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Register today for MCPR’s annual golf outing!
Tee off with the Minnesota Crop Production Retailers (MCPR) at its annual golf outing on Thursday, Aug. 14 at The Wilds Golf Club in Prior Lake. Enjoy 18 holes on one of Minnesota’s crown jewel courses and support MCPR in their mission of supporting regulatory and legislative initiatives that benefit retailers, manufacturers distributors and custom applicators of crop production inputs.
Registration for the annual golf outing is now open. The cost is $220 for a single or $880 for a foursome, which includes golf, cart, lunch and dinner, drink and raffle tickets. Check-in and lunch will begin at 10 a.m. with an 11 a.m. shotgun start. Dinners and awards/prizes will follow. Sponsorship opportunities are still available.
For more information or to register, visit mcpr-cca.org/golf-outing/.
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MAHA commission report
A new "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) Commission report questions safe and proven pesticides. If its misguided claims shape future policy, farmers could lose access to vital tools—leading to lower yields, higher costs, and real threats to family farms. Tell lawmakers that farmers need crop protection! Take action by sending a letter to your legislators.
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Modern Ag Alliance urges science-based agricultural policy in response to MAHA commission report questioning crop protection tools
From Modern Ag Alliance
Today, the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission released a report questioning American farmers' use of crop protection tools despite the clear science behind their safety and benefits. The report raises the possibility that the federal government could take a position to restrict farmers' access to these essential inputs, undermine existing science-based frameworks, and ultimately jeopardize the affordability and security of America's food supply.
Full story.
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MAHA talking points
- The new report from the "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) Commission questions many of the crop protection tools that farmers rely on to support America's food supply, suggesting links between pesticides and chronic disease that ignore decades of real-world data and global regulatory consensus.
- The MAHA Commission’s claims about pesticides echoes those pushed by anti-agriculture and activist groups, including ones based on discredited science from the W.H.O.
- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducts one of the most stringent safety reviews in the world. Every pesticide on the market has passed this high bar.
- In the case of glyphosate—one of the most thoroughly studied products of its kind—more than 1,500 studies and 50+ years of review by the EPA and other leading global health authorities have affirmed its safety when used as directed.
- The science is clear: EPA-approved crop protection tools are safe when used as directed—and they are essential for productive, modern agriculture.
- Without such tools, our farmers will face lower yields, a surge in input costs, and setbacks to conservation practices like no-till and cover cropping.
- Farmers here in [state] rely heavily on glyphosate and other crop protection tools to manage weeds and pests that would otherwise devastate their crops. About 40% of crops are lost annually to pests, weeds, and diseases. Without crop protection tools, those losses could jump to as high as 85%.
- We need agricultural policy that follows science—not fear, speculation, or fringe narratives by social media activists.
- We urge the administration and policymakers to stand with farmers and support science-based policies that protect our food supply and rural communities.
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MAHA Q&A
Doesn’t this report raise valid health concerns?
- All pesticides on the market undergo the EPA's rigorous evaluation process to ensure they meet the most stringent health and safety standards. Of course, consumer safety should be taken extremely seriously, but many of these claims linking pesticides to chronic disease are simply misguided and based on discredited science.
How does your organization justify defending glyphosate when there are studies that question its safety?
- Thousands of peer-reviewed studies and decades of evaluations from the Environmental Protection Agency, the European Food Safety Authority, and other regulatory bodies affirm glyphosate’s safety. The few studies that claim otherwise have been debunked.
What are the implications for farmers if they lose access to pesticides?
- A loss of pesticides would threaten the viability of many of America's farms. Without these tools, farmers would lose most of their crop to pests and diseases, and their input costs could skyrocket as they turned to alternative, more expensive methods of growing crops. These costs get passed down to consumers next, with grocery bills rising even higher.
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ARA moves quickly to push back on new MAHA report
From ARA Member Alert
Today, ARA and many other national agricultural groups quickly responded to the release of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission report.
ARA’s statement referenced the extensive regulatory system in place at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which has been a global gold standard. The report singled out two products – glyphosate and atrazine – and hinted that additional regulatory scrutiny was needed on them. The report did acknowledge that the real scientific expert – EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs – had evaluated the products and found no concerns that have not been previously addressed.
