The Hagstrom Report

Agriculture News As It Happens

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Farm bill, dairy program prospects remain uncertain

It looks like the nation will go over both the fiscal and the dairy cliffs, but maybe not for long. Amidst reports that the Senate will vote later this evening on the “fiscal cliff” bill, but the House will not vote on the legislation until Tuesday, prospects for an extension of the 2008 farm bill remain uncertain, particularly because House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., appear opposed to inclusion of a new dairy program.
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Farmers Union, AFT criticize lack of farm bill

The National Famers Union and the American Farmland Trust today called the unwillingness of Congress to finish a farm bill this year a lost opportunity.
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CBO score of extension makes NSAC happier

The Congressional Budget Office has released its score for an extension of the 2008 farm bill until September 30, 2013, and the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition has issued a revised statement of its views on the bill.
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Peterson backs one-year extension with dairy support

House Agriculture Committee ranking member Collin Peterson, D-Minn., today endorsed a one-year farm bill extension that would include a new dairy support program. Read More...

Stabenow supports extension if no farm bill

Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., has issued a statement saying that if Congress does not pass a new farm bill by Monday night, she would back the extension bill that House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas, R-Okla., announced earlier today. Read More...

Three farm bill extension measures filed in House

House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas, R-Okla., urged passage of a one-year extension of the 2008 farm bill, but the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition said today that House Republican leaders had filed three different versions of an extension, and that each is problematic. Read More...

Jackson to resign from EPA next month

Enviromental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson, who made several pro-ethanol decisions key to the economy in rural America, but who ran into conflict with some farm leaders and Republicans over regulations, announced today that she will resign. Read More...

The White House at Christmas: Every kind of food and decoration that grows

Decorating the White House for Christmas and entertaining official Washington during the month of December has long been a tradition and a job for presidents, but this year there are a few agriculturally-oriented angles that are befitting for First Lady Michelle Obama, whose kitchen garden has become world-famous. Read More...

USDA announces animal disease traceability rule

The Agriculture Department Thursday announced a much-awaited final rule on animal disease traceability, and the initial reactions of groups with an interest in it was positive. Read More...

Boehner: 'Fiscal cliff' negotiations now up to Senate, Obama

The situation surrounding the “fiscal cliff” legislation and any possibility that the farm bill will be included in it became extremely murky today after House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, failed to convince House Republicans to support his bill to extend tax rates for all but people with incomes over $1 million, sent House members home with no clear plan to return, and announced that the next steps are up to the Senate and President Barack Obama. Read More...

House Ag leaders make committee, subcommittee changes

House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas, R-Okla., late Thursday announced a reorganization of subcommittees for the next Congress and named the chairmen, while ranking member Collin Peterson, D-Minn., announced some new Democratic members of the committee. Read More...

Legislators send letter to CFTC on derivatives

A bipartisan group of 14 members of the House Agriculture General Farm Commodities and Risk Management Subcommittee sent members of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission a letter today stressing that they are very concerned that a lack of coordination between both foreign and domestic regulators could soon lead to a disruption of the global derivatives markets. Read More...

Obama to nominate Kerry for secretary of State

President Barack Obama today will nominate Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., to succeed Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, the Los Angeles Times reported today. Read More...

Mikulski to head Senate Appropriations

The Senate Democratic Caucus Thursday elected Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Read More...

Peterson not worried about ‘fiscal cliff’

House Agriculture Committee ranking member Collin Peterson, D-Minn., said Thursday that he is not worried about going over the “fiscal cliff” next month, and said that even dairy prices should not be affected immediately. Read More...

Vilsack promises regulatory speed-up

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Wednesday promised to speed up the Agriculture Department’s regulatory process as he took his campaign to encourage a revitalization of rural America to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
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Peterson to appear on AgriTalk today

With the farm bill apparently stalled, House Agriculture Committee ranking member Collin Peterson, D-Minn., will appear on the national radio program AgriTalk today at 11:15 a.m. EST. Read More...

USDA, Chinese commit to biotech project

The Agriculture Department and the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture on Wednesday “made a commitment to a biotechnology pilot program, which could provide greater cooperation in the approval process for new products,” and affirmed new access for pears in the Chinese marketplace through the commitment to allow reciprocal trade between the two countries beginning in 2013, a USDA spokesman said in an email late in the day. Read More...

