By Jared Strong <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/woman-who-shouted-shame-following-critical-gun-bill-passage-is-banned-from-nebraska-capitol/">States Newsroom&nbsp;</a>

COUNCIL BLUFFS — Former President Donald Trump claimed he is the “most pro-farmer president that you’ve ever had” during a campaign stop in Iowa and joked that his payments to them during a trade war with China should guarantee he will win the state’s caucuses.

“How the hell can I not? I gave the farmers $28 billion,” he said Friday in a ballroom of the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs.

Trump was referring to bailout money paid to farmers in 2019 amid his efforts to rework the country’s trade policies, which included imposing tariffs on Chinese products. The country retaliated, in part, by imposing its own tariffs on soybeans, crippling an important export market for Iowa farmers.

Last year, the United States exported about $154 billion of goods to China, up about 19% from 2017, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. Exports dropped to about $107 billion during the trade war in 2019.

Trump said farmers benefited from the dispute and his trade renegotiations with other countries such as Canada and Mexico. He said farmers also benefited from tax cuts implemented by Congress during his administration, along with a temporary increase in the exemption to the federal tax that is levied on the estates of wealthy people after they die.

“A lot of times they lose the farm,” he said of children of farmers who can’t afford to pay.

Further, Trump said his administration supported the ethanol industry by allowing summertime sales of E15 — a gasoline blend with 15% ethanol. A&nbsp;federal judge later reversed that action, saying the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency did not have the authority to lift restrictions on its sales without approval from Congress.

Trump said he would continue to negotiate better trade deals for farmers if reelected and would prevent Chinese ownership of American farmland.

State Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, a Wilton Republican who is a senior adviser to Trump’s campaign in Iowa, launched the Friday event with a panel discussion about agriculture that included talks about water quality restrictions, farm subsidies and other issues.

“There is no doubt in my mind that Donald Trump has been the single best president in United States history for Iowa agriculture and farmers in general,” Kaufmann said. “I mean, look, he brought the rain today.”

Rally attendees had long waits in sometimes heavy rain to get into the venue, which was considerably smaller than the large-scale rallies for which Trump is known. Staff at the Mid-America Center said the ballroom could accommodate about 2,000 people.

As they waited inside, there were periodic chants of “Trump! Trump! Trump!” and “Build the wall!” There was also an impromptu recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance.

It was the Republican frontrunner’s first appearance in Iowa since&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/06/09/the-indictment-is-unsealed-trump-faces-37-felony-counts-in-classified-documents-probe/">his 37-count federal indictment</a>&nbsp;last month that accuses Trump of scheming to keep classified documents from his time as president.

“It’s all bull—,” Trump said Friday. “I’m the only person who ever got indicted that got more popular.”

Trump, as a presidential candidate seven years ago, made repeated statements about the importance of protecting classified information, according to the indictment: “No one will be above the law,” he said in August 2016.

But he has pivoted to claim he is being unfairly targeted by the federal government for political reasons and that others — including President Joe Biden and his first presidential opponent Hillary Clinton — are guilty of similar offenses.

However, the accusations against Trump stand apart in that he allegedly took more than 100 classified documents from his former presidency to his resort and home in Florida, stored them haphazardly, and disclosed some of the information they contained to people without appropriate security clearances.

That doesn’t matter to Travis Humbert, of Underwood, who attended the rally with his 13-year-old son.

“It could be true,” said Humbert, who voted twice in presidential elections for Trump and plans to again. “But people are stuck in the past. Who cares? We all have a past. Let’s move on. He’s a businessman, not a politician, and he’s actually trying to work for the American people.”

The federal indictment is the second criminal allegation against him that has yielded formal charges this year. In April, a New York grand jury indicted Trump&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/03/30/trump-indicted-by-manhattan-grand-jury-according-to-reports/">for falsifying business records</a>. The state indictment targets Trump’s claims that certain payments to an attorney were for legal fees, while investigators allege they were reimbursements for a hush-money payment to an adult film actress.

And there are two pending investigations into whether Trump attempted to interfere with the 2020 election in Georgia — a state Biden narrowly won — and into Trump’s role in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack of the U.S. Capitol.

“It’s a joke — a total joke,” Patty Murray, of Omaha, said of the criminal inquiries into Trump.

Murray wants Trump to get a second term so that he can finish building a wall at the country’s southern border with Mexico, promote international peace and bolster the economy.

She said the investigations and indictments have done little to diminish Trump’s credibility with his supporters.

“It’s helped him,” Murray said. “Everybody says it’s a joke.”

Jeanne Greisen, a Lincoln, Nebraska,resident who volunteered at Friday’s rally, agreed: “People like to support somebody that’s being attacked and doing the right thing. They like to back the small guy.”

Trump pledged last month to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Biden and his family if he is elected president again. Greisen hesitated to express support for politically motivated investigations but said: “I think it just needs to be fair across the board. The same law needs to be applied to every person.”

Greisen said she will vote for Trump, hoping in a second term he can require public school children to learn more about the U.S. Constitution, lessen the prevalence of human trafficking and reduce the size and scope of government.

Greisen, Murray and Humbert also said that the economy has suffered under Biden’s leadership and that inflation is still a major problem.

“Gas prices need to come back down,” said Humbert, of Woodward.

<a target="_blank" href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/president-primary-r/2024/iowa/">Recent polls</a>&nbsp;of potential Republican caucus voters in Iowa show Trump with double-digit percentage point leads over his nearest competitor, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Nationally, pollsters show a wider margin of support for Trump, with Trump’s former vice president, Mike Pence, in a distant third.

Trump lobbed numerous personal attacks at DeSantis for being a “lousy candidate” for governor who was only elected because of Trump’s support in 2018.

Trump said that his status as the clear frontrunner is what made him a target for criminal investigations and that he is acting as a shield for the nation’s citizens.

“They want to take away my freedom because I sure as hell won’t let them take your freedom,” he said to rapturous applause. He later added: “In the end, they’re not after me. They’re after you, and I just happen to be standing in the way.”

He was not more specific about who was planning to take freedoms from citizens nor what specific freedoms they are.

Iowa Auditor Rob Sand, the state’s sole elected Democrat to currently hold a statewide office, criticized Trump at a news conference in Des Moines on Friday before the former president’s Council Bluffs event.

