Policy
John Phipps says positive or negative, any trade balance has dubious value, and only limited prediction power. Other than bragging rights, they mean little with no economic advantage for having a positive trade balance.
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.
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.
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.
The White House is considering temporarily removing restrictions on summer sales of higher-ethanol gasoline blends as a way to lower fuel costs for U.S. consumers, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
With the ongoing war in Ukraine, a recent U.S. Farm Report viewer asked about the U.S. and energy independence. John Phipps provides a reality check of the current situation when it comes to crude oil and petroleum.
President Biden’s USDA FY 2023 budget proposal focuses on climate, conservation and research with $3.8 billion discretionary spending increase for USDA with climate, conservation and clean energy the major focal points.
Lawmakers introduce a bill to send an energy rebate any month the national average gas price exceeds $4 per gallon for the remainder of 2022.
USDA now expects food price inflation in 2022 to be from 4.5% to 5.5%, compared with 2021, based on the all-food Consumer Price Index. No category shows a potential decline.
Under Secy. Moffitt says her objective is to ensure producers have access to USDA dollars: “We see there’s a need for qualified technical expertise to capture the projects for producers and MPPTA will address that.”
Game wardens must have a warrant to conduct surveillance on private land and may not rely on the power of the federal Open Fields doctrine.
Ted McKinney, NASDA CEO, led the climate conversation with a diverse list of speakers. From wildfires to water quality, each corner of the nation spoke to their state’s ag adversity, and their work in overcoming it.
As the White House looks to fill the gap of displaced Russian oil, agriculture says E15 is a ready-made answer. Analysis by the Nebraska Ethanol Board shows why bumping blends to E15 could ease prices at the pump.
The Northwest Seaport Alliance is partnering the USDA to bring the Port of Seattle a 49-acre pop-up site that will accept both dry and refrigerated agricultural products for temporary storage.
U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke on a video call on Friday about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Chinese media said Xi underlined that such conflicts are in no-one’s interests.
Even with Russia removed from the global fertilizer market, it still doesn’t create worst-case scenario. StoneX Group says China could make the situation worse, as China and Russia account for 40% of global phosphate.
How much power do game wardens possess without a warrant or probable cause? A hunting club lawsuit is heating up over the bounds of government access to private land.
Should daylight saving time be permanent?
Hot-button issues in agriculture and rural America are sometimes subject to filters via message and messenger, contends Chris Gibbs.
“Before the war with Ukraine, the President encouraged Russia to produce more oil to help us lower the price at the pump,” says U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS). “That’s so hypocritical.”
UPDATE: WASHINGTON (AP) - Biden: US ban on Russian oil a ‘powerful blow’ to ‘Putin’s war,’ warns Americans ‘defending freedom is going to cost.’
Oil prices soared to their highest since 2008 due to delays of Iranian nuclear talks and the potential return of Iranian crude to global markets, which are already suffering from Russian supply disruptions.
Hundreds of trucks, recreational vehicles and cars were circling the outskirts of Washington on Sunday, threatening to cause traffic backups around the capital as part of a protest against pandemic restrictions.
Russia’s trade and industry ministry has recommended the country’s fertilizer producers temporarily halt exports, the ministry said Friday, in a sign that sanctions imposed could have a global impact.
With the U.S. on the back end of COVID-19 and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine unraveling, USTR Katherine Tai says her office is currently focused on three themes: resilience, sustainability and competition.
Sorghum Producers Squash Food Vs. Fuel Debate As White House Weighs Waiving Ethanol Blending Mandate
A new Reuters report indicates the White House is exploring a solution that would remove Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) blending requirements for ethanol to help soften increasing food prices.
As the Ukraine crisis continues to grab the world’s attention, President Biden’s State of the Union address declared the U.S. is in a better place than it was a year ago, while agriculture was left largely unmentioned.
Expect Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to dominate the State of the Union address tonight. As for issues affecting agriculture, there may be few details offered, says USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack.