Category: Agriculture

MIL-OSI China: Drones elevate spring plowing in SW China

Source: China State Council Information Office 2

As spring farming kicks off across southwestern China, drones are making their mark, buzzing through the skies above farms in uneven highland areas.
Yan Bian, a rice grower in Menghai County, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, used to struggle with labor shortages during the spring plowing season.
“It was a real headache in the past, just managing one mu (about 0.067 hectares) of land required five people,” said Yan, whose cooperative cultivates more than 5,000 mu of rice seedlings this year and plans to plant on an area of around 10,000 mu.
This year, Yan introduced rice transplanters and drones — which not only lowered costs but also solved the labor shortage challenge. The efficiency and convenience delivered by technology have put a big smile on his face. “We used drones for the first time in fertilization and transportation. The efficiency is incredible, even 50 workers working at the same time couldn’t match its speed.”
In Mengzhe Township, also in Yunnan Province, the sight of drones buzzing over the fields has drawn considerable attention. Operated by skilled technicians, these drones take off steadily and then follow pre-set routes as they glide over the rice paddies. Within minutes, they efficiently disperse pre-loaded fertilizer, completing the task with remarkable precision and speed.
“A single drone flight can carry and spread 70 kg of fertilizer in less than a minute. In the course of a full day, a drone can distribute approximately 10 tonnes of fertilizer, covering 300 to 400 mu of farmland,” revealed Yan Yihuan, a technician.
“The amount of work a drone can accomplish in one day is equivalent to that of more than 50 workers,” he added.
In Yongde County, another county located in Yunnan, drones carrying irrigation pipes steadily ascend and navigate challenging terrain along pre-planned routes. They swiftly and precisely deliver these pipes to designated locations, where workers then proceed with installation and welding to construct pipelines.
“Compared to traditional methods, the drone delivery approach offers superior efficiency and stability, showcasing its significant advantages,” said Yang Jianhong, director of the county’s agriculture and rural affairs bureau.
Yongde County has over 930,000 mu of farmland — much of it scattered across mountainous terrain. Every spring, transporting water from the foot of the mountains to the fields posed a major challenge for local farmers. Traditionally, irrigation pipelines had to be laid entirely manually or trenches dug to channel water, tasks that are both labor-intensive and costly.
The innovative use of drone-lifting technology has played a crucial role in laying irrigation pipelines and improving agricultural infrastructure in Yongde. “This approach has significantly shortened construction timelines while enhancing safety,” said Yang.
Spring farming is now undergoing a shift toward greater use of technological and intelligent options. Agricultural drones, for instance, are already widely used in many remote mountainous areas, efficiently handling tasks such as fertilization, weeding and field inspection.
Across the mountainous regions of southwest China, drones are injecting new vitality into spring farming and agricultural production. Experts believe that, with their unique advantages, drones are helping agriculture “soar” to new heights.

MIL OSI China News –

March 6, 2025
MIL-OSI China: What to know about whole-process people’s democracy in China

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

BEIJING, March 5 — Democracy is a universal value, yet it takes different forms across civilizations. While Western democracies often equate democracy with elections, China has developed a distinct model — whole-process people’s democracy — tailored to its national conditions and historical traditions.

WHERE IS IT FROM

First introduced in 2019, the concept of whole-process people’s democracy is deeply rooted in China’s rich political philosophy, where governance is centered on the people as the foundation of the state.

Whole-process people’s democracy is a creation of the Communist Party of China in leading the people to pursue, develop and realize democracy, embodying the Party’s innovation in advancing China’s democratic theories, systems and practices.

It is a logical outcome of history, theory and practice based on the strenuous efforts of the people under the leadership of the Party.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN

As the name suggests, whole-process people’s democracy ensures public participation throughout the entire process of governance, covering all aspects of the democratic process and all sectors of society.

Unlike election-centric Western democratic models, China’s system weaves together law-based democratic elections, consultations, decision-making, management, and oversight within a structured institutional framework. This approach fosters broad and continuous participation, ensuring that governance decisions reflect the collective will and evolving needs of society.

Through these procedures, citizens actively engage in discussions on public affairs, working toward the greatest common ground based on the aspirations and interests of the entire population. Their rights are safeguarded, their voices are heard, and their well-being is prioritized in the decision-making process.

At its core, this model guarantees that the people are the true masters of the country, with public affairs governed through consensus-driven discussions and extensive consultation.

HOW DOES IT WORK

Whole-process people’s democracy is not just a set of institutions and procedures, it is an active, participatory system where civic engagement plays a crucial role.

A key example is “two sessions,” the annual meetings of China’s top legislature, the National People’s Congress (NPC), and the top political advisory body, the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

Nearly 3,000 NPC deputies and more than 2,100 CPPCC National Committee members convene in Beijing to deliberate on and discuss major policies and governance matters, representing a broad cross-section of society.

The NPC deputies come from all walks of life, including many front-line workers and farmers who ensure grassroots representation. Notably, even the smallest ethnic minority group has at least one representative. Meanwhile, CPPCC National Committee members include officials and prominent figures such as scientists, educators and entrepreneurs.

During the “two sessions,” these representatives engage in crucial public issues, from income distribution and healthcare to education, housing, elderly care, and childcare.

National lawmakers deliberate bills and reports and participate in all NPC elections. They also have the power to move for the recall of certain state officials according to the law, propose organizing committees of inquiry into specific issues, and criticize or offer suggestions and comments on all work.

Meanwhile, political advisors offer their policy proposals, thus actively contributing to national governance.

WHY DOES IT MATTER

By ensuring broad and continuous participation, China’s whole-process people’s democracy represents a governance model that is both effective and deeply rooted in the will of the people.

The whole-process people’s democracy has proven effective in addressing societal challenges and improving governance. Many significant policies — such as enhanced protection of labor rights for food delivery and ride-hailing workers, as well as measures to support small and medium-sized enterprises — have emerged from legislative proposals and public consultations.

At its heart, China’s democratic model embraces the belief that democracy is not a decorative symbol but a practical tool for solving real problems and improving people’s lives.

MIL OSI China News –

March 6, 2025
MIL-OSI China: What to know about NPC in China’s democracy

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

BEIJING, March 5 — Close to 3,000 deputies — ranging from farmers to state leaders — are in Beijing for the third session of the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC), the country’s national legislature, which opened Wednesday.

Established in 1954, the NPC is the supreme organ of state power, sitting at the pinnacle of China’s people’s congress system.

According to the Constitution, all administrative, supervisory, adjudicatory and procuratorial organs of the state shall be created by the people’s congresses and shall be responsible to them and subject to their oversight.

The annual session of the national legislature, a key event in China’s political calendar, provides a window into the country’s whole-process people’s democracy in practice.

DISTRIBUTION OF NPC DEPUTIES

The number of NPC deputies is capped at 3,000, and their distribution is decided by the NPC Standing Committee, the permanent institution of the NPC.

National legislators hail from various backgrounds and form a representative cross-section of society.

The deputies to the 14th NPC were elected from 35 electoral units across the country between December 2022 and January 2023 for a five-year term.

They are broadly representative, including workers, farmers, technical personnel, as well as Party and government officials, among others. Female deputies make up more than a quarter of the total. All of China’s 55 ethnic minority groups are represented in the NPC.

There are also deputies elected from the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, deputies representing Taiwan Province, and deputies representing overseas Chinese who have returned to the motherland.

ELECTION OF NPC DEPUTIES

According to the electoral law, deputies to county- and township-level people’s congresses are directly elected by voters, while deputies to people’s congresses above the county level are elected by deputies at the next lower level.

NPC deputies are elected by people’s congresses of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government. The armed forces elect their own deputies.

The number of NPC deputies elected by the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the methods for their elections shall be prescribed separately by the NPC, according to the electoral law.

National legislators are elected by secret ballot, and candidates should outnumber deputy vacancies by 20 percent to 50 percent.

DUTIES OF NPC DEPUTIES

The NPC and its Standing Committee exercise the legislative power of the state, the power to decide on major issues, the power to appoint and remove top-level officials, and the power of oversight.

Deputies at various levels are key channels for people’s voices. They are entitled and obliged to stand for the people’s interests and express their requests.

NPC deputies are actively engaged in state affairs. During the annual session, the NPC deputies review and vote on bills and documents of national importance like the report on the work of the government. As an important way for them to exercise their rights and perform their duties in accordance with the law, national legislators submit proposals and suggestions on a wide range of issues.

When not in session, they engage with the people, participate in inspections of law enforcement, and conduct research on important or urgent issues. Some of them are invited to attend regular sessions of the NPC Standing Committee in a non-voting capacity.

MIL OSI China News –

March 6, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Grassley, Iowa Congressional Delegation Call on USDA to Assist Turkey Farmers Impacted by aMPV

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) joined the entire Iowa congressional delegation to urge Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins and Farm Service Agency Acting Administrator Kimberly Graham to deliver critical financial relief for Iowa’s turkey producers who have been severely impacted by avian metapneumovirus (aMPV).

Specifically, the delegation requested USDA allow aMPV to qualify as an eligible adverse event under the Livestock Indemnity Program, which provides financial compensation to farmers who have experienced high levels of livestock death due to adverse events such as a natural disaster or disease.

“Iowa’s sharp decline in turkey production is reflective of the national turkey industry at large. Despite devastating financial shortfalls and supply chain disruptions caused by aMPV, there are currently no federal assistance programs available to offset these devastating losses, leaving many family-owned operations at risk of closure. Without immediate support, the viability of these farms—and the stability of the U.S. turkey industry—is in jeopardy,” the members wrote.

“To mitigate these losses and prevent future outbreaks, we urge the USDA Farm Service Agency (USDA-FSA) to consider determining aMPV as an eligible adverse event under the Livestock Indemnity Program so that our farmers can access much-needed financial relief to affected producers,” the lawmakers concluded.

Since its identification in the fall of 2023, aMPV has spread to all turkey producing states, having a major impact on turkey farmers, processors, small businesses and the consumer supply chain. aMPV has caused some Iowa turkey farmers to lose 30 to 50 percent of their flocks since the fall of 2023, threatening producer stability and the broader national turkey supply.

In 2024, Iowa farmers lost an estimated 569,700 turkeys due to aMPV– a loss of $18 million in farm income.

Last month, Grassley and Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) also urged Rollins to quickly address the ongoing spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), the largest animal health outbreak in U.S. history.

Text of the letter to Rollins and Graham follows:

March 4, 2025

The Honorable Brooke Rollins
Secretary of Agriculture
U.S. Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20250

The Honorable Kimberly Graham
Acting Administrator of FSA
Farm Service Agency
1400 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20250

Secretary Rollins and Acting Administrator Graham,

We write today with deep concerns regarding the avian metapneumovirus (aMPV), an acute respiratory virus of turkeys and poultry breeding stock, and the devastating impact it has had on Iowa’s turkey farmers. Given the severe implications threatening the viability of turkey operations, we ask that the U.S. Department of Agriculture consider providing immediate financial assistance to the nation’s turkey producers by allowing aMPV to qualify as an eligible adverse event under the Livestock Indemnity Program.

The aMPV virus, or Turkey Rhinotracheitis, is a highly contagious, viral respiratory disease that can infect turkeys, broilers, layers, and breeders for up to four weeks, leading to high flock mortality, reproductive disorders, and potentially a permanent reduction in egg production.

Since its identification in the fall of 2023, the disease has spread to all turkey producing states, having a major impact on turkey farmers, processors, small businesses, and the consumer supply chain. Iowa turkey farmers have reported flock losses ranging from 30 percent to 50 percent due to aMPV, threatening both their livelihoods and the broader U.S. turkey supply. Last year alone, Iowa’s farmers lost an estimated 569,700 turkeys due to aMPV. This attributed to a loss of $18 million in farm income.

Iowa’s sharp decline in turkey production is reflective of the national turkey industry at large. Despite devastating financial shortfalls and supply chain disruptions caused by aMPV, there are currently no federal assistance programs available to offset these devastating losses, leaving many family-owned operations at risk of closure. Without immediate support, the viability of these farms—and the stability of the U.S. turkey industry—is in jeopardy.

We appreciate the USDA’s efforts in authorizing the importation of one inactivated vaccine and three live vaccines for aMPV. As this process develops, it is critical that the USDA act swiftly to approve its use and expedite its distributions across the nation. In the interim, turkey farmers continue to suffer substantial losses without any meaningful financial safety net.

To mitigate these losses and prevent future outbreaks, we urge the USDA Farm Service Agency (USDA-FSA) to consider determining aMPV as an eligible adverse event under the Livestock Indemnity Program so that our farmers can access much-needed financial relief to affected producers.

We appreciate your consideration and look forward to working together to support American

turkey farmers during this crisis. Should you have any questions about this request, please

contact Congressman Zach Nunn’s Legislative Assistant, Madeline Willis, at

madeline.willis@mail.house.gov.

Sincerely,

Zach Nunn

Member of Congress

Randy Feenstra

Member of Congress

Ashley Hinson

Member of Congress

Mariannette miller-Meeks, M.D.

Member of Congress

Charles Grassley

United States Senator

Joni K. Ernst

United States Senator

-30-

MIL OSI USA News –

March 6, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: 61-2025: Scheduled Outage: Thursday 06 March 2025 – External Broker Website

Source: Australia Government Statements – Agriculture

06 March 2025

Who does this notice affect?

Approved arrangements operators, customs brokers, importers, manned depots, and freight forwarders who use the External Broker Website.

Information

Service Disruption start time:

As of Monday 24 February 2025 (AEDT).

The External Broker Website is currently experiencing an unplanned service disruption, resulting in some users experiencing intermittent issues when attempting to use the system…

MIL OSI News –

March 6, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville Speaks with NIH Nominee, Calls for Radical Transparency at the NIH

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)

WASHINGTON – Today,U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) spoke with Dr. Jayanta Bhattacharya, President Trump’s nominee to lead the National Institutes of Health (NIH) during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee. During his remarks, Bhattacharya explained his plan to root out waste within the NIH and how he will earn back the trust of the American people by ensuring transparency.

Read Sen. Tuberville’s remarks below or on YouTube or Rumble.

TUBERVILLE: “Thank you doctor for being here. It’s always good to run into somebody that’s name’s harder to say than mine and mispronounced more.

You’ve got a hard job in front of you, but I share the ideas and desire that the President has to root out waste and the fraud that we have in this country. Because if we don’t, we’re not gonna have a country left. It’s gonna be gone. And he’s doing the right thing. You’re gonna have a tough job. You’re gonna have to put your team together and do the same thing. We have got to make sure we use American taxpayers’ money the right way.

So, kind of give me your plan of how you’re gonna do this—when you come into office and are confirmed how you’re gonna put your team together?”

