bill, John R. Block, Mexico, Pork, President Trump, Soviet Union, Soybeans, Trade War

John Block: Uncertain Times

April 19th, 2018
Contributor: John R. Block
By former USDA Secretary John R. Block Farmers and ranchers across the U.S. are under a lot of stress as we enter planting season. Farm income has been cut in half and uncertainty fills the air as we move into the 2018 year. Trade war – we are… Read More
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Categories: EPA, Public Policy, USDA
Tags: Agriculture, China, Corn, Ethanol, John R. Block, NAFTA, Renewable Fuel Standard, RFS, Trade, Trump

John Block: Trade

March 28th, 2018
Contributor: John R. Block
Pick up a paper or turn on the TV – It’s all about trade. So that’s the subject I’m going to talk about today. Will there be a trade war? Our agriculture industry that exports 20% of what we produce could get pounded pretty hard. A lot of Pre… Read More
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Categories: Uncategorized
Tags: Agriculture, China, John R. Block, Tariff, Trade, Trade War

John Block: Down on the Farm

February 21st, 2018
Contributor: John R. Block
By former USDA Secretary John R. Block I have been on the farm in Illinois the last few days. As we loaded a semi with market hogs and I walked through the barns with baby pigs, it made me think once again about the challenges farmers face. As I repo… Read More
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Categories: Public Policy, USDA
Tags: Agriculture, Bill Northey, China, Corn, Ethanol, Farm, John R. Block, Renewable Fuel Standard, Sorghum, Ted Cruz, Trade, Trump

John Block: Ag Issues 2017

June 30th, 2017
Contributor: John R. Block
By former USDA Secretary John R. Block This week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture posted the announcement of this year’s World Food Prize Foundation laureate. At one time, he was the Nigerian Minister of Agriculture, and he now runs the African… Read More
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Categories: Public Policy, USDA
Tags: Akin Adesina, Branstad, China, India, John R. Block, Perdue, President Trump, Trade, World Food Prize, WOTUS
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