Sand said Trump is advocating for the same “extremist” policies that Iowa Republican lawmakers and Gov. Kim Reynolds advocate for. He pointed to Reynolds’&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/07/05/reynolds-announces-special-session-on-abortion-for-july-11/">call for a special session</a>&nbsp;Tuesday, July 11, to pass abortion legislation following the Iowa Supreme Court decision not allowing enforcement of the state’s 2018 six-week abortion ban.

“So as Donald Trump comes to Iowa today, it’s important to remember that he bragged about being the one to get Roe overturned,” Sand said. “It’s important to remember that they are paving the way for the legislative bans that Republicans are going to do right here in Iowa.”

Trump mentioned abortion briefly and said the Supreme Court decision gives abortion opponents more leverage to negotiate for regulations that are less extreme than what he said Democrats want. He said he supports exceptions for rape, incest and to protect the life of the mother.

Of the court decision to eliminate a right to abortion at the federal level: “Good things are going to come about it, and you move it back to the states where all the legal scholars said it should be,” Trump said.

This article first appeared in the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/07/07/trump-appeals-to-farmers-in-iowa-campaign-visit/">Iowa Capital Dispatch</a>,&nbsp;a sister&nbsp;site of the Nebraska Examiner in the States Newsroom network.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688866742399.png" alt="Former President Donald Trump said he is a champion of farmers in a campaign visit to Council Bluffs on July 7, 2023. (Jared Strong/Iowa Capital Dispatch)" />
 <figcaption>Former President Donald Trump said he is a champion of farmers in a campaign visit to Council Bluffs on July 7, 2023. (Jared Strong/Iowa Capital Dispatch)</figcaption>
 </figure>By Jared Strong <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/woman-who-shouted-shame-following-critical-gun-bill-passage-is-banned-from-nebraska-capitol/">States Newsroom&nbsp;</a>COUNCIL BLUFFS — Former President Donald Trump claimed he is the “most pro-farmer president that you’ve ever had” during a campaign stop in Iowa and joked that his payments to them during a trade war with China should guarantee he will win the state’s caucuses.“How the hell can I not? I gave the farmers $28 billion,” he said Friday in a ballroom of the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs.Trump was referring to bailout money paid to farmers in 2019 amid his efforts to rework the country’s trade policies, which included imposing tariffs on Chinese products. The country retaliated, in part, by imposing its own tariffs on soybeans, crippling an important export market for Iowa farmers.Last year, the United States exported about $154 billion of goods to China, up about 19% from 2017, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. Exports dropped to about $107 billion during the trade war in 2019.Trump said farmers benefited from the dispute and his trade renegotiations with other countries such as Canada and Mexico. He said farmers also benefited from tax cuts implemented by Congress during his administration, along with a temporary increase in the exemption to the federal tax that is levied on the estates of wealthy people after they die.“A lot of times they lose the farm,” he said of children of farmers who can’t afford to pay.Further, Trump said his administration supported the ethanol industry by allowing summertime sales of E15 — a gasoline blend with 15% ethanol. A&nbsp;federal judge later reversed that action, saying the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency did not have the authority to lift restrictions on its sales without approval from Congress.Trump said he would continue to negotiate better trade deals for farmers if reelected and would prevent Chinese ownership of American farmland.State Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, a Wilton Republican who is a senior adviser to Trump’s campaign in Iowa, launched the Friday event with a panel discussion about agriculture that included talks about water quality restrictions, farm subsidies and other issues.“There is no doubt in my mind that Donald Trump has been the single best president in United States history for Iowa agriculture and farmers in general,” Kaufmann said. “I mean, look, he brought the rain today.”Rally attendees had long waits in sometimes heavy rain to get into the venue, which was considerably smaller than the large-scale rallies for which Trump is known. Staff at the Mid-America Center said the ballroom could accommodate about 2,000 people.As they waited inside, there were periodic chants of “Trump! Trump! Trump!” and “Build the wall!” There was also an impromptu recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance.<h2>Shadow of indictments</h2>It was the Republican frontrunner’s first appearance in Iowa since&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/06/09/the-indictment-is-unsealed-trump-faces-37-felony-counts-in-classified-documents-probe/">his 37-count federal indictment</a>&nbsp;last month that accuses Trump of scheming to keep classified documents from his time as president.“It’s all bull—,” Trump said Friday. “I’m the only person who ever got indicted that got more popular.”Trump, as a presidential candidate seven years ago, made repeated statements about the importance of protecting classified information, according to the indictment: “No one will be above the law,” he said in August 2016.But he has pivoted to claim he is being unfairly targeted by the federal government for political reasons and that others — including President Joe Biden and his first presidential opponent Hillary Clinton — are guilty of similar offenses.However, the accusations against Trump stand apart in that he allegedly took more than 100 classified documents from his former presidency to his resort and home in Florida, stored them haphazardly, and disclosed some of the information they contained to people without appropriate security clearances.That doesn’t matter to Travis Humbert, of Underwood, who attended the rally with his 13-year-old son.“It could be true,” said Humbert, who voted twice in presidential elections for Trump and plans to again. “But people are stuck in the past. Who cares? We all have a past. Let’s move on. He’s a businessman, not a politician, and he’s actually trying to work for the American people.”The federal indictment is the second criminal allegation against him that has yielded formal charges this year. In April, a New York grand jury indicted Trump&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/03/30/trump-indicted-by-manhattan-grand-jury-according-to-reports/">for falsifying business records</a>. The state indictment targets Trump’s claims that certain payments to an attorney were for legal fees, while investigators allege they were reimbursements for a hush-money payment to an adult film actress.And there are two pending investigations into whether Trump attempted to interfere with the 2020 election in Georgia — a state Biden narrowly won — and into Trump’s role in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack of the U.S. Capitol.“It’s a joke — a total joke,” Patty Murray, of Omaha, said of the criminal inquiries into Trump.Murray wants Trump to get a second term so that he can finish building a wall at the country’s southern border with Mexico, promote international peace and bolster the economy.She said the investigations and indictments have done little to diminish Trump’s credibility with his supporters.“It’s helped him,” Murray said. “Everybody says it’s a joke.”Jeanne Greisen, a Lincoln, Nebraska,resident who volunteered at Friday’s rally, agreed: “People like to support somebody that’s being attacked and doing the right thing. They like to back the small guy.”Trump pledged last month to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Biden and his family if he is elected president again. Greisen hesitated to express support for politically motivated investigations but said: “I think it just needs to be fair across the board. The same law needs to be applied to every person.”Greisen said she will vote for Trump, hoping in a second term he can require public school children to learn more about the U.S. Constitution, lessen the prevalence of human trafficking and reduce the size and scope of government.Greisen, Murray and Humbert also said that the economy has suffered under Biden’s leadership and that inflation is still a major problem.“Gas prices need to come back down,” said Humbert, of Woodward.<a target="_blank" href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/president-primary-r/2024/iowa/">Recent polls</a>&nbsp;of potential Republican caucus voters in Iowa show Trump with double-digit percentage point leads over his nearest competitor, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Nationally, pollsters show a wider margin of support for Trump, with Trump’s former vice president, Mike Pence, in a distant third.Trump lobbed numerous personal attacks at DeSantis for being a “lousy candidate” for governor who was only elected because of Trump’s support in 2018.Trump said that his status as the clear frontrunner is what made him a target for criminal investigations and that he is acting as a shield for the nation’s citizens.“They want to take away my freedom because I sure as hell won’t let them take your freedom,” he said to rapturous applause. He later added: “In the end, they’re not after me. They’re after you, and I just happen to be standing in the way.”He was not more specific about who was planning to take freedoms from citizens nor what specific freedoms they are.<h2>Democrats point to Roe</h2>Iowa Auditor Rob Sand, the state’s sole elected Democrat to currently hold a statewide office, criticized Trump at a news conference in Des Moines on Friday before the former president’s Council Bluffs event.Sand said Trump is advocating for the same “extremist” policies that Iowa Republican lawmakers and Gov. Kim Reynolds advocate for. He pointed to Reynolds’&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/07/05/reynolds-announces-special-session-on-abortion-for-july-11/">call for a special session</a>&nbsp;Tuesday, July 11, to pass abortion legislation following the Iowa Supreme Court decision not allowing enforcement of the state’s 2018 six-week abortion ban.“So as Donald Trump comes to Iowa today, it’s important to remember that he bragged about being the one to get Roe overturned,” Sand said. “It’s important to remember that they are paving the way for the legislative bans that Republicans are going to do right here in Iowa.”Trump mentioned abortion briefly and said the Supreme Court decision gives abortion opponents more leverage to negotiate for regulations that are less extreme than what he said Democrats want. He said he supports exceptions for rape, incest and to protect the life of the mother.Of the court decision to eliminate a right to abortion at the federal level: “Good things are going to come about it, and you move it back to the states where all the legal scholars said it should be,” Trump said.This article first appeared in the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/07/07/trump-appeals-to-farmers-in-iowa-campaign-visit/">Iowa Capital Dispatch</a>,&nbsp;a sister&nbsp;site of the Nebraska Examiner in the States Newsroom network.

