Latest News From POLICY

This round is for those who were delinquent on a direct loan as of Sept. 2020, restricted a loan after Feb. 2020 through FSA, or those who owe more interest on a direct loan than the level of the principal.

“We don’t need to rewrite the entire farm bill,” Rep. Thompson (R-Pa.) says. “We’re comfortable with many parts of the 2018 bill and there aren’t many tweaks, instead things we need to protect and invest in."

Rail strikes ran headlines in late 2022 and came to an end in December when Congress passed an agreement. But there may be another strike looming in the transportation sector unless the Biden administration changes pace.

We need to know the final funding level in the debt limit debate before there are can be any attempt to mix and match farm bill titles and funds.

Emily Skor, Growth Energy CEO, says the fuel industry has only “scratched the surface” of ethanol potential. She feels this act will help unleash ethanol’s capabilities.

The EPA’s new definition of Waters of the U.S. takes effect Monday. Here's a rundown of what is considered WOTUS and, therefore, subject to federal regulation.

Former President Donald Trump placed tariffs on more than $300 billion in Chinese goods during his presidency, raising costs for American companies, according to the ITC.

The House last week has already passed its WOTUS rule resolution and it’s up for a Senate vote. The White House has pledged a veto of the measure, should it reach President Joe Biden’s desk.

There’s drama and comedy in politics says ARA’s Hunter Carpenter. 

STB Chairman Martin Oberman hosted a press conference—the first of its kind that he said anyone could remember—to explain more behind the decision, which approves the first major merger in 25 years. 

USDA's Equity Commission recently recommended sweeping changes across the entire government agency. What can farmers expect to see?

The writing may be on the wall for a transformation, but a pivot doesn’t have to be a 180° turn.

To put cover crop investments in motion, NRCS would draw on federal, state and private conservationists to hire “thousands” of employees for rural America.

The ARA public policy committee convened the day before the Capitol Hill visits to confirm these top priorities for 2023

Under the MOU, both parties have the right to walk away from the agreement if any state or federal right-to-repair legislation is enacted.

An early look at the report shows the House Ag Committee could push for improvements to the current safety net within Title I of the farm bill and move away from relying on Congress to approve ad hoc disaster aid.

As farmers in the Plains continue to see losses from drought, groups like NSP are discussing during Commodity Classic either permanent disaster aid or other changes to strengthen the safety net within Farm Bill.

ASA policy priorities during Commodity Classic focus on everything from the Farm Bill to EPA's recent Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) proposal, while also pushing for increased market access through trade. 

By requesting consultations, the U.S. Trade Representative began a process to come to a settlement on ag biotechnology imports to Mexico. If a settlement is not reached, the issue will move to a full-blown trade dispute.

BASF announced it’s halting the development of hybrid wheat in North America, a move NAWG fears could ultimately drive wheat acres out of the U.S., unless more public and private investments into R&D are made.

Russia badly needs to replace expended and outdated Soviet arms while China needs Russian energy. That is compelling math. This is bad news not just for the heroic people of Ukraine, but Europe and the US.

Egg prices peaked in December at around $5.43, then decreased 52% to $2.61 per dozen in February thanks to bird flu. Some speculate this could become a trend based on a hypothesis in how the disease is transmitted.

“When Ukraine fails, in terms of their ability to produce agricultural products, the world becomes less safe,” says Howard Buffett, global philanthropist and Illinois farmer.

Russia is now saying it will only extend its Black Sea grain deal if sanctions are lifted on its own agricultural products. The deal, which was brokered last year, allowed for safe passage of Ukrainian ag products. 

"The prioritization of resource concerns must be left to the local level where producers decide how they can best address their unique and varied landscapes and needs," said Sen. John Boozman.

Morocco is sitting on 75-85% of proven global phosphate reserves, but projections of phosphate depletion span from 50 to 300 years. John Phipps explains why the concerns about peak phosphate production may be overblown.