BHATTACHARYA: “Thanks Senator, I should say this: I have a background as an economist as well as being a doctor. And to me, that background, what it leads me to do is understand that every dollar wasted on a frivolous study is a dollar not spent—every dollar wasted on administrative costs that are not needed—is a dollar not spent on research. The team I’m gonna put together is gonna be hyper-focused to make sure that the portfolio grants that the NIH funds is devoted to the chronic disease problems of this country. It’s gonna be devoted to making sure we have not just incremental progress, but research projects that have the capacity to make huge advances in treatment for cancer, for diabetes, for obesity. That’s how I’m going to decide what the team is.

And the NIH […], I’m blessed in some ways because it already has so many excellent scientists there to advise me on the on the areas I don’t know about. And I wanna tap [into] that resource. I wanna make sure I talk to every single person who who’s already a leader at the NIH to understand where those opportunities are.”

TUBERVILLE: “Yeah. Well, thank you.

You know, for the past four years, I’ve been on this Committee, and we’ve obviously gone through COVID [which was] devastating to not just our country, but the world.

Transparency and trust is gonna have to be earned again from a lot of people. Most people across this country don’t know what the hell NIH stands for. Okay? But now they do because of COVID. You said that science has to be reliable, exactly. But people also have to trust, you know, we’re finding out now we have biolabs in Ukraine—where a war is going on, and we’re funding them.

I mean, and so you’ve got to be on top of that, and the American people have to trust you that you will say, ‘Listen, we’re gonna keep an eye on, you know, the biolabs in North Carolina,’ or wherever we have them. Because it scares me to death of what’s going on.

What’s your plan there of getting trust back in this country?”

BHATTACHARYA: “Senator first of all […], I want to work with Congress to make sure that there’s appropriate regulation of any risky research. The NIH […] I don’t think should be doing any research that has the potential to cause a pandemic. And I want to work with Congress to make sure that happens.

As far as trust, I think the key thing is we have to be utterly open, if I’m confirmed, I’ll be at the head of an organization that’s a scientific organization. As a citizen, I would often look for FOIA responses from the NIH Freedom Information Act request, and they’d be fully redacted during the pandemic.

You can’t have trust unless you are transparent. And if I’m confirmed as an NIH Director, I fully commit to making sure that the American people can see all of the activities of the NIH openly, with limited sort of obfuscation. [The NIH has been characterized this way], I think unfortunately, [because of the] way that they’ve interacted with American people.”

TUBERVILLE: “And I think that starts with being very visual on television, telling people, you know, the truth. Don’t hide anything because we’ve been hiding things for years and that that doesn’t work. We found that out.

You know, Chairman Cassidy and I led a letter to the NIH under the last administration asking questions about a grant that the NIH funded focused on children transitioning genders. The study followed all these children—two of them committed suicide. Devastating.

So, how can we ensure the NIH doesn’t grant funds to things like this?”

BHATTACHARYA: “Well, first of all, I think it’s if you have a negative result and it’s politically inconvenient to you, usually, you have an obligation to scientists to report it. Right?

So, the NIH funds a study that shows that the gender transition doesn’t reduce suicide rate among, you know, adolescents. That researcher has an obligation to report it even though she may think it’s politically inconvenient. So, I wanna make sure that NIH research is required to report even negative results. And there’s ways to do that we can talk about.

But I think as far as, like, the prioritization of studies, as I was telling Senator Paul, I think we wanna make sure that the studies are focused on the diseases that really are hurting Americans—obesity—a lot of the research that, you know, it’s so easy to come up with, examples of this. One of a shrimp on a treadmill for instance, that was once funded. It’s not that I’m necessarily against research like that, but the American taxpayer should be focused on the needs of American taxpayers. And the research should be focused on those needs, the health needs of Americans. And I want to make sure that the NIH, if confirmed, focuses on exactly that.”

TUBERVILLE: “Thank you. Good luck.”

BHATTACHARYA: “Thank you so much.”

Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP, and Aging Committees.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 6, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Shanxi’s millennium-old porcelain gets modern makeover

Source: China State Council Information Office 3

A millennium-old porcelain craft in north China’s Shanxi Province has been pulled back from the brink of extinction and is now poised for a modern renaissance.

The techniques for making Honglyucai (Red and Green Color) Porcelain of the Bayi kiln, one of China’s earliest producers of the distinctive porcelain, was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2021. The kiln is located in Bayi township, Shangdang district, Changzhi city of Shanxi.

Archaeological excavations reveal that during the Song Dynasty (960–1279) over 1,000 years ago, the kiln was the largest porcelain production hub in southeastern Shanxi. Porcelain from the kiln became the gold standard of Honglyucai porcelain in China.

Today, visitors to Honglyucai village, 2 kilometers from the Bayi kiln, can explore a Honglyucai porcelain museum housing over 600 ancient porcelain treasures from the kiln and over 10,000 modern pieces of Honglyucai porcelain.

Honglyucai porcelain features a signature white base and is adorned with vibrant red, green, and yellow designs depicting auspicious flowers, birds, and figures, according to Li Yamin, a municipal-level representative inheritor of the techniques for making Honglyucai porcelain of the Bayi kiln.

Li Yamin said more than 100 ancient kiln sites were unearthed in Shangdang district, which is nestled in the Taihang Mountains and characterized by rolling ridges and deep ravines, confirming that Bayi township was a thriving commercial hub as early as the Song Dynasty. The region boasts abundant high-quality kaolin, coal, and water resources essential for porcelain production.

“Red is one of the most iconic colors in Chinese culture, yet achieving a vibrant red glaze on porcelain was a significant challenge. It wasn’t until the Song Dynasty when the Bayi kiln pioneered the use of iron-red pigment that Honglyucai porcelain products were successfully produced,” Li Yamin noted.

But the road to revival wasn’t exactly a cakewalk. The Honglyucai porcelain industry was in decline over the past decades due to high production costs and complex craftsmanship.

Li Yamin’s father Li Jianping grew up hearing stories about Honglyucai porcelain. His grandfather was a kiln worker at the Bayi kiln, and from a young age, Li Jianping learned pottery and painting techniques. After high school, he worked as a farmer and miner, but always dreamed of reviving Bayi kiln porcelain.

In 2012, as part of an industrial transformation initiative, the local government launched a cultural heritage project for the Bayi kiln. Seeing an opportunity, Li Jianping decided to reignite the kiln fires and restore Honglyucai porcelain production.

To make a Honglyucai porcelain item, 72 procedures must be followed, including a twice-firing technique.

The procedures are so complicated that the techniques were lost for decades. Many people told Li Jianping not to waste his time, but he couldn’t bear to see this ancient craft disappear.

Li Jianping collaborated with Honglyucai village to establish a company and construct a cultural expo center, the Honglyucai porcelain museum, and a production base of Honglyucai porcelain. Meanwhile, he visited local elderly artisans and technical experts to rebuild lost knowledge.

After years of trial and error, the techniques for making Honglyucai porcelain were recovered by Li Jianping, who became a provincial-level representative inheritor of the craft.

The father-son duo have adopted a strategy of integrating tradition with innovation to promote the development of Honglyucai porcelain. In recent years, they’ve inked partnerships with prestigious institutions like the Central Academy of Fine Arts and the Academy of Arts & Design under Tsinghua University to tackle everything from material research and color matching to painting skills and product design.

After years of dedicated efforts, the issues of rough bodies and dull colors of Honglyucai porcelain items were overcome. As a result, these items have gained greater popularity in the market.

“Thanks to our independently developed new materials that withstand temperatures above 1,300 degrees Celsius without warping, our everyday-use porcelain items are thinner, lighter and more lustrous than traditional ones and are easy to clean,” said Li Yamin.

In recent years, local rural tourism has thrived thanks to measures including the establishment of organizations aiming at passing on the intangible cultural heritage. The Honglyucai porcelain museum receives over 10,000 tourist visits annually.

So far, the company has developed over 300 kinds of Honglyucai porcelain products, which have caught the eye of porcelain enthusiasts both at home and abroad, Li Yamin said.

MIL OSI China News –

March 6, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Ernst Urges USDA to Deliver Relief to Iowa Turkey Farmers

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) joined the entire Iowa delegation to urge U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and the Acting Administrator of the Farm Service Agency Kimberly Graham to deliver critical financial relief for Iowa turkey farmers.
In their letter, the lawmakers outlined the dire animal health crisis due to avian metapneumovirus (aMPV) that has caused flock losses from 30-50% since the fall of 2023, threatening producer stability and the broader national turkey supply.
“Iowa’s sharp decline in turkey production is reflective of the national turkey industry at large. Despite devastating financial shortfalls and supply chain disruptions caused by aMPV, there are currently no federal assistance programs available to offset these devastating losses, leaving many family-owned operations at risk of closure. Without immediate support, the viability of these farms—and the stability of the U.S. turkey industry—is in jeopardy,” wrote the lawmakers.
“To mitigate these losses and prevent future outbreaks, we urge the USDA Farm Service Agency (USDA-FSA) to consider determining aMPV as an eligible adverse event under the Livestock Indemnity Program so that our farmers can access much-needed financial relief to affected producers,” the lawmakers concluded.
In 2024, an estimate of 569,700 turkeys in Iowa have been lost due to aMPV, and the ongoing spread of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) – a completely separate but deadly virus – has only been compounding the financial, physical, and mental strains on turkey producers.
Read the full letter here.
Background:
Ernst has long been a champion of foreign animal disease prevention and preparedness efforts including the bipartisan Animal Disease and Disaster Prevention, Surveillance, and Rapid Response Act and her Beagle Brigade Act, which was recently signed into law.
Following the increase in HPAI outbreaks in both Iowa poultry flocks and dairy herds, Ernst hasworked to hold federal agencies accountable to provide public and state agencies with coordinated, up-to-date, and accurate information on the spread of the virus.
Last month, Ernst provided USDA with a blueprint for developing an effective plan to combat HPAI and protect Iowa poultry farmers. During a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing, Ernst directly raised the need for a vaccination strategy that takes trade into account and praised Secretary Rollins for hercomprehensive HPAI strategy.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 6, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: ADM Recalls Select Pelleted Cattle Nutrition Feed Products

Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

Summary

Company Announcement Date:
March 05, 2025
FDA Publish Date:
March 05, 2025
Product Type:
Animal & VeterinaryFood & BeveragesLivestock Feed
Reason for Announcement:

Recall Reason Description
Elevated levels or deficient levels of nutrients which may be harmful to cattle

Company Name:
ADM Animal Nutrition
Brand Name:

Brand Name(s)
ADM Animal Nutrition

Product Description:

Product Description
Cattle Feed

Company Announcement
Specific lots may contain elevated or deficient levels of nutrients which may be harmful to cattle
CHICAGO, March 5, 2025 – ADM Animal Nutrition, a division of ADM (NYSE: ADM), is recalling specific pelleted animal feed products because they may contain elevated levels of copper or have levels of zinc below the represented amounts which could be harmful to cattle.
Possible impacts of chronic copper toxicity include: gastroenteritis characterized by anorexia, signs of abdominal pain, depression, lethargy, diarrhea, and dehydration. Possible impacts of zinc deficiency include: decreases in feed intake, feed efficiency, and growth.
No illnesses or deficiency impacts have been reported to date.
There are 33 lot numbers involved in this recall. The pelleted products were distributed between January 16, 2025 and February 27, 2025, and could have been purchased in Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee, Iowa, Georgia, and Ohio. All of the products listed, except for GROFAST32, have elevated levels of copper. GROFAST32 has levels of zinc below the represented amounts.
ADM discovered this issue during routine production. The company immediately began investigating and initiated the recall upon receiving confirmation that the pelleted feed had varying levels of copper and zinc that can impact animals. ADM is in the process of notifying customers and distributors involved in this recall, and all affected products are currently being removed from retail shelves.
The lot number of ADM products can be found at the bottom of the label. Click here to view an image of the label. Customers who have purchased the recalled pelleted feed should immediately stop using it and return it to their distributor or directly to ADM for a full replacement or refund. Please direct any customer inquiries to 800-217-2007 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Central time Monday through Friday.
Below is the list of products included in this recall.
Link to Product List
About ADMADM unlocks the power of nature to enrich the quality of life. We’re an essential global agricultural supply chain manager and processor, providing food security by connecting local needs with global capabilities. We’re a premier human and animal nutrition provider, offering one of the industry’s broadest portfolios of ingredients and solutions from nature. We’re a trailblazer in health and well-being, with an industry-leading range of products for consumers looking for new ways to live healthier lives. We’re a cutting-edge innovator, guiding the way to a future of new bio-based consumer and industrial solutions. And we’re leading in business-driven sustainability efforts that support a strong agricultural sector, resilient supply chains, and a vast and growing bioeconomy. Around the globe, our expertise and innovation are meeting critical needs from harvest to home. Learn more at www.adm.com.
ADM Media RelationsJackie Andersonmedia@adm.com312-634-8484

Company Contact Information

Consumers:
800-217-2007

Product Photos

Content current as of:
03/05/2025

Regulated Product(s)

Follow FDA

MIL OSI USA News –

March 6, 2025
MIL-OSI Submissions: Development – OPEC Fund supports Burkina Faso’s cotton industry with €26 million trade finance facility

Source: OPEC Fund for International Development (OPEC Fund)

March 5, 2025: The OPEC Fund for International Development (OPEC Fund) is providing €26 million to support Burkina Faso’s strategic cotton sector. The financing is part of a €100 million trade finance facility arranged by the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC). It will enable Société Burkinabè des Fibres Textiles (SOFITEX), the country’s largest cotton company and a key player in the sector, to purchase seasonal seed cotton from local farmers at harvest point, ensuring timely payments and financial stability for smallholder farmers.

OPEC Fund President Abdulhamid Alkhalifa said: “The OPEC Fund is proud of its commitment to Burkina Faso’s cotton industry, a key economic driver that sustains millions of livelihoods. By enabling the timely purchase of cotton from smallholder farmers, this financing not only supports rural communities, but also promotes economic resilience and strengthens Burkina Faso’s position in global cotton markets.”

Cotton is the backbone of Burkina Faso’s rural economy, generating 5 percent of GDP and providing income for millions. As Africa’s third-largest producer the country exports the vast majority of its cotton, making it a key driver of foreign exchange earnings and economic growth. The sector supports livelihoods from smallholder farmers to workers across the supply chain. Often referred to as “white gold,” cotton remains essential to Burkina Faso’s economic resilience and rural development.

The OPEC Fund has a long-standing partnership with SOFITEX dating back to 2009. Since the inception of this partnership, the OPEC Fund has approved 11 operations to support cotton export financing for a combined net amount of US$373 million.

The OPEC Fund’s recent financing is aligned with the institution’s commitment to sustainable economic growth and trade finance in Africa. Over four decades the OPEC Fund has supported Burkina Faso’s economic development, financing projects in agriculture, energy, and infrastructure with over US$800 million financing across public and private sector loans and trade finance.

About the OPEC Fund

The OPEC Fund for International Development (the OPEC Fund) is the only globally mandated development institution that provides financing from member countries to non-member countries exclusively.

The organization works in cooperation with developing country partners and the international development community to stimulate economic growth and social progress in low- and middle-income countries around the world.

