Latest news with #MikeNaig
The Sun
03-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Vietnamese Agri Trade Mission to Iowa
OWA, US - Media OutReach Newswire - 3 June 2025 - A delegation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of Vietnam led by Minister Do Duc Duy began a trade mission to the United States, with the first stop being Iowa. Welcoming and working with the delegation, on the side of the Iowa Department of Agriculture were Secretary Mike Naig and Deputy Secretary Grant Menke. At the meeting, Minister Do Duc Duy expressed his interests to lead a delegation consisting of Vietnamese government agencies, associations and agribusinesses to visit Iowa state, known as the 'Heart of Agriculture' in the United States. With a long history of farming system, Iowa is the leading corn production in the United States, with total output of 50 million tons of corn per year. Besides, the state is also home to many other agricultural commodities such as soybean, wheat, pork and beef. 'Vietnam has become one of the world's leading agricultural exporters, contributing positively to global food security. We are constantly expanding our processing capacity, improving quality for sustainable agricultural development in Vietnam. Therefore, Vietnam and the United States can completely complement each other, jointly develop bilateral, stable and long-term agricultural supply chains,' Minister Do Duc Duy affirmed. At the meeting, the two sides jointly recognized and assessed the current status of agricultural trade cooperation between Vietnam and Iowa, and shared information, needs and potentials for business cooperation between the two sides. The discussion opened a substantive direction, promoting the export of high-quality agricultural products from Iowa to the Vietnamese market and vice versa. Notably, the delegation of 50 Vietnamese agribusinesses accompanying Minister Do Duc Duy to the United States this time is expected to sign MoUs to purchase over 2 billion USD of agrifood products from the United States. Particularly for the state of Iowa, businesses and associations of the two sides have signed 5 MOUs with a total value of about 800 million USD over 3 years. Those are significant deals compared to 44 million USD of agricultural exports from Iowa to Vietnam in 2024. Specifically, Vietnam's Khai Anh Binh Thuan Company signed an MoU to import one million tons of soybean meal, valued at approximately $380–390 million, from its partner Ag Processing Inc (AGP). The company also committed to purchasing 900,000 tons of corn and wheat from United Grain, valued at around $250 million. Viet Nhat Nutrition Technology Company signed a contract with POET Group to import 100,000 tons of DDGS and 100,000 tons of soybean meal, with a total value estimated at 60–70 million USD. Public–private partnership between the two countries also expanded through an MoU between the Department of Livestock Production and Animal Health (under Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Environment) and the Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA). Under this agreement, both sides committed to strengthening trade ties and promoting collaboration between Vietnamese and Iowa pork industry by organizing technical seminars, market promotion and trade missions. In addition, the meeting provided opportunities for many other Vietnamese and US businesses to connect, opening new avenues to enhance trade relations and strengthen the Vietnam–US agricultural supply chain linkages. These connections are expected to accelerate the transfer of advanced U.S. technologies to Vietnamese agribusinesses, paving the way toward green, smart, and sustainable agricultural development in Vietnam. Minister Do Duc Duy expressed his confidence that today's event marks the beginning of a new phase of deeper and more effective cooperation between the Vietnamese business community and the state of Iowa. He emphasized that the outcome reflects the shared goodwill of both sides to advance the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and the United States.