Trump appeals to farmers in campaign appearance

The National Corn Growers Association submitted comments to the Environmental Protection Agency regarding its proposed emissions standards. 

The corn growers are calling on the agency to open pathways for all low-carbon fuels and technologies as it finalizes its multi-pollutant emissions standards for light- and medium-duty vehicles for model years 2027-2032. 

“For automakers to use new technologies and enhanced engines to meet stringent standards, they need updated fuel that enables new vehicles and fuels to work as a system to enhance greenhouse gas and other tailpipe emissions reductions,” says NCGA President Tom Haag. 

NCGA says the proposal picks winners and losers and places ethanol on the losing side. “Clean octane from today’s ethanol is 50 percent lower in GHG emissions than gasoline and replaces the most harmful hydrocarbon aromatics to improve air quality and prevents adverse health impacts,” Haag says. “EPA failed to broaden the solutions that reduce transportation emissions.”

The National Corn Growers Association submitted comments to the Environmental Protection Agency regarding its proposed emissions standards. The corn growers are calling on the agency to open pathways for all low-carbon fuels and technologies as it finalizes its multi-pollutant emissions standards for light- and medium-duty vehicles for model years 2027-2032. “For automakers to use new technologies and enhanced engines to meet stringent standards, they need updated fuel that enables new vehicles and fuels to work as a system to enhance greenhouse gas and other tailpipe emissions reductions,” says NCGA President Tom Haag. NCGA says the proposal picks winners and losers and places ethanol on the losing side. “Clean octane from today’s ethanol is 50 percent lower in GHG emissions than gasoline and replaces the most harmful hydrocarbon aromatics to improve air quality and prevents adverse health impacts,” Haag says. “EPA failed to broaden the solutions that reduce transportation emissions.”- NAFB

NCGA: Don’t pick winners and losers

Farmers and ranchers are slightly more optimistic that Congress will get a new farm bill passed this year. 

However, Successful Farming says they don’t think the farm bill will get used to overturn California’s Prop 12 animal welfare law. 

The pork industry is looking for a legislative way to override the requirement after losing a Supreme Court challenge. 

About 36 percent of the farmers surveyed in the Purdue University/CME Group’s Ag Economy Barometer say it’s not likely that Congress will overturn Prop 12 in the new farm bill, while 40 percent say they are uncertain about the prospects of a legislative fix. 

One-fourth of the farmers in the most recent Purdue Survey say it’s at least somewhat likely that Congress will take on Proposition 12 in new farm bill legislation. In contrast, only 37 percent of farmers say it’s still likely a farm bill will get put into law this year.

Farmers and ranchers are slightly more optimistic that Congress will get a new farm bill passed this year. However, Successful Farming says they don’t think the farm bill will get used to overturn California’s Prop 12 animal welfare law. The pork industry is looking for a legislative way to override the requirement after losing a Supreme Court challenge. About 36 percent of the farmers surveyed in the Purdue University/CME Group’s Ag Economy Barometer say it’s not likely that Congress will overturn Prop 12 in the new farm bill, while 40 percent say they are uncertain about the prospects of a legislative fix. One-fourth of the farmers in the most recent Purdue Survey say it’s at least somewhat likely that Congress will take on Proposition 12 in new farm bill legislation. In contrast, only 37 percent of farmers say it’s still likely a farm bill will get put into law this year.- NAFB

Farm bill doubtful to override California’s Prop 12

Last year saw a 40 percent increase in the number of injuries and fatalities in confined spaces across agriculture. 

Purdue University released its 2022 summary of accidents involving agricultural confined space-related injuries and deaths. 

The summary reported 83 cases, 24 of which were fatal and 59 nonfatal cases involving agricultural confined spaces.&nbsp;&nbsp;That’s almost a 41 percent increase over the 59 cases in 2021. 

These numbers are approximate, as the study authors realize not every case gets reported. Additionally, the 42 grain-related entrapments represented a 45 percent increase over 2021. 