The OPEC Fund was established in 1976 with a distinct purpose: to drive development, strengthen communities and empower people. Our work is people-centered, focusing on financing projects that meet essential needs, such as food, energy, infrastructure, employment (particularly relating to MSMEs), clean water and sanitation, healthcare and education.

To date, the OPEC Fund has committed more than US$29 billion to development projects in over 125 countries with an estimated total project cost of more than US$200 billion. The OPEC Fund is rated AA+/Outlook Stable by Fitch and AA+, Outlook Stable by S&P. Our vision is a world where sustainable development is a reality for all.

MIL OSI – Submitted News –

March 6, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: NHS patients receive first home-grown blood plasma treatments
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Press release

NHS patients receive first home-grown blood plasma treatments

The first NHS patients in a generation have started to receive life saving plasma from the blood of UK donors.
Treatments will help save 17,000 NHS patients’ lives every year

Move will deliver government’s Plan for Change by building domestic medical supply chains, reducing reliance on imports and with savings between £5 million to £10 million a year

The first NHS patients in a generation have started to receive life-saving plasma from the blood of UK donors, thanks to a partnership between NHS Blood and Transplant and NHS England.

Since a longstanding ban on UK plasma was lifted in 2021, the UK has been building its own supply of plasma medicines amid a global shortage. This will reduce reliance on imports, saving the NHS between £5 million to £10 million per year and strengthening the UK as a powerhouse for life sciences under the government’s Plan for Change.
Around 17,000 NHS patients with immune deficiencies and rare diseases rely on vital human-donated plasma to save or improve their lives. It is also used in emergency medicine for childbirth and trauma care.

Health Minister Baroness Gillian Merron said:

This is a significant milestone for the NHS as we take a step toward UK self-sufficiency in these vital medicines.

As part of our Plan for Change, we are improving access to life-saving treatments for thousands of NHS patients and strengthening healthcare security.

By sourcing our own medicine, we are building a more resilient and domestic medical supply chain and boosting economic growth.

Sir Stephen Powis, National Medical Director NHS England, said:

This landmark moment ensures patients relying on crucial plasma-derived medicines will always have access to the treatment they need.

Thanks to NHS efforts, new plasma-derived products, owned from start to finish by the UK, will reduce our reliance on imported stock and boost the fortitude of hospital supplies.

Thousands of people with serious and potentially life-threatening conditions, including immunodeficiencies and neurological conditions rely on these products, and strengthening the supply chain of plasma-derived treatments through UK donations will help NHS clinicians ensure these vital medicines are available for all who need them.

Jill Jones made history by becoming the first patient to be given UK-sourced plasma at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. She has received treatments every three weeks following a diagnosis of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma 20 years ago, and described the infusions as “life-changing”.

The initiative will also build UK capacity in the global plasma medicines industry, which was valued at over $30 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $45 billion by 2027. It will help establish the NHS as an engine of economic growth to drive investment in public services and raise living standards for everyone.

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) has collected 250,000 litres of plasma from donors in England since 2021. From this, two vital medicines are being produced: immunoglobulins, which treat autoimmune conditions, and albumin, which is essential for surgery and treating liver conditions.

The NHS plans to reach 25% self-sufficiency in immunoglobulin by the end of 2025, rising to 30-35% in 2031, and 80% self-sufficiency in albumin by next year.

Global medical supply issues worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. In July 2024, a national patient safety alert was issued due to critically low blood stocks, demonstrating the importance of building self-sufficiency in the UK.

Dr Jo Farrar, Chief Executive of NHS Blood and Transplant said:

Thanks to the incredible generosity of our donors, NHS patients are now receiving life-saving medicines made from UK plasma for the first time in a generation.

Plasma makes up 55 per cent of our blood and contains antibodies which strengthen or stabilise the immune system. It is used to save lives during childbirth and trauma and is used to treat thousands of patients with life limiting illnesses such as immune deficiencies.

These lifesaving medicines can only be made from our blood. We need more donors to help save more lives. Please go to blood.co.uk to become a donor.

Jill Jones from Oxford, the first patient to receive UK-sourced plasma medicine, said:

Coming to the Immunology ward is like catching up with friends. The staff are delightful and you get to know staff and patients really well. You have a cup of coffee and chat. Today I was talking about knitting and kittens as I was being transfused!

Infusions have been life-changing for me in keeping me well. Before I started on them, I was regularly in hospital with infections – which just doesn’t happen now. It’s made a huge and positive difference to my life and my family’s life.

I felt really privileged today to be the first patient in the UK to be receiving Immunoglobin that was made from UK plasma for the first time in a very long time.

Previously, the NHS relied solely on imported plasma medicines due to a long-standing ban on using UK plasma.

The ban was introduced in 1998 as a precautionary measure against Variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob Disease (vCJD), linked to mad cow disease.

In 2021 following rigorous scientific reviews, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) confirmed plasma from UK donors is safe, supported by robust safety measures.

Decades of rigorous research showed no confirmed cases of vCJD transmission through plasma-derived medicines.

Plasma comes from blood donations. The plasma in blood contains antibodies that strengthen or stabilise the immune system. The antibodies are separated out and made into immunoglobin medicines that treat people with life-limiting conditions such as immune deficiencies, bleeding disorders, as well as severe burns.

Notes to editors:

Blood donations can be given at one of 27 donor centres across the country.

First UK-sourced plasma medicines will come from English donations, with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to follow.

Donors can book an appointment at a dedicated Plasma Donor Centres in Birmingham, Reading or Twickenham.  Visit www.blood.co.uk to find out how you can become a donor today.

Plasma is the liquid component of blood that carries vital proteins, antibodies, and clotting factors. It is essential for creating plasma-derived medicines, which treat life-threatening conditions such as immune deficiencies, bleeding disorders, and severe burns. Plasma donation saves thousands of lives each year and is a critical part of modern healthcare.

Two types of medicines are being made – immunoglobulins (used to treat autoimmune conditions and week immune systems) and albumin (used in surgery and to treat burns and liver conditions). This puts the NHS on track to supply 25% of its immunoglobulin needs by the end of 2025, with plans to increase this to 30-35% by 2031 and 80% of albumin by next year.

In 1998, the UK imposed a ban on using domestically collected plasma for fractionation, the process of separating plasma into its components. This followed concerns about a potentially increased risk of plasma recipients acquiring the brain disease variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) due to UK plasma donors being exposed to Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, sometimes referred as Mad Cow Disease) prions from infected cattle.

As a result, the UK relied solely on plasma imports, primarily from the United States which increased dependence on international supply chains for plasma-derived medicines.

Rising demand for plasma globally placed additional pressure on supply.

In February 2021, the UK government lifted the ban on using UK-donated plasma for fractionation. This decision followed scientific reviews confirming the safety of plasma collection and manufacturing processes.

Advanced donor screening, pathogen testing, and fractionation techniques now ensure the highest safety standards.

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Published 6 March 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
March 6, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Alleged International Leader of MS-13 Extradited to Face Racketeering Charge Connected to at Least One Murder

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

           WASHINGTON – Moises Humberto Rivera-Luna, also known as Viejo Santos, 55, an alleged international leader of the violent MS-13 drug gang, made an initial appearance today in U.S. District Court following his extradition from Guatemala to the United States to face a racketeering charge connected to at least one murder. U.S. District Court Judge Royce Lamberth ordered Rivera-Luna held without bond.

           The extradition was announced today by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations Acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher Heck of the Washington Field Office, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

Rivera-Luna is one of seven defendants charged in a fourth superseding, nine-count indictment, which was returned on May 3, 2013 alleging a racketeering conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, kidnapping in aid of racketeering, assault with a deadly weapon in aid of racketeering and other offenses. Rivera-Luna is charged only with committing racketeering conspiracy. The government alleges that Rivera-Luna, while incarcerated in El Salvador, supervised operations of MS-13 cliques in the Washington, D.C. area. Upon release, he traveled to Guatemala where he was subject to extradition.

“The decade-long pursuit of this alleged violent gang member illustrates our office’s resolve to remain focused and bring to justice those who violate the law no matter where they are, no matter how long it takes,” said U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr.

           “Keeping Americans safe from transnational criminal gangs is one of the Department’s top priorities,” said Supervisory Official Bacon. “This defendant’s appearance in federal court in Washington today demonstrates our relentless commitment to seeking justice for victims, no matter how long it takes. Thanks to the incredible work by our federal prosecutors and law enforcement partners, we are one step closer to bringing closure for the many victims of this defendant’s alleged brutal violence.”

“Moise Humberto Rivera-Luna will have his day in court, but he stands accused of very serious crimes. His alleged criminal activity combined with his leadership of the MS-13 transnational criminal organization, makes Rivera-Luna a significant threat to the safety of the American people,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher Heck. “We are grateful for the strong relationships we enjoy with our local, state, federal and international law enforcement partners. Without their cooperation, none of this would be possible. ICE HSI Washington, D.C. will continue to work relentlessly and exhaust all resources to investigate and apprehend anyone who presents a threat to national security or the residents of our communities.”

           The indictment alleges that MS-13 engages in racketeering activity to include murder, narcotics distribution, extortion, robberies, obstruction of justice and other crimes. The indictment specifically states that some of the defendants allegedly participated in assaults against persons they believed to be rival gang members, made threats against persons they believed to be cooperating with law enforcement, and carried out extortions.

           The range of criminal activity alleged in the indictment includes acts committed in the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia and other states. The indictment alleges that there was frequent contact between MS-13 members in the Washington, D.C.-metropolitan area and El Salvador, and that persons incarcerated in El Salvador encouraged or ordered assaults and murders.

           Rivera-Luna is alleged to be an international leader of MS-13 who was sending orders and advice to an MS-13 clique operating in the Washington area, via cellular telephone calls from his prison cell in El Salvador. The indictment alleges that he and another MS-13 leader, Marvin Geovanny Monterrosa-Larios, also incarcerated in El Salvador, directed that a coalition of MS-13 cliques be formed in the Washington area. They advised local clique members that the coalition’s aim was to seek and kill MS-13 members who were found to be cooperating with law enforcement officials.

           Among other allegations, the indictment charges Rivera-Luna with ordering the murder of Louis Alberto Membreno-Zelaya, 27. Membreno-Zelaya was found stabbed to death on Nov. 6, 2008, near 11th Street and Otis Place, in Northwest Washington, D.C.

           The indictment also alleges that Rivera-Luna authorized the murder of Felipe Enriquez, 25, whose body was found on March 31, 2010, in Montgomery County, MD.

           This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Lakeita F. Rox-Love of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nihar Mohanty of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses (VRTO) Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The case is being investigated by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

           The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the extradition of Rivera-Luna from Guatemala.

           Assistance was provided by the Montgomery County and the Prince George’s County, MD. Police Departments, the State’s Attorney’s Office for Montgomery County, MD., the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.

           The prosecution grew out of the efforts of the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, a multi-agency team that conducts comprehensive, multi-level attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. The principal mission of the nationwide program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply.

           An indictment is merely an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty in a court of law.

MIL Security OSI –

March 6, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Senator Reverend Warnock Statement on Extreme Tariffs on Everyday Goods, Agriculture

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

Senator Reverend Warnock Statement on Extreme Tariffs on Everyday Goods, Agriculture

Senator Reverend Warnock is the Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness
Tariffs will impact cost of produce, canned soda, beer, lumber for housing, aluminum for cars and manufacturing equipment, fertilizer for producers, and more
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), ranking member of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness, issued the following statement on the newly announced 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico.
“When I hear from ordinary Georgians, they tell me the cost of everything from housing to prescription drugs to groceries are too expensive. Georgians feel like their dollar isn’t going far enough, and these tariffs only make the problem worse.”
“These sweeping tariffs and this impending trade war will hurt our farmers, who are now seeing a hike in fertilizer prices going into planting season. With retaliatory tariffs already being implemented, I fear that my years of bipartisan efforts to open up international markets for our farmers will be erased. This will make produce in the grocery stores more expensive and producers losing their farms more likely.”
“I’m not opposed to all tariffs. They can be a useful tool to protect American jobs and coerce bad actors like China to play by the rules. But these chaotic and impulsive tariffs do nothing but punish Georgians who are just trying to balance their checkbook and save for the future. I will continue to speak out against policies that hurt Georgia families and farmers.”

MIL OSI USA News –

March 6, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Innovative technology installed in Menindee to restore native fish passages

Source: New South Wales Ministerial News

Published: 6 March 2025

Released by: Minister for Agriculture, Minister for Water

The Minns Labor Government is trialling Fishheart; a state-of-the-art temporary fish passage technology in the Lower Darling-Baaka River near Menindee, western NSW.

The goal of this initiative is to test options to connect the Northern and Southern Basin and reduce the accumulation of fish, as part of the Government’s response to the Office of the NSW Chief Scientist and Engineer (OCSE) independent review into the March 2023 mass fish kill.

The NSW Government continues to make good progress in addressing the recommendations identified in the OSCE report, with 10 of the 26 actions we’ve committed to now complete and the remaining 16 underway funded under the $25 million Restoring the Darling-Baaka River Program.

One of the key actions the NSW Government has committed to is a $6.52 million trial of new temporary fish passage technology at Menindee.

Australian native fish need to migrate to feed, breed and seek new habitat but due to the introduction of barriers to fish passage, like dams and weirs, fish migration pathways have been impacted.

Currently in the Lower Darling-Baaka, fish can only migrate upstream as far as Lake Wetherell and Menindee Main Weir. The Fishheart unit is a floating hydraulic fishway system designed to assist fish moving over existing barriers. Construction commenced to install the Fishheart unit to the Lake Wetherell outlet regulator in December 2024.

Work continued over the summer, with the technology being lowered into the Lower Darling-Baaka River in late January 2025. Calibration and testing of the Fishheart is currently underway.

The Fishheart unit works by attracting fish into the fishway and then using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to detect and collect fish in the chambers, counting fish, gathering data before moving fish up and over barriers like the Lake Wetherell outlet regulator.

This is the first time that this innovative technology will be trialled at this scale on Australian inland freshwater fish and builds on Fishheart’s work in Europe and the USA that has shown plenty of promise.

The aim of the project is to test options to connect sections of the river, thereby helping move some fish out of the Menindee town weir pool to complete their life cycle and reducing the biomass and associated risks for water quality and fish kills.

Fisheries Scientists from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) Fisheries will conduct the monitoring program, using underwater sonar and video capture technology, plus trapping activities under appropriate permits.

For more information about the project visit the Menindee Lower Darling-Baaka Temporary Tube Fishway Trial webpage.

To read the NSW Government’s six-month Darling-Baaka progress report, visit the Restoring the Darling-Baaka program webpage.

Minister for Agriculture and Regional NSW, Tara Moriarty said:

“This is the first time that this fishway technology will be trialled under Australian conditions at this scale and on native inland freshwater fish and it demonstrates the commitment of the Minns Labor Government to address environmental issues using innovative approaches, especially in western NSW.

“While there is no one size fits all solution to restore fish passage in the Lower Darling-Baaka River or the Menindee Lakes system, this project aims to use innovative science, data and infrastructure as we promised to do.

