USDA’s 2024 Ag Outlook Forum kicks off today with an address from Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack and Chief Economist Seth Meyer’s outlook on the U.S. farm economy.
There also will be a panel with three state agriculture commissioners, and a second panel with farmers and industry experts entitled, “New Horizons: How Science, Technology, and Innovation are Positioning Farmers and Ranchers to Prosper.”
Follow Agri-Pulse.com for our reports on the forum.
Vilsack: No interest in his farm bill funding idea
Vilsack says he’s got a way to break the impasse over funding a new farm bill. But so far, “there hasn’t been any interest” in the idea on Capitol Hill, he told reporters after a five-hour hearing with the House Agriculture Committee on Wednesday.
Vilsack has suggested using the department’s Commodity Credit Corporation in some way to supplement the two main commodity programs, Price Loss Coverage and Agriculture Risk Coverage. Vilsack already is using the CCC to supplement farm bill funding for trade promotion assistance, and he’s pledged another $1 billion in CCC funding to provide food aid through purchases of U.S.-grown commodities.
“I think we just need to be more creative,” he said of finding ways to fund farm bill needs. “I think people are kind of stuck in their lanes here, and to get people unstuck I think you have to throw something into the equation that's a little bit different.”
What’s next: Vilsack said USDA is working with the U.S. Agency for International Development on how best to use the $1 billion earmarked for food aid.
By the way: House Ag Chairman Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., insisted to reporters after the hearing he’s still looking at moving a farm bill in March, even as the partisan impasse over funding only seems to be deepening. “There’s no funding for it right now,” Thompson acknowledged. The House is in recess after today until Feb. 28, when lawmakers return ahead of the March 1 and March 8 deadlines for keeping the government funded.
Vilsack defends small farm focus
At Wednesday’s hearing, Vilsack took heavy fire from House Republicans, who accused him of being out of touch with large-scale agriculture.
“Secretary Vilsack, have you talked to any farmers about how much fertilizer costs, how much diesel costs, or about the cost of land rent?” asked Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga.
Rep. Brad Finstad, R-Minn., said Vilsack lacked “appreciation for operations that provide the majority of the food in this country with tight margins and greater risk.”
Vilsack told reporters he was focused on smaller farms, “because they're the ones who are at greatest risk at this point in time. And they are the ones who are working two full-time jobs to stay on the farm.”
He went on, “We've got to feed the world and these folks do a tremendous job,” he said of large-scale farms. “This is not about necessarily suggesting that they that they're not great. It's about the fact that for far too long, our focus has been on production and production agriculture, and it has made it more difficult for the small and midsize folks to compete in that in that system.”
Ag groups welcome EPA action on dicamba
There’s a headline you don’t see every day.
Farm groups are praising EPA’s decision Wednesday to allow use of previously registered dicamba products that are already in the hands of growers, retailers or distributors.
The agency said it wanted to ensure that other, more volatile dicamba products would not be used illegally by soybean and cotton growers, and that the three “over the top” products – XtendiMax. Engenia and Tavium – are applied according to label restrictions.
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The order doesn’t allow registrants to sell or distribute dicamba, but EPA said most product is already at retailers or distributors.
“We’re pretty confident this is going to meet our needs,” said Kyle Kunkler, director of government affairs at the American Soybean Association.
The National Cotton Council said that “under the circumstances, EPA’s order will provide much-needed relief for growers already facing difficult economic conditions.”
Commerce secretary: Labor shortage dogs broadband work
Broadband providers are struggling to find enough labor as they work with state agencies and the Commerce Department to deploy $42 billion in network infrastructure to unconnected communities, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo says.
Raimondo, speaking at an event hosted by NTCA — The Rural Broadband Association, said low unemployment rates have made it difficult to find employees to lay fiber or do other work necessary to connect homes to the internet.
“It is a real challenge,” Raimondo said.
Take note: Raimondo said her agency estimates the funding will create around 150,000 new jobs.
Southwestern butterfly gets listed as threatened
A butterfly known from only 10 populations at high elevations in southwestern Colorado, eastern Utah, and northern New Mexico is being listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, but certain activities such as grazing will be allowed to continue.
The Fish and Wildlife Service says a rule will tailor “the conservation of the species with balanced land management to allow continued acceptable land uses.” A prohibition against what is known as “incidental take” of the Silverspot butterfly and bog violet, its host plant, will not apply to certain activities if they are conducted “in a manner compatible” with conserving the species, FWS says.
He said it. “It’s only the large farms that can survive the onslaught of government.” – Rep. David Rouzer, R-N.C., suggesting to Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack that federal regulation is driving farm consolidation.
Steve Davies and Noah Wicks contributed to this report.
