NATIONAL AG NEWS SPONSORED BY THE AMERICAN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION
National Ag News for November 17, 2023
USDA Announces Release Details for 2022 Census of Ag
The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service will release the 2022 Census of Agriculture data on February 13, 2024. NASS concluded the data collection during the summer with a preliminary national return rate of 61 percent. “On behalf of everyone at USDA, I’d like to thank the millions of producers who gave their time and effort to complete the 2022 Census of Agriculture,” says NASS Administrator Hubert Hamer. “Ag census data will inform decisions about policy, farm and conservation programs, rural development, research, technology development, ag education, and more during the next several years.” He also says the data will have a very real impact on producers, their farming operations, and communities. The ag census data will be available at nass.usda.gov and in the NASS searchable database. Like all NASS data, ag census data will only be available in aggregate form, ensuring that no individual operation or producer can be identified.
***********************************************************************************
Consumer Report Highlights Thanksgiving Meal Plans
Approximately 79 percent of Americans are gearing up for a Thanksgiving meal next week. Purdue University’s Consumer Food Insights says among that crowd, 37 percent plan to host the meal, 43 percent have chosen to attend, and the rest plan to dine out during the holiday. Turkey prices are 10-15 percent lower than last year. However, people are still bracing for higher prices and planning to budget even more for this year’s meal. The report explores consumer food behaviors for the upcoming holiday across different U.S. regions. While turkey is planned to be the centerpiece nationwide, each region has its own traditions. The South is more likely to serve macaroni and cheese, cornbread, and ham. Meanwhile, pies seem to be a stronger tradition in the Midwest. Many consumers attending or hosting Thanksgiving believe travel costs to get to their preferred destination will be higher this year compared to last year.
***********************************************************************************
USDA Says Farm Share of Food Dollar Dipped Further in 2022
America’s farms received 14.9 cents per dollar spent on domestically produced food in 2022 as compensation for farm commodity production. This portion called the farmer’s share is a decrease of 0.3 cents from a revised 15.2 cents in 2021. The farm share covers operating expenses and input costs from non-farm establishments. The remaining portion of the U.S. food dollar is called the marketing share, which covers the costs of getting domestically produced food from farms to points of purchase. That includes the costs of transportation, processing, and selling to consumers. One of the factors behind the long-term downward trend in the farm share is an increasing proportion of food-away-from-home spending. Farms get a lower portion of dollars spent on food away from home because of the added costs of preparing and serving meals. The Economic Research Service uses input-output analysis to calculate the farm and marketing shares of a food dollar.
***********************************************************************************
National Sorghum Producers Announce New Executive Director
National Sorghum Producers is pleased to announce the hire of Greg Ruehle as its new Executive Director. Ruehle brings a wealth of experience in agriculture and association management to his new role. His leadership comes at a pivotal time as NSP continues to grow and expand its impact on the sorghum industry. He was raised on a diversified grain and livestock farm in northwest Iowa. “We are thrilled to welcome Greg as the new NSP Executive Director,” says NSP CEO Tim Lust. “As our association continues to grow and with the expansion of the Partnerships for the Climate-Smart Commodities grant, we are stepping up expanded leadership in our organization.” He’s a past president and CEO for the Independent Professional Seed Association, the Nebraska Cattlemen, and ServiTech, Inc. “Sorghum’s time has definitely come,” Ruehle says. “From water conservation to reduced GHG emissions, sorghum has an expanding role to play, and I’m excited.”
***********************************************************************************
Nominations Open for Animal Agriculture Water Quality Committee
The Environmental Protection Agency published a Federal Register Notice on November 16 establishing the Animal Agriculture Water Quality subcommittee. It’s under the umbrella of the Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Federal Advisory Committee. Nominations are open for members who want to serve on the AAWQ subcommittee. The primary subcommittee goal will be to develop recommendations that will inform the Agency’s decisions regarding how to improve the implementation of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System’s (NPDES) Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation permitting program. That program is designed to reduce nutrients and other types of water pollutants more effectively from Animal Feeding Operations. EPA says it’s committed to working with stakeholders, advocates, communities, and industry to explore how to achieve water quality improvements related to CAFOs. The EPA is accepting subcommittee nominations until January 2, 2024. The agency welcomes nominations from a diverse range of qualified candidates for appointment to serve on the subcommittee.
***********************************************************************************
USDA Scheduling 2024 Trade Missions
Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack released the next steps in the Department’s efforts to bolster U.S. ag trade, including the agency’s planned trade missions for 2024. Ag exports totaled a record $196 billion in 2022 following a record-setting year in 2021. USDA plans to build on recent successes and highlight export opportunities in additional markets through a robust agribusiness trade mission schedule next year. USDA will lead trade missions to several markets, including Seoul, Korea; New Delhi, India; Vancouver, Canada; Bogota, Colombia; Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam; and Casablanca, Morocco. In addition, Vilsack announced a public comment period for the new Regional Agricultural Promotion Program. Combined, these efforts will help support further growth in U.S. agricultural exports and introduce high-quality U.S. agricultural products to new markets. “Market diversification is an important tool for maximizing growth opportunities for U.S. agriculture, as well as hedging the risk of market contraction,” Vilsack says.
**********************************************************************************