Of the 41 non-grain-related cases, incidents included livestock waste handling facilities, entanglements inside confined spaces, falls from confined space structures, and grain dust explosions or fires. 

Edward Sheldon of Purdue’s Agricultural Safety and Health Program says confined-space incidents continue to result in a significant number of injuries and fatalities. “Use best-management practices to keep yourself and employees safe,” Sheldon says.

Last year saw a 40 percent increase in the number of injuries and fatalities in confined spaces across agriculture. Purdue University released its 2022 summary of accidents involving agricultural confined space-related injuries and deaths. The summary reported 83 cases, 24 of which were fatal and 59 nonfatal cases involving agricultural confined spaces.&nbsp;&nbsp;That’s almost a 41 percent increase over the 59 cases in 2021. These numbers are approximate, as the study authors realize not every case gets reported. Additionally, the 42 grain-related entrapments represented a 45 percent increase over 2021. Of the 41 non-grain-related cases, incidents included livestock waste handling facilities, entanglements inside confined spaces, falls from confined space structures, and grain dust explosions or fires. Edward Sheldon of Purdue’s Agricultural Safety and Health Program says confined-space incidents continue to result in a significant number of injuries and fatalities. “Use best-management practices to keep yourself and employees safe,” Sheldon says.- NAFB

Purdue Study reports 40% more injuries in grain storage facilities

America’s farmers, fuel marketers, retailers, and renewable fuel producers called on the Environmental Protection Agency to change its proposed standards for tailpipe emissions. 

The groups want the agency to adopt a market-oriented, technology-neutral approach to transportation decarbonization in its final tailpipe emissions standards for 2027-2032 light- and medium-duty vehicles. 

In a letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan, the groups say the proposed rule favors electric vehicles while failing to consider the decarbonization potential of existing biofuels that can improve the emissions profile of a majority of cars on the road today. 

“EPA should use the best available science to accurately account for the full lifecycle carbon intensity associated with particular fuels and technologies,” the groups say. 

They also feel the proposed rule “artificially tilts the scale” toward electric vehicles without considering other options. The National Corn Growers Association, National Farmers Union, and Growth Energy were among the groups signing the letter. 

America’s farmers, fuel marketers, retailers, and renewable fuel producers called on the Environmental Protection Agency to change its proposed standards for tailpipe emissions. The groups want the agency to adopt a market-oriented, technology-neutral approach to transportation decarbonization in its final tailpipe emissions standards for 2027-2032 light- and medium-duty vehicles. In a letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan, the groups say the proposed rule favors electric vehicles while failing to consider the decarbonization potential of existing biofuels that can improve the emissions profile of a majority of cars on the road today. “EPA should use the best available science to accurately account for the full lifecycle carbon intensity associated with particular fuels and technologies,” the groups say. They also feel the proposed rule “artificially tilts the scale” toward electric vehicles without considering other options. The National Corn Growers Association, National Farmers Union, and Growth Energy were among the groups signing the letter. - NAFB&nbsp;

Groups want fairness in tailpipe emissions standards

July 1 was the third anniversary of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement going into effect, and the U.S. pork industry is happy to celebrate the occasion. 

Pork exports to America’s neighbors, especially Mexico, have soared under the successor to the North American Free Trade Agreement. 

Since USMCA took effect, U.S. pork exports to Mexico have increased from almost $1.2 billion in 2020 to more than $2 billion last year. 

Exports to Canada have grown from about $853 million in 2020 to $867 million in 2022. For the first four months of this year, both countries are on pace to take in record amounts of American pork during 2023. 

Exports to Mexico and Canada totaled nearly $3 billion, accounted for 38 percent of all U.S. pork exports in 2022, and supported more than 16,000 jobs. The USMCA maintained the zero-tariff rate on pork traded in North America which was first established under NAFTA.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1675100511487.jpeg" alt="USMCA (USDA).jpg" />
 <figcaption>USMCA (USDA).jpg</figcaption>
 </figure>July 1 was the third anniversary of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement going into effect, and the U.S. pork industry is happy to celebrate the occasion. Pork exports to America’s neighbors, especially Mexico, have soared under the successor to the North American Free Trade Agreement. Since USMCA took effect, U.S. pork exports to Mexico have increased from almost $1.2 billion in 2020 to more than $2 billion last year. Exports to Canada have grown from about $853 million in 2020 to $867 million in 2022. For the first four months of this year, both countries are on pace to take in record amounts of American pork during 2023. Exports to Mexico and Canada totaled nearly $3 billion, accounted for 38 percent of all U.S. pork exports in 2022, and supported more than 16,000 jobs. The USMCA maintained the zero-tariff rate on pork traded in North America which was first established under NAFTA.- NAFB

Three years of USMCA

The Agricultural Retailers Association applauded Senator Tammy Baldwin’s Reliable Rail Service Act. 

“ARA appreciates Senators Baldwin (D-WI) and Roger Marshall (R-KS) for leading legislative efforts to address the continuous rail service problems faced by our industry,” says ARA President and CEO Daren Coppock. 

“Those challenges have caused supply chain disruptions and negatively impacted other shippers within the agricultural industry.” 

The retailers want Congress to tackle head-on the significant cost increases and service disruptions that harm the businesses of its ag retailer members and their farmer customers who rely on freight rail transportation to deliver the critical crop input products to feed and fuel the nation. Common carrier obligations still lack a clear definition. 

“This proposal will provide some needed clarity to the common carrier obligation, improve the Surface Transportation Board’s oversight authority and help ensure railroads provide a reliable service at reasonable rates for shippers, which ultimately benefits consumers,” says Coppock.

The Agricultural Retailers Association applauded Senator Tammy Baldwin’s Reliable Rail Service Act. “ARA appreciates Senators Baldwin (D-WI) and Roger Marshall (R-KS) for leading legislative efforts to address the continuous rail service problems faced by our industry,” says ARA President and CEO Daren Coppock. “Those challenges have caused supply chain disruptions and negatively impacted other shippers within the agricultural industry.” The retailers want Congress to tackle head-on the significant cost increases and service disruptions that harm the businesses of its ag retailer members and their farmer customers who rely on freight rail transportation to deliver the critical crop input products to feed and fuel the nation. Common carrier obligations still lack a clear definition. “This proposal will provide some needed clarity to the common carrier obligation, improve the Surface Transportation Board’s oversight authority and help ensure railroads provide a reliable service at reasonable rates for shippers, which ultimately benefits consumers,” says Coppock.- NAFB

Retailers support Reliable Rail Service Act

The National Corn Growers Association is urging farmers to submit comments to the Environmental Protection Agency regarding a new proposal on multi-pollutant emissions standards. 