“Construction has been progressing through very hot days out at Menindee and we are grateful to all the personnel for their efforts in ensuring the fishway can get operational as soon as possible.

“The Fishheart will be trialled for three breeding seasons, to measure its effectiveness in Menindee. But overseas experiences provide strong indicators for success, for moving fish through the fishway safely and hopefully reduce the risks of future fish kills in the Lower Darling-Baaka.”

Minister for Water Rose Jackson said:

“It’s fantastic to see the fish passage being trialled in Menindee which is one of the innovative infrastructure solutions proposed to prevent future fish deaths.

“We pledged to take decisive action on water quality in the Darling-Baaka to improve fish health and we are delivering on this promise, with a six-month progress report now available to show the community where we are up to.

“So far, we have developed new water quality triggers, overhauled our emergency response plans, continued to upgrade monitoring and added additional resources while also exploring state-of-the-art infrastructure solutions such as the tube fishway and microbubble technology.

“I’m encouraged by the progress in a short space of time, which the Chief Scientist himself has acknowledged publicly, but there is still a lot of work to be done.

“The reality is this is an incredibly complex river system with significant challenges that won’t go away overnight, but we are in a much stronger position to respond to changing conditions than ever before, and we are undoubtedly moving in the right direction.”

MIL OSI News –

March 6, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: High quality Kiwi beef and lamb helps lead economic recovery

Source: New Zealand Government

Strong demand and favourable export prices combined with new export opportunities in Europe and the Middle East will see New Zealand’s beef and lamb farmers add an extra $1.2 billion to their bank accounts this year as the primary sector helps to grow the economy, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay said during a farm visit in Canterbury today.
“This is extremely positive news for sheep and beef farmers who have been doing it tough over the last six years,” Mr McClay says.
“Red meat exports are forecast to grow by 13 per cent this year which will have a positive economic impact on many of our provincial towns.
“New Zealand’s trade is extremely diversified with our network of FTAs offering exporters choices about where they send their products. For example, the newly enacted trade agreement with the European Union has seen goods exports to Europe increase by more than 24 per cent over the last year with sheep meat playing a big part in this growth.”
Mr McClay says lamb prices have increased by 20 per cent over the last year and mutton prices up by 70 per cent.
“It’s good to see farmers starting to receive recognition for what their high quality product is worth.”
Total red meat exports are expected to reach $10.2 billion this year with increased demand from key markets seeking high quality, safe, grass-fed food and fibre from New Zealand.
“New Zealand red meat is some of the safest environmentally friendly food produced on the planet. We can continue to meet our environmental and climate obligations without shutting down farms or sending jobs and production overseas.”
Mr McClay says that the Government will continue to back sheep and beef farmers by reducing red tape and compliance costs and ensuring they can farm on a level playing field.
“We have already announced a ban on full farm to forest conversions from entering the ETS on some of our most productive food producing land from 4 December last year and will shortly introduce legislation to Parliament to enact this decision.
“The Government has set an ambitious goal of doubling exports by value in 10 years. It’s important to recognise that our hard-working sheep and beef farmers are doing their bit to grow the New Zealand economy.”

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

March 6, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Banking Sector – ASB further boosts rural commitment with new Head of Food & Fibre

Source: ASB

ASB has appointed Kristen Ashby as its new Head of Food & Fibre, a newly established role within its Rural Corporate Banking team.

Kristen joins ASB from Fonterra where she was most recently Director of Capital Strategy. Starting her career as a Chartered Accountant, Kristen has worked across a variety of roles at organisations including Fonterra, Turners & Growers and Goodman Fielder.

Born and bred in Waikato, Kristen’s rural upbringing and breadth of experience mean she brings a unique perspective to this role. She is passionate about helping Kiwi businesses to reach their goals, as well as future proofing for tomorrow.

Kristen says, “I’m excited to be joining the team at such a crucial time. I see so much opportunity in the Food & Fibre sector and feel privileged to help build on the work already being done at ASB.

As a bank we can make a real difference for our rural communities, uplift regional economies and put New Zealand-grown products on the map globally.

I’m looking forward to getting on the road soon to meet our customers and broader industry participants to tackle these ambitious goals.”

ASB General Manager Rural Banking Aidan Gent says “Kristen is a passionate leader with a proven track record of success, genuinely interested in making a difference for our customers.

We are so excited to have her on board in this pivotal role as we bring our full-service banking proposition to the Food & Fibre sector – a critical component of our economy.

With Food & Fibre making up more than 80% of our global exports, there is significant opportunity in this sector. This is not just farmers – it is the innovators looking at new foods & fibres and future uses of land, processors, logistics companies moving goods, all the way through to the electrician in Gore fixing a woolshed.

Food & Fibre represents an opportunity to truly accelerate the social, environmental and financial progress of New Zealanders.”

Kristen Ashby started in her new role in February 2025.

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

March 6, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Low-carbon liquid fuels of the Future Made In Australia

Source: Australia Government Ministerial Statements

The Albanese Government is delivering $250 million to accelerate the pace of Australia’s growing domestic Low Carbon Liquid Fuels (LCLF) industry.

This funding is part of the $1.7 billion Future Made in Australia Innovation Fund and will be provided as grants to support pre-commercial innovation, demonstration and deployment.

Low carbon liquid fuels can be produced sustainably from waste, biomass such as agricultural feedstocks, or renewable hydrogen.

Australia’s domestic LCLF industry will focus on supplying sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel in liquid fuel-reliant sectors, including transport (aviation, heavy vehicle, rail and maritime), mining, agriculture and construction.

The development of low carbon fuels will drive economic growth and jobs in regional areas, including supporting diversification in agriculture, making good use of excess feedstock from crops, sugarcane and waste products such as tallow.

CSIRO projects that a LCLF industry could contribute between AUD $6 billion to $12 billion annually in direct economic benefits, with greater gains from regional co-benefits including diversified income streams for farmers and regional communities.

LCLFs not only help decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors of the economy but provide Australia with sovereign capability and resilience at a time of increasing international uncertainty.

Alongside the $250 million for low carbon liquid fuels, the Future Made in Australia Innovation Fund is providing $500 million for clean energy technology manufacturing capabilities including electrolysers, batteries and wind towers.

The Fund – a key element of the Future Made in Australia plan – will ensure Australia can maximise the economic and industrial benefits of the international move to net zero and secure Australia’s place in a changing global and strategic landscape. Funding is administered by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).

The investment in a wider domestic LCLF industry builds on the momentum of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Funding Initiative.

This Sustainable Aviation Fuel Funding Initiative has seen the Albanese Government invest in $33.5 million across five projects to date, including LCLF production facilities in Bundaberg and Townsville, and enabling the supply of sustainable aviation fuel at Brisbane Airport.

Funding from the Future Made in Australia Innovation Fund is subject to the legislated Future Made in Australia Community Benefits Principles. The Albanese Government established these principles to ensure public investment and the private investment it attracts, has a direct and tangible benefit for local workers and businesses.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen:

“The Australian Government is backing clean, green low carbon liquid fuels as an important part of our move towards net zero and long-term fuel security.

“Australia has the know how and skills to meet the crucial task of decarbonising hard to abate sectors such as aviation, heavy transport and mining that rely on liquid fuels.

“Investing in a Future Made in Australia means delivering the industries that will provide high end jobs, many in the regions, for future generations.”

Quotes attributable to Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherine King:

“We know that industries vital to our national prosperity, like the transportation of people and goods across our vast land, are carbon intensive and hard to abate.

“That’s why we’re investing hundreds of millions of dollars to develop – right here in Australia – the low carbon liquid fuels of the future that will reduce their environmental impact without preventing their operation or expansion.

“We have all the ingredients in Australia to be a global clean energy superpower, and the Future Made in Australia fund will help bring that potential to reality.”

MIL OSI News –

March 6, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Budget 2025: Investing in Alberta’s future | Budget 2025 : Investir dans l’avenir de l’Alberta
As Alberta continues work to address increasing domestic and international economic pressures, Budget 2025 works to strengthen Alberta’s economy. This budget helps build communities, secure Alberta’s southern border and boost investments in the province’s economic future.

“While we work closely with partners to find solutions to a possible trade conflict, we will continue our work to make sure Alberta’s economy is strong – in and outside of the energy sector – so that we can manage any turbulence that comes our way. Budget 2025 carves our path forward in the face of this uncertainty.”

Nate Horner, President of Treasury Board and Minister of Finance

Budget 2025: Supporting a strong workforce

Alberta’s workforce is the backbone of the provincial economy. Budget 2025 continues the commitment to training and developing a skilled and resilient labour force to further grow Alberta’s economy and help businesses succeed, including:
- $26.1 billion over three years from the Capital Plan, to support about 26,500 direct and 12,000 indirect jobs each year through 2027-28.
- $135 million for skilled trade programs such as apprenticeship and adult learning initiatives to help Albertans gain the skills and training needed for successful careers, and support access to job opportunities.
- $2 billion in 2025-26 to support and expand early learning and child-care system so parents and caregivers can participate in training, education or work opportunities.
Budget 2025: Securing our borders
- Alberta’s government is committed to being a good neighbour and trading partner, and part of this commitment involves taking measures to secure the Alberta-US border. Budget 2025 includes $29 million in 2025-26 for a new Interdiction Patrol Team within the Alberta Sheriffs to tackle illegal drug and gun smuggling, human trafficking, apprehension of persons attempting to cross the border illegally, and other illegal activities along Alberta’s international land border. Budget 2025 also includes a $15 million investment over two years for three new vehicle inspection stations located near borders to the USA.
Budget 2025: Investing in post-secondary education

Budget 2025 invests a total of $7.4 billion in post-secondary education, with an operating budget of $6.6 billion in 2025-26. This includes:
- $78 million per year over the next three years to create more seats in apprenticeship classes across the province to build skilled trades and apprenticeship education that will respond to the needs of industry, support the economy and connect Albertans with jobs.
- $113 million to support greater demand for scholarships and the Alberta Student Grant, with $60 million funded from the Alberta Heritage Scholarship Fund.
- $4 million to the First Nations Colleges Grant which is distributed equally across five colleges in rural and remote Indigenous communities.
“Our government is ensuring that Alberta students have the skills and training they need to meet the needs of today while preparing for the economy of the future. Budget 2025 makes foundational investments to meet the challenge of a rapidly growing population while supporting a sustainable post-secondary education system.”

Rajan Sawhney, Minister of Advanced Education

Budget 2025: Building communities

Alberta’s vibrant communities make Alberta the best place in Canada to live, work and raise a family. Budget 2025 invests in stronger communities across Alberta, including:
- $17.2 million to increase grants made to municipalities in lieu of property taxes on government-owned property to 75 per cent, up from the current 50 per cent. By next year, the province will cover 100 per cent of the amount that would be paid if the property was taxable.
- $820 million this year and $2.5 billion over three years in Local Government Fiscal Framework capital funding to help fund local infrastructure priorities.
Budget 2025: Supporting trade and diversification

Alberta continues to champion economic growth and policies that support productivity. Through Budget 2025, Alberta’s government will continue to build on current successes through:
- Attracting more investment through low corporate income taxes. At eight per cent, Alberta’s corporate income tax rate is 30 per cent lower than the next lowest province.
- Providing greater incentive for small- and medium-sized firms that increase their spending on research and development, with Alberta’s Innovation Employment Grant.
- Promoting Alberta as a reliable partner in supporting North American and global energy security to investors. The province will optimize new and existing infrastructure to access new markets for Alberta’s energy and mineral resources.
- Supporting Alberta’s agriculture producers and value-added processors, addressing barriers to trade by cultivating export markets, and working to increase market access for Alberta products.
- Reinforcing Alberta as a critical contributor to North American energy security by continuing to advocate for our remarkable energy sector across Canada, the U.S., Germany, Japan and the rest of the world.
Budget 2025: Investing in business and industry

Budget 2025 continues to find ways to help Alberta’s economy grow through investments in business and industry and help our economy grow, including:
- Support to attract investment in Alberta’s energy and mineral resource sector to accelerate opportunities in emerging resources.
- $45 million over three years for the Investment and Growth Fund to attract investment into Alberta’s economy.
- $1.8 million in Western Crop Innovations for industry-leading crop research.
- $780,000 to support small- and medium-sized meat processors.
- $3.1 million for the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine to expand toward a full-service veterinary diagnostic laboratory. This will give livestock producers and vets access to quicker, more affordable livestock diagnostics closer to home.
“Budget 2025 builds a stronger Alberta by growing industries, creating high-quality jobs and expanding opportunities for workers and families. With strategic investments in innovation, infrastructure and workforce development, Alberta is rising to the challenge, strengthening our province for many years to come.”

Matt Jones, Minister of Jobs, Economy and Trade

“We are advancing cutting-edge research in agriculture and supporting small and medium-sized businesses. Additionally, we are strengthening our agricultural infrastructure, ensuring quicker and more affordable services for livestock producers and veterinarians. We’re supporting innovation, attracting investment, and building a resilient economy for the future.”

RJ Sigurdson, Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation

Budget 2025 is meeting the challenge faced by Alberta with continued investments in education and health, lower taxes for families and a focus on the economy.

Related information
- Budget 2025
Related news
- Budget 2025: Meeting the challenge (Feb 27, 2025)
- Budget 2025: Meeting the challenge in health and education (Feb 27, 2025)
Multimedia
- Watch the Budget address
- Watch the news conference
- Listen to the news conference
Le budget de 2025 relève le défi de l’incertitude en matière de commerce et de sécurité en mettant l’accent sur l’économie.

À mesure que l’Alberta continue de répondre aux pressions économiques intérieures et internationales, le budget de 2025 vise à renforcer l’économie albertaine. Il contribue à bâtir des communautés, à assurer la sécurité de la frontière au sud de la province et à renforcer les investissements dans notre avenir économique.

