Argentina Combats Locust Cloud, as Brazil Stays on Alert
Last week, the advance of a locust cloud put the Brazil and Argentine authorities on alert. According to a bulletin released by the National Service for Health and Agrifood Quality…
Senate Ag Committee Hearing: Monetizing Voluntary Conservation Practices
On Wednesday, the Senate Agriculture Committee held a Legislative Hearing to Review S. 3894, The Growing Climate Solutions Act of 2020.
COVID-19 Ag Related Losses Mount, as China Seeks Virus Documentation on Soybeans
Donnelle Eller reported on the front page of Tuesday's Des Moines Register that, "The Trump administration has sent $4 billion in payments to U.S. farmers to help cover losses due to the…
A Closer Look at U.S. Meat Production from USDA’s Economic Research Service
Last week, USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) released its monthly Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Outlook, which included updated information regarding meat production.
Cause for Concern? Government Programs Increasingly Important Part of Farm Income
DTN Ag Policy Editor Chris Clayton reported last week that, "The American Farm Bureau Federation on Wednesday sent a detailed list of recommendations to Congress to help farmers, stating that…
FAPRI: Baseline Update for U.S. Agricultural Markets
On Tuesday, the University of Missouri's Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) released its June Baseline Update for U.S. Agricultural Markets. The update incorporates government payment programs that were announced…
Federal Reserve: Observations on the Ag Economy- May 2020
On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve Board released its May 2020 Beige Book update, a summary of commentary on current economic conditions by Federal Reserve District. The report included several observations…
COVID-19 Impacts on Livestock Markets Persist, While Fed Says Ag Sector “Under Severe Stress”
Recent news articles continue to highlight the ripple effects COVID-19 is having on some aspects of the U.S. livestock market. Meanwhile, the minutes from the Fed's April meeting noted that,…
USDA Announces Details of Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) Aid Payments
Bloomberg writers Mike Dorning and Teaganne Finn reported yesterday that, "President Donald Trump announced rules Tuesday for a $19 billioncoronavirus farm aid package covering a broad swath of U.S. agriculture…
Federal Reserve Ag Credit Surveys- 2020 First Quarter Farm Economy Conditions
On Thursday, the Federal Reserve Banks of Chicago and Kansas City released updates regarding farm income, farmland values and agricultural credit conditions from the first quarter of 2020. Earlier this month,…
COVID-19 Roils Ag Markets- Income, Food Prices, Production Impacted as Legislators Weigh In
Washington Post writers David J. Lynch, Annie Gowen and Laura Reiley reported this week that, "President Trump promised this year to deliver a financial bonanza for American farmers, boosted by…
COVID-19 Has Caused an “Agricultural Tsunami” – While USDA and DOJ Investigate Livestock Market Issues
Donnelle Eller reported on the front page of Sunday's Des Moines Register that, "The coronavirus has caused an agricultural tsunami that's ripped through Iowa and the nation. Markets have been…
Sec. Perdue Expects Meat Plants to Reopen Within 10 Days
Sky Chadde and Kyle Bagenstose reported on the front page of today's USA Today that, "The meatpacking industry hit a grim milestone this week when the number of coronavirus cases…
“Flipped On Its Head” by COVID-19: Some Food Sectors “Scramble” For New Equilibrium
Kevin Rector reported on the front page of Wednesday's Los Angeles Times that, "In less time than it takes a farmer to plant and harvest a head of lettuce, the…
Some Kinks in Food Supply Chain Persist During COVID-19 Fallout
Bloomberg writer Michael Hirtzer reported late last week that, "American beef output is down a lot more than plant closures would have you believe -- a sign that slowdowns at…
Meatpacking Plants Expected to Open in “Days Not Weeks,” as Protein Markets Adjust to COVID-19
Bloomberg's Mike Dorning reported on Thursday that, "Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said he expects meatpacking plants to reopen in “days not weeks” under President Donald Trump’s executive order invoking the…
Supply Chain Woes Persist After Trump Executive Order, as COVID-19 Impacts Endure
Michael Corkery, David Yaffe-Bellany and Ana Swanson reported in Thursday's New York Times that, "Ever since slaughterhouses became coronavirus hot spots, the meat industry has been asking the Trump administration…
Chairman of Tyson Says Food Chain is “Breaking,” While President Trump Orders Plants to Remain Open
Financial Times writer Gregory Meyer reported this week that, "The largest US meat company has warned of shortages for consumers, saying the country’s complex food chain was 'breaking' as Covid-19…
Meat Shortages “Dangerously Close,” as COVID-19 Induced Supply Chain Bottlenecks Persist
Bloomberg writers Michael Hirtzer and Tatiana Freitas reported recently that, "Plant shutdowns are leaving the U.S. dangerously close to meat shortages as coronavirus outbreaks now spread to suppliers across the…
As COVID-19 Slows Meat Processing, Meat Shortages a Growing Concern; Livestock Producers Face Tough Choices
Bloomberg writers Deena Shanker, Michael Hirtzer, Jen Skerritt, and Lydia Mulvany reported this week that, "The U.S. is edging closer to possible meat shortages with another major plant taken off…