Agriculture Policy News
From federal agencies to state governments, actions taken by elected officials and policymakers have a direct impact on America’s farmers and ranchers. Stay up-to-date on all things related to policy, including cabinet leadership, the farm bill, farmer-support programs, market access, environmental regulations, labor availability and the health of the ag economy.
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Latest Agriculture Policy News
Year-round E15 will be announced by President Joe Biden today at a Poet bioethanol facility in Menlo, Iowa. The EPA will make the move official in a waiver closer to the beginning of June.
February import records show the U.S. did not take in any ethanol for the month, compared with 10.5 million gallons in January.
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack provided more details regarding the general CRP signup that ended March 11. He said only 1.8 million of the 4 million acres in expiring contracts will be re-enrolled in the program.
Nearly 4 million acres of CRP expire this year. Secy. Vilsack wrote to National Grain and Feed Association’s Mike Seyfert to share converting CRP is “unfeasible.” However, Vilsack did offer one caveat in his letter.
USDA says there are currently no plans to provide direct payments to farmers impacted by soaring fertilizer prices. The news comes as farm groups and lawmakers are asking assistance to help with rising fertilizer costs.
USDA says the launch of the Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) will address increases in supplemental feed costs in 2021. Phase 1 of the payments is expected to total $577 million.
A growing number of lawmakers, farm groups and farmers are pleading for assistance from still surging fertilizer prices. One possibility for USDA would be to tap the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Charter Act.
USDA’s Prospective Plantings report came with some shocks as farmers revealed 2022 planting plans. Despite the higher than expected soybean acreage numbers, some analysts say the soybean balance sheet is still tight.
For 2022, USDA are expecting more soybean acres than corn. That’s according to the 2022 Prospective Plantings report released on March 31.
Do your planting intentions align with the USDA data released on March 31? Share your thoughts in our poll.