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2015 Agricultural Outlook Forum speakers announced by USDA

Arlington, Virginia to hold event

By Diego Flammini, Farms.com

The United States Department of Agriculture released the list of speakers for their upcoming agricultural meetings scheduled for early next year.

Darci Vetter, Chief Agricultural Negotiator and Ambassador of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representatives will be joined by USDA’s Chief Economist Joseph Glauber, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, President of the Council on Foreign Affairs Richard Haass, and over 100 experts to discuss topics ranging from commodity situations and outlooks to bee/pollinator issues facing agriculture.

The two day event, whose theme is “Smart Agriculture in the 21st Century: A Discussion on Innovation, Biotechnology, and Big Data” is set for the weekend of February 19 and 20 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel.

The sessions will feature a roundtable discussion on food, foreign policy and international order, and a symposium dubbed “Tomorrow’s Opportunities,” which will analyze the benefits of agriculture as a career path for new and inexperienced ranchers and farmers.

Since being held for the first time in 1923, the 91st Agricultural Outlook Forum will provide a one-stop-shop of farmers and ranchers, government officials, and industry experts in the same place to discuss and debate the pressing issues within the agricultural community.


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The 12-day war between Iran-Israel came to an end sending crude oil futures plunging as the big fund speculators removed the war risk premium.

The weather risk premium in the Ag complex is sending corn, wheat and soybean futures lower on month-end selling ahead of the market moving USDA quarterly grain stocks and acreage reports on June 30th.

Instead, funds were chasing and sending tech stocks higher with the S&P 500/NASDAQ indexes setting new all-time record highs!

June 1 USDA Hogs and pigs report was slightly bearish while the U.S. $ Index traded to new contract lows as the de-dollarization that began in 2014 continues.

Feed in the form of soybean meal futures for livestock producers got cheaper, trading to new contract lows.

The Stats Canada seeded acreage update was bullish canola and wheat.