TOPEKA (AP) —Milk from dairy cows in Kansas and in Texas has tested positive for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bird-flu-ohio-egg-farm-usda-d873383dd0927f8ebbdd850a6eebb9a5">bird flu</a>, U.S. officials said Monday.

Officials with the Texas Animal Health Commission confirmed the flu virus is the Type A H5N1 strain, known for decades to cause outbreaks in birds and to occasionally infect people. The virus is affecting older dairy cows in those states and in New Mexico, causing decreased lactation and low appetite.

It comes a week after officials in Minnesota announced that goats on a farm where there had been an outbreak of bird flu among poultry were diagnosed with the virus. It's believed to be the first time bird flu — also known as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/avian-flu-chicken-outbreak-california-poultry-eggs-976f0f82843bf716dbad64f459b4b8be">highly pathogenic avian influenza</a>&nbsp;— was found in U.S. livestock.

The commercial milk supply is safe and risk to people is low, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Dairies are required to only allow milk from healthy animals to enter the food supply, and milk from the sick animals is being diverted or destroyed. Pasteurization also kills viruses and other bacteria, and the process is required for milk sold through interstate commerce, the agency said.

“At this stage, there is no concern about the safety of the commercial milk supply or that this circumstance poses a risk to consumer health,” the USDA said in a statement.

The federal government said its tests in the cattle did not detect any changes to the virus that would make it spread more easily to people.

Dairy farmers in Texas first became concerned three weeks ago when cattle started falling ill with what officials called “mystery dairy cow disease," Texas Department of Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said. Milk production fell sharply and the cows were lethargic and weren't eating much.

“We hadn't seen anything like it before,” he said. “It was kind of like they had a cold.”

The state's animal health commission began an investigation that included tests for bird flu, spokeswoman Erin Robinson said. Based on findings from Texas, USDA officials think the cows got the virus from infected wild birds.

Experts say livestock appear to recover on their own within seven to 10 days. That's different than bird flu outbreaks in poultry, which necessitate killing flocks to get rid of the virus. Since 2022, outbreaks in have led to the loss of about 80 million birds in U.S. commercial flocks.

So far, the virus appears to be infecting about 10% of lactating dairy cows in the affected herds, said Michael Payne, a food animal veterinarian and and biosecurity expert with the University of California-Davis Western Institute for Food Safety and Security.

“This doesn’t look anything like the high-path influenza in bird flocks,” he said.

Bird flu was detected in unpasteurized, clinical samples of milk from sick cattle collected from two dairy farms in Kansas and one in Texas. The virus was also found in a nose and throat swab from another dairy in Texas.

Officials called it a rapidly evolving situation. The Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are involved, along with officials in the three states. Another dairy-heavy state, Iowa, said it is monitoring the situation.

Dairy industry officials said that producers have started enhanced biosecurity efforts on U.S. farms, including limiting the amount of traffic into and out of properties and restricting visits to employees and essential personnel.

Bird flu previously has been reported in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/seals-bird-flu-deaths-oceans-80184a8793fbcc21fab01b1c90b0d71b">48 different mammal species</a>, Payne noted, adding: “It was probably only a matter of time before avian influenza made its way to ruminants.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1636037846131.jpeg" alt="photo USDA" />
 <figcaption>photo USDA</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA (AP) —Milk from dairy cows in Kansas and in Texas has tested positive for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bird-flu-ohio-egg-farm-usda-d873383dd0927f8ebbdd850a6eebb9a5">bird flu</a>, U.S. officials said Monday.Officials with the Texas Animal Health Commission confirmed the flu virus is the Type A H5N1 strain, known for decades to cause outbreaks in birds and to occasionally infect people. The virus is affecting older dairy cows in those states and in New Mexico, causing decreased lactation and low appetite.It comes a week after officials in Minnesota announced that goats on a farm where there had been an outbreak of bird flu among poultry were diagnosed with the virus. It's believed to be the first time bird flu — also known as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/avian-flu-chicken-outbreak-california-poultry-eggs-976f0f82843bf716dbad64f459b4b8be">highly pathogenic avian influenza</a>&nbsp;— was found in U.S. livestock.The commercial milk supply is safe and risk to people is low, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Dairies are required to only allow milk from healthy animals to enter the food supply, and milk from the sick animals is being diverted or destroyed. Pasteurization also kills viruses and other bacteria, and the process is required for milk sold through interstate commerce, the agency said.“At this stage, there is no concern about the safety of the commercial milk supply or that this circumstance poses a risk to consumer health,” the USDA said in a statement.The federal government said its tests in the cattle did not detect any changes to the virus that would make it spread more easily to people.Dairy farmers in Texas first became concerned three weeks ago when cattle started falling ill with what officials called “mystery dairy cow disease," Texas Department of Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said. Milk production fell sharply and the cows were lethargic and weren't eating much.“We hadn't seen anything like it before,” he said. “It was kind of like they had a cold.”The state's animal health commission began an investigation that included tests for bird flu, spokeswoman Erin Robinson said. Based on findings from Texas, USDA officials think the cows got the virus from infected wild birds.Experts say livestock appear to recover on their own within seven to 10 days. That's different than bird flu outbreaks in poultry, which necessitate killing flocks to get rid of the virus. Since 2022, outbreaks in have led to the loss of about 80 million birds in U.S. commercial flocks.So far, the virus appears to be infecting about 10% of lactating dairy cows in the affected herds, said Michael Payne, a food animal veterinarian and and biosecurity expert with the University of California-Davis Western Institute for Food Safety and Security.“This doesn’t look anything like the high-path influenza in bird flocks,” he said.Bird flu was detected in unpasteurized, clinical samples of milk from sick cattle collected from two dairy farms in Kansas and one in Texas. The virus was also found in a nose and throat swab from another dairy in Texas.Officials called it a rapidly evolving situation. The Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are involved, along with officials in the three states. Another dairy-heavy state, Iowa, said it is monitoring the situation.Dairy industry officials said that producers have started enhanced biosecurity efforts on U.S. farms, including limiting the amount of traffic into and out of properties and restricting visits to employees and essential personnel.Bird flu previously has been reported in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/seals-bird-flu-deaths-oceans-80184a8793fbcc21fab01b1c90b0d71b">48 different mammal species</a>, Payne noted, adding: “It was probably only a matter of time before avian influenza made its way to ruminants.”___

Dairy cattle in Kansas test positive for bird flu

A House hearing on FY 2025 spending quickly shifted to the farm bill and a dispute over the Commodity Credit Corporation fund, highlighting again the difficulty in writing a new farm law.

Secretary Tom Vilsack was again confronted with charges he’s misusing the 30 billion-dollar CCC fund and being misleading that it’s a substitute for boosting farm bill safety net programs.

House Ag Appropriations Chair Andy Harris.

“I’ve read your comments in news articles over the past few weeks suggesting that you can use CCC funds to help farm safety net programs outside of the regular farm bill process. I’m perplexed as to how USDA would be able to do this, as establishing reference prices and farm programs is done by Congress. The legislative branch, not the executive branch.”

Harris argued USDA cannot on its own fund new programs from the CCC if there’s no new farm bill again this year. But Secretary Vilsack wasted little time in refuting Harris.

“I never suggested, nor did I ever say, that we would be using CCC outside the scope of farm bill discussions and negotiations. What I did say was in order for us to have a farm bill, it’s going to be necessary for members of the Ag Committee to be creative in how they can use the resources within the CCC at their instruction and direction, to be able to provide the relief and assistance they’re looking for to bolster our safety net.”

The CCC does help fund ARC, PLC, and CRP, and Vilsack agreed to a bipartisan Senate Ag request last year to use it for trade promotion programs. But Republicans charge Vilsack’s using CCC as a political ‘slush fund’ for pet projects like ‘Climate-Smart’ Ag, and the dispute again shows why it’s been so hard to achieve a bipartisan farm bill.

