The new Drought Monitor shows both vast declines and huge improvements in conditions across several parts of the country. Oklahoma is one state showing improvement. Oklahoma was 60 percent drought-free last week and recent rainfall has shrunk the areas under drought to just 14 percent. Cooler temps brought rainfall to much of northern Texas and Oklahoma that added up to …
Ethanol Production May Outpace Demand in Future
A new report from Cobank says the ethanol industry could soon face declining slim-to-negative profit margins. The report is titled “Ethanol’s Growth Path: Output and Export Uncertainties Both Rising.” It outlines how an ethanol market fueled by corn prices at multi-year lows, together with reinvestment into expanding production capacity, will push supplies past demand growth. A Cobank senior economist says …
CAFO’s Get Extra Time to Comply with Requirements
The Environmental Protection Agency has until November 14th to decide how to enforce emissions requirements for thousands of animal feeding operations across the country. An Agri-Pulse report says a recent Washington, D.C., Court of Appeals decision says the agency illegally exempted all but the largest operations from reporting releases of hazardous substances above certain levels. The court was looking specifically …
Next Rounds of NAFTA Talks are Already Scheduled
While the first round of talks to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) aren’t done yet, the next two rounds are already on the schedule. Politico’s Morning Ag Report says negotiators will head to Mexico City for the next round of talks September 1-5 and to a yet undetermined location in Canada September 23-27. Only 11 days go …
U.S. Forest Service Chief Tidwell Announces Retirement
U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell announced his retirement after a 40-year career, characterized by his climb from a firefighter to a District Ranger, Forest Supervisor to the head of the U.S. Forest Service, leading more than 30,000 employees working in all 50 states plus Puerto Rico. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue praised Chief Tidwell, saying, “From the start, we …
New Academic Journal Study: RFS Offers Substantial Benefits to U.S. Economy
A new economic modeling study that will soon be published in the American Journal of Agricultural Economics finds that the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) has substantially benefited the U.S. economy by lowering gasoline and crude oil prices, cutting crude oil imports, adding value to U.S.-produced agricultural commodities, and reducing U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. “The results confirm that the current …
South Korea Lifts U.S. Poultry Ban
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that the government of South Korea has lifted its ban on imports of U.S. poultry and poultry products, including fresh eggs. Korea had imposed the ban in response to a recent detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). On August 11, the United States notified the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) that …
Agriculture’s ‘Do No Harm’ Message Getting Through?
Agriculture’s ‘do no harm’ message to those renegotiating NAFTA seems to be getting through…but will it bear fruit? American Farm Bureau trade adviser Dave Salmonsen says a joint letter from AFBF and the Canadian and Mexican farm associations to their respective governments, is getting the message across But while the negotiators say publicly they seek to preserve the pact’s gains …
GAO Estimates 200,000 Wild Horses Roaming on Federal Lands
A new report by the Government Accountability Office estimates that 200,000-some wild horses, burros, and mules, are free-roaming on federal and tribal lands. The report released this week also says there could be as many as 9.2 million domesticated horses, burros, and mules in the United States. The GAO says there are several challenges in managing the wild herd, including …
EPA Extends WOTUS Repeal Comment Period
The Environmental Protection Agency has extended the deadline to submit comments on the Waters of the U.S. Rule repeal effort. The EPA announced Thursday that it, along with the Army Corps of Engineers, will accept comment through September 27th. The original deadline for the comment period was set for August 28th. The EPA formally proposed to repeal the rule in …