Coalition calls on EPA for dicamba residue tolerances

The Save Our Crops Coalition this week petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency to establish residue tolerances for the pesticide dicamba for a broad range of food crops, and the makers of the product have responded. Read More...

Europe Union committee endorses ethanol tax

The European Union's Antidumping Advisory Committee, composed of representatives from the EU member states, endorsed a 9.6 percent penalty on U.S. ethanol exports to Europe on Wednesday, but the Renewable Fuels Association and Growth Energy said that the endorsement is only one step in the process. Read More...

Chamber of Commerce to study water

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is taking up the issue of water, Chamber President Tom Donohue said Wednesday in comments after Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack spoke at a conference. Read More...

Huelskamp discusses his removal from Ag committee

Rep. Tim Huelskamp, R-Kan., discussed the House leadership's decision to remove him from the House Agriculture Committee on AgriTalk Wednesday, and criticized House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, for not bringing up the farm bill. Read More...

Lobbyist: House and Senate staffers work quietly on extension bill

A lobbyist said today that House and Senate Agriculture committee aides are working on a farm bill extension but members and staffers have been reluctant to talk about it because they have been hoping to pass the farm bill. Neither committee would confirm that the work is taking place. Read More...

Stabenow says farm bill needed despite disaster amendment

Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., co-sponsored an amendment on livestock and fruit disaster aid late Tuesday, but said in Senate floor speeches Wednesday and today that she would still work to pass a farm bill, and work on an extension bill could not be confirmed.
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Advanced Ethanol Council releases cellulosic biofuels report

The Advanced Ethanol Council today released a report about cellulosic biofuel facilities under development in more than 20 states and Canadian provinces, with profiles of each facility’s path to commercial deployment, capacity, location and feedstock.
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Vilsack, Stabenow: Still time for farm bill if Boehner reconsiders it for ‘fiscal cliff’ legislation

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., said today that there is still time to finish a farm bill and add to “fiscal cliff” legislation, if only House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, will reconsider a decision not to include it. Read More...

Erickson leaving Corn Refiners for Mead Johnson

Corn Refiners Association President Audrae Erickson will leave the organization at the end of this week to accept a position with Mead Johnson, a maker of infant formula, Erickson said in an email today. Read More...

Inouye death creates opening for Leahy, Harkin or Mikulski

The death of Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, has placed two senators with strong agricultural backgrounds — Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa — in position to become chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, as other agriculture-related leadership positions may change. Read More...

Boehner to offer ‘Plan B’ this week

House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, told fellow House Republicans today that they should prepare for a “Plan B” to limit tax increases for all those who make less than $1 million per year if he and President Barack Obama cannot reach agreement on a larger tax package. Read More...

Crop insurance payments reach $8.7 billion

National Crop Insurance Services announced today that, as of Tuesday, crop insurance indemnities had reached $8.7 billion this year.
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North vs. South battle continues over commodity title

The continuing battle between the North and the South over the commodity title in the farm bill broke into full relief over the weekend as a coalition of 33 senators called for the inclusion of the Senate-passed farm bill in an end-of-the-year legislative package, and the USA Rice Producers Association released a map showing that the senators who signed the letter were all from northern states and declared the Senate bill to be unfair to the South. Read More...

EPA releases air rule with no change to farm dust

The Environmental Protection Agency late Friday released updated national air quality standards that made no changes to farm dust rules, leaving the existing daily standard for fine particles or the existing daily standard for coarse particles (PM10), which includes dust from farms and other sources.
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Vilsack to hold Twitter session

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will host a live “virtual office hours” session on Twitter at 3:30 p.m. today to answer questions on the role of rural America to the national and global economy, increasing agricultural opportunities in U.S. communities, and the importance of passing a five-year farm bill, USDA announced Friday. Read More...

Worldwide, obesity bigger problem than hunger

Obesity is a bigger health crisis globally than hunger, and the leading cause of disabilities around the world, according to a Global Burden of Disease report published Thursday in the British medical journal The Lancet. Read More...