A House hearing on FY 2025 spending quickly shifted to the farm bill and a dispute over the Commodity Credit Corporation fund, highlighting again the difficulty in writing a new farm law.Secretary Tom Vilsack was again confronted with charges he’s misusing the 30 billion-dollar CCC fund and being misleading that it’s a substitute for boosting farm bill safety net programs.House Ag Appropriations Chair Andy Harris.“I’ve read your comments in news articles over the past few weeks suggesting that you can use CCC funds to help farm safety net programs outside of the regular farm bill process. I’m perplexed as to how USDA would be able to do this, as establishing reference prices and farm programs is done by Congress. The legislative branch, not the executive branch.”Harris argued USDA cannot on its own fund new programs from the CCC if there’s no new farm bill again this year. But Secretary Vilsack wasted little time in refuting Harris.“I never suggested, nor did I ever say, that we would be using CCC outside the scope of farm bill discussions and negotiations. What I did say was in order for us to have a farm bill, it’s going to be necessary for members of the Ag Committee to be creative in how they can use the resources within the CCC at their instruction and direction, to be able to provide the relief and assistance they’re looking for to bolster our safety net.”The CCC does help fund ARC, PLC, and CRP, and Vilsack agreed to a bipartisan Senate Ag request last year to use it for trade promotion programs. But Republicans charge Vilsack’s using CCC as a political ‘slush fund’ for pet projects like ‘Climate-Smart’ Ag, and the dispute again shows why it’s been so hard to achieve a bipartisan farm bill.-NAFB

Ag ’25 spending hearing quickly segways to Farm Bill and CCC use

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association thanked the Senate for passing a resolution to block beef imports from Paraguay. The resolution comes after the USDA lifted the longstanding ban on Paraguayan beef imports despite the country’s concerning animal health track record.

“Our animal health standards are second to none, and we must be vigilant in protecting the U.S. cattle herd from harmful foreign animal diseases that could have a devastating impact on U.S. agriculture,” says Mark Eisele, a Wyoming rancher and NCBA President. “Paraguay’s history of foot-and-mouth disease is a great concern, and anyone who wants to trade with the U.S. must meet our high safety standards.”

NCBA specifically called out the outdated animal health data used to make USDA’s decision.

“The U.S. government relied on nine-year-old data and site visits from 2008 to 2014 to justify access for Paraguayan beef imports,” says Kent Bacus, NCBA Executive Director of Government Affairs.

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association thanked the Senate for passing a resolution to block beef imports from Paraguay. The resolution comes after the USDA lifted the longstanding ban on Paraguayan beef imports despite the country’s concerning animal health track record.“Our animal health standards are second to none, and we must be vigilant in protecting the U.S. cattle herd from harmful foreign animal diseases that could have a devastating impact on U.S. agriculture,” says Mark Eisele, a Wyoming rancher and NCBA President. “Paraguay’s history of foot-and-mouth disease is a great concern, and anyone who wants to trade with the U.S. must meet our high safety standards.”NCBA specifically called out the outdated animal health data used to make USDA’s decision.“The U.S. government relied on nine-year-old data and site visits from 2008 to 2014 to justify access for Paraguayan beef imports,” says Kent Bacus, NCBA Executive Director of Government Affairs.-NAFB

Senate votes to block Paraguayan beef imports

Demand for soybean oil as a feedstock in the production of renewable diesel is rising as the U.S. aims to increase the adoption of cleaner-burning fuels. Renewable diesel is the preferred replacement for traditional diesel, and U.S. production is predicted to increase sharply in the years ahead.

To meet the growing demand for soybean oil, U.S. processors are ramping up their production capacity, expected to increase by 23 percent over the next three years. While processors have benefited from record-high profit margins in recent years, margins will likely moderate. A new report from CoBank says multiple years of record margins have left processors prepared to weather the inevitable margin downturn.

However, overbuilding U.S. crush capacity, combined with sustained levels of low processing margins, could threaten the viability of new, high-cost plants. The CoBank report says new crush plants built at higher costs and interest rates will have much higher breakeven costs.

Demand for soybean oil as a feedstock in the production of renewable diesel is rising as the U.S. aims to increase the adoption of cleaner-burning fuels. Renewable diesel is the preferred replacement for traditional diesel, and U.S. production is predicted to increase sharply in the years ahead.To meet the growing demand for soybean oil, U.S. processors are ramping up their production capacity, expected to increase by 23 percent over the next three years. While processors have benefited from record-high profit margins in recent years, margins will likely moderate. A new report from CoBank says multiple years of record margins have left processors prepared to weather the inevitable margin downturn.However, overbuilding U.S. crush capacity, combined with sustained levels of low processing margins, could threaten the viability of new, high-cost plants. The CoBank report says new crush plants built at higher costs and interest rates will have much higher breakeven costs.-NAFB

Risking soybean processing industry’s “overbuild”

Agriculture touches the lives of everyone, and a regional museum wants to educate more people about the importance of agriculture.   

The National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame in Bonnor Springs, Kansas has been teaching people the importance of agriculture since 1960, when President Dwight Eisenhower signed a federal charter to make the building a reality 

President of the Board of Directors Dave Hurrelbrink says the goal of the center is a three-pronged approach: To promote, to honor, and to educate people about agriculture 

"Less than 1% of the US populations involved in the production of food, that means there's 99% of the population that probably doesn't have any idea at all of where their food comes from or how it gets there," Hurrelbrink tells host of the KFEQ Hotline Barry Birr.  

Hurrelbrink says they see a lot of kids come to the ag center and teach them about how that happens, and even how it was done in the past.  

More commonly known as The Ag Center, the museum has a goal of teaching everyone the importance of agriculture and where their food comes from.  

Hurrelbrink says one way the center will educate children is with the Barnyard Babies Family Festival in late April. 

"We'll have farm animals there that the kids can come out and pet and talk to and see and understand that that chicken doesn't just show up at Kentucky Fried, somebody has to raise that chicken, or that goat, or that sheep, or that pig," Hurrelbrink says. 

The event will be held on April 27th from 1oam to 4pm.  

The museum also features several educational programs, and also contains a Hall of Fame, honoring important figures in agriculture.  

Hurrelbrink says the people honored in the Hall of Fame runs the gamut. 

"It's everybody from George Washington Carver to John Deere, to Jerome Increase Case, to Cyrus McCormick, to Willie Nelson, Hurrelbrink explains. 

Hurrelbrink says Nelson was honored back in the 1980's due to his part in the Farm Aid movement.  

You can learn more about what the Ag Center offers and the Hall of Fame by clicking <a href="https://www.aghalloffame.com/">HERE</a> and visiting their website.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711380181509.jpeg" alt="The National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame, more commonly known as the Ag Center, in Bonnor Springs, Kansas is teaching the importance of agriculture in our community/ Photo courtesy of the Ag Hall of Fame" />
 <figcaption>The National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame, more commonly known as the Ag Center, in Bonnor Springs, Kansas is teaching the importance of agriculture in our community/ Photo courtesy of the Ag Hall of Fame</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post Agriculture touches the lives of everyone, and a regional museum wants to educate more people about the importance of agriculture. The National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame in Bonnor Springs, Kansas has been teaching people the importance of agriculture since 1960, when President Dwight Eisenhower signed a federal charter to make the building a reality President of the Board of Directors Dave Hurrelbrink says the goal of the center is a three-pronged approach: To promote, to honor, and to educate people about agriculture "Less than 1% of the US populations involved in the production of food, that means there's 99% of the population that probably doesn't have any idea at all of where their food comes from or how it gets there," Hurrelbrink tells host of the KFEQ Hotline Barry Birr. Hurrelbrink says they see a lot of kids come to the ag center and teach them about how that happens, and even how it was done in the past. More commonly known as The Ag Center, the museum has a goal of teaching everyone the importance of agriculture and where their food comes from. Hurrelbrink says one way the center will educate children is with the Barnyard Babies Family Festival in late April. "We'll have farm animals there that the kids can come out and pet and talk to and see and understand that that chicken doesn't just show up at Kentucky Fried, somebody has to raise that chicken, or that goat, or that sheep, or that pig," Hurrelbrink says. The event will be held on April 27th from 1oam to 4pm. The museum also features several educational programs, and also contains a Hall of Fame, honoring important figures in agriculture. Hurrelbrink says the people honored in the Hall of Fame runs the gamut. "It's everybody from George Washington Carver to John Deere, to Jerome Increase Case, to Cyrus McCormick, to Willie Nelson, Hurrelbrink explains. Hurrelbrink says Nelson was honored back in the 1980's due to his part in the Farm Aid movement. You can learn more about what the Ag Center offers and the Hall of Fame by clicking <a href="https://www.aghalloffame.com/">HERE</a> and visiting their website.

