Latest News From USDA

An executive order on biotech and biomanufacturing was signed into law by President Biden on Tuesday. The order tasks Secy. Vilsack with reporting how the initiative can best benefit ag, but some funds are spoken for.

According to Secretary Vilsack, these efforts will “increase the competitive advantage of U.S. agriculture both domestically and internationally,” while building wealth in rural America.

Corn and soybeans are pushing higher after some surprises in the September USDA Supply and Demand Report.  Wheat mostly lower. Livestock mixed.  Michelle Rook gets analysis with Matt Bennett of AgMarket.Net.  

University of Missouri, South Dakota University and Iowa Soybean Association were named winners at the Farm Progress show in Boone, Ia. on Tuesday. Vilsack noted requests from over 1,000 applications topped $20 billion.

It will be a combination of cover crops, reduced nitrogen rates or split nitrogen applications as well as nutrient reduction wetlands, bioreactors, and saturated buffers Iowa farmers will use to meet their goals.

Sen. Joe Manchin went from being his party’s main holdout on major social policy, climate and tax legislation, to striking a domestic spending package deal that includes climate and energy programs and tax increases. 

USDA raised its consumer food price forecast again, to 8.5% to 9.5% for 2022. The agency had initially predicted a 2% to 3% rise in prices. Eggs, fats and oils, and poultry prices are making the biggest gains.

The CPI, an inflation gauge measuring what consumers pay for goods and services, rose 1.3% from May to June. Prices were up across the economy, with gasoline far outpacing other categories, up 11.2%.

According to the USDA, 2020 farming activities in the U.S. made up 11.2 percent, or 670 of 5,981 million metrics tons, of the U.S.’s total carbon contribution.

The July WASDE report from USDA shows while soybean production this year is expected to fall due to fewer soybean acres planted across the U.S., USDA is also forecasting a drop in exports.

Soybean acres are estimated at 88.3 million, up 1% from last year. This is down from March’s estimate of 90.955 million and below the pre-report trade average of 90.446 million.

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced agricultural producers have already received more than $4 billion through the Emergency Relief Program (formerly WHIP+), representing 67% of the $6 billion projected to be paid.

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.

Participants who seek this one-time, voluntary termination do not have to repay rental payments. But they must make requests for voluntary termination in writing through their local USDA office.

Three requests for information were published by the Federal Register. The requests outlined information about competition in regard to producers’ access to fertilizer, seed and ag inputs, as well as food retail.

Biden says Ukraine has 20 million tons of stored grain awaiting export to various countries. He says lack of port movement coupled with halted planting in Ukraine will ignite a global food crisis unless action is taken.

Speculation over whether U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack was arrested last week made its rounds on social media over the weekend, but USDA confirmed to Farm Journal the story is false.

Concerns over the world’s supply of grains and oilseeds are prompting the Biden administration to step in and encourage more production. Grain analysts say supplies of grains are tight due to the situation in Ukraine.

Biden administration wants more total planted acres with a focus on soybeans and wheat. That is the clear conclusion from what the administration is proposing as part of its latest wish list for Congress. 

The war in Ukraine will dictate food prices, according to Vilsack: "We don’t really know what the impact is going to be on Ukraine’s crop this year, or what it’s going to look like in terms of exportability.”

Food prices continue to climb across the board. According to the latest Consumer Price Index, increasing grocery prices account for the largest share of the hike. However, shoppers don't view prices as high.

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.

Nearly 4 million acres of CRP expire this year. Secy. Vilsack wrote to National Grain and Feed Association's Mike Seyfert to share converting CRP is “unfeasible.” However, Vilsack did offer one caveat in his letter.

USDA says there are currently no plans to provide direct payments to farmers impacted by soaring fertilizer prices. The news comes as farm groups and lawmakers are asking assistance to help with rising fertilizer costs.

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.

USDA’s Prospective Plantings report came with some shocks as farmers revealed 2022 planting plans. Despite the higher than expected soybean acreage numbers, some analysts say the soybean balance sheet is still tight.

For 2022, USDA are expecting more soybean acres than corn. That’s according to the 2022 Prospective Plantings report released on March 31.

President Biden's USDA FY 2023 budget proposal focuses on climate, conservation and research with $3.8 billion discretionary spending increase for USDA with climate, conservation and clean energy the major focal points.

USDA now expects food price inflation in 2022 to be from 4.5% to 5.5%, compared with 2021, based on the all-food Consumer Price Index. No category shows a potential decline.

Ted McKinney, NASDA CEO, led the climate conversation with a diverse list of speakers. From wildfires to water quality, each corner of the nation spoke to their state’s ag adversity, and their work in overcoming it.

It is clear the current administration sees the USDA and its influence over domestic agriculture as critical to fight climate change. What is not so clear is the definition of a “climate-smart” commodity.

Secretary Vilsack supports attorney generals search for answers. He says once the market studies are completed, “we may learn additional steps we can take.”

Expect Russia's invasion of Ukraine to dominate the State of the Union address tonight. As for issues affecting agriculture, there may be few details offered, says USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack.

Congress returns Monday, but to a very different situation due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which is expected to be one of the key issues President Biden talks about during his State of the Union address.

In 2021, the first year the program was made available, producers enrolled 12.2 million acres of cover crops in PCCP, capturing a collective $59.5 million in premium subsidies.

Wiesemeyer says “you don’t spend some $300 million on these [soybean crushing] plants without a solid foundation of a market in the future.”

Dry conditions in South America continue to damage crop potential.

Rep. Garamendi says the USDA partnership with the Port of Oakland “isn’t going to solve the problem” because shippers deliver product to the U.S. and leave ports with empty containers.

Less than 1% of fruits and vegetables tested by the USDA show pesticide residue levels outside permitted ranges.

When we think of carbon credits, we often think of renewable energy markets like wind, solar and electric vehicles. Hemp is proven to absorb more CO2 per acre than any forest or commercial crop.

AFBF President Zippy Duvall told members this week he will continue to press for policy that progresses agriculture, citing AFBF's work on changes to the White House's "America the Beautiful" plan as an example.

AFBF's in-person annual convention focused on everything from H-2A workers, drought, supply chain chaos and policy changes like the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule. USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack addressed the group Monday.

Available in select counties in 11 states, the Post Application Coverage Endorsement is available for non-irrigated corn.

The House and Senate are on recess this week, but work is ramping back up to finalize 2021 legislation before the New Year begins.

The FSA administrator dives into farmer financing, programs, vaccine rates and more.

USDA’s Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation talks carbon and goals.

Here is how some of the roughly $82 billion in agricultural spending could be dispersed.

Most of the report's focus was on wheat; USDA made little change to corn and soybeans for both domestic and South American production.

AgriTalk Host Chip Flory and Pro Farmer policy analyst Jim Wiesemeyer discuss plans Congress will probably have these last weeks of 2021, including the debt ceiling and the Build Back Better plan in the Senate.

The White House says 95.6% of USDA employees have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine or filed for an exemption, but the number who've received the vaccine is the lowest among reported federal agencies.