SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
National Sorghum Foundation Scholarships Due on JUNE 1!
Applications for three National Sorghum Foundation scholarships are due June 1. Each scholarship includes an award of $1,500 to be applied to one semester of tuition expenses and the Kubecka Memorial Scholarship includes an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C. More information about each scholarship’s criteria and application forms can be found online at SorghumGrowers.com/foundation-scholarships.
POLICY, REGULATORY AND ISSUE UPDATES
Senator Boozman Secures Secretary Vilsack’s Commitment to Work to Help Producers Experiencing Spiraling Input Costs but Flat Prices
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack appeared before the Senate Agriculture Committee on Thursday and addressed a variety of issues facing the agriculture industry. Early on in the hearing, the Secretary committed to the Committee’s Ranking Republican, Senator John Boozman (R-AR), to work to ensure the continued economic viability producers who are facing flat commodity prices while paying record high inputs costs. When asked about USDA’s climate-smart commodity projects, Secretary Vilsack told the Committee that USDA has received about 450 proposals from all 50 states for a total of $18 billion—four times the estimate the Secretary gave at an earlier hearing. USDA says the previous estimate was very rough. View the hearing here and read a recap by Jim Wiesemeyer here.
Biden Administration Launches Indo-Pacific Agreement Without Increased Market Access for U.S. Agriculture, U.S. Agriculture Questions Value
President Biden this week launched the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IEPF), a new trade partnership that he noted “covers half the population of the world and more than 60 percent of the global GDP.” However, the deal does not increase market access for U.S. agriculture, something U.S. agriculture stakeholders have strongly urged. U.S. Trade Representative Katharine Tai said the agreement “will see commitments with IPEF partners that facilitate agricultural trade through science-based decision making and the adoption of sound, transparent regulatory practices. This will help our farmers, our ranchers, and our fishers gain certainty for getting their products to the region.”
The U.S. agriculture community lauded the move as a positive first step but seeks more concrete trade achievements. “The Indo Pacific Economic Framework is a laudable first step to reengaging in the region. However, it will be essential that the administration articulate how an agreement that does not currently include tariff reduction will provide new market access and economic opportunities for farmers,” Brian Kuehl, Executive Director of Farmers for Free Trade, said in a news release. The Administration has come under considerable pressure to actively pursue trade agreements that will expand U.S. agricultural exports but has nevertheless not pursued new agreements, completed ongoing agreements, or renewed expired Trade Promotion Authority. Read more here.
Agriculture Groups Urge Withdrawal of Biden Administration's Supreme Court Brief Arguing No FIFRA Preemption in Roundup Case
In a letter to President Joe Biden, a coalition of farm groups expressed deep concern regarding a recent amicus brief submitted by the solicitor general to the U.S. Supreme Court effectively advising the court against a federal FIFRA preemption over state laws on pesticides. If the argument prevailed in court, the nation would have a 50-state patchwork of pesticide law. “The Solicitor General’s brief adopts a position that permits states to mislabel glyphosate – or any pesticide – with cancer warnings despite overwhelming scientific evidence that it does not pose a cancer risk,” the groups wrote. While testifying before the Senate Agriculture Committee, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the Justice Department did not consult USDA before taking sides in the lawsuit. Secretary Vilsack also noted that Roundup is critical for maintaining U.S. crop production and addressing climate change. Read more here.
Senator Hoeven Leads Letter Urging Flexibilities for Farmers Facing Disrupted Spring Planting
Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Republican Member and senior Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Senator John Hoeven (R-ND), led a bipartisan, bicameral letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack urging the Department to use available authorities to provide support to producers facing increased risk caused by disrupted spring planting. “Specifically, we ask payments be made to offset any reduction in the crop insurance guarantee incurred by producers planting after the final planting date,” the lawmakers wrote. The lawmakers included Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Tina Smith (D-MN), along with Reps. Kelley Armstrong (R-ND), Michelle Fischbach (R-MN), Pete Stauber (R-MN), and Angie Craig (D-MN). The proposal does not alter crop insurance but rather uses CCC to offset reduction in benefits. Senator Hoeven also pressed the Secretary on the issue during Thursday’s hearing. Read the letter here.
Rainfall Provides Some Drought Relief
Heavy rainfall has helped ease drought conditions a bit on the southern Plains, where a large portion of the nation’s wheat crop is at risk. In Texas, the area in extreme to exceptional drought fell from 56 percent to 46 percent, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor. In Oklahoma, the area in extreme to exceptional drought was cut in half. There was also some improvement in Colorado and Kansas. View the U.S. Drought Monitor here.
USDA Allowing Early Termination of Expiring CRP Acres
USDA plans to loosen existing Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) rules by allowing participants to request termination of their CRP contract if they are in the final year of their agreement. The change in rules, meant to help open up more acres to wheat production to offset global food challenges caused by the war in Ukraine, will allow qualifying farmers to terminate their contracts without having to repay rental payments. However, they will not be able to request termination of their contract until the end of the primary nesting season for fiscal year 2022. FSA is mailing letters to producers with expiring acres that detail this flexibility and share other options, such as re-enrolling sensitive acres in the CRP Continuous signup and considering growing organic crops. Read more here.
