Ag trade and food aid are focus of first D.C. hearing on 2023 farm bill
Foreign trade and U.S. food aid will be the subjects on Wednesday of “the first of many hearings the committee has planned as we gear up for the 2023 farm bill,” said the leaders of the Senate Agriculture Committee.
Premium subsidies for crop insurance near $12 billion a year
In a decade, government outlays to subsidize crop insurance increased 60 percent, expanding in step with the rapid growth in acreage covered by the policies, according to Risk Management Agency data released Sunday.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Iowa advances SNAP restrictions: An Iowa House subcommittee approved a bill to greatly restrict the foods available to SNAP recipients, with sponsors saying they would remove most of the restrictions in the near future although they did not provide details. (Iowa Capital Dispatch)
Western hemisphere prosperity plan: Eleven countries accounting for 90 percent of economic activity in the western hemisphere joined the U.S. in the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity. (White House)
Eliminate high-risk pesticides: California officials said they would accelerate the state’s transition to sustainable pest management and eliminate high-risk pesticides by 2050. (California Department of Pesticide Regulation)
Off limits to copper mine: After a year of study, the Interior Department removed 225,504 acres in the Superior National Forest in northern Minnesota from eligibility for mining and geothermal leases for 20 years, potentially dooming a proposed copper and nickel mine. (Interior)
Push for E15 year-round: The attorneys general of eight farm states called on the EPA to issue regulations by Jan. 31 allowing year-round sale of E15 in their states. (DTN/Progressive Farmer)
ON THE CALENDAR
Monday
Weed Society of America holds annual meeting, through Thursday, Arlington, Virginia.
The American Sugarbeet Growers Association holds annual meeting, through Tuesday, Washington.
Tuesday
Bipartisan Policy Center holds panel discussion online of “new recommendations aimed at strengthening food and nutrition security through SNAP and other federal nutrition assistance programs” through the new farm bill.
The National Association of Wheat Growers holds Wheat Industry Winter Conference, through Friday, Washington.
USDA releases State Stories, noon ET. Issued on or near the first Tuesday of each month from December through March, State Stories provides “an assessment of winter weather on crops, livestock, fruit trees; consideration for moisture, snow cover, temperatures, and crop condition; and the effect of weather, insects, diseases, etc., on crops and livestock.” The material is republished in the Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin.
USDA releases semi-annual Cattle report, annual Sheep and Goats report, and monthly Agricultural Prices report, 3 p.m. ET.
Deadline to enroll in the Dairy Margin Coverage and Supplemental Dairy Margin Coverage subsidies. (USDA)
Wednesday
Senate Agriculture Committee hearing, “Farm bill 2023: Trade and Horticulture,” 10 a.m. ET, 328A Russell. Witnesses are Alexis Taylor, Agriculture undersecretary for trade; Jenny Moffitt, Agriculture undersecretary for marketing; and Sarah Charles, USAID bureau of humanitarian assistance.
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association holds Cattle Industry Convention and trade show, through Friday, New Orleans.
Thursday
Groundhog Day. According to folklore, if the groundhog sees its shadow today, it means six more weeks of winter. If it doesn’t see its shadow, it’s only six weeks until spring. The U.S. epicenter of Groundhog Day is Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, with a celebration dating from 1887. The official site of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club is available here. Somewhere, a cable TV channel is running the comedy movie “Groundhog Day” today, most appropriately as an all-day marathon. Axios says that “over the long run” — 75 years — Punxsutawney Phil was correct 69 percent of the time.
U.S. Custom Harvesters holds annual convention, through Sunday, Omaha, Nebraska.
Friday
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization releases monthly Food Price Index, Rome.