Arabian Post
03-06-2025
- Business
- Arabian Post
Vietnamese Agri Trade Mission to Iowa
Ministers witnessed MoU signing between Vietnamese and Iowa agribusinesses. IOWA, US – Media OutReach Newswire – 3 June 2025 – A delegation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of Vietnam led by Minister Do Duc Duy began a trade mission to the United States, with the first stop being Iowa. Welcoming and working with the delegation, on the side of the Iowa Department of Agriculture were Secretary Mike Naig and Deputy Secretary Grant Menke. At the meeting, Minister Do Duc Duy expressed his interests to lead a delegation consisting of Vietnamese government agencies, associations and agribusinesses to visit Iowa state, known as the 'Heart of Agriculture' in the United States. With a long history of farming system, Iowa is the leading corn production in the United States, with total output of 50 million tons of corn per year. Besides, the state is also home to many other agricultural commodities such as soybean, wheat, pork and beef. 'Vietnam has become one of the world's leading agricultural exporters, contributing positively to global food security. We are constantly expanding our processing capacity, improving quality for sustainable agricultural development in Vietnam. Therefore, Vietnam and the United States can completely complement each other, jointly develop bilateral, stable and long-term agricultural supply chains,' Minister Do Duc Duy affirmed. ADVERTISEMENT At the meeting, the two sides jointly recognized and assessed the current status of agricultural trade cooperation between Vietnam and Iowa, and shared information, needs and potentials for business cooperation between the two sides. The discussion opened a substantive direction, promoting the export of high-quality agricultural products from Iowa to the Vietnamese market and vice versa. Notably, the delegation of 50 Vietnamese agribusinesses accompanying Minister Do Duc Duy to the United States this time is expected to sign MoUs to purchase over 2 billion USD of agrifood products from the United States. Particularly for the state of Iowa, businesses and associations of the two sides have signed 5 MOUs with a total value of about 800 million USD over 3 years. Those are significant deals compared to 44 million USD of agricultural exports from Iowa to Vietnam in 2024. Specifically, Vietnam's Khai Anh Binh Thuan Company signed an MoU to import one million tons of soybean meal, valued at approximately $380–390 million, from its partner Ag Processing Inc (AGP). The company also committed to purchasing 900,000 tons of corn and wheat from United Grain, valued at around $250 million. Viet Nhat Nutrition Technology Company signed a contract with POET Group to import 100,000 tons of DDGS and 100,000 tons of soybean meal, with a total value estimated at 60–70 million USD. Public–private partnership between the two countries also expanded through an MoU between the Department of Livestock Production and Animal Health (under Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Environment) and the Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA). Under this agreement, both sides committed to strengthening trade ties and promoting collaboration between Vietnamese and Iowa pork industry by organizing technical seminars, market promotion and trade missions. In addition, the meeting provided opportunities for many other Vietnamese and US businesses to connect, opening new avenues to enhance trade relations and strengthen the Vietnam–US agricultural supply chain linkages. These connections are expected to accelerate the transfer of advanced U.S. technologies to Vietnamese agribusinesses, paving the way toward green, smart, and sustainable agricultural development in Vietnam. Minister Do Duc Duy expressed his confidence that today's event marks the beginning of a new phase of deeper and more effective cooperation between the Vietnamese business community and the state of Iowa. He emphasized that the outcome reflects the shared goodwill of both sides to advance the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and the United #MAE The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Siouxland schools awarded grant for locally sourced foods
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — A new pilot program in Iowa will help dozens of schools buy more locally sourced foods, with a few of those recipients being right here in Siouxland. Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig has announced that 33 schools or school districts have received grants to participate in the Choose Iowa food purchasing program for schools. The one-year program connects schools with Choose Iowa members to encourage school food service programs to buy products from local farmers and businesses. Choose Iowa is a state branding and marketing program that promotes food and beverages that are grown, raised, and made in Iowa. The local school districts that were awarded the grant include: OABCIG, Sheldon, Hinton, West Sioux, and Westwood Community School Districts. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
New handbook helps law enforcement respond to Iowa animal-welfare complaints