« Alors que nous travaillons en étroite collaboration avec des partenaires pour trouver des solutions à un différend commercial potentiel, nous poursuivons notre travail pour nous assurer que l’économie de l’Alberta est forte, dans le secteur de l’énergie et ailleurs, afin de pouvoir gérer toute perturbation. Le budget de 2025 trace la voie à suivre face à cette incertitude. »

Nate Horner, président du Conseil du Trésor et ministre des Finances

Budget 2025 : Soutenir une main-d’œuvre solide

La main-d’œuvre albertaine est l’épine dorsale de l’économie provinciale. Le budget de 2025 maintient l’engagement envers la formation et le perfectionnement d’une main-d’œuvre qualifiée et résiliente de sorte à faire croître l’économie et aider les entreprises à réussir :
- 26,1 milliards de dollars sur trois ans provenant du plan d’immobilisations afin d’appuyer environ 26 500 emplois directs et 12 000 emplois indirects chaque année jusqu’en 2027-2028.
- 135 millions de dollars pour des programmes de métiers spécialisés, comme des initiatives d’apprentissages et d’éducation des adultes de sorte à aider les Albertains à acquérir les compétences et à suivre la formation nécessaires pour mener des carrières fructueuses, ainsi qu’à soutenir l’accès aux possibilités d’emploi.
- 2 milliards de dollars en 2025-26 pour appuyer et élargir le système d’apprentissage et de garde des jeunes enfants afin que les parents et les gardiens tirent parti de possibilités de formation, d’éducation ou d’emploi.
Budget 2025 : Assurer la sécurité de nos frontières
- Le gouvernement de l’Alberta est résolu à être un bon voisin et un bon partenaire commercial, ce qui implique la prise de mesures pour assurer la sécurité de la frontière entre l’Alberta et les États-Unis. Le budget de 2025 prévoit 29 millions de dollars en 2025-26 pour une nouvelle équipe de « patrouille d’interdiction » (Interdiction Patrol Team) qui fait partie des shérifs de l’Alberta et sera chargée de lutter contre le trafic de drogue et d’armes et la traite de personnes, d’appréhender les personnes qui tentent de traverser la frontière illégalement et de surveiller d’autres activités illégales le long de la frontière internationale de la province. Le budget de 2025 comprend en outre un investissement de 15 millions de dollars sur deux ans pour trois nouveaux postes d’inspection de véhicules près de la frontière des États-Unis.
Budget 2025 : Investir dans l’enseignement postsecondaire

Le budget de 2025 investit en tout 7,4 milliards de dollars dans l’enseignement postsecondaire, le budget d’exploitation étant de 6,6 milliards de dollars en 2025-2026. Cette somme comprend :
- 78 millions de dollars par années sur trois ans pour créer un plus grand nombre de places dans les cours d’apprentissage de toute la province en vue de renforcer les métiers spécialisés et les formations en apprentissage qui répondront aux besoins de l’industrie, soutiendront l’économie et mettront les Albertains en rapport avec des emplois.
- 113 millions de dollars pour contribuer à satisfaire à la demande croissante de bourses et appuyer la bourse aux étudiants de l’Alberta (Alberta Student Grant), dont 60 millions de dollars provenant de l’Alberta Heritage Scholarship Fund.
- 4 millions de dollars pour la subvention aux collèges des Premières Nations (First Nations Colleges Grant), cette somme étant répartie également entre cinq collèges dans des communautés autochtones rurales et éloignées.
« Notre gouvernement veille à ce que les étudiants en Alberta possèdent les compétences et la formation nécessaires pour répondre aux besoins actuels, tout en se préparant à l’économie future. Le budget de 2025 réalise des investissements fondamentaux de sorte à relever les défis posés par une population en pleine croissance, tout en appuyant un système d’éducation postsecondaire durable. »

Rajan Sawhney, ministre de l’Enseignement postsecondaire

Budget 2025 : Bâtir des communautés

Les communautés dynamiques de notre province font de l’Alberta le meilleur endroit au Canada où vivre, travailler et élever une famille. Le budget de 2025 investit dans des communautés plus fortes partout en Alberta :
- 17,2 millions de dollars pour augmenter de 50 % à 75 % les subventions accordées aux municipalités en remplacement d’impôts fonciers à l’égard des propriétés qui appartiennent au gouvernement. D’ici l’année prochaine, la province couvrira 100 $ du montant qui serait versé si la propriété était imposable.
- 820 millions de dollars cette année et 2,5 milliards de dollars sur trois ans en dépenses en capital du cadre fiscal des administrations locales (Local Government Fiscal Framework) afin d’aider à financer les travaux d’infrastructures prioritaires.
Budget 2025 : Soutenir le commerce et la diversification

L’Alberta continue de favoriser la croissance économique et des politiques qui appuient la productivité. Par l’entremise du budget de 2025, le gouvernement de l’Alberta continuera de tirer parti des réussites actuelles en faisant ce qui suit :
- Attirer plus d’investissements grâce à un faible taux d’imposition sur le revenu des sociétés. En Alberta, le taux de 8 % est de 30 % inférieur à celui de la province qui se classe deuxième.
- Offrir de plus grands stimulants aux petites et moyennes entreprises qui augmentent leurs dépenses en recherche et développement, par l’entremise de la subvention pour l’emploi et l’innovation (Alberta’s Innovation Employment Grant).
- Promouvoir l’Alberta en tant que partenaire fiable pour soutenir la sécurité énergétique nord-américaine et mondiale auprès des investisseurs. La province optimisera les infrastructures nouvelles et existantes afin d’accéder à de nouveaux marchés pour les ressources énergétiques et minérales de l’Alberta.
- Soutenir les producteurs agricoles albertains et les transformateurs à valeur ajoutée de l’Alberta, s’attaquer aux obstacles au commerce en cultivant les marchés d’exportation et s’employer à améliorer l’accès au marché pour les produits de l’Alberta.
- Renforcer la position de l’Alberta en tant que contributrice essentielle à la sécurité énergétique de l’Amérique du Nord en continuant de promouvoir notre secteur énergétique remarquable au Canada, aux États-Unis, en Allemagne, au Japon et dans le reste du monde.
Budget 2025 : Investir dans les entreprises et les industries

Le budget de 2025 continue de trouver des moyens de favoriser la croissance de l’économie albertaine en investissant dans les entreprises et les industries :
- Soutien visant à attirer des investissements dans le secteur de l’énergie et des ressources minérales de sorte à accélérer les possibilités dans le domaine des ressources émergentes.
- 45 millions de dollars sur trois ans pour le fonds d’investissement et de croissance (Investment and Growth Fund) en vue d’attirer des investissements dans l’économie albertaine.
- 1,8 million de dollars versés à Western Crop Innovations au titre de la recherche de pointe sur les cultures.
- 780 000 $ pour appuyer les petites et moyennes entreprises de transformation de viande.
- 3,1 millions de dollars pour la Faculté de médecine vétérinaire de l’Université de Calgary en vue d’un agrandissement menant à un laboratoire de diagnostic vétérinaire complet. Les éleveurs de bétail et les vétérinaires auront alors accès à un diagnostic plus rapide, plus abordable et plus proche.
« Le budget de 2025 bâtit une Alberta plus forte en développant les industries, en créant des emplois de haute qualité et en élargissant les possibilités offertes aux travailleurs et aux familles. Grâce à des investissements stratégiques en innovation, infrastructure et perfectionnement de la main-d’œuvre, l’Alberta relève le défi pour être plus forte pendant de nombreuses années à venir. »

Matt Jones, ministre de l’Emploi, de l’Économie et du Commerce

« Nous faisons progresser la recherche de point en agriculture et nous appuyons les petites et moyennes entreprises. De plus, nous renforçons notre infrastructure agricole pour offrir des services plus rapides et plus abordables aux éleveurs de bétail et aux vétérinaires. Nous soutenons l’innovation, nous attirons les investissements et nous bâtissons une économie résiliente pour l’avenir. »

RJ Sigurdson, ministre de l’Agriculture et de l’Irrigation

Le budget de 2025 relève le défi auquel fait face l’Alberta grâce à des investissements continus dans l’éducation et la santé, une baisse des impôts pour les familles et un accent sur l’économie.

Renseignements connexes
- Budget 2025
Nouvelles connexes
- Budget 2025: Meeting the challenge | Budget 2025 : Relever le défi (27 février 2025)
- Budget 2025: Meeting the challenge in health and education | Budget 2025 : Relever le défi dans la santé et l’éducation (27 février 2025)
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MIL OSI Canada News –
March 6, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Kaine, Klobuchar & Warner Unveil Legislation to Undo President Trump’s Senseless Taxes on Canadian Goods

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine, Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, (D-VA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Mark R. Warner (D-VA) unveiled legislation to undo President Donald Trump’s wildly unpopular tariffs on Canadian goods, which amount to a 25 percent tax on goods imported from one of America’s top trading partners and closest allies.

“Americans want prices to go down—not skyrocket, which is exactly what will happen if Congress lets President Trump slap new taxes on goods from one of our largest trading partners and closest allies,” said Kaine. “We don’t need to guess what kind of damage these senseless new taxes will do. During Trump’s first term, his trade wars spelled disaster for Virginians, particularly for farmers and foresters who were hit especially hard. Congress has a responsibility to stop that from happening again, and I urge all of my colleagues to join me in blocking Trump from destroying our economy.”

“This Administration is igniting a reckless trade war and regular Americans are paying the price,” said Klobuchar. “Costs for everyone will go up and our farmers and businesses will suffer. Canada is Minnesota’s top trading partner and is a key U.S. ally. We must reverse these damaging tariffs before it’s too late.”

“Virginians can’t afford the cost of President Trump’s tariffs, which will raise prices on everything from groceries to houses and cars,” said Warner. “Congress must step in before President Trump tanks our economy.”

In Virginia in 2024, Canada was the largest export market and accounted for 15 percent of Virginia exports. In Virginia in 2022, top goods exports to Canada included motor vehicles and transportation equipment, such as medium- and heavy-duty trucks. 56.1 percent of Southwest Virginia’s economic output is dependent on trade.

Polls have overwhelmingly demonstrated that the American people do not support Trump’s trade wars. According to a recent survey by Public First, just 28 percent of American adults supported specifically applying tariffs to Canada, while 43 percent opposed.

Specifically, the senators’ legislation would work by terminating the February 1 emergency that Trump used to launch his trade war with Canada, and thus eliminate the tariffs on Canadian imports implemented as a result. Trump’s order cites the International Economic Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA), an unprecedented use of IEEPA in its nearly half century history. After an initial one-month delay, President Trump decided to move forward with the tariffs, with the import taxes starting to be collected on March 4, 2025. In total, President Trump’s IEEPA tariffs will cost the average American household up to $2,000 a year, with the Canada tariffs making up a significant portion of that. These IEEPA tariffs represent the largest tax increase on American families in recent history.

Full text of the legislation is available here.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 6, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Alberta pushes back on illegal U.S. tariffs
As part of its non-tariff retaliatory measures, Alberta is altering its procurement practices to ensure Alberta’s government, as well as agencies, school boards, Crown corporations and Alberta municipalities, purchase their goods and services from Alberta companies, Canadian companies or countries with which Canada has a free trade agreement that is being honoured.

“I will always put the best interests of Alberta and Albertans first. These non-tariff actions are measured, proportionate and put an emphasis on defending Alberta and Canada against these economically destructive tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, while breaking down restrictive provincial trade barriers so we can fast-track nation building resource projects and allow for the unrestricted movement of goods, services and labour across the country. I understand this is an uncertain time for many Albertans, and our government will continue to do all it can to prioritize Alberta’s and Canada’s world-class products and businesses as we face this challenge together. I also look forward to working with my provincial counterparts to help unite Canada and ensure free and fair trade throughout our country.”

Danielle Smith, Premier

Alberta’s government has also directed Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis to suspend the purchase of U.S. alcohol and video lottery terminals (VLTs) from American companies until further notice. This will ensure Alberta and Canadian brands take priority in restaurants, bars and on retail shelves.

“We are committed to putting Canadian businesses first. By suspending the purchase of U.S. produced alcohol, slot machines and VLTs, we are ensuring that Alberta and Canadian brands take priority in our restaurants, bars and retail stores. We will continue to take bold steps to support local industries and strengthen our economy.”

Dale Nally, Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction

To encourage the purchase of stock from vendors in Alberta, Canada and other countries with which Canada has a free trade agreement, the government will help all Alberta grocers and other retailers with labelling Canadian products in their stores. In the coming weeks, Alberta’s government will augment these efforts by launching a “Buy Alberta” marketing campaign. Spearheaded by Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation RJ Sigurdson, this campaign will remind Albertans of their options for local food and the importance of supporting Alberta’s agriculture producers and processers.

“Alberta’s agriculture producers and processers are the best in the world. Although these U.S. tariffs are incredibly concerning, this “Buy Alberta” campaign will put a spotlight on Alberta’s farmers, ranchers and agri-food businesses and support Albertans in choosing goods from right here at home.”

RJ Sigurdson, Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation

Building on Alberta’s reputation as a leader in removing barriers to trade within Canada, Alberta’s government will continue to push other provinces to match our ambition in providing full labour mobility and eliminating trade barriers through work like mutual recognition of regulations. This will allow for goods, services and labour from other provinces to flow into and out of Alberta without having to undergo additional regulatory assessments.

“While no one wins in a tariff war, this situation underscores the need to develop Canada’s trade infrastructure and the diversification of our trading partners and could be the catalyst to unlocking Canada’s true potential. As we look at how best to support Albertans and our businesses, we must also work to reduce internal trade and labour mobility barriers while expanding markets for Alberta energy, agricultural and manufactured products into Europe, Asia, the Americas and beyond. Albertans and Canadians are counting on us.”

Matt Jones, Minister of Jobs, Economy and Trade

Alberta’s government is also focused on doubling oil production. With U.S. tariffs in place on Canadian energy products, Alberta is looking elsewhere for additional pipeline infrastructure, including east and west, in order to get our products to new markets.

Alberta’s government will continue to engage with elected officials and industry leaders in the U.S. to reverse these tariffs on Canadian goods and energy and rebuild Canada’s relationship with its largest trading partner and ally.

Quick facts
- On March 4, U.S. President Trump implemented a 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian goods and a 10 per cent tariff on Canadian energy.
- The U.S. is Alberta’s – and Canada’s – largest trading partner.
- Alberta is the second largest provincial exporter to the U.S. after Ontario.
  - In 2024, Alberta’s exports to the U.S. totalled C$162.6 billion, accounting for 88.7 per cent of total provincial exports.
  - Energy products accounted for approximately C$132.8 billion or 82.2 per cent of Alberta’s exports to the U.S. in 2024.
- About 10 per cent of liquor products in stock in Alberta are imported from the United States.
  - U.S. products represent a small minority of the beer and refreshment beverage categories; however, a significant number of wines originate in the U.S.
  - In 2023-24, about $292 million in U.S. liquor products were sold in Alberta.
- Alberta has been a longstanding supporter of reducing barriers to trade within Canada. In 2019, the province removed 21 of 27 exceptions, including all procurement exceptions, and narrowed the scope of two others. Since then, the province has only added 2 exceptions, which allow for the management the legalization of cannabis.
  - Removing party-specific exemptions has helped facilitate even greater access to the Alberta market for Canadian companies in the areas of government tenders, Crown land acquisition, liquor, energy and forest products, among others.
Related information
- Premier Smith’s speaking notes
- Response to U.S. tariffs: Premier Smith
MIL OSI Canada News –
March 6, 2025

MIL-OSI: Alto Ingredients, Inc. Reports Fourth Quarter and Year-end 2024 Results

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

– Implemented Cost Savings Expected to Yield Approximately $8 Million Annually –
– Integrated Accretive Acquisition of a Beverage-grade Liquid CO₂Processor –
– Considering Asset Sales, a Merger or Other Strategic Transactions –

PEKIN, Ill., March 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Alto Ingredients, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALTO), a leading producer and distributor of specialty alcohols, renewable fuels and essential ingredients, reported its financial results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2024.

