Reuters’ Amy Lv and Naveen Thukral reported at the end of last week that “global trading house Cargill will undergo structural changes after missing internal earnings goals, with plans to streamline operations into three units instead of five, according to an internal company document seen by Reuters and two company sources.” “Agricultural merchants like privately […]
Ryan Hanrahan
Ryan Hanrahan is the Farm Policy News editor and social media director for the farmdoc project. He has previously worked in local news, primarily as an agriculture journalist in the American West. He is a graduate of the University of Missouri (B.S. Science & Agricultural Journalism). He can be reached at rrh@illinois.edu.
State AGs Seek to Prevent Extra Warning Labels on Weedkillers
The Des Moines Register’s Donnelle Eller reported Thursday that “Iowa, Nebraska and nine other states filed a petition Wednesday with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, asking it to adopt a rule preventing states like California from adding warning labels to chemicals that exceed the federal agency’s findings about their potential hazards.” “The EPA regulates the […]
EPA Investigating Used Cooking Oil Import Authenticity
Reuters’ Leah Douglas reported Wednesday that “the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has launched investigations into the supply chains of at least two renewable fuel producers amid industry concerns that some may be using fraudulent feedstocks for biodiesel to secure lucrative government subsidies.” “EPA spokesperson Jeffrey Landis told Reuters that the agency has launched audits over […]
Walz Brings Ag Committee Experience as VP Pick
Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate on Tuesday, a politician who the Hagstrom Report’s Jerry Hagstrom reported “has deep roots in agriculture, having been elected to the U.S. House (in 2007) from a mainly rural district in southern Minnesota and serving on the House Agriculture Committee until […]
US Cropland Values Up 37% Since 2020
FERN’s Ag Insider reported Monday that “U.S. cropland is worth an average of $5,570 an acre, an increase of $1,510, or 37 percent, since 2020, said the USDA’s annual Land Values report. The surge in land values accompanied the four highest years of net farm income, a gauge of profitability, for American farmers.” “The USDA […]
Cost Estimate Says House Farm Bill Will Raise Deficit
Agri-Pulse’s Philip Brasher reported this past week that “the House Agriculture Committee’s farm bill would boost the federal budget deficit by $33 billion over 10 years, according to an official cost estimate released Friday by the Congressional Budget Office, which refused to change its stance on a budget offset intended to fund changes to commodity […]
USDA Providing $2 Billion In Discrimination Payments
Reuters’ Leah Douglas reported Wednesday that “the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Wednesday it has issued $2 billion of financial assistance to more than 43,000 farmers, ranchers and forest landowners who experienced past discrimination in the agency’s farm lending programs.” “The Inflation Reduction Act allocated $2.2 billion for the discrimination payments. For decades, Black […]
Profit Downturn Continues for Global Ag Traders
Global bumper harvests, a downturn in crop markets and slowing demand for farm equipment are shrinking profits and lowering future outlooks for some of the world’s top crop traders and equipment manufacturers, including Bunge Global SA, CNH Industrial, Archer-Daniels-Midland Co and AGCO Corp. Crop Traders Bloomberg’s Gerson Freitas Jr and Tarso Veloso reported that “bumper […]
CDC Plans $10 Million Spend to Curb Human Bird Flu Infections
Reuters’ Leah Douglas and Julie Steenhuysen reported Tuesday that “the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Tuesday it plans to spend $10 million to curb farm worker bird flu infections, including $5 million for seasonal flu vaccines, as part of its efforts to avoid further spread and mutation of the virus.” “The […]
US Wheat Yields Up Significantly Over 2023
Bloomberg’s Michael Hirtzer reported that “record-high wheat yields in North Dakota are set to further expand American grain supplies and should help to quell inflation for foods like bagels, where prices had recently started rising again.” “Dozens of wheat traders, millers and bakers fanned out across the state in an annual crop tour this week,” […]
Western Wildfires Threatening Farmers and Ranchers
CBS News’ Richard Ramos, Brandon Downs and Cecilio Padilla reported Sunday that “Northern California’s Park Fire has surpassed 360,000 acres burned as evacuation orders affect four counties—Butte, Tehama, Shasta and Plumas.” “Cal Fire reported that containment increased to 12% on Sunday morning. The Park Fire is the largest wildfire in the state so far this […]
Albertsons-Kroger Merger on Hold, Bunge-Viterra Merger Headed for EU Approval
Bloomberg’s Leah Nylen reported Thursday that “a Colorado judge issued an order temporarily blocking the proposed $25 billion merger of Kroger Co. and Albertsons Cos., which has been challenged by the state attorney general.” “At a hearing in Denver on Thursday, Judge Andrew J. Luxen granted a preliminary injunction halting the deal and cancelled a […]
Ag-FDA Funding Bill Pulled From House Floor Vote
Politico’s Caitlin Emma and Jennifer Scholtes reported Monday that “House Republicans have pulled two government funding bills scheduled for a floor vote this week, signaling further peril for leadership’s doomed efforts to pass all 2025 spending measures before the August recess.” “Republicans’ funding bill for the Agriculture Department and the FDA, in addition to the […]
What a Kamala Harris Presidency Could Mean for Ag
Politico’s Grace Yarrow reported Monday that “after Joe Biden’s bombshell announcement Sunday afternoon, a number of DNC delegates and other top Democrats — including the president himself — quickly endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to take over the top of the ticket. The vice president’s track record as a California attorney general, U.S. senator and […]
Trump Vows to ‘End the Electric Vehicle Mandate’ in GOP Acceptance Speech
In his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention late last week, former President Donald Trump made no direct mention of agriculture, but he touched on a number of issues — electric vehicles, clean energy and trade — that directly affect the agriculture industry. “Trump started the rambling 1½-hour speech on a unifying note and […]
Low Commodity Prices Hurting Farm Income Outlook
Successful Farming’s Chuck Abbott reported Thursday that “farmers are on track to harvest some of their largest corn and soybean crops ever, but the ongoing decline in commodity prices is putting farm income in question, said the Beige Book issued by the Federal Reserve Board on Wednesday.” “Regional Fed banks in Chicago and Minneapolis said […]
Domestic SAF Production Capacity Could Increase by 1400% in 2024
Reuters reported Wednesday that “production capacity of sustainable aviation fuel in the United States could jump by 1400% in 2024 if all announced capacity additions come on line, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday.” “The EIA anticipates domestic production of (other) biofuels will increase by about 50% in 2024, led by rising SAF […]
Bird Flu Found in Oklahoma Dairy Cows
Reuters’ Tom Polansek and Brijesh Patel reported Monday that “Oklahoma has become the 13th U.S. state to detect bird flu in dairy cows, the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed on Monday, though the state said the infection happened months ago.” “The confirmation shows the outbreak was more widespread than U.S. authorities knew after the virus […]
Smithfield Foods Plans Public Stock Listing
Bloomberg’s Dong Cao reported Sunday that “the world’s biggest pork producer WH Group Ltd. is spinning off the US and Mexico businesses of Smithfield Foods Inc. and listing them in New York, it said in a Hong Kong stock exchange filing.” “The announcement confirmed a Bloomberg News report Friday, which said WH Group has picked […]
Farm Bill Hopes Continue to Dwindle for 2024
Farm Progress’ Joshua Baethge reported at the end of last week that “it’s hard to find anyone optimistic about passing a new farm bill this year. While the two political parties don’t agree on much, there’s a growing consensus that nothing is going to happen this year. All signs point to another (farm bill) extension […]