USDA report highlights differences between school meals offered and served

Most schools met federal nutrition standards in their meal offerings to students in the 2009-2010 school year, but there were differences between what the schools offer and what the students selected, according to the latest version of the Agriculture Department's School Nutrition Dietary Assessment Study. Read More...

Roberts: Senate Agriculture Committee unified

Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., believes that the committee is "largely unified" in its negotiating position with the House Agriculture Committee on the farm bill and that the meeting the committee held Thursday was a "good meeting," an aide said in an email late Thursday. Read More...

Conrad, Lugar give departure speeches

Two senators who have been key leaders on agriculture but are retiring this year, Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad, D-N.D., and Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., a former chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, this week gave speeches on the Senate floor recalling their careers and key issues.

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Heather White named executive director of EWG

The Environmental Working Group has named Heather White, the organization's chief of staff and general counsel since 2009, as executive director, a position that existed 20 years ago when EWG was founded, but that has been vacant for years.
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Senate coalition calls for farm bill inclusion

A bipartisan coalition of senators wrote Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., that they should include a farm bill “in any end of the year legislation.” Read More...

Vilsack to Almond Board: You need farm bill

SACRAMENTO — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told the California Almond Board on Wednesday that it is vital for Congress to pass a new farm bill so that the Agriculture Department can resume promotion of almonds and other U.S. products. Read More...

Vilsack: Pass farm bill, or face 'fiscal cliff' consequences

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack warned the House and Senate agriculture committees today that they need to reach agreement on the farm bill quickly or face the possibility that President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, could use farm bill spending authority to help solve the federal deficit without their input. Read More...

Ag committee negotiations at a standstill

Negotiations between the Senate and House agriculture committees ground to a halt today, as the Senate Agriculture Committee met in closed session, Chairman Debbie Stabenow said the Senate had made the best offer it could, and House Agriculture Committee leaders accused the senators of bad faith in the negotiations. Read More...

Ag committees feel pressure from ‘fiscal cliff’ talks

Fears that President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, might use farm bill budget authority as a government spending cut to reach agreement on a “fiscal cliff” deal is putting pressure on the House and Senate Agriculture committees to reach agreement on a farm bill, even though they appear far apart on the commodity title, Capitol Hill sources have told The Hagstrom Report. Read More...

Restaurant owners concerned about food costs

The cost of food is the top challenge cited by restaurateurs as they prepare for 2013, the National Restaurant Association said in its “2013 Restaurant Industry Forecast” released this week. Read More...

Animal Agriculture Alliance hires communications director

The Animal Agriculture Alliance has hired Emily Meredith as its new director of communications. Read More...

Farm Aid announces 2012 grants

Farm Aid today announced 67 grants to family farm and service organizations. Read More...

Senate makes offer on farm bill

The Senate has made the House Agriculture Committee an offer on the commodity title that would provide more than 50 percent of what the difference is between the House and Senate baselines for rice, wheat and peanuts, a Senate aide said today. Read More...

Clarification on food stamps

Several points in a Tuesday story on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP, better known as food stamps, require clarification. Read More...

Cullman succeeds Secor at Dow AgroSciences

Dow AgroSciences has promoted Constance Cullman to leader of its federal government affairs office in Washington. She succeeds Jake Secor, who has retired. Read More...

Presidential report: Ag research needs more money

Public research is not prepared to meet the challenges U.S. agriculture faces in the 21st century and needs $700 million more per year, along with changes to the way the money is distributed, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) said in a report released late last week at a White House event. Read More...

Farm groups express views on farm bill

As speculation continued that a “fiscal cliff” deal will include spending cuts, the National Farmers Union board of directors on Monday urged Congress to pass a five-year farm bill as part of that legislative package while the American Soybean Association said Congress should be careful about proposals to include a commodity program based on target prices. Read More...

Food stamp numbers climb in September

The number of Americans receiving food stamps rose from 47.1 million to 47.7 million in September, according to a government report released Friday, Obama Foodorama said in an analysis published Monday. Read More...

FRAC: Thrifty Food Plan not adequate for SNAP

While Congress is considering cutting food stamps, the Food Research & Action Center said the Agriculture Department’s Thrifty Food Plan, which forms the basis for food stamp allotments, is not adequate to provide a quality diet.
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Lugar's career to be remembered on Senate floor

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is scheduled to talk about the career of Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind. a former chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee today on the Senate floor at 11 a.m. Read More...

