Policy
Congress returns Monday, but to a very different situation due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which is expected to be one of the key issues President Biden talks about during his State of the Union address.
USDA’s 2022 supply and demand forecast came out just hours after Russia declared war on Ukraine. And as the crisis continues, USDA Chief Economist acknowledges the situation is impacting world trade and crop prices.
European stocks rose Friday after Wall Street’s late rally. Investors welcomed Western sanctions on Russia that targeted its banks without blocking global payments system, leaving its energy sector largely untouched.
The Biden administration laid a stake in MP Materials for their battery plans that will likely power future fleets of electric vehicles.
The top 10 export markets all saw gains in 2021, with six of the 10 (China, Mexico, Canada, South Korea, the Philippines and Colombia) setting new records.
Wiesemeyer says “you don’t spend some $300 million on these [soybean crushing] plants without a solid foundation of a market in the future.”
U.S. goods exports to China fell in December, cementing a $45 billion increase in the 2021 U.S.-China trade deficit and a major two-year shortfall in Beijing’s purchase commitments under the “Phase 1" trade deal.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will invest $1 billion in pilot projects that promote farming, ranching and forestry practices that cut greenhouse gas emissions or capture and store climate-warming carbon.
The U.S. and Japan announced a deal to remove Trump-era tariffs from about 1.25 million metric tons of Japanese steel imports annually after similar access was granted to European Union steelmakers last year.
In his opening statements, Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) set the tone for the meeting, saying “a better, more sustainable future won’t come from the harsh, scolding voices of the naysayers.”
Rep. Garamendi says the USDA partnership with the Port of Oakland “isn’t going to solve the problem” because shippers deliver product to the U.S. and leave ports with empty containers.
What compelled a farmer to drive 1,800 miles in dead winter atop an open-cab tractor and rage against the political machine? Family, country, and a desperate love of agriculture.
The United States and the European Union have downgraded their dispute at the WTO over steel and aluminum tariffs applied by former U.S. President Donald Trump in 2018 and subsequent EU retaliation.
Mark Mills, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, recently joined Chip Flory on AgriTalk to talk about the logistics and supply chain challenges ahead for electric vehicles.
On Monday the People’s Bank of China also announced a 0.1 percentage point cut to two of its key policy rates. It acted after GDP grew by more than 8% in 2021, but slowed down in the fourth quarter.
The Biden Administration is deploying money and resources to ramp up clean energy projects across rural America. The White House says the plan taps federal lands to install wind, solar and geothermal energy projects.
AFBF President Zippy Duvall told members this week he will continue to press for policy that progresses agriculture, citing AFBF’s work on changes to the White House’s “America the Beautiful” plan as an example.
The EPA says prior to Jan. 11, 2022, the agency “did not consistently assess the potential effects of conventional pesticides on listed species when registering new active ingredients.”
AFBF’s in-person annual convention focused on everything from H-2A workers, drought, supply chain chaos and policy changes like the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule. USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack addressed the group Monday.
Biden Administration Scores First USMCA Trade Dispute Victory Over Dairy, Canada Also Claims Victory
USTR Katherine Tai announced Tuesday that the United States prevailed in its first dispute settlement panel proceeding brought under USCMA. As U.S. dairy leaders applaud the ruling, Canada is also claiming victory.
The Biden Administration will announce “Action Plan for a Fairer, More Competitive, and More Resilient Meat and Poultry Supply Chain” Monday. The White House says it will help boost competition and reduce prices.
The House and Senate are on recess this week, but work is ramping back up to finalize 2021 legislation before the New Year begins.
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and Rep. Cindy Axne joined AgriTalk with host Chip Flory and Pro Farmer Policy Analyst Jim Wiesemeyer recently to comb through President Biden’s reframe of the Build Back Better (BBB) plan.
Fertilizer prices have soared with top fertilizer companies in North America on pace for their best performance since 2009. One former Congressman says the fix for climbing prices probably won’t come from Washington.
For the upcoming 2023 farm bill, expect chatter and debate about carbon markets, conservation, trade and more. Policy watchers encourage farmers to keep an eye on these issues, as discussions begin in January.
The Canadian government on Tuesday launched a challenge against American duties on Canadian softwood lumber under the terms of the USMCA trade deal, Canadian Trade Minister Mary Ng said in a statement.
As gasoline prices climbed this year, is it policy or other factors that fueled the rise? John Phipps covers the topic in U.S. Farm Report’s Customer Support.
The FSA administrator dives into farmer financing, programs, vaccine rates and more.
The potential elimination of stepped-up basis proved to be a hot-button topic for agriculture in 2021. Pro Farmer’s Ag Person of the Year earned the award for his work in stepped-up basis and Clean Air Act mandates.
My crystal ball is in the shop, but I’m confident these are some of the issues that are going to be part of the ag policy discussion in the next year.