Bryon McGregor, President and Chief Executive Officer of Alto Ingredients said, “During the fourth quarter of 2024 and the first quarter of 2025, we implemented cost saving initiatives, including cold idling our Magic Valley plant, and lowering total company headcount by 16%. We expect these staffing reductions to save approximately $8 million annually beginning in the second quarter of 2025. While ensuring high customer service, we rightsized the company to our smaller organizational footprint to position for long-term sustainable growth.

“On January 1^st, we acquired a beverage-grade liquid carbon dioxide processor adjacent to our Columbia site. Bolstering economics and increasing asset valuation, this immediately accretive transaction has a compelling payback of less than two years as well as opportunities for cost synergies and expanded production. At our Pekin Campus, we continue to diligently pursue opportunities to optimize carbon, which has been historically underutilized and undervalued. Lastly, with the assistance of our financial and legal advisors, we are considering a broad range of options, including asset sales, a merger or other strategic transactions to better align the long-term value potential of the company.”

Chief Financial Officer Rob Olander added, “Our restructuring has improved Alto’s financial position going forward. In doing so, during the fourth quarter of 2024, we recognized over $30 million in asset impairments and prior acquisition-related expenses, which reset our base. Combining our reduced expense run rate with our improved performance at the Pekin wet mill, our synergistic acquisition of premium liquid CO₂ processing and our entry into the European market, we are optimistic about 2025.”

Financial Results for the Three Months Ended December 31, 2024 Compared to 2023

Net sales were $236.3 million, compared to $273.6 million.
Cost of goods sold was $237.7 million, compared to $276.2 million.
Gross loss was $1.4 million, including $3.5 million in realized losses on derivatives, compared to a gross loss of $2.5 million, including $2.3 million in realized losses on derivatives.
Selling, general and administrative expenses were $7.4 million, compared to $7.8 million.
Expenses related to the Eagle Alcohol acquisition were $5.7 million, compared to $0.7 million.
Asset impairments were $24.8 million comprised of $21.4 million related to Magic Valley and $3.4 million related to Eagle Alcohol, compared to $6.0 million related to Eagle Alcohol.
Net loss attributable to common stockholders was $42.0 million, or $0.57 per share, compared to $19.3 million, or $0.26 per share.
Adjusted EBITDA was negative $7.7 million, including $3.5 million in realized losses on derivatives, compared to positive $3.5 million, including $2.3 million in realized losses on derivatives.

Cash and cash equivalents were $35.5 million at December 31, 2024, compared to $30.0 million at December 31, 2023. At December 31, 2024, the company’s borrowing availability was $88.1 million including $23.1 million under the company’s operating line of credit and $65.0 million under its term loan facility, subject to certain conditions.

Financial Results for the Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2024 Compared to 2023

Net sales were $965.3 million, compared to $1,222.9 million.
Net loss attributable to common stockholders was $60.3 million, including $32.5 million in expenses related to asset impairments and the company’s Eagle Alcohol acquisition, or $0.82 per share. This compares to $29.3 million, including $6.5 million in net expenses related to asset impairments, the company’s Eagle Alcohol acquisition and a USDA cash grant, or $0.40 per share.
Adjusted EBITDA was negative $8.5 million, including $2.5 million in realized losses on derivatives and $5.4 million in costs related to the biennial outage in the second quarter, compared to positive $20.8 million, including $1.6 million in realized gains on derivatives.

Fourth Quarter 2024 Results Conference Call
Management will host a conference call at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time / 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, and will deliver prepared remarks via webcast followed by a question-and-answer session.

The webcast for the conference call can be accessed from Alto Ingredients’ website at www.altoingredients.com. Alternatively, to receive a number and unique PIN by email, register here. To dial directly up to twenty minutes prior to the scheduled call time, please dial (833) 630-0017 domestically and (412) 317-1806 internationally. The webcast will be archived for replay on the Alto Ingredients website for one year. In addition, a telephonic replay will be available at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, through 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, March 12, 2025. To access the replay, please dial (877) 344-7529. International callers should dial 00-1 412-317-0088. The pass code will be 5306551.

Use of Non-GAAP Measures
Management believes that certain financial measures not in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) are useful measures of operations. The company defines Adjusted EBITDA as unaudited consolidated net income (loss) before interest expense, interest income, provision for income taxes, asset impairments, unrealized derivative gains and losses, acquisition-related expense and depreciation and amortization expense. A table is provided at the end of this release that provides a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to its most directly comparable GAAP measure, net income (loss). Management provides this non-GAAP measure so that investors will have the same financial information that management uses, which may assist investors in properly assessing the company’s performance on a period-over-period basis. Adjusted EBITDA is not a measure of financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to net income (loss) or any other measure of performance under GAAP, or to cash flows from operating, investing or financing activities as an indicator of cash flows or as a measure of liquidity. Adjusted EBITDA has limitations as an analytical tool, and you should not consider this measure in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of the company’s results as reported under GAAP.

About Alto Ingredients, Inc.
Alto Ingredients, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALTO) is a leading producer and distributor of specialty alcohols, renewable fuels and essential ingredients. Leveraging the unique qualities of its facilities, the company serves customers in a wide range of consumer and commercial products in the Health, Home & Beauty; Food & Beverage; Industry & Agriculture; Essential Ingredients; and Renewable Fuels markets. For more information, please visit www.altoingredients.com.

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995
Statements and information contained in this communication that refer to or include Alto Ingredients’ estimated or anticipated future results or other non-historical expressions of fact are forward-looking statements that reflect Alto Ingredients’ current perspective of existing trends and information as of the date of the communication. Forward-looking statements generally will be accompanied by words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “plan,” “could,” “should,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “outlook,” “guidance,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “will,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” or other similar words, phrases or expressions. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning Alto Ingredients’ projected outlook and future performance, including the timing and effects of its cost savings initiatives and its acquisition of a liquid carbon dioxide processor adjacent to its Columbia plant; Alto Ingredients’ capital projects, including its carbon capture and storage (CCS) project and opportunities to optimize carbon; and Alto Ingredients’ other plans, objectives, expectations and intentions. It is important to note that Alto Ingredients’ plans, objectives, expectations and intentions are not predictions of actual performance. Actual results may differ materially from Alto Ingredients’ current expectations depending upon a number of factors affecting Alto Ingredients’ business and plans. These factors include, among others adverse economic and market conditions, including for renewable fuels, specialty alcohols and essential ingredients; export conditions and international demand for the company’s products; fluctuations in the price of and demand for oil and gasoline; raw material costs, including production input costs, such as corn and natural gas; adverse impacts of inflation and supply chain constraints; and the cost, ability to fund, timing and effects of, including the financial and other results deriving from, Alto Ingredients’ repair and maintenance programs, plant improvements and other capital projects, including CCS, and other business initiatives and strategies. These factors also include, among others, the inherent uncertainty associated with financial and other projections and large-scale capital projects, including CCS; the anticipated size of the markets and continued demand for Alto Ingredients’ products; the impact of competitive products and pricing; the risks and uncertainties normally incident to the alcohol production, marketing and distribution industries; changes in generally accepted accounting principles; successful compliance with governmental regulations applicable to Alto Ingredients’ facilities, products and/or businesses; changes in laws, regulations and governmental policies, including with respect to the Inflation Reduction Act’s tax and other benefits Alto Ingredients expects to derive from CCS; the loss of key senior management or staff; and other events, factors and risks previously and from time to time disclosed in Alto Ingredients’ filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including, specifically, those factors set forth in the “Risk Factors” section contained in Alto Ingredients’ Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 8, 2024.

Company IR and Media Contact:
Michael Kramer, Alto Ingredients, Inc., 916-403-2755
Investorrelations@altoingredients.com

IR Agency Contact:
Kirsten Chapman, Alliance Advisors Investor Relations, 415-433-3777
altoinvestor@allianceadvisors.com

ALTO INGREDIENTS, INC. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (unaudited, in thousands, except per share data)

	Three Months Ended December 31,						Years Ended December 31,
	2024			2023			2024			2023

Net sales	$	236,347		$	273,625		$	965,258		$	1,222,940
Cost of goods sold		237,738			276,150			955,536			1,207,287
Gross profit (loss)		(1,391	)		(2,525	)		9,722			15,653
Selling, general and administrative expenses		(7,358	)		(7,823	)		(29,736	)		(29,864	)
Acquisition-related expenses		(5,676	)		(700	)		(7,701	)		(2,800	)
Gain (loss) on sale of assets		—			(153	)		830			(293	)
Asset impairments		(24,790	)		(5,970	)		(24,790	)		(6,544	)
Loss from operations		(39,215	)		(17,171	)		(51,675	)		(23,848	)
Interest expense, net		(2,474	)		(2,126	)		(7,644	)		(7,425	)
Income from cash grant		—			—			—			2,812
Other income, net		150			449			508			553
Loss before provision for income taxes		(41,539	)		(18,848	)		(58,811	)		(27,908	)
Provision for income taxes		173			97			173			97
Net loss	$	(41,712	)	$	(18,945	)	$	(58,984	)	$	(28,005	)
Preferred stock dividends	$	(319	)	$	(319	)	$	(1,269	)	$	(1,265	)
Net loss attributable to common stockholders	$	(42,031	)	$	(19,264	)	$	(60,253	)	$	(29,270	)
Net loss per share, basic and diluted	$	(0.57	)	$	(0.26	)	$	(0.82	)	$	(0.40	)
Weighted-average shares outstanding, basic and diluted		73,835			72,969			73,482			73,339

ALTO INGREDIENTS, INC. CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (unaudited, in thousands, except par value)

ASSETS	December 31, 2024		December 31, 2023
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	35,469	$	30,014
Restricted cash		742		15,466
Accounts receivable, net		58,217		58,729
Inventories		49,914		52,611
Derivative instruments		3,313		2,412
Other current assets		5,463		9,538
Total current assets		153,118		168,770
Property and equipment, net		214,742		248,748
Other Assets:
Right of use operating lease assets, net		20,553		22,597
Intangible assets, net		4,509		8,498
Other assets		8,516		5,628
Total other assets		33,578		36,723
Total Assets	$	401,438	$	454,241

ALTO INGREDIENTS, INC. CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (CONTINUED) (unaudited, in thousands, except par value)

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY	December 31, 2024			December 31, 2023
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	$	20,369		$	20,752
Accrued liabilities		24,214			20,205
Current portion – operating leases		4,851			4,333
Derivative instruments		1,177			13,849
Other current liabilities		7,193			6,149
Total current liabilities		57,804			65,288

Long-term debt, net		92,904			82,097
Operating leases, net of current portion		16,913			19,029
Other liabilities		8,754			8,270
Total Liabilities		176,375			174,684

Stockholders’ Equity:
Preferred stock, $0.001 par value; 10,000 shares authorized; Series A: no shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2024 and 2023 Series B: 927 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2024 and 2023		1			1
Common stock, $0.001 par value; 300,000 shares authorized; 76,565 and 75,703 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively		77			76
Non-voting common stock, $0.001 par value; 3,553 shares authorized; 1 share issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2024 and 2023		—			—
Additional paid-in capital		1,044,176			1,040,912
Accumulated other comprehensive income		4,975			2,481
Accumulated deficit		(824,166	)		(763,913	)
Total Stockholders’ Equity		225,063			279,557
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity	$	401,438		$	454,241

Reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to Net Loss

	Three Months Ended December 31,						Years Ended December 31,
(in thousands) (unaudited)	2024			2023			2024			2023
Net loss	$	(41,712	)	$	(18,945	)	$	(58,984	)	$	(28,005	)
Adjustments:
Interest expense		2,474			2,126			7,644			7,425
Interest income		(112	)		(265	)		(689	)		(854	)
Unrealized derivative (gains) losses		(5,495	)		8,162			(13,574	)		9,679
Acquisition-related expense		5,676			700			7,701			2,800
Provision for income taxes		173			97			173			97
Asset impairments		24,790			5,970			24,790			6,544
Depreciation and amortization expense		6,548			5,698			24,408			23,080
Total adjustments		34,054			22,488			50,453			48,771
Adjusted EBITDA	$	(7,658	)	$	3,543		$	(8,531	)	$	20,766

Segment Financials (unaudited, in thousands)

	Three Months Ended December 31,						Years Ended December 31,
	2024			2023			2024			2023
*Net Sales*
Pekin Campus, recorded as gross:
Alcohol sales	$	100,216		$	113,588		$	415,710		$	502,217
Essential ingredient sales		42,011			48,483			169,308			217,702
Intersegment sales		316			307			1,243			1,427
Total Pekin Campus sales		142,543			162,378			586,261			721,346
Marketing and distribution:
Alcohol sales, gross	$	37,230		$	46,844		$	216,295		$	262,587
Alcohol sales, net		60			73			229			365
Intersegment sales		2,831			2,920			10,833			11,654
Total marketing and distribution sales		40,121			49,837			227,357			274,606

Western production, recorded as gross:
Alcohol sales	$	41,306		$	44,496		$	115,389		$	166,971
Essential ingredient sales		12,769			16,650			36,953			57,264
Intersegment sales		—			35			(122	)		134
Total Western production sales		54,075			61,181			152,220			224,369

Corporate and other		2,755			3,491			11,374			15,834
Intersegment eliminations		(3,147	)		(3,262	)		(11,954	)		(13,215	)
Net sales as reported	$	236,347		$	273,625		$	965,258		$	1,222,940
*Cost of goods sold:*
Pekin Campus (1) (2)	$	139,899		$	163,497		$	563,033		$	710,089
Marketing and distribution		36,348			46,311			213,023			259,234
Western production (1)		59,449			65,042			172,209			230,444
Corporate and other		3,592			2,802			12,285			12,122
Intersegment eliminations		(1,550	)		(1,502	)		(5,014	)		(4,602	)
Cost of goods sold as reported	$	237,738		$	276,150		$	955,536		$	1,207,287
*Gross profit (loss):*
Pekin Campus	$	2,644		$	(1,119	)	$	23,228		$	11,257
Marketing and distribution		3,773			3,526			14,334			15,372
Western production		(5,374	)		(3,861	)		(19,989	)		(6,075	)
Corporate and other		(837	)		689			(911	)		3,712
Intersegment eliminations		(1,597	)		(1,760	)		(6,940	)		(8,613	)
Gross profit (loss) as reported	$	(1,391	)	$	(2,525	)	$	9,722		$	15,653

(1) – includes depreciation and amortization expense
(2) – includes unrealized gain (loss) on derivatives

Sales and Operating Metrics (unaudited)

	Three Months Ended December 31,				Years Ended December 31,
	2024		2023		2024		2023
Alcohol Sales (gallons in millions)
Pekin Campus renewable fuel gallons sold		32.1		31.8		125.7		136.2
Western production renewable fuel gallons sold		22.3		20.4		60.5		67.0
Third party renewable fuel gallons sold		19.0		20.2		108.3		102.6
Total renewable fuel gallons sold		73.4		72.4		294.5		305.8
Specialty alcohol gallons sold		21.7		20.1		91.5		76.7
Total gallons sold		95.1		92.5		386.0		382.5