Editor: Countries need stronger laws on foreign land grabs

Countries in which foreigners are acquiring land on a large-scale need stronger laws to deal with land grabs, the editor of a new book titled “The Global Farms Race” said at a seminar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars last week. Read More...

Boyd joins Story Partners as senior v.p.

Trudi Boyd, a veteran agriculture communications strategist, has joined Story Partners, as a senior vice president, the public affairs firm, announced Monday. Read More...

Peterson meets with California farmers, conservationists

House Agriculture Committee ranking member Collin Peterson, D-Minn., met with farmers and conservationists in California last week, according to news reports. Read More...

School meal flexibility wins wide praise

The Agriculture Department’s new flexibility on the servings of grains and meats in school meals is set only for this year, and will not affect the calorie count restrictions in each meal, but the relaxed regulations have won praise from the senators who called for changes and from the School Nutrition Association and nutrition advocates. Read More...

Vilsack, Kirk threaten Russia with WTO action

The celebration in farm circles that Senate passage Thursday of a bill granting Russia permanent normal trade relations status with the United States would lead to increased exports was short-lived. Read More...

No word on farm bill in ‘fiscal cliff’ talks

President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, appear to be edging closer to an agreement on the fiscal cliff legislation. But there has been no word on whether the farm bill would be included, and no apparent progress on negotiations between the House and Senate agriculture committees on differences between the Senate-passed and House Agriculture Committee-passed bill. Read More...

Vilsack endorses Ag undersecretary for trade idea

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack endorsed the concept of an Agriculture undersecretary for trade last week. Read More...

USDA to allow ‘flexibility’ on grains, meats in school meals

Reacting to complaints from members of Congress and some school food directors and students, the Agriculture Department has decided to allow schools to serve more grains and meat or meat alternatives and still be in compliance with the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act regulations, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has written to members of Congress today.
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Lucas, Stabenow take a look back at history

House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas, R-Okla., and Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., both evoked history on Thursday to explain at the Farm Journal Forum why they have taken the positions they have on the next farm bill. Read More...

Vilsack calls for new ‘attitude’ in rural America

In his first major speech since the election, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Thursday directly addressed Republican criticism of the Obama administration during the election campaign, and said that leaders in rural America need to take on a “new attitude” that replaces “trying to preserve what we’ve got” with “a growth mindset.” Read More...

Vilsack, Stabenow, Lucas, Peterson all comment on farm bill

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., said today there is no reason Congress cannot finish the farm bill before the end of the year, while House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas, R-Okla., took a more cautious position and House Agriculture ranking member Collin Peterson, D-Minn., signaled that he might support an extension if it includes a new dairy program. Read More...

DeMint to resign from Senate before new Congress

Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., a severe critic of government spending including the farm bill, announced today that he would resign from the Senate to become head of the conservative Heritage Foundation. Read More...

Russia, Moldova trade bill passes Senate

The Senate today passed a bill ending the application of the Jackson-Vanik amendment to Russia and Moldova, and granting President Barack Obama the power to extend permanent normal trade relations to both countries. Read More...

House Ag Subcommittee to hold Dodd-Frank hearing

The House Agriculture General Farm Commodities and Risk Management Subcommittee will hold a hearing next Thursday entitled “Dodd-Frank Derivatives Reform: Challenges Facing U.S. and International Markets.” Read More...

FAO calls for ‘farmer-centered approach’

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization called on governments to create a favorable investment climate for farmers in its annual report, “The State of Food and Agriculture,” released in Rome today. Read More...

Watson Mulhern renamed as Randy Green joins firm

Watson Mulhern LLC, an agriculture issues management and policy firm, will become Watson Green LLC, as Randy Green, a senior government relations representative at the law firm of McLeod, Watkinson & Miller, joins the firm. Read More...

Secor retires from Dow AgroSciences

Jake Secor, the director of federal government affairs for Dow AgroSciences, announced his retirement today. Read More...

GOP names new House Ag committee members

The House Republicans have appointed seven new members for the House Agriculture Committee, a GOP aide said today. Read More...

