Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue will present the keynote address during the National Grain and Feed Association’s (NGFA) 122nd annual convention, scheduled for March 18-20 at the Westin Kierland Resort in Scottsdale, AZ.
Perdue will keynote the NGFA convention’s grand opening breakfast on March 19. The convention’s grand opening breakfast also will feature an industry keynote conversation with Bunge Ltd. Chief Executive Officer Soren Schroder, and a presentation on enhancing agricultural communications with consumers by Jayson Lusk, distinguished professor and head of the Department of Economics at Purdue University.
The convention will kick off on Sunday afternoon, March 18, with an open forum on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and the prospects for amending the troubling Section 199A provision, featuring Paul Neiffer, principal at CliftonLarsonAllen, Walla Walla, WA. That will be followed by a Transportation Open Forum featuring Deb Miller, vice chairman of the Surface Transportation Board; Mike Rutherford, vice president of merchandise sales and marketing with CSX Transportation Co., Jacksonville, FL; and Derek Leathers, president and chief executive officer of the motor carrier firm Werner Enterprises, Omaha, NE.
The March 20 NGFA convention program will feature a presentation by James Collins, chief operating officer of the Agriculture Division for Corteva Agriscience (formerly DowDuPont), Wilmington, DE; and a presentation on President Trump’s tariffs and potential Asian retaliation from Derek Scissors, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and chief economist for the acclaimed China Beige Book. During its annual business meeting that morning, the NGFA also will be electing new industry officers and members of its board of directors.
NGFA’s annual convention attracts more than 600 leaders in the grain, feed, processing and export sectors each year to explore the most important issues facing the industry in the year ahead.
“There is no shortage of major issues confronting our industry this year – including the need to correct the unintended consequences of Section 199A of the tax law, preserving and enhancing agricultural trade, and serious concerns over rail service regarding some Class I carriers,” say NGFA President Randy Gordon. “This year’s convention is a unique chance for leaders in our association and the industry to gather and delve into major policy issues that will affect the grain, feed, processing and export business for years to come.”
View the full schedule, which includes networking activities, NGFA business meetings and general sessions.
