Pork Processing Line Speeds May Resume Under Proposal
The National Pork Producers Council is reporting that USDA may allow harvesting line speeds at pork packing plants to increase, under a proposal being considered by the White House.
USDA
USDA: Corn and Soybean Production Higher, Cotton Lower
USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service released their October Crop Production Report on Tuesday, based on conditions as of October 1, 2021. Researchers believe the harvest for corn and soybeans will be greater than last year’s production, while the final U.S. cotton crop is expected to be smaller.
Cattle Industry Receives Mixed News From Texas A&M
As the cattle industry continues to struggle with a lack of transparency in trades, a reduction in processing capacity, and lopsided revenues for packers, Congress and USDA challenged the Agriculture and Food Policy Center at Texas A&M to find the causes for and potential solutions to the problems.
Vilsack Rolling Out New Climate-Smart Conservation Practices
Last week, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced a comprehensive set of investments by USDA aimed at supporting drought resilience, animal disease prevention, market disruption relief, and updates for school nutrition programs.
Largest Number of Acres Offered for Grassland CRP
For the first time in history, producers and landowners offered nearly 4 million acres of land for enrollment in this year’s Grassland Conservation Reserve Program Signup.
Emergency Livestock Assistance Program Expanded to Transportation Costs
On Wednesday, USDA announced the expansion of the Emergency Assistance for Livestock Program, to provide coverage for feed transportation costs, in addition to water transportation costs.
Administration Addressing Livestock Supply-Chain Bottlenecks and Price Issues
In a White House Press briefing on Wednesday, Brian Deese, Director of the National Economic Council told reporters that the Biden Administration was ready to address both supply-chain issues and a lack of competition in the meat-processing arena.
USDA Opens Comment Period for Cell-Based Meat Alternatives
Even as products like the Impossible Burger and Beyond Meat have been expanding in restaurants and grocery store shelves, the debate on how to label these “alternative” products continues.
As Farmers Gain Experience Their Internet Usage Decreases
he more experience a farmer has in their operation, the less likely they are to buy farm inputs or access market information online, according to a report released by the Economic Research Service.
Family Farms Benefit from $5.6 Billion in Assistance
Family farms accounted for 98 percent of all U.S. farms in 2019, according to data released by the Economic Research Service.
Cotton Prices Projected to Hit 10-Year High
USDA released their latest World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report on Thursday with an expectation for higher prices for wheat and corn, no changes for soybeans , but the highest price for cotton in almost 10 years.
USDA Expecting Larger Corn, Soybean and Cotton Crops
U.S. farmers are expected to produce larger corn, soybean and cotton crops compared to last year according to the latest Crop Production forecast from USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.
Demand for Lamb Meat Outpacing Projected Domestic Supply
Growing demand for lamb meat is leading to higher prices for producers, according to data collected by the U.S. Meat Export Federation.
Corn, Soybean, and Cotton Cancellations Outpace Export Sales
Export sales of wheat were higher for the week ending July 22, but not just lower for corn, soybeans, and cotton, they were actually the equivalent of returns as the cancellation of previous sales outpaced the current week’s sales.
USDA Projecting Record-High Commodity Exports in FY21
Though U.S. export commodity sales have been at impressive levels over the past 18 months, the Economic Research Service is predicting an all-time high for this fiscal year.
California Leads Nationwide Milk Production Increases for June
Milk production in the United States expanded by more than 3 percent during the month of June, according to the latest data from USDA.
Federal Farm Payments in 2019 Averaged Almost $25k
Government payments to farm operator households totaled $14.8 billion in 2019, based on data from USDA’s Agricultural Resource Management Survey.
Cattle on Feed Lower as U.S. Herd Shrinks
The nation’s cattle herd is in contraction, and has been confirmed by the latest July Cattle on Feed Report.
Nine-fold Increase in Free Student Meals in 2020
According to the Economic Research Service, in fiscal year 2020, USDA’s Summer Food Service Program served a record of almost 1.3 billion meals, just under 9 times more than one year earlier.
Export Sales of Wheat Improve, Decline for Others
The latest Weekly Export Sales Report suggests a week over week increase for wheat sales, but reductions from corn, soybeans and cotton.
House Ag Committee Tackling “Digital Divide” With Legislation
The House Agriculture Committee met on Wednesday to outline and debate HR 4374, the Broadband Internet Connections for Rural America Act.
Ag Secretary Outlines Goals Related to Presidential Order
While traveling through his home state of Iowa, Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack announced USDA intends to make significant investments to expand processing capacity and increase competition in meat and poultry processing.
USDA Updates Trade on Expected World Supply/Demand
USDA’s latest WASDE report provides an increase in potential crop prices for wheat, no change for cotton, and lower prices for corn and soybeans.
FTC Adopts Stronger ‘Made in USA’ Rules
The Federal Trade Commission has voted to adopt a final Made in USA rule to strengthen enforcement of the new standard.