The call-to-action was launched after the agency first announced the proposal in April. The comment period deadline closes on July 5. 

The new standards would effectively force automakers to produce electric vehicles at an increasingly rapid rate to comply with the stringent proposed rule. 

NCGA leadership believes with this one-size-fits-all approach, EPA is ignoring other low-carbon solutions like ethanol. The proposal picks winners and losers in the energy sector and puts biofuels on the losing side. 

If it’s left unchanged, this rulemaking has the potential to remove hundreds of millions of bushels of domestic corn demand from the market each year. 

The NCGA is encouraging all members and advocates to let the EPA know that ethanol is a low-carbon solution to emissions reduction that is readily available.

The National Corn Growers Association is urging farmers to submit comments to the Environmental Protection Agency regarding a new proposal on multi-pollutant emissions standards. The call-to-action was launched after the agency first announced the proposal in April. The comment period deadline closes on July 5. The new standards would effectively force automakers to produce electric vehicles at an increasingly rapid rate to comply with the stringent proposed rule. NCGA leadership believes with this one-size-fits-all approach, EPA is ignoring other low-carbon solutions like ethanol. The proposal picks winners and losers in the energy sector and puts biofuels on the losing side. If it’s left unchanged, this rulemaking has the potential to remove hundreds of millions of bushels of domestic corn demand from the market each year. The NCGA is encouraging all members and advocates to let the EPA know that ethanol is a low-carbon solution to emissions reduction that is readily available.- NAFB

NCGA call to action on EPA’s Emissions Standards Proposal

Chinese scientists say they’ve identified what appears to be a new strain of the African Swine Fever virus working its way through three counties in the country. 

A paper published in the journal Nature Communications says the new virus appears to be a hybrid of the new genotype 2 strain that caused the 2018 outbreak of ASF that began in China and a more recent but less deadly strain identified in 2021. 

Chris Netherton, head of ASF Vaccinology at the Pirbright Institute, says that the new variant is called genotype 1 for its apparent similarities to older versions of the virus. 

It causes chronic disease in pigs, but it’s not as deadly as genotype 2, which can kill over 80 percent of the hogs it infects. Feed Strategy Magazine says the data from the Chinese study doesn’t appear to show the new strain is more contagious than the existing variants of ASF.

Chinese scientists say they’ve identified what appears to be a new strain of the African Swine Fever virus working its way through three counties in the country. A paper published in the journal Nature Communications says the new virus appears to be a hybrid of the new genotype 2 strain that caused the 2018 outbreak of ASF that began in China and a more recent but less deadly strain identified in 2021. Chris Netherton, head of ASF Vaccinology at the Pirbright Institute, says that the new variant is called genotype 1 for its apparent similarities to older versions of the virus. It causes chronic disease in pigs, but it’s not as deadly as genotype 2, which can kill over 80 percent of the hogs it infects. Feed Strategy Magazine says the data from the Chinese study doesn’t appear to show the new strain is more contagious than the existing variants of ASF.- NAFB

New ASF variant found in China

The combined payment error rate for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program payments went from 7.3 percent in fiscal year 2019 to 11.5 percent in fiscal year 2022. 

During those years, USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service says states were providing pandemic-related benefits while coping with staff shortages. The individual state error rates varied dramatically. 

The report says Alaska was the highest state at almost 57 percent, while many other states were far below the national average. 

"As part of the flexibilities granted to states beginning in the spring of 2020, Congress removed the requirement for states to conduct quality control reviews, which resulted in USDA being unable to publish the annual national and state payment error rates for fiscal years 2020 and 2021,” FNS said in a release. 

Stacy Dean, USDA Undersecretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, says, “The circumstances put an incredible strain on program administration. The rates reflect those challenges.”

The combined payment error rate for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program payments went from 7.3 percent in fiscal year 2019 to 11.5 percent in fiscal year 2022. During those years, USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service says states were providing pandemic-related benefits while coping with staff shortages. The individual state error rates varied dramatically. The report says Alaska was the highest state at almost 57 percent, while many other states were far below the national average. "As part of the flexibilities granted to states beginning in the spring of 2020, Congress removed the requirement for states to conduct quality control reviews, which resulted in USDA being unable to publish the annual national and state payment error rates for fiscal years 2020 and 2021,” FNS said in a release. Stacy Dean, USDA Undersecretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, says, “The circumstances put an incredible strain on program administration. The rates reflect those challenges.”- NAFB

USDA: SNAP payment error rates rise

The National Farmers Union released the 2023 numbers for the Farmers’ Share of the Food Dollar Report covering several items typically found at a Fourth of July cookout. 

The NFU says every year, the troubling trend of farmers earning less of the dollars Americans spend at the grocery store is continuing. 

“Whether it’s the highly consolidated meatpacking industry or harmful mergers in the private sector, farmers and consumers are being squeezed out of their hard-earned money,” says NFU President Rob Larew. 

“It doesn’t have to be that way.” For example, eight-count hamburger buns retail for $3.49, but the farmers’ share is only ten cents. Party-size potato chips are $5.99, but the farmers’ share is 29 cents. 

Two pounds of ground beef is $11.07, but farmers get just $3.42. Last year, the USDA said the farmers’ share of the food dollar bottomed out at only 14.5 cents of every dollar spent.

The National Farmers Union released the 2023 numbers for the Farmers’ Share of the Food Dollar Report covering several items typically found at a Fourth of July cookout. The NFU says every year, the troubling trend of farmers earning less of the dollars Americans spend at the grocery store is continuing. “Whether it’s the highly consolidated meatpacking industry or harmful mergers in the private sector, farmers and consumers are being squeezed out of their hard-earned money,” says NFU President Rob Larew. “It doesn’t have to be that way.” For example, eight-count hamburger buns retail for $3.49, but the farmers’ share is only ten cents. Party-size potato chips are $5.99, but the farmers’ share is 29 cents. Two pounds of ground beef is $11.07, but farmers get just $3.42. Last year, the USDA said the farmers’ share of the food dollar bottomed out at only 14.5 cents of every dollar spent.- NAFB

Farmers’ share of July Fourth food dollar continues to shrink

A derecho storm system hit parts of the Midwest last week. Hundreds of thousands had no power, homes and cars were smashed, and fields of crops were flattened by the high winds. 

