Trade show and conferences set for convention
Arkansas Farm Bureau will host its annual meeting next week November 29-30 at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock.  For the second year, Farm Bureau will host a trade show for our members.  The show will include 58 vendors ranging from the latest in farm technology to the newest farm toys on the market.  Additionally, Farm Bureau will present spectacular workshops on Thursday morning including:

•                Leading Across Generations: by Franklin Covey award winning speaker Haydn Shaw
•                Battling Activist and Ballot Initiatives: Cavalry Group who worked on the Missouri Initiative
•                Federal and State Tax Reform:  AFBF and Arkansas Tax Taskforce Co-Chairs
•                Forestry Certification: by industry leaders from Domtar, Green Bay Packing and UAEX
•                Labor and Food Safety Issues:  AFBF and UAEX
•                Crops Management and Profitability Conference
•                Livestock Management and Profitability Conference

China VAT tax exemption for DDGs set
China will exempt imports of distillers' dried grains (DDGs) from the value-added tax (VAT) from Dec. 20, according to a notice on the Chinese Finance Ministry website. Removing the VAT on DDGs was signaled by China in the wake of the visit by President Donald Trump, but no date for the action had been provided.

Brazilian bean planting now running ahead of the five-year average
Last week, AgRural reported that 73% of Brazil’s bean crop has now been planted, in line with year-ago and five points ahead of the five-year average. Farmers took advantage of recent good rains. Brazilian producers have also planted 63% of their first corn crop, versus 79% last year at this point and 65% for the five-year average, the group reports.

Canada to talk trade deal with China
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to head to Beijing early in December to launch trade talks with China, the National Post reports. China has already signed a trade deal with Australia that was 10 years in the making but which sees 95% of Australian exports gain tariff-free access to China. A study last year by the Canada China Business Council offered conservative estimates that under a trade deal, exports to China—currently around $20 billion—would grow 50%. Jobs would be created in the automotive, chemical and seafood industries, with further opportunities in agriculture, clean technology, natural resources and aerospace.

India hikes taxes on soy and palm oil
India has hiked its import tax on crude soyoil from 17.5% to 30.0%, and it has raised its duty on refined soyoil from 20% to 35%. It also raised taxes on palm oil. The country’s duties on edible oils now stand at their highest level in more than a decade as the country works to support local producers. Soybean and rapeseed prices have tumbled in India as domestic producers struggled to compete against cheap imports from Indonesia, Malaysia, Brazil and Argentina. India imports about 70% of the edible oil it consumes. Some analysts say the duty hike will have minimal impact on imports due to huge demand.

U.S. farm exports rise 8% in fiscal 2017
Sales to China, Canada and Mexico helped boost U.S. agricultural exports 8% higher in fiscal 2017, from nearly $129.6 billion last year to $140.5 billion, the third-highest level on record, USDA said last Thursday. The U.S. agricultural sector posted an annual trade surplus, which reached $21.3 billion, up almost 30% from last year's $16.6 billion — U.S. ag imports set a record at $119.14 billion in FY 2017, up from $113.037 billion in fiscal 2016.

FSIS audit highlights problems with Brazil's meat inspection system
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) conducted an onsite audit of Brazil's meat inspection system between May 15 and June 2 to determine its ability to export products that were safe, wholesome, unadulterated and correctly labeled and packaged. At the time Brazil was approved to export meat to the U.S., but that privilege has since been revoked. In the recently released report, FSIS identified a number of systemic issues ranging from a lack of oversight of in-plant inspectors to inadequate enforcement of sanitation requirements to chemical analysis that does not align with the requirements of FSIS. At the audit exit meeting, Brazil's Central Competent Authority promised to address the findings. 

Rebound in Indian cotton production expected
India's cotton crop will likely total 37.5 million bales this season, according to the Cotton Association of India. This would be up 11.2% from last year's crop thanks to expanded area, according to the trade body. It also expects India's cotton consumption to climb from 30.78 million bales last year to 32 million bales in 2017-18.

WHO says U.S. not doing enough to curb antibiotic use in meat production
The World Health Organization cautioned that the U.S. is falling behind Europe in its battle to curb over- and misuse of antibiotics in meat production. This comes after the organization last week recommended eliminating the use of such drugs to prevent disease in healthy animals and to speed growth.