Ag groups urge help for Mississippi River navigation

The National Grain and Feed Association and other agriculture groups have sent President Barack Obama a letter urging him to maintain navigation on the Mississippi River between St. Louis, Mo., and Cairo, Ill. Read More...

Ag leaders await signals from above

The chairmen and ranking members of the House and Senate Agriculture committees are continuing to discuss moving forward on the farm bill, but will not make any big decisions on points of conflict until there is a signal from President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, of progress on the larger fiscal cliff negotiations, congressional aides said today. Read More...

Food aid group releases monetization study

As part of a battle over the Senate and House food provisions in the farm bill, an alliance of development groups that sell U.S. food aid commodities overseas has released a study that says this “monetization” of food aid has previously unrecognized benefits. Read More...

Ramaswamy lectures in Israel on food production

Sonny Ramaswamy, the director of the Agriculture Department’s National Institute of Food Agriculture, told an Israeli audience this week that a variety of methods are needed to increase food production in a “flatter, hotter and more crowded world.” Read More...

Huelskamp removal creates another GOP House Ag opening

The Republican leadership’s removal of Rep. Tim Huelskamp, R-Kan., from the House Agriculture Committee for the next Congress has created another opening for a seat on the committee, and concern among Kansas farm leaders about losing representation on the committee. Read More...

Food stamp lobbying intensifies

More than 70 groups have lobbied Congress on the food stamp program this year, according to Open Secrets, the division of the Center for Responsive Politics that tracks money in politics. Read More...

WTO panel rules on country-of-origin labeling case

A World Trade Organization panel ruled Tuesday that the United States has until May 23, 2013 to comply with the WTO ruling that found the U.S. country-of-origin labeling law in violation of WTO standards. The governments of Canada and Mexico have complained that the labeling law has led to discrimination against cattle and meat from their countries. Read More...

Peterson remains ranking member on Agriculture

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., announced today that Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., will remain the ranking member on the House Agriculture Committee. Read More...

New York schools get disaster relief for school lunch

The Agriculture Department has given the New York City schools permission not to charge students for meals for the remainder of the school year while the city recovers from Hurricane Sandy, Democratic Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced this week. Read More...

Aide: Food stamp cut likely to be settled at highest levels

Any decision to cut food stamps as part of legislation that would deal with the impending “fiscal cliff” and include a new farm bill is likely to be made by President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, a key congressional aide told The Hagstrom Report on Monday. Read More...

Oxfam to host two-week online global farm policy discussion

Oxfam, the international charity, will conduct a online global agricultural policy discussion from December 10 to 21. Read More...

White House releases ‘Great Outdoors’ report

The Obama administration today released its second report on the president’s Great Outdoors Initiative.
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OECD releases immigration study

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development has released a study comparing the situation of immigrants in its member countries. Read More...

Roberts: Line of communication with House is open

Formal meetings between the House and Senate Agriculture committee staffs over the commodity title of the farm bill have not begun, but “a good line of communication is open,” Senate Agriculture Committee ranking member Pat Roberts, R-Kan., told The Hagstrom Report today. Read More...

Emerson to leave House to head National Rural Electric

Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, a leading advocate on hunger issues, announced today that she will retire from Congress early next year and become the chief executive officer of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association on March 1. Read More...

Mulhern to return to National Milk as COO

The National Milk Producers Federation announced today that Jim Mulhern, a former employee who has headed his own public affairs firm, Watson/Mulhern LLC, will join the NMPF staff January 1 as chief operating officer. Read More...

Obama administration proposal for crop insurance cuts

Here are the crop insurance cuts that the Obama administration proposed in late 2011. The numbers are probably out of date since the cost of the program has risen from $8 billion to at least $9 billion and there have been some changes in administration and premiums. Read More...

Geithner promotes farm subsidy cuts, Roberts ready to compromise with southerners

Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner today repeatedly cited farm subsidies as one type of government spending the Obama administration would like to cut to deal with the federal deficit, only days after Senate Agriculture Committee ranking member Pat Roberts, R-Kan., said he is ready to compromise with southerners on the farm bill in order to stop cuts to the crop insurance program, which the Obama administration has proposed. Read More...