Jim Wiesemeyer

Jim Wiesemeyer is well known to Pro Farmer Members for his long tenure as Washington Bureau Chief for Pro Farmer. Now with agricultural consulting firm Informa Economics, formerly Sparks Companies, Inc., he is still offering his expertise and insight on farm policy, trade policy and Washington politics as a consultant to Pro Farmer. His Inside Washington Today column on AgWeb.com is a must-read item to keep up with the latest in Washington developments.

Latest Stories
Researchers at K-State are carving out answers to how COVID-19 survives in processing plants
Politics
USDA Announces More Money for Meat Processing Capacity, New Efforts to Strengthen Food Supply Chain
USDA is making $200 million available to create a new meat processing capacity expansion program, providing $25 million for workforce training under the Meat and Poultry Intermediary Lending Program (MPILP).
May 26, 2022 08:30 AM
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Jim Wiesemeyer
Pork At the Meat Case - Change Driven by Consumer Dollar
Politics
USDA Raises 2022 Food Inflation Forecasts Again, Highest Grocery Food Price Hikes in 42 Years
USDA raised its estimated range of 6.5%-7.5% y/y increase from a range of 5%-6%, according to the May Food Price Outlook report, the highest forecast for all food prices and restaurant prices since 1981.
May 25, 2022 03:31 PM
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Jim Wiesemeyer
Wheat
Russia Now Says It’s Ready to Allow Food Exports From Ukraine, But With Conditions
Russia is ready to provide a humanitarian corridor for vessels carrying food to leave Ukraine, in return for the lifting of some sanctions, Interfax news agency reported, citing Russian Deputy Foreign Minister.
May 25, 2022 09:11 AM
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Jim Wiesemeyer
Gas pump nozzle, Somerville, Massachusetts
Taxes and Finance
Diesel Prices Jump 37% in 10 Weeks, Gas Prices Projected to Hit $6.20 by August
The White House is considering waiving U.S. gasoline environmental rules aimed at reducing summertime smog, hoping the waiver will combat rising pump prices, Reuters reported.
May 24, 2022 02:58 PM
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Jim Wiesemeyer
Gregg Doud's negotiations with China’s vice minister of agriculture on an agricultural trade agreement included 33 sessions over the course of a year.
Politics
Who Actually Won the U.S., China Trade War?
The U.S.-China trade war began in July 2018 when the Trump administration imposed tariffs on $550 billion worth of Chinese goods. Nearly four years later, the debate remains as to which country actually won.
May 23, 2022 10:38 AM
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Jim Wiesemeyer
poster.jpg
Taxes and Finance
Filling A Tractor Tank Daily Now Costs Some Farmers $1,000, Double What It Did a Year Ago
U.S. diesel prices are the highest ever, with warnings of shortages, especially in the eastern U.S., and the most intensive part of the farming season is still ahead.
May 20, 2022 03:17 PM
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Jim Wiesemeyer
FILE PHOTO: The Arkas Line's Conti Basel container ship is docked in the Black sea port of Odessa, Ukraine, November 4, 2016. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko
Politics
Ukraine Reports Major Drop in Grain Exports, Egypt Refuses Shipment of Ukrainian Wheat
Ukraine reported a major drop in grain exports, threatening food security for millions worldwide. Grain exports are down 64% so far in May compared to last year, the country’s agriculture ministry said Thursday.
May 20, 2022 08:45 AM
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Jim Wiesemeyer
Norman Borlaug helped develop wheat varieties in Mexico, and later in Pakistan, India and other locations that helped feed and save the lives of millions of people, which led people to call him the "Father of the Green Revolution."
Wheat
World’s Second-Largest Wheat Producer India Announces Partial Wheat Export Ban
The government of India, the world’s second-biggest wheat grower, announced Saturday a move to mostly prohibited exports, saying that the nation’s food security is under threat.
May 16, 2022 03:14 PM
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Jim Wiesemeyer
The measures are expected to be announced when President Biden visits a farm today in Illinois include doubling the amount of funding for domestic fertilizer production to $500 million and increasing technical assistance for adoption of precision agriculture methods — USDA programs that use technology and other tools to reduce the use of fertilizer.
Politics
White House Set to Announce New Measures to Expand U.S. Crop Production and Reduce Fertilizer Use
The White House is expected to announce plans to insure double cropping in 681 more counties and doubling the amount of funding for domestic fertilizer production to $500M during a visit to an Illinois farm Wednesday.
May 11, 2022 08:37 AM
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Jim Wiesemeyer
FILE PHOTO: A combine harvests wheat in Corn, Oklahoma, U.S., June 12, 2019. REUTERS/Nick Oxford/File Photo
Politics
White House Asks Congress to Significantly Boost Some Commodity Loan Rates for Two Years
Included in Thursday’s announcement by the Biden administration asking Congress to approve $33B in total aid for Ukraine, is a proposal to increase wheat loan 63% to $5.52 bu.; oilseeds by 40%; rice and pulse 21%.
April 28, 2022 05:19 PM
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Jim Wiesemeyer
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