Jim Wiesemeyer

Jim Wiesemeyer was a Pro Farmer contributor as the Washington Bureau Chief. His columns provided expertise and insight on farm policy, trade policy and Washington politics.

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Tensions between Russia and the West are escalating as Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that Moscow would strike new targets if the U.S. supplied long-range missiles to Ukraine, according to Russian state media.
Transforming the U.S. food system by improving supply chains and addressing issues exposed by the Covid-19 pandemic was detailed by USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack during a speech at Georgetown University.
Shanghai offered some tax rebates for companies and allowed all manufacturers to resume operations from June as authorities rolled out policies to revitalize an economy impacted by Covid-19 lockdowns.
Fertilizer prices, led by CF Industries, fell in Thursday’s trading. Nitrogen prices reportedly plunged 30%, partly due to demand destruction.
The White House is considering waiving U.S. gasoline environmental rules aimed at reducing summertime smog, hoping the waiver will combat rising pump prices, Reuters reported.
U.S. diesel prices are the highest ever, with warnings of shortages, especially in the eastern U.S., and the most intensive part of the farming season is still ahead.
The White House is expected to announce plans to insure double cropping in 681 more counties and doubling the amount of funding for domestic fertilizer production to $500M during a visit to an Illinois farm Wednesday.
Ukraine has planted 2.5 million hectares of spring-planted crops so far this year, 20% of expected area, according to the Ukrainian ag ministry. The country has warned of a potential decline of 20% in 2022 plantings.
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack provided more details regarding the general CRP signup that ended March 11. He said only 1.8 million of the 4 million acres in expiring contracts will be re-enrolled in the program.
A growing number of lawmakers, farm groups and farmers are pleading for assistance from still surging fertilizer prices. One possibility for USDA would be to tap the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Charter Act.