Argonne Labs Refutes Flawed Ethanol Study
A recent, highly publicized, and flawed report led by Tyler Lark of the University of Wisconsin attacking the Renewable Fuel Standard is “more problematic than what we initially evaluated to be the case,” according to a new review of the work by researchers from the Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory, Purdue University, the University of Illinois, and elsewhere. The scientists note specifically that Lark and his colleagues grossly misinterpreted land-use change and attributed far too much hypothesized land conversion to the RFS policy while overlooking other factors. “Our detailed review of the original paper and the responses by those authors reveals various major deficiencies, problematic assessments, and misinterpretation of the existing literature,” according to the latest comments, posted online by the Argonne National Laboratory. Access the Argonne Labs publication here.
Senator Grassley: Double-Cropping Incentives Unlikely to Help Augment Food Production
Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, said he doubts the Biden Administration’s effort to increase double cropping will have much impact on augmenting food production. Senator Grassley noted he thinks most farmers who can double crop will do so without additional incentives. “If the administration can spend X number of dollars to encourage more double cropping, I'm not going to fight that,” Grassley told reporters Tuesday. “But I'm kind of at a loss to think that every farmer that could do that isn't already doing it.” Read more here.
CBO Lowers Farm Program Cost Estimates
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is lowering its cost estimates for Farm Bill commodity programs due to the sharp increases in commodity prices resulting from the war in Ukraine. At the same time, CBO says the government is going to spend a lot more on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program than previously estimated. CBO estimates farmers will receive just $480 million in Price Loss Coverage payments in Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 and $422 million in FY 2024. That is down from the $838 million and $2.3 billion CBO had previously estimated for those years. Nutrition spending was originally expected to account for 76 percent of the cost of the 2018 Farm Bill. However, that share is going to be much higher heading into the next farm bill debate. Access the CBO report here.
Farm Bill Field Hearing Scheduled in Arkansas
The Senate Agriculture Committee has scheduled its second farm bill field hearing in the home state of the committee’s top Republican, Sen. John Boozman (R-AR). The hearing will be held on June 16 in Jonesboro, Arkansas and will be livestreamed here.
ORGANIZATION UPDATES
U.S. Grains Council to Host Trade School
The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) has announced a regional trade school event for farmer members and stakeholders in Belton, Texas, on June 14. This event will be sponsored by the USGC, National Sorghum Producers, Sorghum Checkoff, Texas Grain Sorghum Board, National Corn Growers Association, Bell County Farm Bureau, Texas Corn Producers Board and Capital Farm Credit. More information can be found here.
Sorghum Checkoff Continues the Cultivation of Sorghum Leaders
The United Sorghum Checkoff Program is accepting applications for Leadership Sorghum Class VI, a program designed to cultivate the next generation of sorghum leaders. During the 14-month leadership program, class members will have the opportunity to experience various aspects of the sorghum industry in addition to personal development and networking opportunities. Applications are available here and are due by 5:00 pm CST on September 23. To learn more about Leadership Sorghum, visit SorghumGrowers.com.
ICYMI! Sorghum Smart Talk: Policy Edition
Tune in now for the newest episode of Sorghum Smart Talk: Policy Edition! This month's episode features National Sorghum Producers CEO Tim Lust and Kansas Big First Representative Tracey Mann in the first episode of our “Meet Your Sorghum Belt Representatives” series. Mann discusses how he went from the farm to the halls of Congress, what he does to represent sorghum producers and all of agriculture on the Hill and his projections for the upcoming 2023 Farm Bill. Listen now on your favorite listening platform or SorghumGrowers.com/podcast.
Deadline Approaching for Nomination to the United Sorghum Checkoff Program Board
The USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service is seeking nominees for the United Sorghum Checkoff Program Board to succeed four members whose terms expire in December. Nominees are needed to succeed members that include two to represent Kansas, one to represent Oklahoma and one to represent Texas. The deadline for nominations is June 3. Sorghum producers within the United States who own or share in the ownership and risk of loss of sorghum production are eligible for nomination. A sorghum producer must be nominated by a certified producer organization and submit a completed application. The Secretary of Agriculture will select individuals from the nominations submitted. A list of certified producer organizations, the nomination form and information about the Sorghum Board are available on the AMS United Sorghum Checkoff Program webpage and on the board’s website, www.sorghumcheckoff.com. For more information, contact Barbara Josselyn at 202-713-6918 or Barbara.Josselyn@usda.gov.
CROP UPDATES
Sorghum Crop Progress Report
Thirty-three percent of the nation’s sorghum acreage was planted by May 22, one percentage point ahead of the previous year but two points behind the five-year average. Texas had planted 79 percent of its sorghum acreage by May 22, four percentage points ahead of the previous year but three points behind average.
Sorghum Checkoff Releases Weekly Sorghum Basis Snapshot
The Sorghum Checkoff, with Southwest Agribusiness Consulting, released its weekly sorghum basis snapshot, available at SorghumCheckoff.com.
Sorghum in the Spotlight:
Sorghum Planting Continues - High Plains Journal
Breeding Transforms Sorghum’s Potential As Biofuel Of The Future For Northern Latitudes - Seed Today
Upcoming Events
May 30 Memorial Day - NSP & USCP Offices Closed
June 13 Culinary Institute of America Healthy Menus R&D Collaborative - Hyde Park, NY
June 14 U.S Grains Council Texas Trade School - Belton, TX
June 27 Next Level Summit - Scottsdale, AZ
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.