The line of severe thunderstorms contained wind gusts of 90 miles per hour. 

The storm moved quickly, starting in southeast Nebraska and northeast Kansas before pushing further east into Illinois and Indiana. 

“It was a classic line of severe thunderstorms that met all of the criteria for a typical derecho,” says Jonathan Erdman, a senior meteorologist with weather.com.&nbsp;&nbsp;“These types of storms typically form in late spring or early summer and are long-lived, widespread, and damaging wind events.” 

A derecho typically forms along the edge of an excessively hot and humid airmass like the heat dome that’s been parked over the Southern Plains and lower Mississippi Valley. “They often ride the northern edge of heat domes,” Erdman says.

A derecho storm system hit parts of the Midwest last week. Hundreds of thousands had no power, homes and cars were smashed, and fields of crops were flattened by the high winds. The line of severe thunderstorms contained wind gusts of 90 miles per hour. The storm moved quickly, starting in southeast Nebraska and northeast Kansas before pushing further east into Illinois and Indiana. “It was a classic line of severe thunderstorms that met all of the criteria for a typical derecho,” says Jonathan Erdman, a senior meteorologist with weather.com.&nbsp;&nbsp;“These types of storms typically form in late spring or early summer and are long-lived, widespread, and damaging wind events.” A derecho typically forms along the edge of an excessively hot and humid airmass like the heat dome that’s been parked over the Southern Plains and lower Mississippi Valley. “They often ride the northern edge of heat domes,” Erdman says.- NAFB

Derecho hits farm country

As of June first, U.S. farms contained 72.4 million hogs and pigs, which was up slightly from June 2022 and down one percent from March 1, 2023. 

That’s according to the Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report published last week by the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. 

Of the 72.4 million hogs and pigs, NASS says 66.2 million were market hogs, while 6.15 million were kept for breeding purposes. 

Between March and May 2023, 32.9 million pigs were weaned on U.S. farms, one percent higher than last year. During the same period, America’s hog and pig producers weaned an average of 11.36 pigs per litter. 

Producers intend to have 2.94 million sows farrow between June and August of this year and 2.95 million sows farrow between September and November. 

Iowa hog producers had the largest inventory among the states at 23.8 million head. Minnesota had the second-largest inventory of 8.7 million head.

As of June first, U.S. farms contained 72.4 million hogs and pigs, which was up slightly from June 2022 and down one percent from March 1, 2023. That’s according to the Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report published last week by the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Of the 72.4 million hogs and pigs, NASS says 66.2 million were market hogs, while 6.15 million were kept for breeding purposes. Between March and May 2023, 32.9 million pigs were weaned on U.S. farms, one percent higher than last year. During the same period, America’s hog and pig producers weaned an average of 11.36 pigs per litter. Producers intend to have 2.94 million sows farrow between June and August of this year and 2.95 million sows farrow between September and November. Iowa hog producers had the largest inventory among the states at 23.8 million head. Minnesota had the second-largest inventory of 8.7 million head.- NAFB

U.S. hog inventory is slightly higher

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association filed a motion in the U.S. District Court of Southern Texas asking it to strike down the Biden administration’s Waters of the U.S. Rule. 

The motion comes in light of the Supreme Court’s decision in Sackett v. EPA. 

“A full rewrite of the Biden administration’s WOTUS definition is the only path to comply with the Sackett decision,” says NCBA Chief Counsel Mary-Thomas Hart. 

“NCBA is seeking summary judgment in our lawsuit against the Biden WOTUS rule and urging the Southern District of Texas to strike the rule from the books.” Separate from the Sackett case, NCBA led a coalition in filing suit against the Biden rule to keep it from taking effect. 

NCBA helped secure injunctions in 27 states to temporarily halt the rule. “NCBA has been fighting the overreaching WOTUS rules for years, and this is the latest example of our fight,” says Hart. &nbsp;

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association filed a motion in the U.S. District Court of Southern Texas asking it to strike down the Biden administration’s Waters of the U.S. Rule. The motion comes in light of the Supreme Court’s decision in Sackett v. EPA. “A full rewrite of the Biden administration’s WOTUS definition is the only path to comply with the Sackett decision,” says NCBA Chief Counsel Mary-Thomas Hart. “NCBA is seeking summary judgment in our lawsuit against the Biden WOTUS rule and urging the Southern District of Texas to strike the rule from the books.” Separate from the Sackett case, NCBA led a coalition in filing suit against the Biden rule to keep it from taking effect. NCBA helped secure injunctions in 27 states to temporarily halt the rule. “NCBA has been fighting the overreaching WOTUS rules for years, and this is the latest example of our fight,” says Hart. &nbsp;- NAFB

NCBA files motion to strike down WOTUS

Quick action resolved an issue that temporarily stopped American poultry product exports to Colombia, the tenth-largest market for those products. 

Colombia’s Ag Ministry instructed all Colombian ports to deny import permits to any poultry products beginning June 1 due to concerns about Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza. 

Approximately $1.1 million worth of U.S. exports were impacted between June 3 and June 8. 

The Foreign Ag Service, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, and the U.S. Trade Representative worked together to leverage the free trade agreement to pressure Colombian officials to lift the ban. The cooperative effort brought a reversal to fruition on June 8. 

The previous denial of import licenses, stuck shipments of U.S. poultry, and the uncertainty of market access directly impacted consumers and American businesses. 

Tyson Foods, PriceSmart, and McDonald’s were some of the main companies hit by the ban. The market accounted for over $100 million in 2022.

Quick action resolved an issue that temporarily stopped American poultry product exports to Colombia, the tenth-largest market for those products. Colombia’s Ag Ministry instructed all Colombian ports to deny import permits to any poultry products beginning June 1 due to concerns about Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza. Approximately $1.1 million worth of U.S. exports were impacted between June 3 and June 8. The Foreign Ag Service, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, and the U.S. Trade Representative worked together to leverage the free trade agreement to pressure Colombian officials to lift the ban. The cooperative effort brought a reversal to fruition on June 8. The previous denial of import licenses, stuck shipments of U.S. poultry, and the uncertainty of market access directly impacted consumers and American businesses. Tyson Foods, PriceSmart, and McDonald’s were some of the main companies hit by the ban. The market accounted for over $100 million in 2022.- NAFB

Colombia lifts ban on U.S. poultry exports

The Midwest and east-central Great Plains saw conditions worsen with widespread crop stress and lower stream flows in this week’s Drought Monitor. 

Heavy rains in parts of Ohio and Kentucky led to some improvements in the short-term drought. 

