May 2, 2025

More Farm Bill Uncertainty on Capitol Hill

Lawmakers are sending signals that a new farm bill isn’t certain in 2025. Reports say Republican lawmakers are considering adding Biden-era conservation programs into their party-line megabill that may have otherwise been in a separate reauthorization of federal farm programs. Politico says this may mean Republicans are doubting their chances of getting a new, bipartisan farm bill this year. One of three Politico sources adds that it’s “likely” Republicans will pull unspent conservation program money from the Democrat’s 2022 climate law into the megabill to continue funding the popular programs. In past months, GOP lawmakers rejected a push from Democrats to add conservation money to the farm bill but now seem to be more open to adding certain programs to their pending legislation as America’s farmers grapple with economic headwinds and a farm safety net that’s badly outdated. Despite the possibility, Democrats say they’re still uncertain about the farm bill prospects.
***********************************************************************************
USDA Website for Victims of Federal Property Lawsuits

Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins hosted Charles and Heather Maude of South Dakota to address the “politically motivated” prosecution waged by the Biden administration over 25 acres of federal land. The event happened after the government dropped the criminal charges against the Maude family. USDA launched a new web portal for potential victims of ongoing “lawfare” originating under the Biden regime to submit their concerns and experiences. “We want no citizen of this country unfairly targeted on politically motivated witch hunts,” Rollins said. “This is what happened to the Maudes, and I am working to ensure that no farmer, rancher, or customer who works with USDA will ever endure baseless political persecution.” Congresswoman Harriet Hageman of Wyoming was at the event and said, “We again have a government of, by, and for the people. The case against the Maudes is an example of unelected bureaucrats weaponizing the federal government against farmers.”   
***********************************************************************************
Hurricane and Tropical Storm Insurance Webinar

Hurricane Insurance Protection-Wind Index (HIP-WI) and the Tropical Storm Option are crop insurance tools used to help deliver prompt assistance to producers in hurricane-prone areas. These coverage options add to a farmer’s underlying policy with no additional paperwork or loss adjustment needed. HIP-WI and the TSO options generally pay within weeks following a hurricane or tropical storm. Producers can attend an upcoming webinar on May 14 to learn more about these tools and how they work following a qualifying storm. HIP-WI provides coverage for 70 different crops and is available in many states. It covers a portion of the deductible of the underlying crop insurance policy when a county or adjacent county is within the area of sustained hurricane-force winds. The Tropical Storm Option provides coverage for tropical storm weather events as defined by the Hurricane Data Provisions. For more information or to sign up, go to rma.usda.gov. **********************************************************************************
Bayer Exits the Seed Treatment Equipment Business

Bayer announced it is leaving the seed treatment equipment business in the U.S. to help bolster the company’s finances. Reuters says a spokesman confirmed in an email that Bayer was exiting the business, which makes equipment designed to help treat seeds with products like fungicides and insecticides before the seeds are planted to protect crop yields. An email from Bayer says the company decided to shift resources toward primary areas of strength in crop protection products. “This is a difficult decision, but necessary to help secure the financial future of this company,” Bayer said. The company will begin closing a $12 million seed treatment equipment manufacturing facility in Minnesota. The Center had sought to improve research links between equipment and seed treatment products. The SeedGrowth Equipment Innovation Center opened in 2015. Bayer says it’s still committed to seed treatments even though it will no longer manufacture seed treatment equipment.
***********************************************************************************
Growers Invited to Enter the 2025 Sorghum Yield Contest

The National Sorghum Producers is now accepting entries for the 2025 National Sorghum Yield contest. State and national winners will be selected from contestants in the East and West regions in the Irrigated, Dryland No-Till, and Dryland Tillage divisions, with one overall winner chosen in the Food Grade category. Something brand-new this year is that growers can choose between two protocol options for verifying yields. A market-based verification option allows growers to verify based on grain delivered and ticketed at an approved scale, while the traditional on-farm verification option allows for supervised weigh-backs at harvest. The added flexibility aims to accommodate a wider range of farm operations and support grower participation. The entry deadline for the contest is November 26, 2025. Harvest reports will be made available to enter on May 1, 2025, and all completed forms must be received at the National Sorghum Producers’ office no later than December 3, 2025.  
***********************************************************************************
Ethanol Production Rises While Inventories Drop

New data from the Energy Information Administration says U.S. ethanol output rose to its highest level in a month while inventories declined. Production jumped to an average of 1.04 million barrels a day during the week ending on April 25. That’s up from 1.033 million barrels during the previous week and marks the highest point since the seven days ending on March 28. The Midwest, which produces most of the country’s ethanol, saw its output average 98,000 barrels per day, up from 976,000 the week prior and was also the most since the end of March. Gulf Coast production increased to 28,000 barrels per day, and Rocky Mountain output rose to an average of 11,000 barrels per day. East Coast production was unchanged at 12,000 barrels a day, and the West Coast was steady at 9,000 barrels. Weekly ethanol inventories fell to 25.389 million barrels, the lowest since January 10.

***********************************************************************************