Articles by Bill Tomson

The big export backlog: US ag products stack up at Western ports

04/14/21 6:33 AM By Bill Tomson and Amy Mayer

Some ag exporters have complained that they can’t get their products into containers or that the filled containers are sitting at port, incurring fees and risking spoilage, because shippers are sending empty containers back to Asia so they can be filled with imports and sent back to the U.S. as fast as possible.

Mexican potato farmers vow to keep up fight against US imports

04/14/21 6:30 AM By Bill Tomson

Mexico’s Supreme Court refused last week for the second time in six weeks to make a ruling that could allow substantial new access to the Mexican market worth hundreds of millions of dollars annually for U.S. potatoes, fueling Mexican farmers' determination to continue their fight against the trade.

Daybreak April 14: Food, ag giants join in carbon reduction appeal

04/14/21 6:00 AM By Philip Brasher, Steve Davies, Ben Nuelle, and Bill Tomson

Some 300 corporations, including some industry giants in the agriculture and food industry, are calling on President Joe Biden to commit the U.S. to cutting its greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 from 2005 levels.

Daybreak April 13: PepsiCo pours some cash into ag climate research

04/13/21 10:00 AM By Steve Davies, Bill Tomson, and Ben Nuelle

PepsiCo is giving a big boost to efforts by the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research and U.S. Farmers and Ranchers in Action to reduce greenhouse gases in agriculture, donating $5 million to a year-old partnership now rebranded as AgMission.

Daybreak April 12: Biden woos Republicans, but how far will he go?

04/12/21 10:00 AM By Philip Brasher, Steve Davies, Bill Tomson, and Ben Nuelle

President Joe Biden is meeting with a group of Democratic and Republican lawmakers today to build support for his giant $2.7 trillion infrastructure package, the American Jobs Plan.

Daybreak April 9: White House issuing budget proposal

04/09/21 10:00 AM By Philip Brasher, Steve Davies, Bill Tomson, and Ben Nuelle

President Joe Biden is releasing his fiscal 2022 budget proposal today, less than six months before the new budget year starts. His budget will only cover discretionary spending – those programs that are subject to annual appropriations, which includes research and rural development programs at USDA.

US and Mexico make their cases on cucumber, squash trade to ITC

04/08/21 4:17 PM By Bill Tomson

U.S. farmers, government officials and academics told the International Trade Commission that unfair Mexican trade had caused steep losses in domestic vegetable markets, an accusation countered by representatives of Mexican exporters.

Daybreak April 8: Republicans to press Dems on biofuels

04/08/21 10:00 AM By Philip Brasher, Ben Nuelle, Steve Davies, and Bill Tomson

Republicans have so far focused their attacks on President Joe Biden’s infrastructure package on the scope of things it would fund – like home health care – that aren’t traditionally thought of as infrastructure. But Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, is also drawing attention to the $174 billion the president wants to spend to shift Americans into electric vehicles.

Philippines opens up to more pork imports

04/07/21 1:43 PM By Bill Tomson

The Philippines, already a big importer of U.S. pork, is lowering its tariffs to allow for more foreign supplies as the country continues to battle African swine fever, according to an announcement made Wednesday by the National Pork Producers Council.

US scrambles to save organic ag trade relationship with Mexico

04/07/21 5:45 AM By Bill Tomson

New regulations in Mexico threaten to disrupt more than $100 million in organic food trade with the U.S., and the Biden administration has less than three months to address the situation before the requirements take effect.

Sally Rockey, FFAR

This week’s Open Mic guest is Dr. Sally Rockey, executive director for the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research. Born from the 2014 Farm Bill, FFAR is tasked with finding matching funds for research in the food production system from the nation’s farms to consumer’s plates. While research is targeted in six different challenge areas, Rockey says climate and nutrition are themes that cross much of the foundation’s overall focus. Rockey says agriculture is the only industry that can actually limit the extent of climate change. FFAR intends to provide research farmers can use to make science-based decisions to increase productivity and help the environment. FFAR and the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers in Action recently announced that PepsiCo has joined the AgMission initiative to reduce greenhouse gasses in agriculture as a founding partner.

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04.16.2021

Washington Week in Review: April 16, 2021: Rep. Rick Crawford on infrastructure, minority farmers

Congress was back in Washington this week after a two-week break, and infrastructure remained top of mind for many on Capitol Hill. Arkansas Republican Rick Crawford, a member of the House Agriculture and Transportation and Infrastructure Committees, joins Agri-Pulse to discuss the Biden administration's approach as well as how he sees the process playing out.

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