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Beijing is worried about spies in China’s grain sector, according to a Reuters report.
The country’s Ministry of State Security warned Monday that foreign intelligence agencies were increasingly trying to “illegally obtain” genetic data and seed resources from the sector, the report said, with the ministry describing the activity as a threat to China’s food security.
The report quoted a ministry statement published on its official WeChat account as warning that foreign intelligence agencies in recent years have “intensified their infiltration into China’s grain sector, illegally obtaining genetic data from crops such as soybeans, corn and rice, posing a serious threat to the country’s food security.”
Beijing has long viewed food security as a national security issue, not unlike the way Washington has long framed energy security, Even Rogers Pay, a director at Beijing-based Trivium China told the news agency. “Posts like these from MSS are aimed to create suspicion in the public and encourage them to view foreign interest in ag and food with a skeptical eye,” Pay said.
NCGA to EPA: Reallocate ethanol waivers
The National Corn Growers Association urged the Environmental Protection Agency to reallocate 100% of the ethanol waivers it issued to small refiners to be reallocated to other refiners through a supplemental rule-making process.
“A strong, transparent, and balanced RFS (Renewable Fuel Standard) remains a cornerstone of America’s agricultural and energy success,” said NCGA CEO Neil Caskey, in remarks included in the group’s stakeholder comments, which were submitted last week to EPA at the agency’s request.
Under the RFS, EPA sets the renewable volume obligations each year, specifying the amount of renewable fuel that refiners and importers of petroleum products must blend into the nation’s fuel supply. EPA has the authority to issue Small Refinery Exemptions to refiners that can demonstrate “disproportionate economic harm” from compliance.
Notable closes
A stronger dollar didn’t seem to dent enthusiasm for grain or soybean futures Monday, but continued strength bears watching. The ICE U.S. Dollar Index, a measure of the currency against a basket of six major rivals, on Monday hit its highest since Aug. 1. A stronger dollar can be a headwind to commodities priced in the unit, making them more expensive to users of other currencies.