Policy
A nomination for undersecretary of Agriculture for research, education and economics doesn’t typically draw much controversy.
A farmer’s photo and his accompanying statement on Twitter recently summed up the views of many U.S. wheat growers today. “Yes, I’m planting wheat, and no, I don’t know why,” the farmer said. That perspective is understandable. After the USDA released its World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) in early November, corn and soybeans took the lead story away from wheat. Ending stocks for wheat for 2017/18 have been lowered 25 million bushels, with the report citing increased exports as the cause.
A law requiring foreign investors to report transactions of farmland to the U.S. Department of Agriculture has been on the books for almost 40 years. But as the amount of foreign-controlled farmland doubled in millions of acres between 2004 and 2014, the USDA has lapsed in enforcing the law, a review of USDA documents has found.
The Trump administration is considering a policy change that could allow an extra billion gallons or more of biofuel each year to qualify toward a U.S. mandate, lowering costs for refiners at the expense of ethanol producers, according to people briefed on the discussions.
Safety net payments are rolling from the USDA, and Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue says he hopes the money will help farmers that are facing tough times this year.
Today, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue gave his official nod to Greg Ibach and Bill Northey, recommending them for positions at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). “These two nominees will bring experience and integrity to USDA the moment they walk in the door,” Perdue said in a prepared statement. Ibach was nominated by President Donald Trump to serve as Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, and Northey for the position of Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation. Greg Ibach serves as the Nebraska Director of Agriculture, while Northey is the Iowa Secretary of Agriculture. The two candidates must be approved by the U.S. Senate in order to step into the USDA positions. Perdue said he looks forward to “their speedy passage through the committee and floor votes” and urged the Senate to “act on other nominees awaiting approval as well.”
Chip Flory commentary on river transportation problems leading to basis issues.
American Farm Bureau Federation tax expert Patricia Wolff outlines how the tax reform framework announced by the White House and Congress will impact farmers.
Corn and soybean stocks are both up from this time last year, per USDA’s Sept. 29 Grain Stocks report.
When it comes to communicating with the public, it’s important to strike a balance of transparency.
U.S. lawmakers have a big agenda and many things they hope to accomplish before the end of 2017: tax reform, farm bill and disaster relief.
Trump’s Top Trade Negotiator Says China Unprecedented Threat (1)
The Secretary of the Interior has suggested in a report that President Trump shrink a number of national monuments.
USDA’s Crop Progress report shows 34% of the corn crop has reached maturity.
The first two discussions between representatives from the U.S., Canada and Mexico on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) yielded little to no resolution on major issues that affect agriculture. Now, the renegotiation talks head north to Ottawa next week, Sept. 23-27.
Michele Payn’s perspective is that people relate to food on an emotional level and not based on science and years of accumulated data. The importance of building connections with consumers—your neighbors next door--can’t be overstated by members of the agricultural community.
After two years of weaker exports of farm goods, it is appearing as though 2017 will push higher.
Trump sending mixed messages on program if Congress fails to act.
Tax reform is on the agenda in Washington D.C. when legislators return from a month-long recess. Before Congress resumes, President Donald Trump rolled out a four-point plan in Missouri earlier this week.
Trump to Declare China as a `Strategic Competitor’ in Speech (1)
Shipments above new limit may be held back for more cleaning.
A big reason data from the Farm Journal Midwest Crop Tour is comparable to previous years is because of consistency. Scouts always travel the same routes, but pick fields at random. In South Dakota, scouts only take samples in the southeast corner of the state. But this year, the western and central portions of the state are facing drought.
Amazon’s Whole Foods Deal Wins Swift U.S. Antitrust Approval (1)
Today, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced that Tony Tooke will become the new Chief of the U.S. Forest Service. Tooke, who grew up on a 200-acre farm outside Detroit, Ala., has been with the Forest Service since he was 18.
Farmers might soon have a tough time finding workers after a report from the Migration Policy Institute says the number of undocumented farm workers is falling.
It’s an historical day for the United States as the first round of negotiations to rewrite the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), got underway Wednesday morning in Washington D.C. In effect since January 1994, NAFTA created a Free Trade Zone between Canada, Mexico and the United States. President Donald Trump has called the trade pact “the worst trade ever made by any country.”
John Duarte is a California farmer who took on the federal government and lost.
NAFTA 2.0 negotiations begin this week in Washington. The hoped-for conclusion will not be as quick as some want, nor take as long as some observers predict. But a long list of policy hurdles is evident.
There’s an unwanted record in the Gulf of Mexico: This year’s “dead zone ,” a largely human-caused phenomenon where there’s too little oxygen to support marine life, is the biggest ever measured.
Insurance plays a special role in one of America’s most precarious—and dangerous—industries.