POLICY, REGULATORY AND ISSUE UPDATES
Agreement Reached on 2021 and 2022 RFS Finalization Date
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and biofuel trade association Growth Energy have finalized a proposed consent decree that would set an early summer publishing deadline for the biofuel mandate targets of the current and prior year. Under the decree, EPA will finalize the Renewable Volume Obligations for the Renewable Fuel Standard by June 3. If achieved, that timeline would be more than six months after the 2022 targets were to be finished and more than a year and a half following the statutory deadline for 2021’s volumes. The settlement, which was posted to the Federal Register on Wednesday, will be subject to a 30-day public comment period. Read more at Agri-Pulse.
EPA Stands By Decision to Revoke Chlorpyrifos Tolerances
Today, the Environmental Protection Agency announced they would be standing by its decision to revoke all chlorpyrifos tolerances, despite objections from growers. The final rule from EPA revoking all tolerances was issued in August 2021 and will go into effect on February 28, 2022. This clears the way for a court to decide whether to allow continued use of the the insecticide. This comes just a week after, four Senators, including Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS), sent a letter to EPA Administrator Regan asking him to “redirect” EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs “towards a regular, risk-based regulatory process that reflects real-world data” provided by USDA and growers. Read more here.
Secretary Vilsack Warns Fertilizers Companies to Not Take Advantage of Russian Invasion
On Thursday, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack warned suppliers to not take advantage of the Russian invasion of Ukraine by raising prices when U.S. farmers are already suffering from high fertilizer costs. Russia is a major producer and exporter of urea ammonium nitrate solutions (UAN). In his statement, Vilsack said it was too early to know if international fertilizer trade will be disrupted by the invasion, but he "hoped that no (fertilizer) company out there … will take an unfair advantage of these circumstances.” USDA Chief Economist Seth Meyer said, depending on the duration and severity of the conflict, there could be impacts on both grain and fertilizer trade as Russia and Ukraine combined account for nearly a quarter of global grain exports. Read more here.
PLC/ARC/Related Crop Insurance Election Deadline for 2022 Crop Year on March 15
The deadline to make certain farm policy elections is March 15. Crop prices have remained strong for most crops ,and therefore, crop insurance price elections are going to be strong. In turn, for producers who are very concerned about protecting their downside risks (either a price drop or yields), the SCO/ECO/STAX options may well provide the most robust safety net this year. Producers get to make a choice for ARC and PLC. This choice is by crop by farm number. If ARC is chosen for a crop, a producer may not buy SCO for that crop. However, ECO may be purchased. If PLC is chosen, a producer may purchase SCO and ECO. Please note that elections are for 2022 only, so producers may change between, or otherwise opt back into, ARC or PLC next year. It is important to understand the choices and work with your crop insurance agent on the SCO/ECO/STAX coverages and prices to tailor protection to the needs on your farm. The Agricultural Food and Policy Center at Texas A&M University has a great decision tool available here.
ORGANIZATION UPDATES
2022 Sorghum PAC Online Auction is Live!
The 2022 Sorghum PAC Online Auction hosted by BigIron Auctions is now live! This auction is part of the 2022 Sorghum PAC Casino Night and Auction, which will return at the 2022 Commodity Classic on March 11! Co-sponsored by Sorghum Partners and ADAMA, the 2022 Casino Night will be from 8:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. in Preservation Hall at the New Orleans Marriott and consist of cocktails, casino games and auctions. Tickets can be purchased online at a discounted rate at SorghumPAC.com. Visit SorghumGrowers.com/sorghum-pac for more information about the Sorghum PAC or SorghumGrowers.com/sorghum-pac-auction for a full list of auction items.
White Energy Seeks Sorghum Contracts on the High Plains
White Energy is a fast-growing company that is strengthening America’s commitment to clean renewable energy. Chris Hughes and Trenton Jones of White Energy join us on Sorghum Smart Talk to discuss their direct buying strategy aimed to encourage farmers to participate in their new contract grower program! Tune in today!
For more information you can visit https://www.white-energy.com/ or call:
Corporate office at 927.715.6490
Hereford, TX Plant - 806.360.7400
Plainview, TX Plant - 806.296.8000
Big Five Leadership Panel in New Orleans
NEW for Commodity Classic 2022, the five host organizations will host a new media event, including a panel and media Q&A time with CEOs Tim Lust, National Sorghum Producers; Chandler Goule, National Association of Wheat Growers; Steve Censky, American Soybean Association; Jon Doggett, National Corn Growers Association; and Bob Crane, representing AGCO. Take advantage of this opportunity to hear directly from some of the most experienced leaders in agriculture on topics ranging from conservation programs to farm bill planning. The event will be held on Thursday, March 10, from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm at the Convention Center in Press Conference Room #345. Seating is limited to only 50 attendees. For a full list of Commodity Classic events, click here.
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.
Register for Commodity Classic
Registration for the 2022 Commodity Classic in New Orleans 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. For the latest health and safety guidelines for Commodity Classic, visit CommodityClassic.com.
Early Registration Deadline for SICNA 2022 is Monday!
Early registration for the Sorghum Improvement Conference of North America (SICNA) closes Monday, Feb. 28. 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 (SICNA)’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. To learn more about SICNA, visit SICNA.net or sign up here to receive the latest updates on the conference.
Registration Open for the Second-Annual Sorghum PAC Golf Tournament
Registration is now open for the Second Annual Sorghum PAC Golf Tournament, co-sponsored by Sorghum Partners and ADAMA, on April 30, 2022! The 2022 tournament will take place at the Wellington Golf Club in Wellington, Kansas, and feature a four-person scramble. The tournament will be followed by a hamburger dinner, happy hour and awards. The registration form can be found here. Registration will remain open until all tournament spots are filled. For more information about the 2022 Sorghum PAC Series visit SorghumGrowers.com/sorghum-pac.
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.
ICYMI! Sorghum Smart Talk: Policy Edition
In this episode, NSP Executive Vice President John Duff is joined by Chris Cogburn, manager of Sustainable Crop Insurance Services, to discuss the sorghum crop insurance price election for reinsurance year 2022, which has been set at a historic high. Listen to the full episode here.
CROP UPDATES
Basis Basics for 2022
Planting sorghum in 2022 offers farmers serious profit opportunity through cost of production budget advantages analysis. When figuring crop budgets, farmers should carefully consider all available basis options as prices for both new crop and old crop sorghum are very strong in the countryside. Check out the Basis Basics article on SorghumGrowers.com for more information.
Export Report
Last week, there were net export sales of sorghum of 2.3 million bushels, all attributed to China. While sales were down, shipments of sorghum were up to 10.1 million bushels, an 81 percent increase from the previous week. A majority of these shipments went 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 259 million bushels, or 84 percent what was estimated in the most recent USDA World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE). Basis remains steady in the interior, and sorghum is trading at 115 percent of corn on the Gulf.
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 is soaring - Hay and Forage Grower
Price, profitability drive sorghum planting decisions - Kansas Farmer
Sorghum gets a big boost from science - High Plains Journal
Sorghum’s success no secret to producers - High Plains Journal
Sorghum: A Sweet Proposition for Sustainable Biofuel - USDA ARS
Sorghum group names new sustainability director - World Grain
Upcoming Events
Fed. 28 - March 4 Aquaculture 2022 - San Diego, California
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.