Login Join

Newsroom

18 Dec

Posted at 15:55h in Advocacy, Industry News, Regulatory
0 Likes

Kansas Grain and Feed Association joins with the Union Pacific Railroad urging the Eagle Pass and El Paso border crossings be reopened immediately. These locations represent 45 percent of cross-border Union Pacific business and include goods critical to the U.S. economy. Among other freight, agricultural products used to help feed the world (grain held in six Midwest states) are one of the goods currently halted. Union Pacific reports there isn’t enough capacity at its other four gateways to reroute cargo. With Christmas and the New Year’s holidays just days away, KGFA...

15 Dec

Posted at 07:28h in Industry News
0 Likes

Kansas Grain and Feed Association President and CEO Ron Seeber was elected chairman of the Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City at the group’s annual meeting held December 14, 2023.   Kristie Larson, Strategic Relationship Manager, The DeBruce Foundation, was elected vice chairman. Seeber assumed his current position in 2017 after working for the groups since July 2008. An expert in state and federal legislative affairs, Seeber also worked for Senator Bob Dole in policy and political capacities.  He has spent his entire career in the regulatory arena.  Kristie Larson is the Strategic...

07 Dec

Posted at 13:08h in Industry News, Regulatory
0 Likes

The Kansas Dept. of Revenue (PVD) has released its 2024 Grain Elevator Guide and valuation template. In 2023, PVD issued requests for proposals for a review, update and/or rewrite of the grain elevator guide for 2024. Below is information Kansas Grain and Feed Association received from PVD on Dec. 7, 2023. "After an unexpected delay in the RFP process, an appraisal vendor was secured and contracted to provide the update. A copy of the updated grain elevator guide was received from the vendor last week. PVD has decided to postpone the implementation of the vendor-revised guide until the 2025...

19 Oct

Posted at 06:46h in Advocacy, Industry News, Regulatory
0 Likes

Kansas Grain and Feed Association co-signed a letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) focusing on the importance of agricultural herbicide uses, while highlighting the concerns of the agency's proposed Endangered Species Act (ESA) Herbicide Strategy. On July 26, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its draft Herbicide Strategy aimed at protecting federally endangered and threatened (listed) species from conventional agricultural herbicides for public comment. The letter also commented on the strategy's lack of compliance options for producers/applicators; the financial cost of proposed conservation practices; the anticipated harm the proposal will inflict on producers, agricultural...

11 Oct

Posted at 14:59h in Industry News
0 Likes

On Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) sent a letter to the Kansas Dept. of Agriculture (KDA) requesting, in lieu of KDA's Division of Water Resources issuing administration orders at this time for 2024, the state formulate a working group to develop a solution involving the federal government, groundwater management districts and other stakeholders to develop options to begin implementation in January 2025.  Kansas United States Senator Jerry Moran and Governor Laura Kelly have been in frequent communication with USFWS on the negative impacts executing...

01 Sep

Posted at 07:28h in Industry News, Regulatory
0 Likes

On August 29, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of the Army (the agencies) announced a final rule amending the 2023 definition of “waters of the United States” to conform with the recent Supreme Court decision in Sackett v. EPA. The agencies claim this action provides clarity, while moving forward with infrastructure projects, economic opportunities, and agricultural activities. “While I am disappointed by the Supreme Court’s decision in the Sackett case, EPA and Army have an obligation to apply this decision alongside our state co-regulators, Tribes, and partners," said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “We’ve...

07 Aug

Posted at 07:57h in Industry News
0 Likes

The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) is hosting Local Consult events across Kansas throughout the month of October. KDOT has announced the opportunity to discuss issues/needs related to freight and rail. Local Consult is KDOT’s public engagement process for the IKE program. It takes place every two years to get Kansans’ input on a list of transportation projects for each region. It’s also an opportunity to strengthen local partnerships, to better understand which KDOT programs matter most to communities, and to get feedback on how the agency can improve program and project delivery. Dedicated conversation will enable stakeholders the opportunity...

04 Aug

Posted at 06:48h in Industry News
0 Likes

Stephan M. Hoesli, 70, Delphos, died Tuesday, July 25, 2023, at his home. Hoesli was an active member of the Kansas Grain and Feed Association for many years supporting the Kansas Agri Business Expo and scholarship program. Memorial services will be at 1:00 P.M., Saturday, August 5 at the Delphos Auditorium with burial following in the Delphos Cemetery. If you have a vintage car to drive in the procession, please do so. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Ottawa County Fair and may be left in care of Wilson Family...

01 Aug

Posted at 07:10h in Advocacy
0 Likes

In the 2023 legislative session, Kansas Grain and Feed Association lobbied in support of passage of HB 2292 last year which Governor Kelly signed into law. The bill creates a tax credit for certain employers who create apprenticeship programs. The bill also creates new grant programs that support apprenticeships. This week, the National Governors Association selected Kansas to join its best practices/policy academy to advance youth apprenticeship programs. The program is provided through the Kansas Office of Registered Apprenticeship. According to Gov. Laura Kelly, the academy will enable Kansas to develop a strategy to expand apprenticeship opportunities to youths 16...

29 Jun

Posted at 07:13h in Advocacy, Industry News, Regulatory
0 Likes

The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) has proposed an agency regulation K.A.R. 36-43-1 that would mandate crew size for railroad operations in the state. A crew size mandate lacks a safety justification, undermines decades of meaningful collective bargaining, and jeopardizes the state’s ability to compete in a rapidly changing transportation space.  Kansas is the only state working to mandate crew size through state agency regulation. For these reasons, KGFA stands opposed. The Joint Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules and Regulations has scheduled a hearing on the proposed regulation at 10:00 a.m., on Monday, July 10, 2023 in Room 582-N...

X
X