POLICY

Over the summer, producers experienced policy whiplash as several key agricultural issues took center stage in Washington, D.C.

The fate of major trade deals continues to be a pain point for U.S. agriculture, but President Trump is continuing to follow through on a campaign promise in the new year to take a tougher stance on trade.

FAA: Farm equipment radio interference threatens air traffic

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.

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.

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)