May 20, 2025
Mexican E85 Pilot Program Successful
Over the past six weeks, ten taxis in Monterrey, Mexico have converted to Flex Fuel technology and traveled over 43,000 miles, using over 1,500 gallons of E85. E85 cut overall operating costs by more than two Mexican pesos per mile and reduced between 4.9 and 6.4 tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions annually per taxi. Projected savings during the lifespan of each vehicle reached over $19,000, with environmental benefits including a significant reduction in air pollutants. That’s according to data from the E85 Pilot Project, a study conducted under a Memorandum of Understanding between the Nuevo (noo-AY-voh) Leon (lee-OHN) State Ministry of the Environment and the U.S. Grains Council. “With U.S. agriculture already enjoying a close relationship with Mexico, its top export market, any increase in biofuel consumption translates to significant demand for U.S. producers to meet,” said Heidi Bringenberg, USGC director in Mexico. “This proves ethanol’s viability in Mexico.”
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Nine Percent of Households with Older Adults Faced Food Insecurity
In 2023, the USDA said 9.3 percent of U.S. households with an adult aged 65 and older were food insecure at some time, meaning they had difficulty providing enough food for their members due to inadequate resources. This prevalence of food insecurity in households with an adult 65 and over in 2023 was similar to 9.1 percent in 2022 but significantly higher than the 7.1 percent prevalence in 2021. USDA’s Economic Research Service monitors the food security status of households in the U.S. through an annual nationwide survey. In 2023, 11 percent of households with an adult 65 and older living alone were food insecure, similar to the 11.4 percent in 2022 and the prevalence in 2021 of 9.5 percent. The prevalence of very low food security for households with an adult 65 and older and households with an adult 65 and older living alone in 2023 was statistically similar to 2021 and 2022.
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Bird Flu Hits Brazil
Brazil, the world’s biggest chicken exporter, confirmed its first outbreak of bird flu last Friday. That triggered protocols for a country-wide trade ban from top buyer China and state-wide restrictions from other major chicken consumers. Reuters said the outbreak happened in southern Brazil at a farm supplying Vibra Foods, a Brazilian operation backed by Tyson Foods. The Vibra website says it has 15 processing plants in Brazil and exports to more than 60 countries. Brazil accounted for 35 percent of global trade in 2024 when it exported about $10 billion worth of chicken meat. China, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates are among the top destinations for Brazil’s chicken shipments. Brazil’s Ag Minister Carlos Favaro said last week that under existing protocols, countries like China, the EU, and South Korea would ban Brazil’s poultry imports for 60 days. Neighboring Argentina is suspending imports of all Brazilian poultry products.
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Fischer Reintroduces Precision Ag Package.
Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE), a member of the Senate Ag Committee, reintroduced her Precision Ag Package, three pieces of legislation that will help America’s Producers harness the full potential of precision agriculture. “Precision agriculture equipment enables America’s farmers and ranchers to be stronger stewards of the land; however, high upfront costs and a lack of rural broadband connectivity create frustrating barriers to entry,” Fischer said. “My bipartisan Precision Ag Package would improve producers’ access to these exciting, innovative tools, making their operations more productive, efficient, and less resource-intensive.” The legislative package contains the Producing Responsible Energy and Conservation Incentives and Solutions for the Environment (PRECISE) Act, the Linking Access to Spur Technology for Agriculture Connectivity in Rural Environment (LAST ACRE) Act, and the Precision Agriculture Loan (PAL) Act. Package co-sponsor Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) said, “Precision agriculture tools like soil mapping and aerial imagery technologies help farmers improve productivity and benefit the environment.”
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NASS is Looking for Producer Feedback
During the next several weeks, the National Agricultural Statistics Service will conduct the June Agricultural Survey. The agency will contact 92,000 producers across the nation to determine crop acreage and stock levels as of June 1, 2025. “The June Agricultural Survey is one of the most important and well-known surveys that NASS conducts,” said Joseph Parsons, USDA NASS Administrator. “It’s important to remind producers that NASS safeguards the privacy of respondents by keeping all individual information confidential and publishing the data in aggregate form only to ensure that no operation or producer can be identified.” He also said producer responses provide essential information used by farmers and ranchers, USDA, exporters, researchers, economists, policymakers, and others to inform a wide range of decisions. Producers can respond to the survey at agcounts.usda.gov, by phone, or by mail. NASS will publish the data in a series of USDA reports on June 30, 2025.
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NCGA Launches Annual Yield Contest
The National Corn Growers Association kicked off its 61st annual Yield Contest. For six decades, the event has celebrated the ingenuity, resilience, and drive of American corn growers who continuously push the limits of what’s possible. “What began as a modest competition has evolved into a cornerstone of the industry,” said NCGA President and Illinois corn grower Kenneth Hartman, Jr. “Each year, we honor not only the achievements of past participants but also the forward-looking spirit that defines today’s growers.” The 2025 contest is now open for entries through August 13, offering growers across the country a chance to compete, learn, and showcase their success. New this year, Class J: Nitrogen Management is now open to all growers following two successful years as a limited pilot class. As the competition enters its seventh decade, it’s a platform for discovery and a celebration of the progress that powers American agriculture.
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