National Agriculture Center aims to teach importance of agriculture

Agricultural loan demand increased in 2023, and agricultural lending by U.S. farm banks grew 6.7 percent to $110 billion.

The American Bankers Association’s annual Farm Bank Performance Report credits elevated production costs, commodity price volatility, and a return to pre-COVID levels of direct government payments. The ABA says farm banks continued to enjoy solid performance in 2023, with robust loan growth and historically low delinquency rates.

“Moving forward, the agricultural sector will continue to face challenges due to monetary policy actions targeting persistent inflation in the U.S. and reduced federal support,” the ABA says in a news release.

Despite the challenges, farm banks maintained strong asset quality and consistent growth in high-quality capital and remain well-positioned to continue serving the needs of their customers and communities. The report also showed that farm banks are a major source of credit for small farmers. Last year, 98.1 percent of farm banks were profitable.

Agricultural loan demand increased in 2023, and agricultural lending by U.S. farm banks grew 6.7 percent to $110 billion.The American Bankers Association’s annual Farm Bank Performance Report credits elevated production costs, commodity price volatility, and a return to pre-COVID levels of direct government payments. The ABA says farm banks continued to enjoy solid performance in 2023, with robust loan growth and historically low delinquency rates.“Moving forward, the agricultural sector will continue to face challenges due to monetary policy actions targeting persistent inflation in the U.S. and reduced federal support,” the ABA says in a news release.Despite the challenges, farm banks maintained strong asset quality and consistent growth in high-quality capital and remain well-positioned to continue serving the needs of their customers and communities. The report also showed that farm banks are a major source of credit for small farmers. Last year, 98.1 percent of farm banks were profitable.-NAFB

Farm bank lending increased in 2023

By RUDI KELLER,&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

The annual markets outlook from the Food &amp; Agricultural Policy Research Institute anticipates declining farm income, higher costs for producers

U.S. farm income is falling from record highs as low commodity prices, trade headwinds and higher costs squeeze profits, according to a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://fapri.missouri.edu/publications/2024-us-agricultural-market-outlook/?utm_campaign=485145_FAPRI%20Baseline%20Report%20%28March%202024%29&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=Child%20account%20for%20The%20Curators%20of%20the%20University%20of%20Missouri&amp;dm_i=7JGU,AEC9,4NFRO6,1HPH8,1">new report from the University of Missouri</a>.

The 2024&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://fapri.missouri.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2024-Baseline-Outlook.pdf">U.S. Agricultural Market Outlook</a>&nbsp;report released Tuesday by the Food &amp; Agricultural Policy Research Institute, also known as FAPRI, is a 10-year projection of the agriculture economy. It examines production trends and pricing for commodity and specialty crops and livestock and discusses issues like interest rates, consumer prices and biofuel production that impact on farming as a whole.

For producers, the news isn’t especially welcome.

“We got lower commodity prices kind of across the board, except for cattle,” said Pat Westhoff, the agricultural economics professor who serves as the institute’s director.

The annual report is eagerly anticipated in the agriculture industry and its findings have extra significance this year as Congress tries to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4467907-farm-bill-tensions-conservation-fire-food-aid/">pass a farm bill</a>&nbsp;renewing producer support and food distribution programs.

Net farm income nationally is expected to be about $118.2 billion this year, down from a record of about $162 billion in 2022.

Westhoff said he briefed Congressional staff on the report Tuesday and the reaction was a classic glass half-empty, glass half-full split. Some saw the large decline in farm income as a problem, while others noted that income is expected to remain above the average from 2015 to 2019.

“People were using the same numbers and making the opposite arguments,” Westhoff said.

Missouri is second only to Texas in the number of farms, with 87,887 farms that sold $14.7 billion in agricultural products in 2022, up from $10.5 billion in 2017 according to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/AgCensus/2022/Full_Report/Volume_1,_Chapter_2_US_State_Level/st99_2_001_001.pdf">the Census of Agriculture</a>. Missouri farms also received nearly $1 billion in government payments or other income.

With farm production expenses of $10.7 billion, Missouri farms had net cash income of $5 billion.

The 5,596 largest Missouri farms, with sales of $500,000 or more, sold more than $11.6 billion of products in 2022. The 67,400 Missouri farms with sales of less than $50,000 sold&nbsp;$685 million agricultural products.

Prices for grain and oil crops have fallen dramatically in the past year. Missouri farmers were receiving $14.90 a bushel for soybeans in January 2023, and $6.94 a bushel for corn. According to the monthly agricultural prices report from the National Agricultural Statistics Service, the price received for soybeans in January was $12.90 a bushel and for corn it was $4.79.

The issues facing farmers nationally, Westhoff said, are true in Missouri, where corn, soybeans and wheat are the major cash crops.&nbsp;

The FAPRI report projects the decline in commodity grain prices will slow, but continue.

Missouri farmers get a slightly better price than the national average for corn and soybeans because of proximity to large rivers and industries such as ethanol and biodiesel that buy commodities locally, Westhoff said.

“Where you have crushing facilities for soybeans matters tremendously,” Westhoff said. “Where you have ethanol plants matters as well.”

Missouri produced 264.9 million bushels of soybeans in 2023. A decline of $2 per bushel means the farmers producing those beans received more than $500 million less than they did for the same commodity the previous year.

The sharp decline in market prices for soybeans hasn’t been accompanied by a similar decline in prices for fertilizer, fuel and other supplies, said Casey Wasser, chief operating officer of Missouri Soybeans, the industry lobbying association.

“The input prices have not come down at all with the other prices,” Wasser said. “So that’s where that net farm income is going to hit producers pretty tight.”

Missouri has the nation’s sixth largest cattle herd. It also is home to the sixth largest number of hogs, and its farmers sold the seventh largest number of chickens for meat consumption and had the nation’s 12th largest flock of laying hens.

But Missouri is losing farmers – and farmland – faster than the national average.

The number of farms declined 7.8% since the 2017 farm census while nationally the number fell 6.9%. Nationally, 2.2% of farmland was converted to other uses between the surveys, while in Missouri the acreage in farming declined 2.7%.

The smallest producers are being squeezed the tightest, said Tim Gibbons of the Missouri Rural Crisis Center. In a telephone interview after he spent a day lobbying in Washington for changes in national farm programs, Gibbons said the issues facing farmers go well beyond commodity prices and interest rates.

Control of agriculture continues to be concentrated in large corporations, he said. Farm programs are designed to support cheap commodities and large producers, he said.

“What I’m hearing on the Hill is a joke relative to the situation that is farming in Missouri and in the United States right now,” Gibbons said.

Corporate-backed buyers are&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/01/01/boom-or-bubble-high-missouri-farmland-prices-encourage-investors-concern-farmers/">outbidding local residents</a>&nbsp;for farmland and the concentration in meatpacking means producers become dependent on contracts that can be canceled when profits narrow. The decision by Tyson Foods to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2024/03/11/tyson-to-close-perry-pork-plant-in-june/">close a plant in Perry, Iowa</a>, that employs 1,300 people will have a ripple effect on the farmers who raise hogs under contract, Gibbons said.

Missouri has lost more than 1,000 cattle producers a year over the past 25 years, a trend that accelerated to about 2,000 per year in the past five years, according to the farm census. The number of farms producing hogs has declined from 12,133 in 1992 to 2,184 in 2022.

“The policies that have been in recent past farm bills have been written by and for these multinational corporations and lobbyists that lobby for them,” Gibbons said. “We need a very different vision and a farm bill.”

The only area where prices are increasing in the past year are for cattle. That’s because the national herd is at its&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/03/19/droughts-complicated-by-climate-change-result-in-us-beef-herd-hitting-historic-low/">lowest number since the 1960s</a>, in large part due to pastureland drying up because of droughts starting in 2020.

“It’s causing liquidation and we’re not seeing rebuilding right now,” Gibbons said. “That connects with interest rates as well.”

Higher interest rates in the United States, which increase costs for farmers as they borrow to finance annual operations or add land and equipment, put farmers at a disadvantage internationally by making the dollar worth more in exchange, Westhoff said.

One indicator of the impact is that the U.S. has become a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskapublicmedia.org/en/news/news-articles/the-us-agricultural-trade-deficit-could-reach-record-highs-for-2023-is-there-cause-for-concern/">net importer of food and agricultural products</a>, reversing decades of a surplus in the balance of farm trade.