USDA Reminds Producers of Upcoming Crop Acreage Deadline
Another major deadline is approaching for row-crop producers, according to USDA, as those who have not yet completed their crop acreage reports after planting should make an appointment with the local Farm Service Agency soon.
No Surprise that Cattle Marketings Soar in May
Cattle on feed in the U.S. as of June 1, 2021 are at the second-highest level in recorded history, according to the latest data from USDA.
Senate Passes Carbon Credit Market Opportunity for Farmers
Agricultural groups are applauding last week’s passage of the Growing Climate Solutions Act in the Senate by an impressive 92-8 margin.
U.S. Agricultural Exports Rebound, California Tops the List
After roughly two years of breaking even in agricultural trade, U.S. agricultural exports are outpacing imports and are on pace to finish just behind the surplus recorded in 2017.
Another Bill Introduced Calling on Cattle Market Transparency
A cattle market that is out of balance is leading to more calls for transparency, especially in Congress.
USDA Proposing Changes to Packers and Stockyards Act
According to a press release, the Department will begin work on rules to support the enhancement of the 100-year-old law by proposing a new rule to strengthen enforcement of unfair and deceptive practices.
April Pork Exports are Sixth Largest on Record
Following a record-breaking March performance, exports of U.S. beef and pork continued to build momentum in April, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation.
Larger Dairies More Likely to Thrive Than Others
If you’re going to play in dairy, you better plan to play big.
Producers With Cover Crops Eligible for Premium Benefit
USDA wrapped up an unexpected gift for some farmers on Tuesday by announcing a premium benefit to producers of crop insurance policies who planted cover crops this year.
Pork Producers Call on USDA to Help Industry
Pork producers are waiting to see if USDA can assist the industry after a recent federal district court ruled that the 20-year-old New Swine Inspection System should not be implemented in the next few weeks.
Normally Bearish Cattle On Feed Tempered By Expectations
Last Friday’s Cattle on Feed report is considered relatively neutral to bearish due to higher-than-expected placements.
CFAP Applications Continue to Be Accepted by USDA
To date, USDA has approved almost 907,000 applications totaling more than $13.6 billion.
USDA Reports Mixed Numbers On Weekly Export Sales
Net wheat sales were down noticeably from the previous week and down 61 percent from the prior 4-week average according to the latest Weekly Export Sales Report from USDA.
USDA Expecting Higher Average Prices for Most Commodities
USDA latest World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates reports expected higher prices for wheat, corn, soybeans, and cotton.
Winter Wheat Production Up 10 Percent from 2020
USDA released their latest Crop Production Report for May, on Wednesday, and government economists expect a 10 percent year over year increase in winter wheat production this season.
Agricultural Groups Offer Recommendations for USDA ‘Carbon Bank’
The Food and Agriculture Climate Alliance has worked over the past three months to develop specific recommendations for how USDA should approach a potential carbon bank.
USDA Updating 2022 Dairy and Livestock Insurance Programs
USDA has announced updates to two popular livestock insurance policies in an effort to improve options and create additional opportunities for producers to participate.
Weekly Pork Exports Achieve New Marketing Year High
For the week ending April 22, 2021, U.S. pork exports hit a new marketing year high and sales for corn, sorghum, and soybeans were higher than the previous week according to the latest USDA Weekly Export Sales Report.
Tyson Becomes First Processor to Join Traceability Project
In a sign of what seems to be coming for the livestock industry, Tyson Foods last week joined U.S. CattleTrace. The program launched three years ago to assist animal health officials with a quick and effective means to respond to any foreign disease outbreak in the beef industry.
Despite Placements, Cattle on Feed Report Within Expectations
USDA released their monthly Cattle on Feed Report for April 1, and for one brokerage firm, there were no surprises.
USDA Study: Western Rainfall More Erratic Since 1970
Dry periods between rainstorms have become longer and annual rainfall has become more erratic across most of the western United States during the past 50 years.
Bill Aims to Break Down Carbon Market Barriers
The Senate Agriculture Committee has reintroduced a bipartisan bill aimed at breaking down barriers for farmers and foresters interested in participating in carbon markets for climate-smart practices.
USDA Opens CRP Enrollment with Higher Payment Rates
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Wednesday that USDA will open enrollment in the Conservation Reserve Program with higher payment rates, new incentives, and a more targeted focus on the program’s role in climate change mitigation.
China Returns as America’s Top Buyer of Commodities
In 2020, U.S. agricultural exports to China totaled $26.4 billion, a $12.6 billion increase from 2019 and representing the largest market for American farmers and ranchers.
USDA Encouraging Producers to Sign Up for CFAP-2
USDA is implementing updates to the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program for farmers and ranchers who faced market disruptions in 2020 due to COVID-19.
Economists Question Whether Today’s Death Tax Kills Farms
As many farm and commodity organizations draw attention to the potential disasters of the Federal estate tax, the Economic Research Service is asking how it will affect farmers and ranchers.