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Trump reminds farmers of trade war aid; Harris would fix ag labor shortages
Former president Donald Trump said in a questionnaire released on Thursday that he would use “every tool at my disposal,” including tariffs, to expand U.S. food and ag exports if he is re-elected. Vice President Kamala Harris would not tolerate unfair trade practices from China or other competitors, said senior aides to the Democratic nominee.
Exports boom as bumper corn crop pulls down farm-gate prices
U.S. corn exports are climbing for the third year in a row and will be the fourth largest on record this trade year, thanks to the mammoth crop now being harvested and falling market prices, said the Agriculture Department on Thursday. The 15.2 billion-bushel crop would be just a hair smaller than the record set last year.
Today’s quick hits, September 13, 2024
Restrict SAF credits, Brown says: Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown disagreed on social media with suggestions that foreign feedstocks used to make sustainable aviation fuel might qualify for U.S. tax credits, saying, “The administration needs to put American farmers first.” (Sen. Brown) Millions more …
House votes to limit foreign ownership of U.S. agricultural land
The Republican-controlled House swept aside Democratic objections to pass a just-written bill on Wednesday to restrict the purchase of agricultural land by citizens of China, Russia, North Korea, or Iran. “It is the beginning of the effort to keep our greatest adversaries from being able to purchase any American farmland,” said sponsor Rep. Dan Newhouse.
Support for regenerative agriculture drops if food costs more
Consumers like the goals of regenerative agriculture, but they don’t want to pay more for food produced with the climate-friendly practices, said a Purdue University survey released on Wednesday.
Today’s quick hits, September 12, 2024
Bird flu tally hits 201 herds: The H5N1 avian flu virus has infected 201 dairy herds since it was first confirmed in the United States in late March, said the USDA. Bird flu was confirmed this week in four dairy herds — three in California and one in Michigan. (Los Angeles Times) Low food …
Rural poverty rate dips to pre-pandemic levels
Aided by surging household incomes, the poverty rate in rural America fell to 13.5 percent, the lowest since 2019 and the second-lowest in two decades, said the Census Bureau on Tuesday. Rural conditions improved far more rapidly than did the country overall, according to the annual measurements of poverty and income.
Limiting 45Z credits to U.S. feedstocks has risks, says Vilsack
U.S. food and ag exports might suffer if the government denies 45Z tax credits to foreign feedstocks used in making sustainable aviation fuel, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Tuesday. The Biden administration intends to issue regulations for the tax credits, worth up to $1.75 a gallon, before leaving office in January, Vilsack told a biofuels group. "I'm confident that we're going to get her done."
Today’s quick hits, Sept. 11, 2024
Prices limit fertilizer demand: Fertilizer demand will grow marginally in 2025 and 2026 because of low commodity prices that constrain purchases of fertilizer, which is on the market at “challenging” levels, said a Rabobank analyst. (Rabobank) Combine, tractor sales slump: Sales of …
For rural America, election is ‘certainty vs. chaos’ or Trump as defender, say advocates
Vice President Kamala Harris bears the blame for high prices and declining farm income, said Indiana farmer Kip Tom on Monday, pushing for the reelection of Donald Trump as president. On the contrary, said Harris advocate Rod Snyder, calling the Nov. 5 election "a choice between certainty and chaos," like the Sino-U.S. trade war that cost farmers billions of dollars in lost export sales.
Scott, Boozman press for farm bill this year
The farm bill "isn't dead yet," said Georgia Rep. David Scott, the senior Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee, on Monday, although time is running out for Congress to act this year. A spokesman said the senior Republican on the Senate Agriculture Committee, Sen. John Boozman of Arkansas, was talking to "anyone he can to discuss how we can move the ball forward."
Today’s quick hits, Sept. 10, 2024
Veto threat for spending bill: “House Republicans have chosen brinksmanship,” said the White House in threatening to veto a six-month government funding bill that would make it “much harder for all eligible Americans to register to vote.” (White House) USDA customer …
Stabenow says she will ‘do everything in my power to pass a farm bill’
With Congress resuming work after its summer recess, Senate Agriculture chairmwoman Debbie Stabenow said she would do "everything in my power to pass a farm bill" this year. Farm-state lawmakers have been deadlocked for weeks over SNAP funding, higher crop subsidy spending, and climate mitigation.
Mexico to displace China as top corn importer
China will remain the leading importer of soybeans and cotton, but Mexico will be the world's largest corn importer for the rest of this decade, said the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute. The United States would be the top corn exporter despite increased competition from Brazil, said the University of Missouri think tank in updating its international marketing baseline.
Today’s quick hits, Sept. 9, 2024
Rural director for Harris: Matt Hildreth, executive director of RuralOrganizing, will work as national rural outreach director for the Harris-Walz campaign through the Nov. 5 election. (RuralOrganizing) Largest-ever rice crop: Upgrades to production in Bangladesh and Vietnam will boost the …
Thanks to livestock revenue, farm income will be stronger than expected
U.S. net farm income will be a much better than expected $140 billion this year, the fourth-highest total on record, forecast the Agriculture Department on Thursday. Production expenses are down for the first time since 2018, while farmers are pocketing increased revenue from eggs, cattle, milk, and broiler chickens.
Trump puts agriculture on list of potential ‘wealth fund’ investments
In a speech on Thursday, former president Donald Trump included “new and modern agricultural techniques” on a crowded list of potential investments from a yet-to-be-created wealth fund that might be bankrolled by import tariffs.
Today’s quick hits, September 6, 2024
Limiting land ownership: In the past year and a half, 22 states have enacted laws regulating foreign ownership of U.S. land, including requiring the disclosure of ownership, prohibiting purchases near military installations, and mandating the sale of foreign-owned land. (Congressional Research …