POLICY, REGULATORY AND ISSUE UPDATES
EPA Delays RFS Deadlines
Today, EPA released the final rule on Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Program: Extension of Compliance and Attest Engagement Reporting Deadlines, extending the 2019 Renewable Fuel Standard compliance deadline for small refineries as well as the 2020, 2021 and 2022 deadlines for all companies subject to biofuel usage mandates. This was met with frustration and criticism by biofuels groups, noting the deadline extensions would only continue to delay implementation of yearly RFS blending requirements and exacerbate the instability around the program. Read more here.
USDA Announces Additional FSA Directors
On Thursday, USDA announced additional Farm Service Agency directors, including Dennis McKinney who will lead FSA in Kansas. McKinney is a Kansas farmer and cattle producer whose family’s farm operates in southern Kiowa and northern Comanche counties. The full announcement can be found here here.
CRP Enrollment To Open Monday, Jan. 31
USDA announced this week general sign up for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) will open Monday, Jan. 31, and close March 11. Producers and landowners enrolled 4.6 million acres into CRP signups in 2021, including 2.5 million acres in the largest Grassland CRP signup in history. There are currently 22.1 million acres enrolled, and FSA is aiming to reach the 25.5-million-acre cap statutorily set for fiscal year 2022. More information can be found here, here or by contacting your local FSA office.
FDA Takes Steps to Facilitate the Export of Food under China’s New Facility Registration Requirements
Last April, China advised World Trade Organization members that the Regulations on the Registration and Administration of Overseas Producers of Imported Food, or Decree 248, would come into effect on January 1, 2022. USDA FDA has made an announcement asking establishments currently exporting certain food products to China to voluntarily submit information to their offices. While China has not confirmed that collecting this information is a prerequisite for U.S. establishments to export to China, the FDA is making this request as a precaution against potential trade disruption. Facilities that produce the following products should register with the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GACC) to comply with the Chinese Government’s latest requirements: bee products; eggs and egg products; edible fats and oils; stuffed wheaten food; edible grains; milled grain industry products and malt; fresh and dehydrated vegetables and dry beans; condiments and seasonings; nuts and seeds; dry fruits, unroasted coffee and cocoa beans; food for special dietary uses, and health food. While the original information application deadline was set at December 17, 2021, FDA is still taking applications. More information about this topic and how to register your facility can be found here.
Deadline Approaching for ARC and PLC Elections and Enrollments
USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) has announced producers have until March 15, 2022, to make their Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) elections and enrollments for the 2022 crop year. The Agricultural & Food Policy Center (AFPC) at Texas A&M University provides a decision toolto evaluate the trade-offs between the two programs on a crop-by-crop and farm-by-farm basis.
CROP UPDATES
Export Report
Last week was a strong week for sorghum exports with a total of 12.9 million bushels purchased by China and an unknown destination. In addition to strong purchases, 2.9 million bushels were shipped out last week to China with a small portion going to Mexico. Last week's purchases bring total sorghum export purchases for the 2021/2022 marketing year to 242 million bushels, or 77 percent what was estimated in the most recent USDA World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) just over three months into the 2021/22 marketing year.
Sorghum Checkoff Releases Weekly Sorghum Basis Snapshot
The Sorghum Checkoff, with Southwest Agribusiness Consulting, released its weekly sorghum basis snapshot, available at SorghumCheckoff.com.
ORGANIZATION UPDATES
Join Us for A Learning Session at Commodity Classic
Join the Sorghum Checkoff for a learning session titled "Finding the 'Sweet Spot': Combining Precision Agriculture and Conservation to Build a Sustainable and Diverse Farming Landscape" on March 11 at 12:30 pm at Commodity Classic in New Orleans. This session will be co-hosted by Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever and Cotton Incorporated in a cross-commodity, cross-sectoral collaboration. Speakers will discuss how precision agriculture tools can play a key role in helping farmers take a focused, acre-by-acre approach in their conservation efforts, identifying the most strategic acres for wildlife habitat or practice changes, while keeping the rest of their working lands in production. Find more information at SorghumCheckoff.com.
Registration Open for SICNA 2022!
Registration for the Sorghum Improvement Conference of North America (SICNA) is now open. The conference is slated to be held March 28-30, 2022, at the Hyatt Regency in Dallas-Fort Worth. The Sorghum Improvement Conference of North America’s mission is to promote communication and collaboration in research and development among sorghum researchers and stakeholders in cooperation with universities, research centers, public institutions and private entities. Early registration rates apply through Feb. 28, and a registration category is available for student attendees. To learn more about SICNA, visit SICNA.net or sign up here to receive the latest updates on the conference.
Step Up For Sorghum
The sorghum industry needs advocates now more than ever, and we are enlisting you to be a voice and ensure your message is heard on Capitol Hill and beyond. Local, state and federal decision makers need to hear from you! Sign up here or text NSP TEXT to 52886 to be put on our advocate list and contacted with opportunities to reach out to your legislators on important issues impacting the sorghum industry.
Register for Commodity Classic
Registration for the 2022 Commodity Classic in New Orleans, LA, is still open. Full registration for the event includes access to the general session, main stage presentations, the welcome session, educational sessions, the trade show and more. To register, reserve hotel rooms, sign up for email updates, and register for optional tours in and around New Orleans, visit CommodityClassic.com. A list of exhibiting companies, a map of the trade show floor, and the registration brochure can also be found online. Register here.
New Episode! Sorghum Smart Talk: Policy Edition
This month we have a two-part episode discussing the nuances of cover crops in the Sorghum Belt based on both research and on-the-ground experience. Guest host Dan Atkisson, National Sorghum Producers past chairman and farmer from Stockton, Kansas, is joined first by Katie Lewis, Associate Professor of Soil Chemistry and Fertility at Texas A&M AgriLife Research, covering long-term research that has been conducted on cover crops in the Texas High Plains. After the break, Dan and Doug Keesling, NSP board of directors member and farmer from Chase, Kansas, have a candid discussion of the viability of cover crops on their own operations. Listen to the full episode here.
Sorghum in the Spotlight:
Sorghum Improvement Conference registration open - World Grain
Sorghum can diversify crop rotations by increasing yield, lowering inputs - Brownfield News
Vulgamore named Kansas Grain Sorghum Collegiate Fellow for 2022 - The Garden City Telegram
China Top Destination for corn, soybeans, sorghum - Brownfield News
K-State researchers studying sorghum’s energy value - K-State Research and Extentsion
Upcoming Events
Feb. 24-25 Agricultural Outlook Forum - Virtual
March 10-12 Commodity Classic - New Orleans, LA
March 11-13 Pheasant Fest - Omaha, NE
March 28-30 SICNA - Dallas-Fort Worth, TX
Market News - To view this week’s Gulf export grain report, click here.
About Sorghum Notes
Sorghum Notes is a publication of the National Sorghum Producers. NSP represents U.S. sorghum producers and serves as the voice of the sorghum industry from coast to coast through education and legislative and regulatory representation.