Sales Price per Gallon
Pekin Campus	$	1.89	$	2.23	$	1.95	$	2.40
Western production	$	1.86	$	2.18	$	1.91	$	2.49
Marketing and distribution	$	1.96	$	2.32	$	2.00	$	2.56
Total	$	1.88	$	2.24	$	1.95	$	2.47

Alcohol Production (gallons in millions)
Pekin Campus		55.4		51.6		212.4		209.7
Western production		21.2		20.8		58.7		68.1
Total		76.6		72.4		271.1		277.8

Corn Cost per Bushel
Pekin Campus	$	4.17	$	5.10	$	4.45	$	6.32
Western production	$	5.79	$	6.44	$	5.73	$	7.45
Total	$	4.63	$	5.46	$	4.72	$	6.58

Average Market Metrics
PLATTS Ethanol price per gallon	$	1.60	$	1.96	$	1.69	$	2.22
CME Corn cost per bushel	$	4.26	$	4.76	$	4.24	$	5.64
Board corn crush per gallons (1)	$	0.08	$	0.26	$	0.18	$	0.21

Essential Ingredients Sold (thousand tons)
Pekin Campus:
Distillers grains		85.3		80.2		336.4		332.7
CO2		52.7		43.4		188.6		182.4
Corn wet feed		41.4		25.0		121.8		95.0
Corn dry feed		22.0		23.3		87.2		90.6
Corn oil and germ		21.0		18.2		75.1		73.8
Syrup and other		10.0		12.7		38.6		41.2
Corn meal		9.3		9.0		35.4		36.8
Yeast		5.4		6.2		23.2		25.9
Total Pekin Campus essential ingredients sold		247.1		218.0		906.3		878.4


Western production:
Distillers grains		144.3		152.0		394.5		459.7
CO2		14.6		13.8		57.7		55.5
Syrup and other		17.2		47.5		54.8		119.1
Corn oil		3.1		2.8		7.6		8.0
Total Western production essential ingredients sold		179.2		216.1		514.6		642.3

Total Essential Ingredients Sold		426.3		434.1		1,420.9		1,520.7


Essential ingredients return % (2)
Pekin Campus return		49.5%		51.9%		49.7%		45.7%
Western production return		30.3%		36.3%		32.0%		33.4%
Consolidated total return		43.1%		46.8%		45.2%		42.4%

________________
(1) Assumes corn conversion of 2.80 gallons of alcohol per bushel of corn.
(2) Essential ingredients revenues as a percentage of total corn costs consumed.

The MIL Network –

March 6, 2025

MIL-OSI USA: Warner, Kaine, and Klobuchar Unveil Legislation to Undo President Trump’s Senseless Taxes on Canadian Goods

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner
WASHINGTON– Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Tim Kaine, Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, (D-VA), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), unveiled legislation to undo President Donald Trump’s wildly unpopular tariffs on Canadian goods, which amount to a 25 percent tax on goods imported from one of America’s top trading partners and closest allies.
“Virginians can’t afford the cost of President Trump’s tariffs, which will raise prices on everything from groceries to houses and cars,” said Sen. Warner. “Congress must step in before President Trump tanks our economy.”
“Americans want prices to go down—not skyrocket, which is exactly what will happen if Congress lets President Trump slap new taxes on goods from one of our largest trading partners and closest allies,” said Sen. Kaine. “We don’t need to guess what kind of damage these senseless new taxes will do. During Trump’s first term, his trade wars spelled disaster for Virginians, particularly for farmers and foresters who were hit especially hard. Congress has a responsibility to stop that from happening again, and I urge all of my colleagues to join me in blocking Trump from destroying our economy.”
“This Administration is igniting a reckless trade war and regular Americans are paying the price,” said Sen. Klobuchar. “Costs for everyone will go up and our farmers and businesses will suffer. Canada is Minnesota’s top trading partner and is a key U.S. ally. We must reverse these damaging tariffs before it’s too late.”
In Virginia in 2024, Canada was the largest export market and accounted for 15 percent of Virginia exports. In Virginia in 2022, top goods exports to Canada included motor vehicles and transportation equipment, such as medium- and heavy-duty trucks. 56.1 percent of Southwest Virginia’s economic output is dependent on trade.
Polls have overwhelmingly demonstrated that the American people do not support Trump’s trade wars. According to a recent survey by Public First, just 28 percent of American adults supported specifically applying tariffs to Canada, while 43 percent opposed.
Specifically, the senators’ legislation would work by terminating the February 1 emergency that Trump used to launch his trade war with Canada, and thus eliminate the tariffs on Canadian imports implemented as a result. Trump’s order cites the International Economic Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA), an unprecedented use of IEEPA in its nearly half century history. After an initial one-month delay, President Trump decided to move forward with the tariffs, with the import taxes starting to be collected on March 4, 2025. In total, President Trump’s IEEPA tariffs will cost the average American household up to $2,000 a year, with the Canada tariffs making up a significant portion of that. These IEEPA tariffs represent the largest tax increase on American families in recent history.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 6, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville Reintroduces Legislation to Expand Treatment Options for Veterans

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined U.S. Senators John Hoeven (R-ND) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND) in reintroducing the HBOT Access Act to make Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) an available resource for veterans suffering from Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) who have exhausted other evidence-based treatment options. Senator Tuberville previously introduced this legislation in the 117^th Congress.

Senator Tuberville spoke about the need to expand HBOT for veterans yesterday in a U.S. Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC) hearing and received thunderous applause from veterans in the room.

“Our veterans face many battles from their time in war—including those that we can’t see,” said Senator Tuberville. “We must do more to support them as they face these silent struggles, especially when it comes to mental health. For veterans that have exhausted other options, access to HBOT treatment could make all the difference in them living to see another day. We have nothing to lose, but we do have lives to save. I appreciate Senators Hoeven and Cramer joining me to introduce this critical piece of legislation, and will continue fighting for America’s veterans.”

The HBOT Access Act is endorsed by the American Legion.

BACKGROUND

Senator Tuberville represents Alabama’s more than 400,000 veterans on the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee and hasworked to make targeted, yet meaningful changes to how the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) delivers care and benefits for veterans. He has introduced several pieces of legislation that have been signed into law, including the Supporting Families of the Fallen Act, Restoring Benefits to Defrauded Veterans Act, and legislation to streamline Post-9/11 benefits for service members and their dependents.

The HBOT Access Act would require the VA to provide HBOT as a treatment option to any veteran suffering from TBI or PTSD and who has tried no fewer than two evidence-based treatment options. This legislation builds on the Right to Try Actsigned into law by President Trump. Currently, HBOT is an FDA-approved treatment option for 14 different illnesses, but is not approved for use by the VA for traumatic brain injuries, although evidence of beneficial HBOT treatment is documented within the veterans’ community.

MORE:

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: Praise Mounts for Tuberville’s HBOT Access Act

Tuberville Leads Effort to Provide Veterans Greater Access to Treatment, Introduces HBOT Access Act

Tuberville Introduces Legislation to Ensure Community Care Access for Veterans

Tuberville, Moran Introduce Legislation to Improve Access to Care for Veterans

Senate Passes Tuberville Legislation to Restore Benefits to Defrauded Veterans

House Passes Tuberville Legislation to Restore Benefits to Defrauded Veterans

Tuberville Continues Fight to Protect Veterans’ Access to Community Care

Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP, and Aging Committees.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 6, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Dmitry Patrushev took part in a joint meeting of the Supervisory and Trustee Boards of MGIMO

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

The annual joint meeting of the supervisory and trustee boards of MGIMO of the Russian Foreign Ministry took place in Moscow. Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev took part in it.

Dmitry Patrushev took part in a joint meeting of the Supervisory and Trustee Boards of MGIMO.

March 5, 2025

Previous news Next news

“Since 2018, MGIMO and the Ministry of Agriculture have had an agreement to establish a basic department. Its key objective is to train highly qualified specialists with an understanding of the international specifics of trade and promotion of agricultural products. Over 130 people have graduated in six years. These are professionals who successfully work as representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture abroad, as well as in leading companies in the industry. I think that the competition for these areas will only increase. Agricultural markets are of serious interest today, and we are ready to develop this area,” Dmitry Patrushev noted.

The meeting was chaired by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Members of the Supervisory Board and Trustees of MGIMO heard a report by MGIMO Rector Anatoly Torkunov “On the University’s Activities in 2024 and the Main Provisions of the MGIMO Development Program “Priority. Technological Leadership” for 2025-2036.”

Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

MIL OSI Russia News –

March 6, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Plan, Prepare and Protect Your Pet Before, During and After an Emergency

Source: US Food and Drug Administration

[embedded content]
Español
They make us laugh. They are usually waiting for us when we get home from work and school. They give us unconditional love. They are often our best friends. And they depend on us for everything: food, water, healthcare. They are our pets and part of the family.
Our pets also depend on us when emergency strikes. Are you ready with your pet preparedness plan?
Your Pet Preparedness Plan — Prepare Ahead for Your Pet’s Needs
When it comes to planning for emergencies, pet owners should consider their pets too. With some simple preparations now, you can make sure your pet will be protected, safe and healthy during and after any emergency. In the middle of a disaster, or when you know one is imminent, you may not have time to prepare for the specific needs of your pet. Now is the time for pet preparedness planning, and here are some tips.

Stock at least a 1-week supply of food and fresh water on hand for your pet, as well as a 1-week supply of medication, if your pet takes medication.
Include copies of your pet’s vaccination records and other medical records in your pet preparedness kit. Include information about your pet’s insurance policy, if you have one.
Experts suggest that you also include photos of your pet to help others identify them in case you and your pet become separated.

How to Weather Emergencies With your Pet and How to Evacuate Safely if Necessary
If you experience an emergency like a hurricane or flood, bring your pet indoors as soon as local authorities say a storm is coming. Stay indoors, preferably in a room with few or no windows, until you know it’s safe. Take your pet preparedness kit and other disaster supplies with you if you move from room to room.
If you need to evacuate your home, it is important to bring your pet with you. You can find out from your local emergency management agency which emergency shelters allow pets.
If you cannot take your pet when you evacuate and must leave them in your home, put a Rescue Alert Sticker on your door to let people know there is a pet inside.
Pet Preparedness for Large Pets and Smaller Pets, Like Fish
Having larger and smaller pets during an emergency can pose additional challenges. While dogs and cats are relatively easy to transport and evacuate to a shelter, what do you do with your horse, or fish that are in an aquarium or pond?
If you have large animals such as horses, cattle, sheep, goats or pigs on your property, make sure they all have some form of identification. Map out primary and secondary evacuation routes in advance and identify the vehicles or trailers that would be needed for transporting and supporting each type of animal. If you need to evacuate with larger animals, make sure that your emergency destination has food and water, as well as access to veterinary care and handling equipment. If you need to evacuate and cannot take your larger animals, you will need to decide how and where to move them to shelter or if it’s better to turn them outside.
There are some basic guidelines for dealing with fish in aquariums or ponds during a power outage. Experts recommend you do not feed your fish during a power outage. Most fish can survive days or even weeks without food. During the winter, if you lose power, you can insulate your aquarium with something like a blanket or newspapers. An alternate power source, like a generator, can run the heater, pump, and filter. If you must move your fish, you can use a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag and fill the bag with one-third water and two-thirds air. Alternatively, you can use a bucket, tub, or large jar. It is important that you NOT release your pet fish into local waterways. Introducing non-native fish species is harmful to local waterways. If you cannot keep your fish because of an impending emergency, experts recommend taking them to a pet store.
Helping Your Pet Adjust After an Emergency
You and your pet have made it through the emergency, but your pet doesn’t seem normal and is displaying unexpected behaviors. Well-behaved pets may become aggressive or defensive after a major disruption in their lives, and it may take several weeks for them to return to normal. Keep an eye on your pet and give him or her plenty of time to rest; however, if your pet remains extremely anxious or has other behavioral or health problems afterward, contact your veterinarian.

Find more about Pet Preparedness at the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine:
Take Care of Your Pets Before Disaster Strikes
Taking Care of Your Pets During Hurricanes and Floods
Additional resources:
Prepare Your Pets for Disasters: This page has tips for dogs and cats as well as tips for large animals, such as horses, goats and pigs.
NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards: NWR broadcasts official Weather Service warnings, watches, forecasts and other hazard information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Large Animals and Livestock in Disasters

MIL OSI USA News –

March 6, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Agricultural policy comments during Grüne Woche – E-000596/2025
Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-000596/2025/rev.1
to the Commission
Rule 144
Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy (Renew)

During Grüne Woche (Green Week), Commissioner Hansen reportedly said that the time for a one-size-fits-all approach is over: based on available space and population size within each country, different countries should adhere to different rules. He is not open to pleas to reduce livestock. Recently, the Dutch court reprimanded the national government once again for refusing to adopt policies to reduce the nitrogen surplus in the Netherlands, which is damaging the surrounding natural environment beyond the point of no return. Agriculture is responsible for 76 % of Dutch-sourced nitrogen emissions, and the Netherlands has the highest livestock density in Europe. This raises several questions:

1.If EU-wide nature preservation and restoration targets are to be mixed with tailor-made agricultural rules per Member State, can the Commission clarify when the population of an EU Member State is entitled to more or less nature?

2.Can the Commission assess, in relation to harmful ammonia deposits and a manure surplus – both effects of concentrated livestock farming – the capacity of a Member State to sustain its current livestock density without harming EU nature goals and water quality targets?

3.Could the Commission provide us with the scientific basis for rejecting livestock reduction as a policy option?

Submitted: 10.2.2025
Last updated: 5 March 2025
MIL OSI Europe News –
March 6, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Five People Convicted in $1 Million Fraud Scheme Involving Elderly Victims
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Five defendants who participated in a conspiracy and a fraud scheme involving 401(k) accounts of elderly retired Florida school district employees have been convicted after three defendants pleaded guilty and two defendants were found guilty by a federal jury. Michelle Spaven, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the convictions of the following defendants:
- Ronald Vargas, 38, of Osteen, Florida, pleaded guilty on August 21, 2024, to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft, and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.
Evidence presented at trial and court records show that the defendants were involved in a conspiracy to steal retirement funds from participants in a retirement 401(k) savings program comprised largely of Florida school district employees or prior employees. Between January 2022, and March 2022, Vargas, who worked for the company handling the retirement fund, conspired with the other defendants to have fraudulent withdraw forms faxed to the company requesting that the victims’ retirement funds be transferred to accounts controlled by members of the conspiracy. In total, the conspirators withdrew and attempted to withdraw retirement funds from 25 different 401(k) accounts, resulting in a net total of $1.1 million being stolen. Evidence presented at trial also established that Bostic was engaging in money laundering with the stolen funds.

Sentencing hearings for all defendants are scheduled for April 28, 2025, beginning at 10:00 a.m., at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before United States District Judge Robert L. Hinkle. All defendants face up to 20 years’ imprisonment and up to three years on supervised release for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud. Vargas, Levy, Grace Aguebor, and Bostic face a mandatory minimum sentence of two years imprisonment—consecutive to any other prison sentence imposed by the court.