“We are importing lots of value-added products that might otherwise be produced here and of course that has spillover effects,” Westhoff said.

The FAPRI report section on government aid to farmers notes that the cost of the two main programs intended to shore up prices –&nbsp; agricultural risk coverage, or ARC, and price loss coverage, or PLC fell below $1 billion because of recent high commodity prices.&nbsp;

At the same time, crop insurance payments in 2023 totaled $9.3 billion.

“We need to figure out a system of farmer-owned grain reserves and price floors and price ceilings to stop the volatility of the market, and keep that price floor at the cost of production,” Gibbons said.

Missouri Soybean is pushing for changes in federal farm support programs to reset the protected prices at a higher level, Wasser said. Prices on beans could fall another $2 per bushel and Missouri farmers wouldn’t qualify for payments to make up any of the difference, he said.

“We’re still not even close to a safety net, with inputs and $11 beans it’s tough for any farmer no matter what your size or your leverage to be making any profit on that,” Wasser said..

FAPRI’s job is to provide information, not advise on policy decisions, Westhoff said.

The difficulty of getting changes to the programs is cost, he said.

Some “would like to do some changes that would improve the safety net from the perspective of producers but those changes all cost money,” he said. “And unless you’re going to reduce that spending or reduce spending on conservation programs, there’s not any obvious way to put those pieces together.”

The decline in commodity prices should ease inflation in food costs and even reverse some recent increases, such as for eggs and pork, Westhoff said. Food purchased for consumption at home should not increase any faster than inflation generally, the report indicates.

But consumers shouldn’t expect everything in the supermarket to get cheaper, he said.

“For the most part, the share of those commodity prices that affect consumer food prices is pretty small,” Westhoff said. “Therefore even a significant decline in the farm level price doesn’t translate to any decline, or not a very big decline, in grocery store prices.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1614189270972.jpeg" alt="Photo USDA" />
 <figcaption>Photo USDA</figcaption>
 </figure>By RUDI KELLER,&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a><h2>The annual markets outlook from the Food &amp; Agricultural Policy Research Institute anticipates declining farm income, higher costs for producers</h2>U.S. farm income is falling from record highs as low commodity prices, trade headwinds and higher costs squeeze profits, according to a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://fapri.missouri.edu/publications/2024-us-agricultural-market-outlook/?utm_campaign=485145_FAPRI%20Baseline%20Report%20%28March%202024%29&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=Child%20account%20for%20The%20Curators%20of%20the%20University%20of%20Missouri&amp;dm_i=7JGU,AEC9,4NFRO6,1HPH8,1">new report from the University of Missouri</a>.The 2024&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://fapri.missouri.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2024-Baseline-Outlook.pdf">U.S. Agricultural Market Outlook</a>&nbsp;report released Tuesday by the Food &amp; Agricultural Policy Research Institute, also known as FAPRI, is a 10-year projection of the agriculture economy. It examines production trends and pricing for commodity and specialty crops and livestock and discusses issues like interest rates, consumer prices and biofuel production that impact on farming as a whole.For producers, the news isn’t especially welcome.“We got lower commodity prices kind of across the board, except for cattle,” said Pat Westhoff, the agricultural economics professor who serves as the institute’s director.The annual report is eagerly anticipated in the agriculture industry and its findings have extra significance this year as Congress tries to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4467907-farm-bill-tensions-conservation-fire-food-aid/">pass a farm bill</a>&nbsp;renewing producer support and food distribution programs.Net farm income nationally is expected to be about $118.2 billion this year, down from a record of about $162 billion in 2022.Westhoff said he briefed Congressional staff on the report Tuesday and the reaction was a classic glass half-empty, glass half-full split. Some saw the large decline in farm income as a problem, while others noted that income is expected to remain above the average from 2015 to 2019.“People were using the same numbers and making the opposite arguments,” Westhoff said.Missouri is second only to Texas in the number of farms, with 87,887 farms that sold $14.7 billion in agricultural products in 2022, up from $10.5 billion in 2017 according to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/AgCensus/2022/Full_Report/Volume_1,_Chapter_2_US_State_Level/st99_2_001_001.pdf">the Census of Agriculture</a>. Missouri farms also received nearly $1 billion in government payments or other income.With farm production expenses of $10.7 billion, Missouri farms had net cash income of $5 billion.The 5,596 largest Missouri farms, with sales of $500,000 or more, sold more than $11.6 billion of products in 2022. The 67,400 Missouri farms with sales of less than $50,000 sold&nbsp;$685 million agricultural products.Prices for grain and oil crops have fallen dramatically in the past year. Missouri farmers were receiving $14.90 a bushel for soybeans in January 2023, and $6.94 a bushel for corn. According to the monthly agricultural prices report from the National Agricultural Statistics Service, the price received for soybeans in January was $12.90 a bushel and for corn it was $4.79.The issues facing farmers nationally, Westhoff said, are true in Missouri, where corn, soybeans and wheat are the major cash crops.&nbsp;The FAPRI report projects the decline in commodity grain prices will slow, but continue.Missouri farmers get a slightly better price than the national average for corn and soybeans because of proximity to large rivers and industries such as ethanol and biodiesel that buy commodities locally, Westhoff said.“Where you have crushing facilities for soybeans matters tremendously,” Westhoff said. “Where you have ethanol plants matters as well.”Missouri produced 264.9 million bushels of soybeans in 2023. A decline of $2 per bushel means the farmers producing those beans received more than $500 million less than they did for the same commodity the previous year.The sharp decline in market prices for soybeans hasn’t been accompanied by a similar decline in prices for fertilizer, fuel and other supplies, said Casey Wasser, chief operating officer of Missouri Soybeans, the industry lobbying association.“The input prices have not come down at all with the other prices,” Wasser said. “So that’s where that net farm income is going to hit producers pretty tight.”Missouri has the nation’s sixth largest cattle herd. It also is home to the sixth largest number of hogs, and its farmers sold the seventh largest number of chickens for meat consumption and had the nation’s 12th largest flock of laying hens.But Missouri is losing farmers – and farmland – faster than the national average.The number of farms declined 7.8% since the 2017 farm census while nationally the number fell 6.9%. Nationally, 2.2% of farmland was converted to other uses between the surveys, while in Missouri the acreage in farming declined 2.7%.The smallest producers are being squeezed the tightest, said Tim Gibbons of the Missouri Rural Crisis Center. In a telephone interview after he spent a day lobbying in Washington for changes in national farm programs, Gibbons said the issues facing farmers go well beyond commodity prices and interest rates.Control of agriculture continues to be concentrated in large corporations, he said. Farm programs are designed to support cheap commodities and large producers, he said.“What I’m hearing on the Hill is a joke relative to the situation that is farming in Missouri and in the United States right now,” Gibbons said.Corporate-backed buyers are&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/01/01/boom-or-bubble-high-missouri-farmland-prices-encourage-investors-concern-farmers/">outbidding local residents</a>&nbsp;for farmland and the concentration in meatpacking means producers become dependent on contracts that can be canceled when profits narrow. The decision by Tyson Foods to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2024/03/11/tyson-to-close-perry-pork-plant-in-june/">close a plant in Perry, Iowa</a>, that employs 1,300 people will have a ripple effect on the farmers who raise hogs under contract, Gibbons said.Missouri has lost more than 1,000 cattle producers a year over the past 25 years, a trend that accelerated to about 2,000 per year in the past five years, according to the farm census. The number of farms producing hogs has declined from 12,133 in 1992 to 2,184 in 2022.“The policies that have been in recent past farm bills have been written by and for these multinational corporations and lobbyists that lobby for them,” Gibbons said. “We need a very different vision and a farm bill.”The only area where prices are increasing in the past year are for cattle. That’s because the national herd is at its&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/03/19/droughts-complicated-by-climate-change-result-in-us-beef-herd-hitting-historic-low/">lowest number since the 1960s</a>, in large part due to pastureland drying up because of droughts starting in 2020.Short supplies are pushing prices up.“It’s causing liquidation and we’re not seeing rebuilding right now,” Gibbons said. “That connects with interest rates as well.”Higher interest rates in the United States, which increase costs for farmers as they borrow to finance annual operations or add land and equipment, put farmers at a disadvantage internationally by making the dollar worth more in exchange, Westhoff said.One indicator of the impact is that the U.S. has become a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskapublicmedia.org/en/news/news-articles/the-us-agricultural-trade-deficit-could-reach-record-highs-for-2023-is-there-cause-for-concern/">net importer of food and agricultural products</a>, reversing decades of a surplus in the balance of farm trade.“We are importing lots of value-added products that might otherwise be produced here and of course that has spillover effects,” Westhoff said.The FAPRI report section on government aid to farmers notes that the cost of the two main programs intended to shore up prices –&nbsp; agricultural risk coverage, or ARC, and price loss coverage, or PLC fell below $1 billion because of recent high commodity prices.&nbsp;At the same time, crop insurance payments in 2023 totaled $9.3 billion.“We need to figure out a system of farmer-owned grain reserves and price floors and price ceilings to stop the volatility of the market, and keep that price floor at the cost of production,” Gibbons said.Missouri Soybean is pushing for changes in federal farm support programs to reset the protected prices at a higher level, Wasser said. Prices on beans could fall another $2 per bushel and Missouri farmers wouldn’t qualify for payments to make up any of the difference, he said.“We’re still not even close to a safety net, with inputs and $11 beans it’s tough for any farmer no matter what your size or your leverage to be making any profit on that,” Wasser said..FAPRI’s job is to provide information, not advise on policy decisions, Westhoff said.The difficulty of getting changes to the programs is cost, he said.Some “would like to do some changes that would improve the safety net from the perspective of producers but those changes all cost money,” he said. “And unless you’re going to reduce that spending or reduce spending on conservation programs, there’s not any obvious way to put those pieces together.”The decline in commodity prices should ease inflation in food costs and even reverse some recent increases, such as for eggs and pork, Westhoff said. Food purchased for consumption at home should not increase any faster than inflation generally, the report indicates.But consumers shouldn’t expect everything in the supermarket to get cheaper, he said.“For the most part, the share of those commodity prices that affect consumer food prices is pretty small,” Westhoff said. “Therefore even a significant decline in the farm level price doesn’t translate to any decline, or not a very big decline, in grocery store prices.”

