Reuters reported Thursday that “the Biden administration is expected to release a climate model for its sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) subsidy program on Tuesday, two sources familiar with the matter said. The rule will dictate how ethanol producers can use climate-smart agriculture to qualify for tax credits in the production of SAF. The ethanol industry […]
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.
Canada Concerned Over Bunge, Viterra Merger
Reuters’ David Ljunggren and Rod Nickel reported that “Canada’s Competition Bureau on Tuesday said it found major competition concerns around U.S. grains merchant Bunge’s proposed acquisition of Glencore-backed Viterra, throwing an obstacle before a global agriculture merger that is unprecedented in dollar value.” “The deal would create a company worth $34 billion including debt, nearer […]
Common Antiviral Meds Can Treat Bird Flu in Cattle
Successful Farming’s Chuck Abbott reported Tuesday that “testing has confirmed that antiviral medications used against the seasonal flu would be effective against the H5N1 bird flu virus that also infects dairy cattle, said the Centers for Disease Control. The USDA said on Monday the virus has been confirmed in 33 dairy herds in eight states […]
Farmers Oppose Koch Acquisition of Iowa Fertilizer Plant
The Des Moines Register’s Donnelle Eller reported Sunday that “Iowa farmers told a federal trade leader this weekend that the agency should block the $3.6 billion sale of the Iowa Fertilizer Co. to Koch Industries, saying it will further consolidate the industry and drive prices higher.” “Several of the roughly 100 Iowa, Minnesota and Missouri […]
Fed’s April Ag Economy Observations
The Federal Reserve Board on Wednesday released its April 2024 Beige Book update, a summary of commentary on current economic conditions by Federal Reserve District. While the report covers generalized “regional economic conditions and prospects,” it also includes the following observations pertaining to the U.S. agricultural economy. Sixth District — Atlanta “Agricultural conditions showed modest […]
Farm Bill Draft Expected by Memorial Day
E&E News’ Marc Heller reported earlier this week that “House Agriculture Chair Glenn Thompson said Tuesday he’ll release a farm bill draft within a month and have it ready for the panel’s consideration before Memorial Day.” “By setting a target date before the May 27 holiday, Thompson (R-Pa.) set the stage for the five-year bill’s […]
China Beef Demand, Pork Output Fall
Bloomberg’s Clarice Couto and Gerson Freitas Jr. reported earlier this week that “China’s beef imports are dwindling amid slowing consumption and ample domestic supply, dealing a blow to its biggest supplier Brazil.” “Official data show the value of China beef imports fell last year for the first time since at least 2016, with prices plunging […]
US Ag Emissions Lowest Since 2012
The American Farm Bureau Federation’s Daniel Munch reported Tuesday that a new study from the US Environmental Protection Agency showed that “U.S. agriculture represents just under 10% of total U.S. emissions when compared to other economic sectors. Overall U.S. greenhouse gas emissions increased from 2021 to 2022 by 1.3%, though agricultural emissions dropped 1.8% – […]
Ukraine Walked Away From New Black Sea Grain Deal
Reuters’ Guy Faulconbridge and Tuvan Gumrukcu reported Monday that “Russia and Ukraine negotiated for two months with Turkey on a deal to ensure the safety of shipping in the Black Sea and reached agreement on a text that was to be announced by Ankara but Kyiv suddenly pulled out, four people familiar with the matter told […]
Community Benefits Agreement Reached for Nebraska Pipeline Project
The Iowa Capital Dispatch’s Paul Hammel reported last week that “the developer of a carbon-dioxide pipeline (across Nebraska) and an environmental group have struck a ‘one-of-a-kind’ agreement to ensure ‘community benefits’ from the pipeline as well as support for the project.” “Kansas-based Tallgrass, which is converting a 392-mile-long natural gas pipeline to transport CO2, announced […]
April WASDE Makes Few Changes
The April World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) Report was relatively light on changes yesterday, with the USDA only slightly lowering domestic corn ending stocks for the 2023/24 marketing year and slightly increasing domestic soybean ending stocks. United States corn ending stocks are now estimated at 2.122 billion bushels, down 50 million bushels from […]
Republicans Propose Crop Insurance Subsidy Boost
Successful Farming’s Chuck Abbott reported Wednesday that “Republicans on the Senate Agriculture Committee proposed a $4 billion injection into the crop insurance program so that the government would pay a larger share of the premiums on policies offering the highest levels of coverage.” The plan, known as the FARMER Act, “was estimated at $4.2 billion […]
USDA Cancels July Cattle Report, County Level Estimates
The United States Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday that is canceling the July Cattle report and discontinuing the Cotton Objective Yield Survey and County Estimates for Crop and Livestock beginning with the 2024 production year. The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service said in a press release that “the decision to discontinue these surveys and reports […]
New Farm Bill Remains Unlikely as Congress Returns
Politico’s Garrett Downs reported Monday that “Congress is back to work this week, but a new five-year farm bill — set to determine the future of agriculture and nutrition policy — still seems like an afterthought.” “Last week, Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley suggested that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer could make the farm bill […]
Solar Eclipse Crossing U.S. Today
NBC News’ Denise Chow and Lucas Thompson report that “a total solar eclipse will cross North America on Monday (today), offering millions a rare opportunity to see afternoon skies temporarily darken as the moon blocks the face of the sun.” “The eclipse’s path fortuitously cuts across Mexico, 15 U.S. states and a small part of […]
Iowa Senate Votes to Limit Pesticide Illness Lawsuits
Iowa Public Radio’s Katarina Sostaric reported Wednesday that “Republicans in the Iowa Senate passed a bill Tuesday that would bar Iowans with severe illnesses from suing pesticide manufacturers for failing to warn them of potential health risks like cancer.” “Republican supporters of the bill said it would ensure pesticide companies are not sued for following […]
Republican Study Committee Budget Targets SNAP, Crop Insurance
A proposed 2025 budget from the Republican Study Committee — the largest conservative caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives — would cap crop insurance subsidies a single farmer may receive to $40,000, provide PLC and ARC payments only to farms with gross income below $500,000 and convert funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program […]
U.S. Drought Area Smallest Since 2020
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported Tuesday that “after a wet winter and early spring across much of the country, drought across the continuous United States had decreased to around 18% by the end of March, down from 20% at the end of February, and from about 36% at the beginning of winter.” “This […]
Bird Flu Detected in Texas Human
Just one day after reports of highly pathogenic avian influenza spreading to cattle in more states — including Michigan and Idaho — Politico’s Adam Cancryn and David Lim reported that “a Texas dairy worker has tested positive for the avian flu, marking the first identified human case of an illness in the U.S. that has sickened […]
HPAI Spreading to Cattle in More States
NPR’s Joe Hernandez reported over the weekend that “livestock at multiple dairy farms across the U.S. have tested positive for bird flu — also known as highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI — in an outbreak that’s likely spread to at least five states.” “The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service […]