Low commodity prices have made things tough by bringing down land values, tightening balance sheets, and increasing the stress level of America’s producers. Unfortunately, that means farmers are continuing to take on more debt. The amount of outstanding farm debt is likely to reach an all-time high this year. Brent Gloy of Agricultural Economic Insights says if the debt level …
First Round of NAFTA Talks Conclude
The first round of talks between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, ended last week with all three sides saying they’re committed to getting negotiations done as quickly as possible. The next round of talks is scheduled for September 1-5 in Mexico. Talks then move to Canada in late September before coming back to America in October. Bloomberg says a joint …
EPA Announces Appointment of Trey Glenn to Region 4 Administrator
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt announced the appointment of Trey Glenn of Alabama to become Regional Administrator for EPA’s Southeast Region (Region 4). Mr. Glenn will employ his 22 years of environmental and regulatory experience in leading the environmental protection efforts across Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Mr. Glenn served as …
Pork Export Success
Exports remain an important part of the U.S. industry. U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) spokesman Joe Schuele says Mexico is importing a record amount of pork. South Korea is another top-performer. Sales haven’t been at this level since 2011 when Korea had a severe domestic shortage of pork due to a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak. South America has also …
Perdue Announces Tony Tooke as New Forest Service Chief
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced Tony Tooke will serve as the new Chief of the U.S. Forest Service. Tooke has worked for the Forest Service since age 18 and currently is the Regional Forester for the Southern Region. Following the announcement, Secretary Perdue this statement: “The Forest Service will be in good hands with the U.S. Forest Service’s …
Economic Study Shows Renewable Fuel Standard Added to Price of Corn
A new economic study shows the Renewable Fuel Standard has added a third to the price of corn and saved the U.S. nearly 18-billion in gasoline costs. The Iowa State University study to be published soon in the American Journal of Agricultural Economics shows specific benefits to farmers, consumers, and the environment, from the nation’s renewable fuels requirement. Renewable Fuels …
New Drought Monitor Shows Both Improvements and Declines
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 …