Full story.
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ASTA stands by science to support farmers’ use of crop protection
From ASTA
The American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) issued the following statement after the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission released its Initial Assessment.
“Representing less than 2 percent of the U.S. population, American farmers have continuously risen to the challenge of growing food, feed, fiber and fuel for American families and the world, all while following rigorous regulations and standards. The U.S. agricultural community does not deserve the aspersions of the MAHA Commission Report, calling into question, with limited scientific evidence, the history of safe crop protection use in fields, and history of safe use in our food supply.”
Full story.
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Big, beautiful bill: What’s in it for agriculture?
From The SCOOP
House Republicans are holding hearings this week about President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill.” The bill could benefit agriculture, including positive tax provisions for farmers, an extension for 45Z and an increase in farm bill reference prices. However, potential changes to SNAP and putting more of the burden on states are also raising concerns.
Full story.
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Secretary Rollins announces farmers first: Small family farms policy agenda
From USDA
After nearly 100 days of traveling the nation and visiting directly with hundreds of farmers across America, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins today released the first set of policy proposals under her newly launched Make Agriculture Great Again Initiative. These initial proposals (PDF, 7.2 MB) are a comprehensive set of policy solutions aimed at improving the viability and longevity of smaller-scale family farms for generations to come. About 86 percent of all farms in the United States are small family farms. To ensure small family farmers can start and stay in business, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has outlined a toolkit of actions, including the streamlining of application processes, improving reliable access to credit, farmland, and markets, and appropriate business planning tools.
Full story.
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Effort to create state budget continues at Minnesota Capitol mostly out of public view
Minnesota lawmakers continued meeting mostly behind closed doors Wednesday to come to an agreement on the biggest budget bills to fund state government, including education and health and human services.
Lawmakers have a self-imposed deadline of 5 p.m. Wednesday to finish their work, which they will likely blow through. They are trying to come to an agreement on over a dozen budget and policy bills after the narrowly divided Legislature adjourned Monday.
Full story.
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Gov. Walz signs ag omnibus bill into law
From MDA
Governor Walz signed Chapter 34, House File 2446, the Agriculture and Broadband Development Policy and Finance Bill, into law. The bill funds the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Minnesota Board of Animal Health, and the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute.
Full story.
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The State of the States in agribusiness, part deux
From CropLife
Although much of the attention when it comes to legislation focuses on the federal level, individual states see their fair share of proposed bills as well — both good and bad. To keep pace with this, the Mid America CropLife Association has regularly held Lunch and Learn sessions for its members, updating them on the legislative activity taking place at the state level.
Full story.
Related story here.
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Hong Kong interested in American-made SAF
From Brownfield
Interest in sustainable aviation fuel is soaring in Asia.
Minnesota Soybean Growers executive director Joe Smentek recently traveled to Hong Kong as part of a USDA trade mission and says there were discussions about the carbon scores of SAF feedstocks.
“Hong Kong is really interested in sustainable aviation fuel, so it’s really important to be here to kind of try to downplay some of the myths that get involved and brought up when you’re dealing with U.S. feedstocks.”
Full story.
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CNH’s new strategic business plan set to enhance product leadership and expand margins
From CropLife
Chief Executive Officer Gerrit Marx introduced the SBP’s core pillars:
- Breaking New Ground on Iron + Tech
- Further expanding mid-cycle adjusted EBIT margins
- Forward strategy for Construction
- Returning substantially all Industrial Free Cash Flow (FCF) to shareholders through the cycle
Full story.
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Why U.S. agriculture needs more AI investment to stay ahead in global crop innovation race
From Farm Journal
Artificial Intelligence is a key tool in accelerating the discovery, development and manufacturing of new crop protection molecules to fight yield-robbing weeds, pests, and diseases in U.S. farm fields.
The technology helps researchers shorten the discovery window and find new and novel active-ingredient molecules that are much more difficult and expensive to uncover using traditional research methods.
Full story.
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Sharpening in-season nitrogen strategies for 2025
From CropLife
Variable weather conditions and nitrogen loss remain top of mind for many farmers across the Midwest. Understanding nitrogen management techniques is vital for maximizing efficiency and optimizing yields.
Full story.
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U of MN Extension - Minnesota Crop News
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