Mexico is accusing the U.S. of playing politics over the GMO corn issue, but NCGA CEO Neil Caskey says if Mexico wants non-GMO, they'll need to pay a premium for it instead of violating a trade pact already in place. 

"In this current situation, the traditional approach to free trade agreements — which isn't just tariff cuts, but that they do tariff cuts on a fully comprehensive basis — isn't what we need right now,” Tai says.

"This proposal, while well-intended, still leaves the country with a patchwork of regulations that prevents the nation’s driving public from enjoying the full benefits of biofuels," said Sen. Deb Fischer.

With improved snowpack in areas such as Montana and precipitation through the midsection of the country late last fall and this winter, the Mississippi River and its tributaries could be back to normal by this spring. 

Without the Office of Management and Budget approval, states will be unable to sell E15 fuel in the summer months.

A year ago, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine injected uncertainty about global grain supplies into the market. Today, initial concerns have been squashed by the reality of record exports from the Black Sea Region.

The U.S. appears to be pursuing a case via USMCA on the matter: “That is going to happen, because we're essentially in a circumstance where this is not a situation that lends itself to a compromise,” Vilsack said.

Despite weather trends, planting projections for 2023 find corn, wheat and soybeans similar to 2022, for a combined 228 million acres—a 3% increase from 2022.

“If California were to win this Supreme Court case, there’s nothing stopping the state from saying, for example, you can only sell corn in California if it’s harvested with an electric combine,” Dillard says.

Is the Biden Administration's trade agenda finally making some progress? Farm groups are hopeful after key appointments are confirmed and some recent success stories on the trade front.

SNAP, which historically receives the greatest amount of farm bill funding, will see an 82% increase of a quarter-trillion-dollars.

“Over the long term, our projections suggest that changes in fiscal policy must be made to address the rising costs of interest and mitigate other adverse consequences of high and rising debt," CBO Director Swagel said

A filing Tuesday by the Department of Justice urged a federal court in Illinois not to throw out a class action suit that consolidated several farmers’ lawsuits against John Deere over repair restrictions.

The House will take the reins in writing farm bill 2023. House Ag Chairman Thompson says the pen is “firmly” in his hand, with few tweaks to be made from 2018. The Senate says their version is nearly complete.

With the expansion of the U.S. soybean processing industry due to the push for green fuels farmers are looking for a new home for the extra meal...and they're finding it in Morocco.

A Senate Ag Committee hearing Thursday on the new farm bill raised a issue that is now evident: the Title 1 farm bill safety net can no longer deal with the current ag environment.

Mexico's new decree will indicate that if U.S. GMO corn passes the sanitary filters of the Federal Commission for Protection against Sanitary Risks (Cofepris), it will have no problem entering Mexico.

The 2018 farm bill was stamped with a $428 billon price tag when passed. With the bill set to expire on Sept. 30, here’s a breakdown of the topics ag groups look to push on the negotiating table.

Has U.S. gasoline demand peaked? And what will more electric vehicles mean for gasoline prices down the road? John Phipps looks into the issue in John's World.

In hopes of solidifying American ag’s competitive role in global markets, 27 House members signed a letter to the White House, stressing the importance of ag research investments in the 2024 budget.

“With 90% of corn acreage in the U.S. being planted to biotech seeds and Mexico being the number one purchaser of U.S. corn, I'm concerned this decree is not being met with urgency it deserves,” said Sen. Grassley.

With Republicans now in control of the House, Rep. RandyFeenstra (R-Iowa) said he wants to introduce legislation shielding the stepped-up basis and like-kind exchanges.

“It’s a mystery as to why the USDA began to hide the names of many recipients,” said Scott Faber, senior vice president for government affairs for the Environmental Working Group.

The revamped foods program would absorb the functions of Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition and the Office of Food Policy and Response, as well as some of the work of the Office of Regulatory Affairs.