University  report warns falling prices could squeeze farmers

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a>&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

House-passed bill adds ban against spy drones, aircraft flying below 500 feet

TOPEKA — The Animal Legal Defense Fund filed a lawsuit in 2018 challenging on First Amendment grounds Kansas’ quarter-century-old law thwarting covert investigations into the treatment of animals and workers at feedlots, slaughterhouses and crop production zones.

Ramifications of that legal action continue to vex the animal agriculture industry in Kansas, farm lobbying organizations and rural legislators.

In 2021, the 10th Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals agreed with ALDF’s legal claim and a lower federal court’s decision to strike down provisions of Kansas’ “ag-gag” law — the oldest statute in the United States criminalizing undercover videotaping of alleged abuses.

The appellate court concluded Kansas had embarked on a forthright statutory plan to limit the ability of ALDF and like-mined organizations to slip under the radar in search of proof of the industry’s shortcomings. When signed into law by Republican Gov. Mike Hayden in 1990, he said the legislation was a direct response to damage perpetrated by “radical elements of the animal-rights movement.”

That state law selectively criminalized work of activists critical of Kansas agriculture practices. It didn’t mandate charges against a person who gained access to property without permission with the goal of lauding Kansas animal-handling practices. In other words, Hayden and other Kansas lawmakers interested in squelching dissent were guilty of state-sanctioned discrimination based on viewpoint.

“We reject this approach,” the federal Court of Appeals said. “It elevates form over substance and permits Kansas to do just what the First Amendment prohibits: License one side of a debate to fight freestyle, while requiring the other to follow&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marquess_of_Queensberry_Rules">Marquis of Queensberry rules</a>.”

The U.S. Supreme Court declined in 2022 to review the Court of Appeals’ unraveling of the Farm Animal and Field Crop and Research Facilities Protection Act.

The courthouse outcome was celebrated by the coalition of special-interest groups led by ALDF as a victory for animal rights and free speech. They also could see a path to placing their people — whistleblowers — as employees at targeted facilities to collect insider information for articles and videos about hog, beef and dairy or poultry operations, processing facilities and other agriculture businesses in Kansas.

“The industry works hard to keep its practices secret, knowing consumers won’t accept the intense confinement and other inhumane treatment of animals,” said Stephen Wells, executive director of the Animal Legal Defense Fund.

The Kansas Livestock Association, with more than 5,000 members involved in dairy, swine and beef production along with other farm enterprises, went to work drafting a rebuttal bill. The objective was to refine the state’s protection against trespassers on farm property or people making fraudulent statements on employment applications to gain access to land and facilities.

Results of that effort, wrapped into House Bill 2816, was approved 99-24 this week by the Kansas House after five minutes of floor debate. KLA’s legal product avoided the sticky mess caused by language about “intent to damage” and “effective consent” that helped to undermine the 1990 statute. The package forwarded to the Kansas Senate also clarified criminal penalties and blocked use of drones and aircraft below 500 feet directly above agriculture businesses.

“There are some places that people just shouldn’t go without permission,” said Rep. Lisa Moser, a Wheaton Republican and rancher. “This is tailored language done specifically to address the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision.”

Moser noted the bill resolved the free speech issue by applying sanctions to any unauthorized trespasser on agriculture cropland, farm research facility or animal operation whether those people were engaged in covert investigations or innocent behavior.

None of the likely opponents of the bill, such as the ALDF, the Sierra Club of Kansas or Humane Society of the United States, testified during the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee hearing March 6.

Jackie Garagiola, associate counsel to the Kansas Livestock Association, said the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court not to hear the state’s appeal meant the law had to be revised so “critical protections provided by the act for these facilities remain, but in a manner that does not come into conflict with the First Amendment.”

Under House Bill 2816, Kansas would make it illegal to enter or remain in animal facility or field crop production areas without permission of the owner or to knowingly make false statements on an employment application to gain access to those places. The same standards would apply to agriculture research areas controlled by private, university, federal, state or local government entities.

Garagiola said “effective consent” language in the Kansas law was unconstitutional because it regulated speech as opposed to conduct.

The new bill addressed the federal court’s contention the old Kansas law forbid speech made with the “intent to damage the enterprise conducted at the animal facility.” To clear up constitutional violations, the House-passed bill created the simple prohibition for trespass or use of fraudulent employment applications regardless of intent of the individual.

It would be a class A misdemeanor to enter or remain on these properties without consent and a class B misdemeanor for making bogus statements on job applications to gain access. The penalty for property damage or destruction of an animal or crop facility would be a level 9 nonperson felony for damage ranging from $1,000 to $25,000 and a level 7 nonperson felony for damages of $25,000 or more.

KLA’s approach was endorsed by Kansas Farm Bureau, Kansas Grain &amp; Feed Association, Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Association, Kansas Pork Association and Kansas Dairy Association.

Janet Bailey, CEO of the dairy association, said the fastest growing segment of Kansas agriculture — dairying — needed lawmakers to&nbsp; close the gap left by the Court of Appeals’ decision. In particular, she said, the dairy industry was keen to secure criminal sanctions against people seeking jobs under false pretenses. The threat of prosecution has been an effective deterrent to undercover inquiries in the United States.