However, much of the Midwest saw conditions stay the same or get worse, especially in central Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, southwest Wisconsin, southeast Minnesota, and southeast Iowa. 

Almost completely-dry weather in Missouri and southern Illinois created potential problems for corn and soybean production. In southeast Iowa, producers reported rolling corn leaves and stunted soybeans. The weather was varied in the High Plains. 

Much of the northern parts, except for eastern Nebraska and eastern Kansas, saw widespread precipitation, some of it heavy. Conditions got drier in southeast Nebraska and northeast Kansas. 

Much warmer than normal temperatures covered the western half of the South. Most of the West was near to below-normal in temps during the week.

The Midwest and east-central Great Plains saw conditions worsen with widespread crop stress and lower stream flows in this week’s Drought Monitor. Heavy rains in parts of Ohio and Kentucky led to some improvements in the short-term drought. However, much of the Midwest saw conditions stay the same or get worse, especially in central Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, southwest Wisconsin, southeast Minnesota, and southeast Iowa. Almost completely-dry weather in Missouri and southern Illinois created potential problems for corn and soybean production. In southeast Iowa, producers reported rolling corn leaves and stunted soybeans. The weather was varied in the High Plains. Much of the northern parts, except for eastern Nebraska and eastern Kansas, saw widespread precipitation, some of it heavy. Conditions got drier in southeast Nebraska and northeast Kansas. Much warmer than normal temperatures covered the western half of the South. Most of the West was near to below-normal in temps during the week.- NAFB

Drought tightens grip on Midwest, Eastern Great Plains

Prices farmers paid for crop seed increased significantly faster than the prices farmers received for crop commodities between 1990 and 2020. 

USDA’s Economic Research Service reports that during that period, the average price farmers paid for all seed rose by 270 percent, while the crop commodity price index rose 56 percent. 

For crops planted predominantly with genetically modified seed – corn, soybeans, and cotton – seed prices rose by an average of 463 percent between 1990 and 2020. 

During this period, GM seed prices peaked in 2014 at 639 percent above 1990 price levels. Despite their higher cost, GM crop varieties have provided significant productivity gains for farmers, partly through higher yield, but also by lowering farm production costs. 

For example, GM traits for insect resistance reduce the need for insecticide applications. Similarly, GM traits for herbicide tolerance provide a substitute for mechanical tillage, thus reducing labor, machinery, and fuel previously used for controlling weeds.

Prices farmers paid for crop seed increased significantly faster than the prices farmers received for crop commodities between 1990 and 2020. USDA’s Economic Research Service reports that during that period, the average price farmers paid for all seed rose by 270 percent, while the crop commodity price index rose 56 percent. For crops planted predominantly with genetically modified seed – corn, soybeans, and cotton – seed prices rose by an average of 463 percent between 1990 and 2020. During this period, GM seed prices peaked in 2014 at 639 percent above 1990 price levels. Despite their higher cost, GM crop varieties have provided significant productivity gains for farmers, partly through higher yield, but also by lowering farm production costs. For example, GM traits for insect resistance reduce the need for insecticide applications. Similarly, GM traits for herbicide tolerance provide a substitute for mechanical tillage, thus reducing labor, machinery, and fuel previously used for controlling weeds.- NAFB

Genetically modified seed prices rising faster than Non-GM

A recent survey of certified crop advisors in all 50 U.S. states shows they are concerned about the escalation of herbicide resistance and the impediments to effective weed management. 

The Weed Science Society of America survey found that four out of ten crop advisers were concerned about the challenges in managing herbicide-resistant weeds over the next five years – a significantly higher percentage than those concerned about resistance to insecticides or fungicides. 

Concern was greatest among those working with large-scale growers in the West or the Great Plains states and those supporting corn, rice or beet production. 

Crop advisors listed economics as the number one barrier to effective management of herbicide-resistant weeds, followed by management complexity, supply constraints, limited available technology, time constraints and the misguided perception that a "silver bullet" will emerge to support the management-resistant weeds. 

In addition, 82 percent of those surveyed agree or strongly agree that growers need to evolve how they think about resistance management.

A recent survey of certified crop advisors in all 50 U.S. states shows they are concerned about the escalation of herbicide resistance and the impediments to effective weed management. The Weed Science Society of America survey found that four out of ten crop advisers were concerned about the challenges in managing herbicide-resistant weeds over the next five years – a significantly higher percentage than those concerned about resistance to insecticides or fungicides. Concern was greatest among those working with large-scale growers in the West or the Great Plains states and those supporting corn, rice or beet production. Crop advisors listed economics as the number one barrier to effective management of herbicide-resistant weeds, followed by management complexity, supply constraints, limited available technology, time constraints and the misguided perception that a "silver bullet" will emerge to support the management-resistant weeds. In addition, 82 percent of those surveyed agree or strongly agree that growers need to evolve how they think about resistance management.- NAFB

Survey highlights barriers to effective herbicide-resistant weeds management

The Department of Agriculture Wednesday announced it will establish a Tribal Advisory Committee and is requesting nominations for membership. 

The notice is among USDA’s efforts to remove barriers to service for tribal governments, citizens, and tribal nations. 

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack called the committee “an important step towards ensuring tribal perspectives are well represented at USDA and positioned to inform how the Department meets its trust responsibility to tribes across the nation." 

Authorized in the 2018 Farm Bill, the Tribal Advisory Committee provides advice and guidance to the Secretary of Agriculture on matters relating to tribal and Indian affairs. 

As a federal advisory committee, the Tribal Advisory Committee will provide invaluable recommendations on USDA programs and policies, including through an annual report to Congress. 

The nomination period for membership to serve on this advisory committee will be open through August 14, 2023. Specific information and nomination instructions are available in the Federal Register.

The Department of Agriculture Wednesday announced it will establish a Tribal Advisory Committee and is requesting nominations for membership. The notice is among USDA’s efforts to remove barriers to service for tribal governments, citizens, and tribal nations. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack called the committee “an important step towards ensuring tribal perspectives are well represented at USDA and positioned to inform how the Department meets its trust responsibility to tribes across the nation." Authorized in the 2018 Farm Bill, the Tribal Advisory Committee provides advice and guidance to the Secretary of Agriculture on matters relating to tribal and Indian affairs. As a federal advisory committee, the Tribal Advisory Committee will provide invaluable recommendations on USDA programs and policies, including through an annual report to Congress. The nomination period for membership to serve on this advisory committee will be open through August 14, 2023. Specific information and nomination instructions are available in the Federal Register.- NAFB

USDA solicits nominations to the Tribal Advisory Committee

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration this week today announced allocated funding for reliable high-speed internet. 

