Policy
If Congress doesn’t pass stopgap funding, crop production and progress reports will probably stall. That won’t bode well for markets. “Usually it means that we’ve got some selling pressure ahead,” says one analyst.
When the House and Senate returns on Tuesday, lawmakers will have just five days left to avoid a shutdown, which would impact several USDA services, including key reports.
Members of Congress are currently in disagreement over how long it will take to get a new farm bill finished, which is why one ag economist fears it could take two years to finally see a new Farm Bill.
A series of lawsuits have been filed against EPA on the Renewable Fuels Standard, despite rising energy prices.
There are just over two weeks for Congress to pass 12 spending bills to avoid a total government shutdown. If time runs out, one analyst says that could mean no USDA report in October and no yield cuts, which are likely.
American farmers beaten, tear-gassed, herded and imprisoned by their own government for daring to protest authority? Welcome to agricultural revolt.
China’s GDP growth could possibly drop lower than the U.S. this year. In fact, fewer and fewer sectors are healthy, and only then by direct government intervention.
USDA on Thursday lowered expectations for both ag exports and imports in FY 2023. The export decline is linked to corn and wheat, while the import decline is correlated with easing prices.
In the name of regulation, can the government override the 4th Amendment? Yes, say Kansas ag officials. No, counters property owner Scott Johnson: “The government thinks it isn’t accountable, but we’re taking a stand.”
Waters of the U.S. rules have evolved many times in the past 50 years. EPA announced another round of changes on Tuesday, following a May Supreme Court ruling that required EPA to revise the definition.
“Mexico’s decree, which runs counter to scientific findings and is in direct violation of USMCA, is negatively impacting American corn growers,” said Tom Haag, NCGA president.
“These tax credits, which encourage the use of more eco-friendly fuels, could make or break the prospects of corn ethanol as a sustainable aviation fuel,” says Jim Wiesemeyer, ProFarmer policy analyst.
Roughly 1.4 million metric tons of herbicide was applied globally in 2020. EPA looks to reduce the U.S.’s contribution to global herbicide numbers via a new regulation proposed on Monday.
State regulations, insists Steven Slonaker, can be more burdensome than federal oversight to farmers and private landowners.
“There’s no question of the law, science or anything. They’re simply not doing their job,” says Monte Shaw, Iowa Renewable Fuels Association executive director.
Ray Starling, general counsel at the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce, details what the recent rulings mean for growers and the ag industry as a whole.
Court Justice Samuel Alito said the EPA’s interpretation of its powers went “too far.”
A new report examines a future without glyphosate, showing if the herbicide was no longer available for farmers, the immediate impact would be costly to the economy, farmers and the environment.
John Phipps says the rapid reduction in farmer numbers is a result of government efforts to raise money, since the government owns the land, and achieve modest economies of scale for added productivity.
A market analyst shared a gloomy outlook for the country on Thursday, saying the U.S. balance sheet and financial condition have been deteriorating significantly over the last decade. He expects more of the same ahead.
Sens. Chuck Grassley and Sherrod Brown have introduced the Farm Program Integrity Act. It would create a cap of $250,000 in commodity support for a single farm operation and, potentially, some undesirable side effects.
The ag port addition is expected to increase exports of DDGS, corn and soybeans by 400,000 metric tons each year.
“Producers looking to adopt precision ag technologies need network connectivity that extends far past their residences. They need to be able to make real-time decisions that increase yields,” says Sen. Fischer (R-Neb.).
Roughly 37.6 million acres of U.S. ag land is foreign owned, according to USDA. However, select purchases of U.S. land could come to an end following a Senate vote this week.
EPA has been asked to exclude ditches from the definition of federal waters, include wetlands when they can’t be distinguished from navigable waters, and erase the independent interstate waters and wetlands category.
In Mexico, corn is much more than a food crop—it’s a key part of the country’s heritage, culture and traditions. Mexico argues glyphosate and GMOs are dangerous to human health, and seeks alternative practices.
According to a new report by USDA, ag imports from Latin America and the Caribbean have increased over the past 12 years, with a compound annual growth rate of 6.9%.
Farm Bill discussions and debates don’t pack as much drama for producers. According to JohnPhipps, there’s an unspoken realization that the Farm Bill doesn’t have the same influence on the farm economy it once did.
The Farmland Security Act of 2023 seeks to further boost transparency in foreign ownership of U.S. farmland.
From the war in Ukraine to evolving Chinese demand to bumper crops in South America, the trends are shifting for global grain flow. What will the future hold? That will be the topic of a panel at Top Producer Summit.