“Labor is a top concern among those in the dairy industry,” Bailey said. “As such, it can make our industry even more vulnerable to those who might seek employment with motives other than working in the care of our animals and production of milk. Their motives are clear in their desire to damage our industry and the livelihoods of the industry.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711230479923.png" alt=" Janet Bailey, CEO of the Kansas Dairy Association, said the fastest growing segment of Kansas agriculture — dairying — needed the Kansas Legislature to respond to a federal court decision by removing unconstitutional provisions of state law and restoring protections against undercover animal-rights organizations and applicants seeking jobs under false pretenses. (Jill Hummels/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Janet Bailey, CEO of the Kansas Dairy Association, said the fastest growing segment of Kansas agriculture — dairying — needed the Kansas Legislature to respond to a federal court decision by removing unconstitutional provisions of state law and restoring protections against undercover animal-rights organizations and applicants seeking jobs under false pretenses. (Jill Hummels/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a>&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a><h2>House-passed bill adds ban against spy drones, aircraft flying below 500 feet</h2>TOPEKA — The Animal Legal Defense Fund filed a lawsuit in 2018 challenging on First Amendment grounds Kansas’ quarter-century-old law thwarting covert investigations into the treatment of animals and workers at feedlots, slaughterhouses and crop production zones.Ramifications of that legal action continue to vex the animal agriculture industry in Kansas, farm lobbying organizations and rural legislators.In 2021, the 10th Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals agreed with ALDF’s legal claim and a lower federal court’s decision to strike down provisions of Kansas’ “ag-gag” law — the oldest statute in the United States criminalizing undercover videotaping of alleged abuses.The appellate court concluded Kansas had embarked on a forthright statutory plan to limit the ability of ALDF and like-mined organizations to slip under the radar in search of proof of the industry’s shortcomings. When signed into law by Republican Gov. Mike Hayden in 1990, he said the legislation was a direct response to damage perpetrated by “radical elements of the animal-rights movement.”That state law selectively criminalized work of activists critical of Kansas agriculture practices. It didn’t mandate charges against a person who gained access to property without permission with the goal of lauding Kansas animal-handling practices. In other words, Hayden and other Kansas lawmakers interested in squelching dissent were guilty of state-sanctioned discrimination based on viewpoint.“We reject this approach,” the federal Court of Appeals said. “It elevates form over substance and permits Kansas to do just what the First Amendment prohibits: License one side of a debate to fight freestyle, while requiring the other to follow&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marquess_of_Queensberry_Rules">Marquis of Queensberry rules</a>.”The U.S. Supreme Court declined in 2022 to review the Court of Appeals’ unraveling of the Farm Animal and Field Crop and Research Facilities Protection Act.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711230441938.png" alt=" Kansas Rep. Lisa Moser, a Republican and rancher, asked House colleagues to ditch unconstitutional provisions of Kansas law and adopt a revised strategy for thwarting animal-rights activists engaging in undercover work to expose livestock industry practices. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Kansas Rep. Lisa Moser, a Republican and rancher, asked House colleagues to ditch unconstitutional provisions of Kansas law and adopt a revised strategy for thwarting animal-rights activists engaging in undercover work to expose livestock industry practices. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>‘Just shouldn’t go’</h2>The courthouse outcome was celebrated by the coalition of special-interest groups led by ALDF as a victory for animal rights and free speech. They also could see a path to placing their people — whistleblowers — as employees at targeted facilities to collect insider information for articles and videos about hog, beef and dairy or poultry operations, processing facilities and other agriculture businesses in Kansas.“The industry works hard to keep its practices secret, knowing consumers won’t accept the intense confinement and other inhumane treatment of animals,” said Stephen Wells, executive director of the Animal Legal Defense Fund.The Kansas Livestock Association, with more than 5,000 members involved in dairy, swine and beef production along with other farm enterprises, went to work drafting a rebuttal bill. The objective was to refine the state’s protection against trespassers on farm property or people making fraudulent statements on employment applications to gain access to land and facilities.Results of that effort, wrapped into House Bill 2816, was approved 99-24 this week by the Kansas House after five minutes of floor debate. KLA’s legal product avoided the sticky mess caused by language about “intent to damage” and “effective consent” that helped to undermine the 1990 statute. The package forwarded to the Kansas Senate also clarified criminal penalties and blocked use of drones and aircraft below 500 feet directly above agriculture businesses.“There are some places that people just shouldn’t go without permission,” said Rep. Lisa Moser, a Wheaton Republican and rancher. “This is tailored language done specifically to address the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision.”Moser noted the bill resolved the free speech issue by applying sanctions to any unauthorized trespasser on agriculture cropland, farm research facility or animal operation whether those people were engaged in covert investigations or innocent behavior.None of the likely opponents of the bill, such as the ALDF, the Sierra Club of Kansas or Humane Society of the United States, testified during the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee hearing March 6.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711230407996.png" alt="The Kansas Livestock Association’s attorneys prepared House Bill 2816, which easily passed the House, to restore protections of the beef, dairy, hog and poultry industries, crop producers and research facilities that might be targeted by animal-rights organizations. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>The Kansas Livestock Association’s attorneys prepared House Bill 2816, which easily passed the House, to restore protections of the beef, dairy, hog and poultry industries, crop producers and research facilities that might be targeted by animal-rights organizations. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>KLA steps into void</h2>Jackie Garagiola, associate counsel to the Kansas Livestock Association, said the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court not to hear the state’s appeal meant the law had to be revised so “critical protections provided by the act for these facilities remain, but in a manner that does not come into conflict with the First Amendment.”Under House Bill 2816, Kansas would make it illegal to enter or remain in animal facility or field crop production areas without permission of the owner or to knowingly make false statements on an employment application to gain access to those places. The same standards would apply to agriculture research areas controlled by private, university, federal, state or local government entities.Garagiola said “effective consent” language in the Kansas law was unconstitutional because it regulated speech as opposed to conduct.The new bill addressed the federal court’s contention the old Kansas law forbid speech made with the “intent to damage the enterprise conducted at the animal facility.” To clear up constitutional violations, the House-passed bill created the simple prohibition for trespass or use of fraudulent employment applications regardless of intent of the individual.It would be a class A misdemeanor to enter or remain on these properties without consent and a class B misdemeanor for making bogus statements on job applications to gain access. The penalty for property damage or destruction of an animal or crop facility would be a level 9 nonperson felony for damage ranging from $1,000 to $25,000 and a level 7 nonperson felony for damages of $25,000 or more.KLA’s approach was endorsed by Kansas Farm Bureau, Kansas Grain &amp; Feed Association, Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Association, Kansas Pork Association and Kansas Dairy Association.Janet Bailey, CEO of the dairy association, said the fastest growing segment of Kansas agriculture — dairying — needed lawmakers to&nbsp; close the gap left by the Court of Appeals’ decision. In particular, she said, the dairy industry was keen to secure criminal sanctions against people seeking jobs under false pretenses. The threat of prosecution has been an effective deterrent to undercover inquiries in the United States.“Labor is a top concern among those in the dairy industry,” Bailey said. “As such, it can make our industry even more vulnerable to those who might seek employment with motives other than working in the care of our animals and production of milk. Their motives are clear in their desire to damage our industry and the livelihoods of the industry.”

Kansas House tries to fix constitutional flaw to shield agriculture from animal-rights activists

Experts told the House Ag Committee China remains the top global threat to U.S. agriculture despite billions in U.S. export sales there.

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem says China wants to control the US food supply.

“They have, decades ago, started buying our fertilizer companies. Then, I watched them buy up our chemical companies. I watched us as we sold citizenship to members of the Communist Party for investment into our processing systems, and now most of our processing facilities are owned by the Communist Party or Chinese Government. Now they are coming for our land.”

House CCP Select Committee Chair Mike Gallagher says U.S. tracking of farmland buys, even near sensitive military installations, is flawed.

“The U.S. government has no way of tracking land purchases by foreign adversaries. There was a recent GAO report that found USDA is incapable of properly tracking such land purchases by problematic actors. Second, even upon discovering a problematic transaction, CFIUS often finds it has no jurisdiction.”

He’s referring to the interagency Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. with a new seat Congress just okayed for USDA. But there’s a national security balancing act with China. American Soybean Association President Josh Gackel on the 2018 tariff war.

“We saw almost an immediate drop in the market price for soybeans, in particular, close to a two-dollar drop in just a short time after those tariffs were announced and the retaliation from China.”

But Indiana farmer and former U.S. Ambassador to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization Kip Tom says from seeds to data, China’s already undermining the U.S. farmer.

“The constellation of satellites that are operating their tractors to communicating data algorithms to the computers in the tractor to the seeding, these have all been compromised—they’ve been stolen.”

Tom says the Chinese now have our seed genetics and will boost corn yield by some ten percent this year, further displacing U.S. sales and prompting his call for more research dollars and the best cybersecurity experts in the field.

