Markets & News: Signal to Noise with Jim Wiesemeyer

The worldwide coronavirus outbreak prompted the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates by half a percent on Tuesday. It's just the latest in a growing snowball of events resulting from the virus spread. As Pro Farmer's Jim Wiesemeyer and Farm Journal's John Herath discuss, the outbreak is impacting trade progress, the possibility of a new Market Facilitation Program, crop inputs and more.

Listen to the full DC Signal to Noise Podcast below.

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A third year of tariff aid payments seems all but assured after President Donald Trump tweeted support for continuation of the Market Facilitation Program (MFP). 

The DC Signal to Noise regulars: Jim Wiesemeyer, John Herath and Anna-Lisa Laca, are joined by Roger Bernard of IHS Markit to look at the likelihood of an MFP 3.0 and to analyze the fuzzy trade signals sent this week by the USDA Chief Economist.

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News that a bag of dead birds was seized from a passenger arriving in the U.S. from China raised a number of red flags for Cong. Rick Crawford (R-Ark.) who is in the rare position of sitting on both the Agriculture and Intelligence Committees in the House. What scares the congressman is what we don't know about those birds because of outdated protocols.

"'I've been in contact with CDP (Customs and Border Patrol) and USDA and unfortunately we're victims of policy that probably did not anticipate this type of thing," Crawford told DC Signal to Noise. "So they were, by their policy, just required to incinerate those birds without exploiting any any kind of potential intelligence they could extract from these and doing the pathology on these dead animals and being able to say just exactly what was contained in those dead birds and was it a threat?"

As Crawford pointed out in the DC Signal to Noise Podcast, the suspicious birds come about a year after a million pounds of illegal pork from China was stopped at the border.

In this week's podcast, Crawford details his plans to push for updated policies to adequately control and investigate biosecurity issues at the border.

Crawford also gives an update on trade issues, the possibility of a new Market Facilitation Program and more.

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The battle over small refinery exemptions (SREs) to the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) ratcheted up last week as the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals struck down exemptions that were granted in 2016. Could that open the door to all 31 exemptions granted so far to the ethanol blending requirements being invalidated? Pro Farmer policy analyst Jim Wiesemeyer discusses the potential impacts on this week's DC Signal to Noise Podcast along with Farm Journal news director John Herath and dairy editor Anna-Lisa Laca.

The podcast also delves into markets impatience with the Phase 1 China trade deal, the signing of USMCA, the impact of coronavirus on trade and the continuing push for a third year of Market Facilitation Program payments.

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Ag leaders and economists plan to go to USDA next month armed with data on why farmers will need another Market Facilitation Program (MFP) in 2020, according to Pro Farmer policy analyst Jim Wiesemeyer. Despite the signing of the Phase One trade deal with China, it will take a significant amount of time for that deal to reverse price trends he says. 

In this week's DC Signal to Noise Podcast, special guest Jeff Harrison of Combest Sell and Associates joins Wiesemeyer, Farm Journal news director John Herath and Farm Journal dairy editor Anna-Lisa Laca with a look at the key news developments of the week including the timing of a third tranche of MFP 2.0 payments, the scheduled signing of the U.S. Canada Mexico Agreement and the rollout of the 2018-19 disaster aid program.

Wiesemeyer also offers up a key tip for farmers who suffered 100% prevented planting in 2019. He says they should run the numbers on a specific ARC program.

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Pro Farmer's Jim Wiesemeyer broke the news Friday that the White House is in negotiations for President Donald Trump to travel to India in the coming weeks, possible to sign a mini trade deal. In this week's DC Signal to Noise podcast we break down what could be in that potential trade deal and how it could be a big win for diary.

Wiesemeyer, Farm Journal dairy editor Anna-Lisa Laca and Farm Journal News Director John Herath also offer up important details of the now-signed China trade deal, the replacement for NAFTA and the politics that went on behind the scenes for both.

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In a Signal to Noise extra, AgDay TV's Clinton Griffiths talks with USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue following the signing of the Phase One trade deal with China.

Secretary Perdue says purchases of U.S. ag products should start in days, not weeks or months. He also confirms that the third tranche of Market Facilitation Program payments will be made, but don't expect a new program for 2020.

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Ag leaders will make a push for USDA to release the third round of Market Facilitation Program Payments next month according to Pro Farmer Policy Analyst Jim Wiesemeyer. As he reports in this week's DC Signal to Noise Podcast, ag leaders will make their pitch directly to USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue ahead of next month's USDA Outlook forum. 

This week's podcast also has the latest on the China trade deal and whether it will, indeed be signed next week. 

Wiesemeyer is joined by Farm Journal news director John Herath and dairy editor Anna-Lisa Laca who also analyze the potential delay in a new North American trade deal now that articles of impeachment are set to be delivered to the Senate.

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Special episode - 2020 policy outlook with Dale Moore of the American Farm Bureau Federation.

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Special episode 2020 policy outlook with Senator John Hoeven.

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