Farmers Facing March 15th Farm Bill Program Deadline
LUBBOCK, TX – March 15, 2022, is the deadline for farmers to choose between Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) for their safety net under the 2018 … Read More
Tag: USDA
December Feedlot Placements Surprise Traders, Hitting All-Time High
WASHINGTON, DC – USDA gave the cattle market plenty to talk about over the weekend when the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) suggested placements in feedlots during December hit their … Read More
AGRICULTURE TODAY PODCAST 01/21/22
AGRICULTURE TODAY PODCAST Top ag news What’s driving cotton prices higher? Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack on spending levels at USDA Breaking down latest Cattle on Feed numbers Contamination issues continue … Read More
Agribusiness Report: Mark Brusberg
The longest-running farm program in West Texas, the AgriBusiness Report is our daily interview program with decision-makers in the world of Agriculture. Today’s guest is USDA Chief Meterologist Mark Brusberg
Though Providing Relief to Some, Western Moisture Spreading
Across the West, moisture is spreading inland across northern and central California in what is the start of a stormy spell that could result in as much as 9 feet of snow in a few days.
Slight Decrease in Fed Cattle, Larger Marketing Increase
USDA’s final monthly Cattle on Feed Report dropped Thursday afternoon in front of a three day holiday weekend, leaving traders to wonder how the report will affect markets once they reopen.
GAO Report Critical of USDA’s Market Facilitation Program
Did USDA miscalculate trade damages to producers under the Market Facilitation Program in 2019?
Extended Days of Lower Prices Prompts Herd Contraction
Responding to persistently low milk prices, data from USDA and the National Milk Producers Federation shows a downward trend in milk and milk solids production.
Farm Workers Making More Money Compared to 2020
Farm labor participation is higher this year than last, according to a report released last week by USDA.
Tighter Cattle Inventories May Drive Beef Prices Higher
While cow slaughter numbers have been growing in 2021, the global demand for beef continues to grow.
USDA Reporting Fewer Number of Cattle on Feed
Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.9 million head on November 1, 2021. The inventory was slightly below the same time in 2020.
New USDA Rule Allows for Increased Line Speeds
USDA recently rolled out a proposal to let certain plants run at higher line speeds and explicitly allows nine plants that adopted the 2019 NSIS plan may now apply for a one-year trial program using increased line speeds.
Bipartisan Cattle Market Discovery and Transparency Bill Introduced
Continued concern and frustration with the lack of transparency within the cattle market by producers have led a bipartisan group of Senators to introduce the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act.
FSA Authorizes Final Payment Under 2019, 2020 WHIP+
Earlier this week, USDA’s Farm Service Agency notified State and County FSA Offices that a third round of payments to producers eligible under the 2019 and 2020 WHIP+ program had been authorized.
USDA: More Corn, Cotton, and Soybeans in 2021
USDA released their latest crop production forecast on Tuesday. Their November report projected year-over-year increases for corn, soybeans, and cotton in the United States based on conditions as of November 1, 2021.
USDA Preparing to Write ARC and PLC Checks
USDA is preparing to issue $1.8 billion in Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage program payments for the 2020 crop year, and for producers enrolled in PLC, those with barley, canola, chickpeas, dry peas, flaxseed, lentils, peanuts, seed cotton, and wheat will receive a payment.
Just What the Doctor Ordered: Packets of RUTFs
On Thursday, a bipartisan group from the House Agriculture Committee sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Samantha Power, Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development in support of ready-to-use therapeutic food production as child malnutrition rates rise globally.
Wheat and Soybeans Exports Increase, Export Sales Plummet
It was a disappointing week for U.S. commodity export sales, as USDA reported lower export sales for basically every major row-crop this past week. For the week ending October 21, 2021, actual exports were higher, week over week, for wheat and soybeans while it’s a marketing year low for cotton.
Researchers Examine Financial Impacts of Oil Booms/Busts
Over the past few years, researchers at USDA, the University of Oregon, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison studied the cumulative effects of oil booms and subsequent busts on communities and found that the oil booms offered a monetary incentive to families.
ERS: 2022 Holds Mixed Bag for Livestock Prices
On Monday, USDA’s Economic Research Service released its monthly Situation and Outlook Report for livestock.
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: 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.