Experts told the House Ag Committee China remains the top global threat to U.S. agriculture despite billions in U.S. export sales there.South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem says China wants to control the US food supply.“They have, decades ago, started buying our fertilizer companies. Then, I watched them buy up our chemical companies. I watched us as we sold citizenship to members of the Communist Party for investment into our processing systems, and now most of our processing facilities are owned by the Communist Party or Chinese Government. Now they are coming for our land.”House CCP Select Committee Chair Mike Gallagher says U.S. tracking of farmland buys, even near sensitive military installations, is flawed.“The U.S. government has no way of tracking land purchases by foreign adversaries. There was a recent GAO report that found USDA is incapable of properly tracking such land purchases by problematic actors. Second, even upon discovering a problematic transaction, CFIUS often finds it has no jurisdiction.”He’s referring to the interagency Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. with a new seat Congress just okayed for USDA. But there’s a national security balancing act with China. American Soybean Association President Josh Gackel on the 2018 tariff war.“We saw almost an immediate drop in the market price for soybeans, in particular, close to a two-dollar drop in just a short time after those tariffs were announced and the retaliation from China.”But Indiana farmer and former U.S. Ambassador to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization Kip Tom says from seeds to data, China’s already undermining the U.S. farmer.“The constellation of satellites that are operating their tractors to communicating data algorithms to the computers in the tractor to the seeding, these have all been compromised—they’ve been stolen.”Tom says the Chinese now have our seed genetics and will boost corn yield by some ten percent this year, further displacing U.S. sales and prompting his call for more research dollars and the best cybersecurity experts in the field.-NAFB

China top threat to US agriculture experts tell House Ag

A multi-state coalition of biofuel and farm advocates asked the Treasury Department to swiftly resolve any questions standing in the way of scaling up U.S. production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel.

More specifically, they urged the administration to quickly adopt the U.S. Department of Energy’s GREET model for calculating SAF tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act. That would complete a process that was supposed to conclude by March 1.

“We are disappointed the administration didn’t fulfill its commitment to release a modified GREET model by March 1, but we appreciate the importance of getting the modeling right,” wrote 26 organizations. “At the same time, we caution against contradictory changes to GREET that would stack unwarranted penalties on agricultural feedstocks, cut rural America out of a promising green energy market, and undermine any path to achieving SAF goals.”

Groups in the coalition include Clean Fuels Alliance America, Growth Energy, and many others.

A multi-state coalition of biofuel and farm advocates asked the Treasury Department to swiftly resolve any questions standing in the way of scaling up U.S. production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel.More specifically, they urged the administration to quickly adopt the U.S. Department of Energy’s GREET model for calculating SAF tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act. That would complete a process that was supposed to conclude by March 1.“We are disappointed the administration didn’t fulfill its commitment to release a modified GREET model by March 1, but we appreciate the importance of getting the modeling right,” wrote 26 organizations. “At the same time, we caution against contradictory changes to GREET that would stack unwarranted penalties on agricultural feedstocks, cut rural America out of a promising green energy market, and undermine any path to achieving SAF goals.”Groups in the coalition include Clean Fuels Alliance America, Growth Energy, and many others.-NAFB

Ag leaders want certainty on Sustainable Aviation Fuel

While inflation has eased somewhat, food prices are still high. A study conducted by the University of Illinois and Purdue University asked consumers what type of companies they believe are behind high food prices.

“Consumers are frustrated with many downstream actors, like food manufacturers, grocery stores, and restaurants, feeling these groups are overcharging them,” says Brenna Ellison, a Purdue economist and co-author of the study.

Two-thirds of consumers consider food manufacturers too big, and over half believe grocery stores have too much control or market share. The survey showed consumers felt farmers were the least to blame. More than 70 percent of consumers believe that restaurants, grocery stores, and food manufacturers are overcharging them.

Despite political differences, a significant number of consumers across party lines share concerns about the size of food manufacturers and grocery stores, indicating a bipartisan worry regarding market power despite often significant political differences in the respondents.

While inflation has eased somewhat, food prices are still high. A study conducted by the University of Illinois and Purdue University asked consumers what type of companies they believe are behind high food prices.“Consumers are frustrated with many downstream actors, like food manufacturers, grocery stores, and restaurants, feeling these groups are overcharging them,” says Brenna Ellison, a Purdue economist and co-author of the study.Two-thirds of consumers consider food manufacturers too big, and over half believe grocery stores have too much control or market share. The survey showed consumers felt farmers were the least to blame. More than 70 percent of consumers believe that restaurants, grocery stores, and food manufacturers are overcharging them.Despite political differences, a significant number of consumers across party lines share concerns about the size of food manufacturers and grocery stores, indicating a bipartisan worry regarding market power despite often significant political differences in the respondents.-NAFB

Consumers think food prices still too high

The Energy Information Administration says ethanol output in the U.S. rose week to week, and inventories increased during the seven days ending on March 15.

EIS data shows that production rose to an average of 1.04 million barrels a day, up from 1.024 million a week earlier. In the Midwest, which produces the most ethanol in the U.S., total output rose to 995,000 barrels from 973,000 during the previous week. That was the entirety of the weekly gains as the EIS said the remaining regions were unchanged.

Gulf Coast production was steady at 21,000 barrels a day, and West Coast output stayed at 8,000 barrels daily. Rocky Mountain and East Coast production were both unchanged at 11,000 barrels a day. Turning to the supply on hand, the EIS said ethanol inventories at the end of the week totaled just over 26 million barrels, up from 25.7 million a week earlier.

The Energy Information Administration says ethanol output in the U.S. rose week to week, and inventories increased during the seven days ending on March 15.EIS data shows that production rose to an average of 1.04 million barrels a day, up from 1.024 million a week earlier. In the Midwest, which produces the most ethanol in the U.S., total output rose to 995,000 barrels from 973,000 during the previous week. That was the entirety of the weekly gains as the EIS said the remaining regions were unchanged.Gulf Coast production was steady at 21,000 barrels a day, and West Coast output stayed at 8,000 barrels daily. Rocky Mountain and East Coast production were both unchanged at 11,000 barrels a day. Turning to the supply on hand, the EIS said ethanol inventories at the end of the week totaled just over 26 million barrels, up from 25.7 million a week earlier.-NAFB

Ethanol production and inventories rise

After months of hard work by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and the USDA, Columbia reopened its market to U.S. poultry and egg producers.

“Ensuring our producers can compete on a level playing field across the globe is a top priority for the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office,” says USTR Chief Agricultural Negotiator Doug McKalip. “We are pleased that American poultry and egg producers have renewed access to higher income for them, their families, and our rural communities because of efforts to remove this market access barrier.”

The Colombian government had stopped issuing import permits for U.S. poultry on August 7, 2023. The government cited concerns over the spread of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza. The restored market access is another major win for American agriculture.

“We’re pleased that Colombia is living up to the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement,” says Alexis Taylor, USDA Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs.

After months of hard work by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and the USDA, Columbia reopened its market to U.S. poultry and egg producers.“Ensuring our producers can compete on a level playing field across the globe is a top priority for the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office,” says USTR Chief Agricultural Negotiator Doug McKalip. “We are pleased that American poultry and egg producers have renewed access to higher income for them, their families, and our rural communities because of efforts to remove this market access barrier.”The Colombian government had stopped issuing import permits for U.S. poultry on August 7, 2023. The government cited concerns over the spread of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza. The restored market access is another major win for American agriculture.“We’re pleased that Colombia is living up to the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement,” says Alexis Taylor, USDA Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs.-NAFB

Colombia restores market access for U.S. poultry

Mexican corn imports are expected to rise during the 2024-2025 marketing year amid increased demand.

USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service says corn imports are forecast to increase five percent year-over-year to 22 million tons to meet the Mexican government’s forecast of an increasing demand for starch and animal food production. Mexico is the world’s second-largest grain importer behind only China. Successful Farming says relatively lower forecast corn prices compared to the previous year and growing demand from livestock producers and processors will drive up corn imports.

The U.S. accounted for more than 85 percent of Mexico’s corn imports. Mexican corn production in the 2024-2025 marketing year starting on October 1 is forecast to jump seven percent to 25 million metric tons due to increased planted area and less abandonment.

“Optimism about returning to average rainfall and moisture levels after exceptional drought is expected to incentivize farmers to increase their planted area,” USDA says.

Mexican corn imports are expected to rise during the 2024-2025 marketing year amid increased demand.USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service says corn imports are forecast to increase five percent year-over-year to 22 million tons to meet the Mexican government’s forecast of an increasing demand for starch and animal food production. Mexico is the world’s second-largest grain importer behind only China. Successful Farming says relatively lower forecast corn prices compared to the previous year and growing demand from livestock producers and processors will drive up corn imports.The U.S. accounted for more than 85 percent of Mexico’s corn imports. Mexican corn production in the 2024-2025 marketing year starting on October 1 is forecast to jump seven percent to 25 million metric tons due to increased planted area and less abandonment.“Optimism about returning to average rainfall and moisture levels after exceptional drought is expected to incentivize farmers to increase their planted area,” USDA says.-NAFB

Mexico to boost corn imports

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack suggests the U.S. needs to tone down its anti-China rhetoric or else billions in U.S. farm exports to China could be on the chopping block… From TikTok to China’s spy balloon to its hacking and aggression in the Pacific, U.S. officials and lawmakers have pushed back against Beijing for months.

