As Americans head to the polls today for election day, “one-fourth of the members of the House Agriculture Committee are in tight re-election races, according to political handicappers, a factor in the likely upheaval of the committee roster in 2025,” Successful Farming’s Chuck Abbott reports. “Turnover is a fact of life on the committee — […]
Farm Policy News
Lame Duck Farm Bill Passage Won’t Be Easy, Analysts Say
Successful Farming’s Chuck Abbott reported recently that “the lame-duck session of Congress offers a last chance to enact the new farm bill this year, but it would require compromise on a number of nettlesome policy disputes and an agreement among House and Senate leaders on how much to spend, said farm policy experts. The bill […]
Industry Sees Brazil as Global Hub for Clean Jet Fuel
Bloomberg’s Dayanne Sousa and Clarice Couto reported Thursday that “a global push to decarbonize air travel has groups from Big Oil to sovereign wealth funds betting on Brazil to become a top global center for green jet fuel.” “Brazil is becoming a magnet for investment as countries race to grab a share of what promises […]
US Detects First Bird Flu Case in Swine
Reuters’ Leah Douglas and Tom Polansek reported Wednesday that “H5N1 bird flu was confirmed in a pig on a backyard farm in Oregon, the first detection of the virus in swine in the country, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Wednesday.” “Pigs represent a particular concern for the spread of bird flu because they […]
Lack of 45Z Guidance Could Cause Biofuel Production Shutdowns
Bloomberg’s Tarso Veloso and Kim Chipman reported Monday that “agriculture giants including Cargill Inc. and Bunge Global SA are slowing their buying of soybeans due to uncertainty over US biofuels policy.” “The lack of guidance for a new clean-fuel tax credit is causing biofuels producers to put off some purchases of soyoil for early next […]
Trump Confirms RFK Jr. Would Tackle Food and Health Policy
Politico’s Grace Yarrow reported Monday that “former President Donald Trump confirmed to Joe Rogan in a podcast episode released Friday that Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a former presidential candidate and current MAHA (“Make America Healthy Again”) crusader, would have a place in his administration to focus on health and food policy.” “‘I’m gonna let him […]
E15 Gasoline Finally Coming to California?
Agri-Pulse’s Brad Hooker reported at the end of this past week that “Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday directed the California Air Resources Board to accelerate its regulatory review of the E15 blend of gasoline. Newsom said the higher ethanol mix would reduce gas prices while supporting the state’s stringent regulations on tailpipe emissions.” “The governor […]
Farm Economy Steady to Weakening, Fed Says
Successful Farming’s Chuck Abbott reported Thursday that “the farm economy stabilized in the Midwest and northern Plains but weakened in much of the country this fall as producers nationwide confronted high costs and lower commodity prices, said the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book on Wednesday. ‘Agricultural activity was flat to down modestly, with some crop prices […]
Food and Ag PACs Largely Supporting Republicans
Agri-Pulse’s Jake Zajkowski reported Wednesday that “political action committees sponsored by farm organizations, agribusiness firms and electric cooperatives have given nearly $27 million altogether to congressional campaigns in the 2024 campaign.” “House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson, R-Pa., topped the list with about $158,000 in donations, while Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., in line to […]
US Soybean Harvest Moving at Fastest Pace in 14 Years
Progressive Farmer’s Anthony Greder reported Monday that “both the U.S. corn and soybean harvests are now double digits ahead of their five-year averages as dry weather continued across most of the country last week, USDA NASS reported in its weekly Crop Progress report on Monday.” “Corn harvest moved ahead 18 percentage points nationally to reach […]
Ag economy is in a recession, says majority of ag economists
More than half of the 70 agriculture economists surveyed in Farm Journal’s Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor believe that the United States agriculture economy is in a recession, while 75% of those economists surveyed think the ag economy is on the brink of a recession. “Farmers are seeing heightened volatility in commodity prices as harvest season progresses,” […]
FTC Investigating John Deere Over ‘Right To Repair’
Reuters’ Jody Godoy reported at the end of this past week that “the U.S. Federal Trade Commission is probing farm equipment maker Deere over the company’s repair policies, according to a filing made public on Thursday. The investigation, authorized on Sept. 2, 2021, focuses on repair restrictions manufacturers place on hardware or software, often referred […]
John Deere Announces More Midwest Layoffs
The Des Moines Register’s Kevin Baskins reported Thursday that “John Deere has announced another round of layoffs in the Quad Cities affecting 287 workers, including 80 in Davenport.” “The other layoffs, effective Jan. 3, are of 200 workers at the company’s Harvester Works in East Moline, Illinois, and seven at its Seeding and Cylinder operations […]
New US-China Trade War Could Cost Farmers Billions
United States corn and soybean farmers could lose billions of dollars in annual production value in the event of a potential new tariff-induced US-China trade war, according to a new economic study commissioned by the American Soybean Association and the National Corn Growers Association and conducted by the World Agricultural Economic and Environmental Services. The […]
Ag Economists Say Both Presidential Candidates Bad for Trade
A majority of agriculture economists surveyed in the September Ag Economists Monthly Monitor say that both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump would hurt trade in the United States as president. Of the 70 ag economists surveyed for the Monthly Monitor, 86% say a Trump administration would hurt United States trade, while 55% say a Harris […]
Mississippi River Falls During Record Harvest Season
Progressive Farmer’s Mary Kennedy reported Monday that “as fall harvest of record corn and soybean crops is in full swing, river conditions continue to worsen, stalling barges trying to move up and down the Lower Mississippi River (LMR). In addition, barge drafts and tow sizes have been cut.” “Ceres Consulting said in their daily barge […]
Florida Citrus Hit by Hurricane Milton
Bloomberg’s Ilena Peng reported that “oranges and some citrus trees are lying useless on the ground in Florida’s groves after Hurricane Milton tore through the state, setting back growers just as they hoped the worst for the struggling industry was over.” “The powerful storm moved through key citrus-producing counties after making landfall in Florida (last) […]
Bird Flu Spread Continues in Humans, Slowing in Cattle?
Successful Farming’s Chuck Abbott reported that “on the same day the CDC confirmed the third human case of bird flu in California, state officials said Wednesday that they had identified two more possible infections, also farmworkers in the Central Valley. In less than six weeks, California has become the U.S. hot spot for bird flu, […]
Hurricane Milton To Disrupt Phosphate Production
Argus Media’s Taylor Zavala reported that “the US phosphate market anticipates Hurricane Milton’s Florida landfall … will cause further disruptions to regional production as the Tampa area continues to recover from Hurricane Helene.” Bloomberg’s Mary Hui and Brian K Sullivan reported Thursday morning that “Hurricane Milton is moving off the coast of eastern Florida into […]
McDonald’s Sues Big 4 Meat Packers for Price Fixing
Reuters’ Mike Scarcella reported Monday that “McDonald’s has sued JBS, Tyson Foods and other leading meat processing and packing companies for allegedly conspiring for years to limit beef supplies, boosting their profits while causing the fast food giant to pay artificially higher prices.” “McDonald’s said in a lawsuit filed on Friday in Brooklyn federal court […]