Current corn storage has swelled to levels not seen since the 1980’s, according to new data released by the Department of Agriculture. USDA released its quarterly Grain Stocks report Friday. The report shows that old-crop corn stocks have reached a 30-year record at 2.2 billion bushels. That number was 32 percent higher than last year, but still below the pre-report expectations from market analyst, according to DTN. USDA reports old-crop soybean ending stocks at 301 million bushels and wheat ending stocks at 2.2 billion bushels. The numbers are estimates by USDA of grain supplies as of September first, which marks the end of the 2016-17 marketing year. USDA also released its Small Grains Summary Friday, with the latest estimates of the 2017 wheat crop, which was pegged at 1.7 billion bushels.
Kansas Republican Representative Roger Marshall says families across the U.S. need the next farm bill. As part of a House Agriculture Committee video series, Marshall says there is “no single piece of legislation more important” to his district than the farm bill. Marshal represents District One of Kansas, one of the largest agricultural-driven districts in the nation. He says the farm bill helps in maintaining a safe and affordable food supply for all Americans. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway indicated at the beginning of August, that work on the 2018 Farm Bill would start within the next eight weeks, meaning that work should start early this month. Conaway has previously said that he wants to get the next farm bill on the House floor this year.
Organic farming is a rapidly growing segment of U.S. agriculture. Organic vegetables, fruits, and livestock make up the bulk of the entire segment. However, a new USDA report shows organic field crops are making gains in the number of acres planted and overall value. The National Ag Statistics Service released the numbers showing that U.S. farms and ranches produced $7.6 billion in certified organic commodities in 2016. That’s up 23 percent over the previous year. The number of certified organic farms also climbed 11 percent higher, coming in at 14,217 last year. The number of certified acres is up 15 percent to five million acres. Livestock marketed as organic can only consume feeds certified through the USDA’s organic program. That’s helping to drive organic production of corn, soybeans, and hay. The USDA report says about 7,400 farms planted 1.6 million acres of organic field crops and hay last year. The value of organic field crop sales totaled up to more than $762 million in 2016, more than $100 million dollars higher than in 2015. Organic corn had the most acres planted, totaling almost 214,000 acres last year.
Missouri Director of Agriculture Chris Chinn issued a Notice of Release from the Stop Sale, Use or Removal Order of all products containing Dicamba labeled for agricultural use on Sept. 29, 2017.
Brazil’s agriculture ministry says that the ban on fresh Brazilian beef exports to the United States may be lifted in October. The ban was first implemented in June. A Reuters article says it would end after the U.S. finishes evaluating the responses on documents sent in response to questions raised earlier this year during a U.S. veterinary mission to Brazil. Brazil exports three percent of its overall beef exports to the U.S., but America is seen as a leader in food safety and other countries will take their cues if America ends the ban. The prediction on the end of the ban came after Washington D.C. informed Brazil it would allow thermprocessed beef imports to resume from five beef plants in the country. Back in March, Brazil unveiled an investigation into meatpackers accused of bribing inspectors, which led many countries to ban Brazilian beef imports. While many countries have already lifted their ban, the U.S. has not yet done so, saying there is no timeline in place for lifting the ban as of yet.
Pan Am Post Dot Com says the U.S. will be putting forth controversial proposals during the next round of North American Free Trade Agreement negotiations. The U.S. will allegedly be putting forth proposals for what it calls “seasonal windows” when it comes to agriculture trading with Mexico and Canada. The article says this type of a proposal would be a form of “managed trade” by establishing seasonal ag trade restrictions in North America. The president of the Mexican National Agriculture and Livestock Council offered an example of what that means. He says America wants to establish conditions saying that when Georgia produces strawberries, Mexico either won’t be able to export strawberries to the U.S. or would only be allowed to put the same amount of strawberries into the marketplace that Georgia has. Ag trade hasn’t been limited by seasonal windows since 2008, when a period of 15 years of gradual reduction was established. Mexico’s general coordinator of International Affairs says the Mexican government and producers won’t even consider discussing the proposal.
Negotiators in the North American Free Trade Agreement talks say they’re making progress after the third round of talks concluded Wednesday. A Bloomberg report says that talk of progress comes as tensions grow between the U.S. and Canada over aircraft. The U.S. imposed trade duties on Canadian-made aircraft, inflaming tensions with Canada. The nations did make some progress in the talks, including closing out the chapter on small and medium-sized businesses. The U.S. Commerce Department made the decision to impose duties on Bombardier’s marquee jetliner on the final day of negotiations. Canada’s Foreign Minister calls the Trump Administration “protectionist,” saying that fact is no big secret to the rest of the world. At the same time, she says the Bombardier issue is separate from the NAFTA negotiations. Negotiators did say they made progress in several different areas, including telecommunications, digital trade, and state-owned enterprises. The chapter on competition will probably be agreed on before the next round of talks begins.