But Secretary Tom Vilsack said at an Agri-Pulse forum the criticism may be getting out of hand.

“We have an interesting conversation going on in this country about China. It’s pretty hard for the Chinese - and this was expressed to me when I met with the Chinese Ag minister - it’s pretty hard for them to understand that they’re the number one Ag customer for U.S. products. That’s not how you would see it based on the rhetoric that we see today.”

Vilsack urged a “nuanced and thoughtful conversation about China.” Otherwise, he said the U.S. could jeopardize its nearly 40-billion-dollar farm export trade with Beijing, which fell to $29 billion last year. But Iowa Senator and former chair of the Finance Committee that covers trade Chuck Grassley thinks Vilsack is only “half right”.

“I think you have to be kind of careful how you talk to China, but I think we’ve been too easy on them, and I think China could retaliate against our Ag exports to them. But if they do buy more from Argentina and Brazil, there’s going to be opportunities for us to fill the void of where that grain would have otherwise gone.”

Grassley says China will always need to import enough food to feed its people. But when it comes to U.S. national security versus farm exports, Grassley feels the U.S. must ‘stand up to China.’

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack suggests the U.S. needs to tone down its anti-China rhetoric or else billions in U.S. farm exports to China could be on the chopping block… From TikTok to China’s spy balloon to its hacking and aggression in the Pacific, U.S. officials and lawmakers have pushed back against Beijing for months.But Secretary Tom Vilsack said at an Agri-Pulse forum the criticism may be getting out of hand.“We have an interesting conversation going on in this country about China. It’s pretty hard for the Chinese - and this was expressed to me when I met with the Chinese Ag minister - it’s pretty hard for them to understand that they’re the number one Ag customer for U.S. products. That’s not how you would see it based on the rhetoric that we see today.”Vilsack urged a “nuanced and thoughtful conversation about China.” Otherwise, he said the U.S. could jeopardize its nearly 40-billion-dollar farm export trade with Beijing, which fell to $29 billion last year. But Iowa Senator and former chair of the Finance Committee that covers trade Chuck Grassley thinks Vilsack is only “half right”.“I think you have to be kind of careful how you talk to China, but I think we’ve been too easy on them, and I think China could retaliate against our Ag exports to them. But if they do buy more from Argentina and Brazil, there’s going to be opportunities for us to fill the void of where that grain would have otherwise gone.”Grassley says China will always need to import enough food to feed its people. But when it comes to U.S. national security versus farm exports, Grassley feels the U.S. must ‘stand up to China.’-NAFB

Vilsack urges toning down Anti-China rhetoric, citing farm exports

The 2024 growing season is expected to bring a unique combination of El Niño this spring through early summer before switching to La Niña in late summer through early fall.

Farmers Business Network says the opposing climate patterns have the potential to trigger significant weather events that could have problematic impacts on crop production. 2023 ended with a strong El Niño, which is weakening now and will end around April. However, the long-term impacts will be felt throughout the growing season. The U.S weather patterns will likely shift back to normal between April and July, followed by a probable La Niña through September.

The report also says 2024 planting dates will likely be slightly earlier for wheat and rice while remaining typical for corn and soybeans. Corn, wheat, and soybean yields are expected to increase this year because of El Niño, while rice yields will slightly decline from last year.

The 2024 growing season is expected to bring a unique combination of El Niño this spring through early summer before switching to La Niña in late summer through early fall.Farmers Business Network says the opposing climate patterns have the potential to trigger significant weather events that could have problematic impacts on crop production. 2023 ended with a strong El Niño, which is weakening now and will end around April. However, the long-term impacts will be felt throughout the growing season. The U.S weather patterns will likely shift back to normal between April and July, followed by a probable La Niña through September.The report also says 2024 planting dates will likely be slightly earlier for wheat and rice while remaining typical for corn and soybeans. Corn, wheat, and soybean yields are expected to increase this year because of El Niño, while rice yields will slightly decline from last year.-NAFB

El Niño’s impact on U.S. Farmers

Senate Budget Committee Ranking Member Chuck Grassley is increasing his opposition to the Environmental Protection Agency’s tailpipe emissions proposal. He cites a new cost estimate by the Congressional Budget Office.

“The CBO released a ten-year budget and economic outlook projecting a $224 billion increase in the cumulative deficit caused by higher electric vehicle tax credit claims and reduced gas tax revenues,” he says. “CBO noted the EV Rule is the largest factor to contributing to these revisions.”

In a letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan, Grassley said, “The American taxpayers have not voted for and can’t afford the EPA’s tailpipe standards.”

Senate Budget Committee Ranking Member Chuck Grassley is increasing his opposition to the Environmental Protection Agency’s tailpipe emissions proposal. He cites a new cost estimate by the Congressional Budget Office.“The CBO released a ten-year budget and economic outlook projecting a $224 billion increase in the cumulative deficit caused by higher electric vehicle tax credit claims and reduced gas tax revenues,” he says. “CBO noted the EV Rule is the largest factor to contributing to these revisions.”In a letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan, Grassley said, “The American taxpayers have not voted for and can’t afford the EPA’s tailpipe standards.”

EV push will drive U.S. deficit $200 Billion higher

The House Agriculture Committee held a hearing Wednesday regarding concerns over foreign influence on American agriculture.

Ranking Member David Scott (D-GA) said the more specific purpose of the hearing was to discuss the influence that China has on U.S. agriculture. “I want us to keep in mind that China is an important trading partner to the U.S.,” Scott said in his opening statement. “We need a thorough and policy-heavy conversation so we can help American farmers and our agricultural system navigate this issue.”

He also pointed out that China is America’s largest trading partner, accounting for $33.7 billion in U.S. agricultural exports last fiscal year. American farmers produce way more than the country can use domestically, so trade is vital.

“My colleagues will often note that we are in an agricultural trade deficit,” he added. “I’m here to tell you that alienating our trade partners will only deepen the deficit.”

The House Agriculture Committee held a hearing Wednesday regarding concerns over foreign influence on American agriculture.Ranking Member David Scott (D-GA) said the more specific purpose of the hearing was to discuss the influence that China has on U.S. agriculture. “I want us to keep in mind that China is an important trading partner to the U.S.,” Scott said in his opening statement. “We need a thorough and policy-heavy conversation so we can help American farmers and our agricultural system navigate this issue.”He also pointed out that China is America’s largest trading partner, accounting for $33.7 billion in U.S. agricultural exports last fiscal year. American farmers produce way more than the country can use domestically, so trade is vital.“My colleagues will often note that we are in an agricultural trade deficit,” he added. “I’m here to tell you that alienating our trade partners will only deepen the deficit.”-NAFB

House Ag committee dealing with Chinese influence on U.S. Ag

The National Corn Growers Association expressed grave concern and disappointment with the Environmental Protection Agency’s final 2027-2032 tailpipe emissions standards.

NCGA says the plan still relies almost exclusively on using electric vehicles, a decision that will have long-lasting impacts on the rural economy because it ignores the benefits of ethanol. Economists at the University of Nebraska say the resulting large drop in corn demand will lead to a permanent 50 percent decrease in the price of corn. That could cost the top five corn-producing states well over $100 billion in farmland value.

The National Corn Growers Association expressed grave concern and disappointment with the Environmental Protection Agency’s final 2027-2032 tailpipe emissions standards.NCGA says the plan still relies almost exclusively on using electric vehicles, a decision that will have long-lasting impacts on the rural economy because it ignores the benefits of ethanol. Economists at the University of Nebraska say the resulting large drop in corn demand will lead to a permanent 50 percent decrease in the price of corn. That could cost the top five corn-producing states well over $100 billion in farmland value.The Renewable Fuels Association says today’s ruling is not the best way to accomplish the administration’s climate goals. “Today’s final rule forces automakers to produce more electric battery vehicles based on the premise that they’re ‘zero-emission’ vehicles,” says RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “The regulation would strongly discourage manufacturers from pursuing other technologies like flex fuel vehicles.”-NAFB