States, D.C., and territories will use funding from the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program to administer grant programs within their borders. 

Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo says, “What this announcement means for people across the country is that if you don’t have access to quality, affordable high-speed Internet service now – you will.” 

The funding will be used to deploy or upgrade broadband networks to ensure that everyone has access to reliable, affordable, high-speed Internet service. 

Once deployment goals are met, any remaining funding can be used to pursue eligible access-, adoption-, and equity-related uses. States, Washington D.C., and territories will receive their formal notice of allocation on June 30, 2023. 

To view state-by-state funding across the Biden Administration's high-speed Internet portfolio, visit InternetforAll.gov.

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration this week today announced allocated funding for reliable high-speed internet. States, D.C., and territories will use funding from the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program to administer grant programs within their borders. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo says, “What this announcement means for people across the country is that if you don’t have access to quality, affordable high-speed Internet service now – you will.” The funding will be used to deploy or upgrade broadband networks to ensure that everyone has access to reliable, affordable, high-speed Internet service. Once deployment goals are met, any remaining funding can be used to pursue eligible access-, adoption-, and equity-related uses. States, Washington D.C., and territories will receive their formal notice of allocation on June 30, 2023. To view state-by-state funding across the Biden Administration's high-speed Internet portfolio, visit InternetforAll.gov.- NAFB

Biden Administration announces allocations for high-speed internet program

Celebrating the 4th of July with a cookout will cost significantly more than two years ago, although prices have fallen slightly from record highs in 2022. 

Families will pay $67.73 to host an Independence Day cookout with ten family members or friends, based on the 2023 American Farm Bureau Federation market basket survey. 

The $67.73 grocery bill is down three percent from 2022, but still approximately 14 percent higher than prices were just two years ago. 

Last year set a record high since AFBF began the survey in 2013, and 2023 comes in as the second-highest cost. The cookout favorites include cheeseburgers, chicken breasts, pork chops, homemade potato salad, strawberries and ice cream, among other products. 

The marketbasket survey shows a year-to-year increase in the cost of hamburger buns, beef and potato salad, while there are drops in the cost of chicken breasts, lemonade and cookies. Although historically high, the cost of the cookout breaks down to less than $7 per person.

Celebrating the 4th of July with a cookout will cost significantly more than two years ago, although prices have fallen slightly from record highs in 2022. Families will pay $67.73 to host an Independence Day cookout with ten family members or friends, based on the 2023 American Farm Bureau Federation market basket survey. The $67.73 grocery bill is down three percent from 2022, but still approximately 14 percent higher than prices were just two years ago. Last year set a record high since AFBF began the survey in 2013, and 2023 comes in as the second-highest cost. The cookout favorites include cheeseburgers, chicken breasts, pork chops, homemade potato salad, strawberries and ice cream, among other products. The marketbasket survey shows a year-to-year increase in the cost of hamburger buns, beef and potato salad, while there are drops in the cost of chicken breasts, lemonade and cookies. Although historically high, the cost of the cookout breaks down to less than $7 per person.-&nbsp;NAFB

Cost of summer cookout down slightly from 10-year high

The Department of Agriculture Tuesday expanded wildlife conservation investments by $500 million over the next five years. 

The effort leverages all available conservation programs, including the Conservation Reserve Program, through its Working Lands for Wildlife effort. 

The commitments will ramp up the conservation assistance for farmers, ranchers, private forest owners and tribes with a focus on working lands in key geographies across the country. 

The funding will help deliver a series of cohesive Frameworks for Conservation Action, which establish a common vision across the partnership of public and private interests and goals for delivering conservation resources in a given ecosystem, combining cutting-edge science with local knowledge, according to USDA. 

The new funding includes $250 million from the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program and $250 million from the Environmental Quality Incentives Program. USDA Undersecretary Robert Bonnie says, “Working Lands for Wildlife is ready to go to the next level, and today’s incorporation of the Conservation Reserve Program into its vision is a major leap forward.”

The Department of Agriculture Tuesday expanded wildlife conservation investments by $500 million over the next five years. The effort leverages all available conservation programs, including the Conservation Reserve Program, through its Working Lands for Wildlife effort. The commitments will ramp up the conservation assistance for farmers, ranchers, private forest owners and tribes with a focus on working lands in key geographies across the country. The funding will help deliver a series of cohesive Frameworks for Conservation Action, which establish a common vision across the partnership of public and private interests and goals for delivering conservation resources in a given ecosystem, combining cutting-edge science with local knowledge, according to USDA. The new funding includes $250 million from the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program and $250 million from the Environmental Quality Incentives Program. USDA Undersecretary Robert Bonnie says, “Working Lands for Wildlife is ready to go to the next level, and today’s incorporation of the Conservation Reserve Program into its vision is a major leap forward.”- NAFB

USDA announces investment in wildlife conservation

A Democratic lawmaker announced plans to reintroduce a bipartisan bill that would get electric vehicles into the national biofuel blending program. 

The legislation would allow electricity generated from renewable biomass to qualify for credits under the Renewable Fuel Standard. 

The White House recently stopped plans to do so for fear of lawsuits. Under the bill, companies that produce power generated from renewable gas used for charging EVs would be eligible to generate lucrative credits under the RFS. 

That’s a slight but important difference from the Environmental Protection Agency’s approach, which would have allowed EV manufacturers like Tesla to generate the credits. 

“The manufacturers don’t produce the electricity,” says California Representative John Garamendi, the bill’s sponsor. 

A Democratic lawmaker announced plans to reintroduce a bipartisan bill that would get electric vehicles into the national biofuel blending program. The legislation would allow electricity generated from renewable biomass to qualify for credits under the Renewable Fuel Standard. The White House recently stopped plans to do so for fear of lawsuits. Under the bill, companies that produce power generated from renewable gas used for charging EVs would be eligible to generate lucrative credits under the RFS. That’s a slight but important difference from the Environmental Protection Agency’s approach, which would have allowed EV manufacturers like Tesla to generate the credits. “The manufacturers don’t produce the electricity,” says California Representative John Garamendi, the bill’s sponsor. “We know that the biomass/biogas industry can produce electricity in a way that benefits the overall economy and ecology of the nation.” The bill directs the EPA, which oversees the RFS, to implement the plan.- NAFB