Politics
Join these experts for a live discussion on grain markets, policy, land values and more.
The western half of the country continues to see little moisture, and after a year of record government payments to agriculture, farm groups fear financial assistance this year will be tough to get passed in Washington.
While critics say President Biden’s infrastructure plan is too costly and includes more than infrastructure, proponents say it could help bridge the rural and urban digital divide.
Tom Vilsack was sworn in as USDA Secretary for the second time at the end of February. Since then, he has pushed forward advances on several key issues.
The second round of Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP 2) restarted April 5. Farmers have 60 days to either apply or make modifications to their existing CFAP 2 applications.
One farm tax expert says the proposal wouldn’t just tack on that tax at death. He says the proposal, as written today, would also place a tax on gifting assets like tractors while the farmer is still alive.
The White House has directed EPA to study whether using renewable fuels to power electric vehicle charging should generate tradeable credits under the nation’s biofuels program.
President Biden is preparing to announce a $2.25T infrastructure plan on Wednesday. It’s aimed to fuel funding for America’s roads, waterways, broadband and the electric grid, but there’s also a focus on climate.
President Biden’s $3 trillion infrastructure is expected to include a large focus on climate. The sudden switch in policy focus isn’t just occurring in the U.S, it’s also a large focus in Canada.
The Biden administration unveiled a goal to expand the nation’s fledgling offshore wind energy industry in the coming decade by opening new areas to development and boosting public financing for projects.
USTR Katherine Tai on Monday told the European Union’s competition commissioner, Margrethe Vestager, that she has a “strong desire to develop a more positive and productive” trade relationship with the EU.
Farmers and ranchers have more time to sign up for the Paycheck Protection Program. The Senate passed legislation to extend the deadline from March 31 to May 31.
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said a Mexican plan to ban imports of GMO corn would apply to grain used for human food products, not livestock feed, based on a conversation he had with Mexican Agriculture Secretary.
In this week’s DC Signal to Noise Podcast, Jim Wiesemeyer and John Herath offer details on what is in the latest coronavirus aid announcement and what is still left to be resolved.
A second bill to change the H-2A guest worker program has been introduced in the House. This version would move oversight from the Department of Labor to USDA.
As USDA Vilsack prepares to testify before the House Ag Committee Thursday on the state of black farmers in the U.S., he is highlighting disparities in coronavirus aid payments to minority and disadvantaged farmers.
USDA will move forward with $20 per acre payments for price-trigger crops outlined in the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) round three with checks going out starting in April.
The Biden Admin. is readying a $3T infrastructure and economic plan. While officials say the plan centers around roads and infrastructure projects, critics say that’s only a small piece of the potential proposal.
Farmers have reason for hope. For one, USDA projects ag exports to rebound from the low levels of recent years to $152 billion in 2021.
Rural broadband will be at the center of a bipartisan rural infrastructure plan.
The U.S. and China fought openly in the first face-to-face meeting with the Biden Administration this week in Alaska. Despite the tension in the negotiation hall, China continued with big buys of U.S. corn.
The first U.S.-China meeting of the Biden administration got off to a fiery start, with both sides leveling sharp rebukes of the others’ policies in a display that underscored the level of bilateral tension.
Randy Russell, president of The Russell Group, and John Gilliland, a partner at Gilliland & McKinney International Counsellors, weighed in on a variety of complex issues.
Farmers for Free Trade wants to see a full implementation of the Phase One trade agreement. A year into the deal, there are still accountability and compliance issues with China.
In a speech at Commodity Classic, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack focused on expanding markets rather than climate change, but one of those expanding markets is carbon.
In a unanimous Senate vote on Wednesday, Katharine Tai was confirmed as the next U.S. Trade Representative. The trade expert was confirmed with a vote of 98-0.
Former House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson discusses his future and the future of the ag committee on the DC Signal to Noise Podcast.
Former House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson is headed to consulting firm Combest, Sell & Associates.
In his opening days of his second stint as head of USDA, Tom Vilsack is focused on farmer profitability and opening markets to build that profitability.
USDA is still reviewing how it will disburse $15 billion in coronavirus aid.