Ag Policy
The Russia-Ukraine crisis sent wheat prices skyrocketing 50 cents higher, with corn up 30 cents at one point Thursday. Crude oil also soared above $100 per barrel, hitting the highest level since 2014.
Pork producers are frustrated by the questions surrounding the USDA’S Spot Market Hog Pandemic Program. Still, IPPA’s Jennifer Tirey urges producers to get their applications in by this Friday, despite the uncertainty.
McDonald’s Corp said Carl Icahn has nominated two members to its board of directors in an escalating fight over the treatment of pigs by the burger chain’s suppliers.
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.
The National Pork Producers Council urges the Biden administration to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The benefits to U.S. exports would be significant, says NPPC’s Maria Zieba.
A federal judge on Friday blocked for now the Biden administration from restoring Obama-era values for calculating the cost of climate change in the government’s permitting, investment and regulatory decisions.
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.
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.
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 report found nitrogen accounts for more than 50% of fertilizer costs for a corn producer at $117 per acre.
U.S. pork producers can now export sausage and similar products to Nigeria. On Jan. 12, the country located on the western coast of Africa, announced it is partially opening its market to U.S. pork.
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.
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.
After decades of work, the world’s second-most populous nation is allowing imports of U.S. pork and pork products. Industry leaders say this presents a major opportunity for U.S. pork producers.
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.
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.
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker signed into law a compromise measure delaying the implementation of the Question 3 initiative to prohibit the sale of pork that doesn’t meet prescriptive animal production standards.
A bill approved by the Massachusetts Legislature to delay enforcement of rules called for in Question 3, the Commonwealth’s animal confinement voter initiative, is on its way to the Governor to be signed into law.
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.
China will raise import tariffs on most pork products next year, the finance ministry said on Wednesday, after the world’s top producer rapidly expanded domestic production and reduced its needs for imports.
Although red meat exports are on a record pace in 2021, shipping delays and obstacles remain a major concern for exporters and their international customers.
USDA launched a new program to assist hog producers who sold hogs through a negotiated sale during the period in which these producers faced the greatest reduction in market prices due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a move that should alleviate some of the tight pork packing capacity and supply chain issues, the USDA will again allow some plants to run faster harvesting line speeds. NPPC’s Andrew Bailey weighs in on what’s next.
Senate leadership’s timeline for the BBB proposal is just before Christmas, according to Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. Centrist Sen. Joe Manchin is calling for a strategic pause for the vote, delaying it into 2022.
USDA’s APHIS issued a revised Federal Order to allow certain swine products to safely move to the mainland U.S. from Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as long as they meet certain conditions.
As U.S. consumer spending and excess savings are both on the rise, John Phipps says the pandemic stirred up the status quo, and now there’s a key question economists are asking as the calendar flips to 2022.
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is awarding more than $16.3 million to 64 projects with states, universities and other partners to strengthen programs to protect animal health.
The EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are seeking comment on the pre-2015 WOTUS rule published in the Federal Register.