These convictions were the result of a joint investigation by the Tallahassee Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen.

If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.

More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at www.justice.gov/elderjustice. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints can be filed with the FTC at www.reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Justice Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, at www.ovc.gov.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

MIL Security OSI –
March 6, 2025

MIL-OSI: Minutes of the annual general meeting held on 5 March 2025

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Nasdaq Copenhagen
Euronext Dublin
London Stock Exchange
Other stakeholders

Date 5 March 2025

Minutes of the annual general meeting held on 5 March 2025

The bank held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) today, Wednesday, 5 March 2025, with the agenda as previously published.

Minutes of decisions of the AGM as per the items on the agenda:

The chairman of the board of directors, Martin Krogh Pedersen, opened the general meeting and welcomed the attendees.

1. Election of chairperson
Allan Østergaard Sørensen, attorney-at-law, of Ringkøbing, deputy chairman of the shareholders’ committee, was elected chairman of the AGM.

2. The board’s report on the bank’s activities in the previous year
Martin Krogh Pedersen, chairman of the board of directors, presented the board’s report on the bank’s activities during the previous year, among these Martin Krogh Pedersen also reviewed the proposals regarding the agenda items: 5. Consultative vote on the remuneration report, 6. Approval of the remuneration of the board of directors for the current financial year, and 7. Remuneration policy.

The board’s report was noted.

3. Presentation of the annual report for approval, and
4. Decision on allocation of profit or covering of loss under the approved annual report
John Fisker, CEO, presented the annual report for 2024 for approval and explained the proposed profit allocation.

The annual report for 2024 was approved.

The AGM resolved to distribute the total comprehensive income for the year as follows (thousand DKK):

Appropriated for ordinary dividend, DKK 11 per share	293,774
Appropriated for charitable purposes	2,000
Transfer to net revaluation reserve under the equity method	-3
Transfer to retained earnings	2,005,075

Total	2,300,846

5. Consultative vote on the remuneration report
As part of his presentation of the board’s report on the bank’s activities during the previous year, Martin Krogh Pedersen, chairman of the board of directors, presented the remuneration report for 2024 for a consultative vote.

The remuneration report for 2024 was approved.

6. Approval of the remuneration of the board of directors for the current financial year
As part of his presentation of the board’s report on the bank’s activities during the previous year, Martin Krogh Pedersen, chairman of the board of directors, presented the proposal for the remuneration of the board of directors for the current financial year for approval.

The proposal for the remuneration of the board of directors for the current financial year (2025) was approved.

7. Remuneration policy
As part of his presentation of the board’s report on the bank’s activities during the previous year, Martin Krogh Pedersen, chairman of the board of directors, presented an updated remuneration policy for approval.

The updated remuneration policy was approved.

8. Election of members to the shareholders’ committee
In accordance with the decision made by the bank’s annual general meeting held on 28 February 2024, the following members of the shareholders’ committee, whose terms of office end in 2025 and 2026, retired in rotation: Mette Bundgaard, Per Lykkegaard Christensen, Ole Kirkegård Erlandsen, Thomas Sindberg Hansen, Tonny Hansen, Kim Jacobsen, Morten Jensen, Kasper Lykke Kjeldsen, Lotte Littau Kjærgaard, Niels Erik Burgdorf Madsen, Martin Krogh Pedersen, Poul Kjær Poulsgaard, Kristian Skannerup, Allan Østergaard Sørensen, Jørgen Kolle Sørensen, Sten Uggerhøj, Lasse Svoldgaard Vesterby and Christina Ørskov.

In addition, Lars Møller and Yvonne Skagen must retire from the shareholders’ committee due to the age requirement in the articles of association.

Martin Krogh Pedersen, chairman of the board of directors, presented the recommendation, made by the shareholders’ committee and the board of directors, regarding elections of members to the shareholders’ committee.

The following members were re-elected to the shareholders’ committee:

Mette Bundgaard, police superintendent, No, born 1966
Per Lykkegaard Christensen, farmer, Hjallerup, born 1959
Ole Kirkegård Erlandsen, butcher, Snejbjerg, born 1962
Thomas Sindberg Hansen, grocer, Kloster, born 1978
Tonny Hansen, former college principal, Ringkøbing, born 1958
Kim Jacobsen, manager, Aalborg, born 1969
Morten Jensen, attorney-at-law (Supreme Court), Dronninglund, born 1961
Kasper Lykke Kjeldsen, timber merchant, Højbjerg, born 1981
Lotte Littau Kjærgaard, manager, Holstebro, born 1969
Niels Erik Burgdorf Madsen, manager, Ølgod, born 1959
Martin Krogh Pedersen, CEO, Ringkøbing, born 1967
Poul Kjær Poulsgaard, farmer, Madum, born 1974
Kristian Skannerup, manufacturer, Tim, born 1959
Allan Østergaard Sørensen, attorney-at-law (High Court), Ringkøbing, born 1982
Jørgen Kolle Sørensen, sales representative and branch manager, Hvide Sande, born 1970
Sten Uggerhøj, car dealer, Frederikshavn, born 1959
Lasse Svoldgaard Vesterby, manager, Ringkøbing, born 1978
Christina Ørskov, manager, Gærum, born 1969

The following new members were elected to the shareholders’ committee:

Rasmus Alstrup, farmer, Videbæk, born 1985
Rikke Ahnfeldt Kjær, CFO, Gistrup, born 1980
Pia Stevnhøj Sommer, sales director, Lind, born 1979

9. Election of one or more auditors
The chairperson, Allan Østergaard Sørensen, presented the recommendation of the shareholders’ committee, the board of directors and the audit committee to re-elect as external auditor and as sustainability auditor Revisionsfirmaet PricewaterhouseCoopers, Statsautoriseret Revisionspartnerselskab.

The shareholders re-elected as external auditor and as sustainability auditor:

Revisionsfirmaet PricewaterhouseCoopers, Statsautoriseret Revisionspartnerselskab

10. Authorisation for the board of directors to permit the bank to acquire its own shares
The chairperson, Allan Sørensen, presented the board of directors’ proposal for the authorisation.

The authorisation of the board of directors proposed below was adopted:
‘The board of directors proposes that it be granted authorisation to permit the bank to acquire its own shares, in accordance with current legislation, until the next annual general meeting, to a total nominal value of ten percent (10%) of the share capital, such that the shares can be acquired at current market price plus or minus ten percent (+/-10%) at the time of acquisition.’

11. Any proposals from the board of directors, the shareholders’ committee or shareholders

11.a. Proposed amendments to the articles of association (articles 2a and 2b)
The chairperson, Allan Østergaard Sørensen, explained the amendments to the articles of association proposed by the shareholders’ committee and the board of directors.

The amendments to the articles of association, as stated in the full proposals, were adopted.

11.b. Proposal to reduce the bank’s share capital by nom. DKK 1,315,042 by cancellation of its own shares
The chairperson, Allan Østergaard Sørensen, presented the board of directors’ proposal for a reduction of the bank’s share capital.

The following proposal for the reduction of the share capital and the amendment of the articles of association was adopted:
‘The board of directors proposes a reduction in the bank’s share capital from nom. DKK 26,706,739 to nom. DKK 25,391,697 by cancellation of 1,315,042 nom. DKK 1 shares from the bank’s holding of its own shares of a nominal value of DKK 1,315,042.

Please note that, in accordance with section 188(1) of the Danish Companies Act, the purpose of the reduction in the bank’s share capital is payment to shareholders. The amount of the reduction has been used as payment to shareholders for shares acquired by the bank under the authorisation previously granted to the board of directors by the general meeting.

The share capital will consequently be reduced by nom. DKK 1,315,042 and the bank’s holding of its own shares will be reduced by 1,315,042 nom. DKK 1 shares. Please note that, in accordance with section 188(2) of the Danish Companies Act, the shares in question were acquired for a total sum of DKK 1,524,948,149. This means that, apart from the reduction in nominal capital, DKK 1,523,633,107 has been paid to shareholders.

The purpose of the board of directors’ proposed reduction of the share capital is to maintain flexibility in the bank’s capital structure.

If the proposal is adopted, the following changes will be made to articles 2, 2a, 2b and 2c of the articles of association:

Art. 2: The amount of “26,706,739” will be changed to “25,391,697”
Art. 2a: The amount of “5,341,347” will be changed to “5,078,339”
Art. 2b: The amount of “2,670,673” will be changed to “2,539,169”
Art. 2c: The amount of “5,341,347” will be changed to “5,078,339”.’

11.c. Proposed authorisation for the board of directors or its appointee
The chairperson, Allan Østergaard Sørensen, presented the board of directors’ proposal for authorisation of the board of directors or its appointee.

The following proposed authorisation of the board of directors or its appointee was adopted:
‘The board of directors proposes that the board of directors, or its appointee, be authorised to report the decisions which have been adopted at the general meeting for registration and to make such changes to the documents submitted to the Danish Business Authority as the Authority may require or find appropriate in connection with registration of the decisions of the general meeting.’

11.d. Proposal from a shareholder
The chairperson, Allan Østergaard Sørensen, presented the board of directors’ proposal for the
following proposal submitted by a shareholder.

Proposal submitted by shareholder Poul Aksel Andersen, Hobro:
‘Reason for the proposal:
The minutes of the 2024 annual general meeting state that: “In recruiting and proposing candidates for the shareholders’ committee (election and re-election), the committee and board of directors have focused on ensuring a diverse committee membership in terms of business experience, professional qualifications and expertise, gender, age etc.”

Despite this, it is evident from the minutes that all of the elected members of the shareholders’ committee in 2024 were in leading positions. The shareholders’ committee is therefore hardly representative of the bank’s shareholders or customers in terms of business experience, professional qualifications or expertise.

Proposal:
It is proposed, that Ringkjøbing Landbobank’s work of recruiting and proposing of candidates in the future should focus on making the composition of the shareholders’ committee representative of the bank’s shareholders and customers; that the bank should make the process of admitting committee members transparent for all shareholders who might be interested in joining the shareholders’ committee; and that the bank’s work should focus specifically on ensuring that at least 25% of the members of the shareholders’ committee are employees without responsibilities for managing other staff.

The board of directors’ recommendation regarding the proposal:
The members of the bank’s board of directors are elected by the shareholders’ committee. Six of the eight current board members elected by the shareholders’ committee came from the membership of the shareholders’ committee. The shareholders’ committee is thus a recruitment channel for the board of directors. It is relevant, therefore, that the members of the shareholders’ committee possess the right competences for onward recruitment to the board of directors. In addition, the authorities nowadays impose a number of requirements on serving members of boards of directors of financial undertakings, including in relation to their competences, and there are also requirements regarding the collective competences of the plenary board of directors.

The board of directors, the board of directors’ nomination committee and the shareholders’ committee are already working to promote diversity in the shareholders’ committee.

The board of directors does not consider it appropriate to tie the board of directors’ nomination committee, the board of directors and the shareholders’ committee to a specific framework in future recruitment processes for nominations of candidates to the shareholders’ committee.

For the above reasons, the board of directors does not support the proposal.‘

The proposal submitted by shareholder Poul Aksel Andersen, Hobro, was not adopted.

Yours faithfully
Ringkjøbing Landbobank

John Fisker
CEO

Attachment

Meddelelse om afholdt generalforsamling 2025 endelig EN

The MIL Network –

March 6, 2025

MIL-OSI USA: Grassley Statement Ahead of President Trump’s Joint Address to Congress

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) issued a statement regarding President Donald Trump’s upcoming joint address to Congress.
“Last November, the American people delivered a mandate for President Trump to secure the border, scrutinize federal spending, restore American leadership, end the politicization of the Justice Department and bring common sense to Washington.
“Since returning to office, President Trump has swept through Washington like a hurricane. He’s making necessary changes to hold bureaucrats accountable, save taxpayer dollars and end the radical Biden-Harris policies that weakened our country.
“I look forward to listening to President Trump tonight as he discusses the many ways he’s delivering for the American people, including through his efforts to secure our southern border and crack down on deadly fentanyl. I also hope he’ll take time to outline his support for family farmers, who make up just 2% of the population, yet produce enough to feed the other 98%.
“In Congress, Republicans will keep working with the president to strengthen our military, economy and border security.”
-30-

MIL OSI USA News –

March 6, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Grassley, Durbin Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Curb Food Waste

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
WASHINGTON – Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) introduced the bipartisan Reduce Food Loss and Waste Act to prevent and reduce food waste across the country. Each year, the U.S. produces and imports 237 million tons of food, but 31 percent of this food is never sold or eaten, while millions of Americans experience food insecurity.
“Too many families suffer from food insecurity. The Iowa Waste Reduction Center at the University of Northern Iowa has demonstrated the economic and environmental benefits of reducing food waste, and Congress should act to build on this impactful work. Our legislation would recognize businesses for using excess food responsibly and incentivize others to improve their practices,” Grassley said.
“While millions of Americans face food insecurity, millions of tons of food waste end up in landfills every year and contribute to methane emissions that drive the climate crisis. We must address these crises for the sake of hungry families, our economy and our environment. Today, I’m reintroducing the bipartisan Reduce Food Loss and Waste Act with Senator Grassley to move our country toward more conscious consumption and curbing food waste,” Durbin said.
“Food waste continues to be a national concern for our communities, especially here in Iowa, where 22 percent of all waste going to our landfills is food. We look forward to working with Senators Durbin and Grassley to support the Reduce Food Loss and Waste Act through our continued initiatives at the Iowa Waste Reduction Center,” said Mark Nook, President of the University of Northern Iowa.
Specifically, the Reduce Food Loss and Waste Act would establish a “Food Loss and Waste Reduction Certification,” and direct the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to create:
Criteria, which businesses and organizations would have to meet to receive a Food Loss and Waste Reduction Certification;
A verification process, to confirm that businesses and organizations have achieved the criteria; and
A label, which certified businesses and organizations would be authorized to use on their products, buildings and websites.
The “Food Loss and Waste Reduction Certification” would be similar to existing certifications, such as ENERGY STAR and the BioPreferred Program. The Reduce Food Loss and Waste Act would direct USDA to promote the certification to ensure that consumers are informed about which businesses and organizations have received it.
The Reduce Food Loss and Waste Act has support from the University of Northern Iowa, National Restaurant Association and Consumer Brands Association, Natural Resources Defense Council, Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic, World Wildlife Fund, Too Good To Go, Kellanova and FMI – The Food Industry Association.
Background:
Food waste has significant economic, environmental and social impacts. More than $440 billion is spent annually to produce and dispose of food that is never consumed or sold. Sending uneaten food to landfills or incinerators uses up more than 20 trillion liters of water, which is equivalent to the annual water use of 50 million homes, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Additionally, just one-third of food waste, if saved from disposal, could feed the 47 million Americans, including 14 million children, who are suffering from food insecurity, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.
-30-

MIL OSI USA News –

March 6, 2025

Category: Agriculture

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