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) has released a handbook to help law enforcement and local officials better respond to animal welfare complaints, according to an article in the Iowa Capital Dispatch. IDALS will host an informative webinar on the handbook Wednesday, May 28, to give an overview of the tool, which provides agency-specific, and species-specific, guidelines. Those interested in attending can register here. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said the department's animal health staff developed the handbook so that partners across the state have the tools to respond with IDALS to animal welfare complaints. 'The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is responsible for keeping animals in our state safe and healthy, and it's a responsibility we take very seriously,' Naig said in a statement. Mindi Callison, of the animal advocacy group Bailing Out Benji, called the guidebook 'a phenomenal resource.' 'This is the most comprehensive handbook out there outside of the USDA,' Callison said. Callison said while the U.S. Department of Agriculture has a thick handbook, it's geared towards licensees and inspectors. Callison said the plain language of the IDALS handbook will make it easier for law enforcement to step in without having to look through and interpret Iowa code. Officials who might respond to an animal welfare call have different roles. The USDA and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, or APHIS, control the licensing, inspection and outreach for any groups transporting, researching, exhibiting or dealing animals. The agency works to ensure these individuals meet standards set by the Animal Welfare Act. Local law enforcement, including animal control groups and county attorneys may also be involved in animal welfare cases to respond to calls, determine the course of action and build animal abuse cases when applicable. The handbook outlines how law enforcement should respond to and investigate an animal welfare complaint, which Callison said is an 'immediate resource' that will allow authorities to respond to calls sooner. 'We've seen cases where law enforcement agencies were hesitant to step in because they didn't know how to handle the case … But this guidebook really lays it out for them, and it kind of shows them who to contact in different cases for support,' Callison said. The handbook advises local authorities to plan in advance, by identifying facilities that could house animals in the event they need to be relocated, and building relationships with local partners and veterinarians. It also encourages communities to build a response plan in the event of animal welfare complaints, to 'ensure a collaborative approach to safeguarding animal welfare.' Callison said she believes these community connections can also 'really help' facilities to 'do better' before it comes to a complaint and animal welfare investigation. The handbook also serves as a quick reference guide for Iowa code related to animal welfare, including statutes on livestock, the mistreatment of animals, animals in commercial establishments and rescuing animals. Don McDowell, communications director for IDALS, said 'a lot of work' went into developing the handbook. 'We identified a significant need for this resource in working with and communicating with local law enforcement partners over the past few years – both larger urban counties and smaller rural counties,' McDowell said in an email. He said the guide emphasizes the importance of advanced planning for law enforcement officials, but is also meant to help 'county attorneys document the situation and build a strong animal neglect case.' For several years, Iowa has placed high on the list of states with the highest number of puppy mill violations. Puppy mills are facilities that breed puppies – usually in in inhumane conditions – and sell them. Part of the issue, which Callison's organization Bailing Out Benji has highlighted, is that federally licensed facilities do not have to follow the same standards as state-licensed facilities. Callison said the handbook helps to clarify the role each agency plays, regardless of where a facility is licensed, which she said 'will provide some clarity.' Legislators proposed a fix to this 'loophole' as Callison called it, but the bill did not advance before the close of Iowa's legislative session. Bailing Out Benji is based in Iowa but works to expose animal cruelty situations across the country. Callison said she has not seen similar handbooks in other states but hopes the IDALS move will inspire other states to create similar guides. 'This is a great move by the department,' Callison said. 'I'm shocked that our state has the most comprehensive handbook out there. I'm excited to see how it changes what's going on in our state.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Important work ahead': IA Ag. Secretary Naig announces reelection plans
DES MOINES, Iowa (KCAU) — On Tuesday, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig has announced he is seeking reelection. Secretary Naig is looking to keep his position and is seeking reelection for the 2026 election, making the decision to steer away from the Gubernatorial race. 'I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity to serve the people of Iowa as we work to advance an Iowa First agenda that puts farmers, families, and freedom at the center of our future,' said Naig. 'We have made tremendous progress over the past few years, but there remains important work ahead, and we're not done yet—building markets for Iowa products, defending our livestock industry, accelerating soil and water conservation efforts, and making sure rural Iowa thrives for future generations. I look forward to continuing to grow our state, fight for the hard-working men and women who feed and fuel the world, and keep Iowa as the greatest agricultural state in the country.' Story continues below Top Story: 35th Saturday in the Park Main Stage, Abe Stage headliners announced Lights & Sirens: Family suing Sioux City over death of son Sports: Sydney Affolter rejoins Hawkeyes as Graduate Assistant Weather: Get the latest weather forecast here Naig was elected to his position in 2018, and voters kept him in office again in 2022. He will launching a campaign in the near future. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
