At the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association Convention, Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster, Ron Hays, talked with the Vice President of Governmental Affairs of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Ethan Lane, about the appropriations process in the House.

“This Congress [the House] has moved quicker this year than we expected them to,” Lane admitted. “They have all twelve bills out of committee, they are working them on the floor. Ag Approps, we expect to be on the floor this week. If you will remember, that is the one that shut down the appropriations process last September. We will see if they have a better handle on where everybody is at this time around.”

He said that, as usual, it would be a full-featured, floor vote and markup. He expects to see amendments from those who weren’t a part of the former ag appropriations markup. “A lot of times, some of that stuff is pretty outside the mainstream,” he cautioned. “We see the Harriett Hagemans of the world from Wyoming and others really pushing some of those minority opinions whether it be on traceability or any of these other issues.”

He expects debate about defunding the packers and stockyards rulemakings at USDA, and NCBA will be fighting for funding for electronic ear tags to provide as much relief and support for producers as possible. He said they will also discuss language that would restrict what the USDA can do with the data from the traceability program.

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More than 300 agricultural groups, including the American Soybean Association and American Sugarbeet Growers Association, have called on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to work with stakeholders to reform its Endangered Species Act processes for pesticides. In a letter signed by 318 organizations representing hundreds of thousands of farmers, the groups contend farmers and other pesticide users will face significant and costly restrictions without reforms. Further, EPA may not be meeting its own legal obligations in determining credible risks to those endangered species.

Josh Gackle, American Soybean Association president and North Dakota soybean farmer, explained the groups support EPA efforts to meet its legal requirements, but there is more to it than simply making a passing grade:

“The courts have been clear they will continue to strike down pesticide registrations if EPA does not comply. However, EPA cannot do perfunctory work on the Endangered Species Act and pass the test. Rather, it needs to aim for an “A” by doing so in a way that is consistent with the law. EPA often makes conservative assumptions instead of using ‘the best scientific and commercial data available’ as required by ESA. By doing so, the result is often unnecessary restrictions for farmers and legal vulnerabilities for pesticide registrations.”

Federal courts repeatedly found EPA had not fulfilled its legally required ESA work and would strike down pesticide registrations, causing farmers and other pesticide users to lose invaluable and safe pesticide tools. As a result, EPA has tried the last couple of years to bring its pesticide program into compliance, including through proposals such as the draft Herbicide Strategy.

Insights from NAFB: The Critical Role of Inland Waters in Global Agriculture

While attending the NAFB Summer Agri-Business Meeting at the Danforth Plant Center in St. Louis, Missouri, Farm Director KC Sheperd sat in with a panel of experts in the transportation and agricultural sectors as they discussed the critical role that inland waters play in global ag commerce. On the panel, were Mary Lamie, Executive Vice President of Multi-Modal Enterprises, Dennis Wilmsmeyer, Executive Director of America’s Central Port, and Meagan Kaiser, a Missouri Farmer and Past Chair of United Soybean Board of Directors.

When asked how the volume over the Mississippi River levels have changed over the years and how it has impacted supply chain disruptions, Executive Director of America’s Central Port Dennis Wilmsmeyer responded, “We’ve had low water on the Mississippi for about two years until very recently, and low water is not kind to the barge industry. A lot of product is lost in that situation because you can’t fully load those barges, and it is left sitting on the dock.

“When you can put seventeen hundred tons on one barge and then tie those barges together on the lower Mississippi River, thirty to forty barges at a time, you can move a lot of commodity. When you have to leave ten or fifteen percent of that on the dock in low water situations, it certainly does affect profit due to the reduced volume that you can move down the river.”

From living in the Midwest, Executive Vice President of Multi-Modal Enterprises Mary Lamie realizes the immediacy of the need for agricultural products over the next thirty years as the world population is expected to increase by twenty-five percent and is already facing food scarcity problems. “When you talk about infrastructure, and the need for these ports and better utilizing the inland waterway system, that is why it is so important,” she said.

The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) released a new economic contribution report detailing the significant impact America’s pig farmers have on the United States’ agricultural and overall economy. The report highlights the pork industry’s value chain contributions and trends in production and industry structure.

“America’s pork industry is a vital pillar of our nation’s agricultural economy, contributing over $62 billion annually and supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs across the country,” said NPPC President Lori Stevermer, a pork producer from Easton, Minn. “Producers are committed to delivering wholesome, affordable, sustainable pork products that not only feed millions of families but also drive economic growth and innovation in rural communities.”

Congressman Frank Lucas (OK-03) released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Water Resources Development Act of 2024, which authorized millions of dollars for community projects in Woodward and Stillwater. Lucas voted in favor of the legislation.  

“At a time when our political system appears to be in a constant state of disorder, pieces of legislation like this remind us why we are here: to help our communities back home,” said Congressman Frank Lucas. “The overwhelming passage of the Water Resources Development Act directs much needed funds to Oklahoma’s water infrastructure and ensures our hometowns are adequately equipped with the proper resources.”

BACKGROUND: 

• The Water Resources Development Act passed the House 359-13. It authorized the following funds for Oklahoma’s Third District:
• WOODWARD, OKLAHOMA— $3,000,000 to rehabilitate water storage facilities in need of repair.
• STILLWATER, OKLAHOMA— $30,000,000 for water infrastructure, including related environmental infrastructure and water storage, transmission, treatment, and distribution, in the city of Stillwater, Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association (OCA) elected six new board members and two new Executive Committee members at the 72nd Annual OCA Convention and Trade Show. OCA board members are elected to represent their respective district and serve a three-year term. Executive Committee members are elected by district also and serve a four-year term.

New board members elected include:

• Erin Metcalf of Cherokee for the Northwest District
• Will Cubbage of Newkirk for the North Central District
• Mark Yazel of Vinita for the Northeast District
• Logan Snow of Frederick for the Southwest District
• Bob Freeman of Shawnee for the South Central District
• Penny Jones of Wilburton for the Southeast District

New Executive Committee members include:

• Paul Tuley of Loco for the South Central District
• Roger Wann of Poteau for the Southeast District

Panel Warns House Ag Committee of Dire Farm Economic Headwinds

On Tuesday, a panel of witnesses before the House Committee on Agriculture—including producers, a lender, an input supplier, and Extension economist—warned of the dire outlook facing our agricultural supply chain. Plummeting crop prices, escalating input costs, worsening credit conditions, and sustained natural disasters are creating a “perfect storm” of headwinds for farm country. Witnesses urged policy makers to “head off the economic hemorrhaging” and take advantage of the opportunity to substantially course correct the farm safety net through the enactment of enhanced risk management tools. 

“The testimony from today’s hearing painted a dark picture of the American farm economy and should be a wake-up call for my Democrat colleagues,” said Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, Glenn “GT” Thompson. “This Committee advanced a bipartisan bill that effectively responds to the crises outlined today and the pleas of rural America.”

Among those who testified- Dr. Dana Allen-Tully- President of the Minnesota Corn Growers told the panel “Unless conditions change, I believe we’re heading into a perfect storm, a storm that I don’t think will be fully appreciated until early next year when farmers try to get loans but are unable to do so because they cannot demonstrate the ability to cash flow. There are a myriad of factors contributing to this situation, including plummeting crop prices, very high costs of production, interest rates that have doubled, natural disasters for so many around the country, and tightening credit. Our working capital is fast being depleted.”