American Farm Bureau Federation

Thatcher: "Whole New Ball of Wax" with New Ag Secretary

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 06:03:42 GMT

The presidential inauguration is a little more than a week away and most of the incoming cabinet has been selected. Confirmation hearing are underway; however, the next head of the USDA is still unclear.

During President-elect Trump’s news conference Wednesday, there was no mention of the last unfilled cabinet post.

The cabinet process plays out every presidential election cycle.

During the Farm Bureau convention this week, AgriTalk host Mike Adams discussed the transition with Mary Kay Thatcher, senior director of congressional relations with Farm Bureau.

“The Trump influence is another wild card that’ll be in this Farm Bill,” said Thatcher. “You pretty much knew what [Vilsack] was going to think about something. Even when we get the new secretary, we may not know that person well enough to have any feel for where they’re going.”

Listen to Thatcher’s full remarks on AgriTalk below.

AFBF Speaks Out On Trump's New Cuban Business Rules

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 06:04:29 GMT

The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) is urging President Trump to “exercise caution” as he rolls out new rules and restrictions when it comes to doing business with Cuba.

Last week, the president announced a series of changes to the Obama-era Cuba policy which eased tourism and trade restrictions that have been in place for 50 years.

Trump says his revised Cuba policy is aimed at halting the flow of U.S. cash to the country’s military and security services while maintaining diplomatic relations.

“We should be doing more, not less, to encourage U.S. agricultural exports to Cuba. Our farmers and ranchers and the Cuban people would benefit from increased sales of high-quality, American-grown food and feed,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall in a statement.

“As we cope with the biggest drop in farm prices in decades, we need to be opening up markets for American farm goods, not sending signals that might lead to less access.”

The Week Ahead: Jan. 9-15, 2012

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 05:57:53 GMT

via a special arrangement with Informa Economics, Inc.

USDA reports | CFTC vote | Farm Bureau meeting | Argentine drought meeting | Geithner in Asia

NOTE: This column is copyrighted material, therefore reproduction or retransmission is prohibited under U.S. copyright laws.

Congress is still out on its “pro forma” recess.

This week will see some additional economic data emerge, with Retail Sales on Thursday which should show consumers had a happy Christmas, and International Trade and Consumer Sentiment on Friday. The week also brings the Beige Book report from the Federal Reserve on Wednesday – two weeks before their next scheduled meeting. And of course that meeting will feature the first release of the extra information the Fed has promised to deliver to bring more clarity to their decision-making process.

CFTC vote. On Wednesday, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) votes on a Dodd-Frank proposal to ban proprietary trading by banks.

For agriculture, South America weather will remain important ( an Argentine committee on drought will meet Thursday), but the markets will get a batch of USDA data Thursday to consider -- Annual Summary, Winter Wheat Seedings, Quarterly Grain Stocks, Supply & Demand and monthly Crop Production. That will give traders plenty to chew on to close out the week. And, Weekly Export Sales data returns to the usual Thursday release even though it is still going to encompass some of the holiday impact which could well temper sales results once again.

The American Farm Bureau Federation is holding its annual meeting, this year in Hawaii. The new farm bill and other policy issues will be the primary topics addressed.

On the international front, US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner visits Asia this week, arriving in China on Monday – and Japan later in the week – to discuss proposals for ratcheting up financial pressure on Iran as punishment for its alleged development of nuclear weapons. Also on Monday, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany holds talks with Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, in Berlin to further the European Union plan for new rules on budget discipline and closer fiscal integration. On Wednesday the World Economic Forum publishes its Global Risks 2012 report, which reveals how 469 industry leaders and experts perceive future risks that cut across society, the economy, the environment, geopolitics and technology.

Monday, Jan. 9
Federal Reserve: Atlanta Fed President Dennis Lockhart, an FOMC voter, speaks.
Japan: Markets are closed in Japan.
EU: French President Nicolas Sarkozy meets with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin over the crisis in the euro zone.
China: Inflation data issued.
China visit: Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner arrives in China to discuss proposals for ratcheting up financial pressure on Iran as punishment for its alleged development of nuclear weapons.
Environment: The Supreme Court hears oral arguments in a case that will decide whether landowners have a right to go to court to challenge a Clean Water Act order issued by the EPA.
Economic reports: Selected Interest Rates (Federal Reserve) | Consumer Credit .
USDA reports: Export inspections (AMS).

Tuesday, Jan. 10
New Hampshire Primary: Republican Presidential hopefuls battle it out in New Hampshire.
Rating agencies: Fitch Ratings, the international rating agency, gives a presentation in London by its senior analysts on how they think the eurozone crisis will affect credit fundamentals and markets in 2012. The presentation will also be made in Frankfurt on Wednesday and in Paris on Thursday.
Energy reports: Weekly National Petroleum Report (API)
Economic reports: ICSC-Goldman Store Sales | Wholesale Trade .

Wednesday, Jan. 11
EU: Germany’s Merkel and Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti speak about the euro zone crisis.
Risk report: The World Economic Forum publishes its Global Risks 2012 report, which reveals how 469 industry leaders and experts perceive future risks that cut across society, the economy, the environment, geopolitics and technology.
CFTC: The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) votes on a Dodd-Frank proposal to ban proprietary trading by banks.
Energy reports: Weekly Petroleum Status Report (EIA) | Weekly ethanol plant production (EIA) | Monthly oil market report (EIA) | OPEC monthly oil market report .
Economic reports: Weekly mortgage applications (Labor Dept.) | Beige Book (Federal Reserve).
USDA reports: Broiler Hatchery (NASS).

Thursday, Jan. 12
Geithner in Japan: US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner meets with Japanese officials.
ECB: The European Central Bank (ECB) is seen holding rates steady by Barclays Capital. It also expects the Bank of England to hold rates steady.
Italy and Spain auctions: Markets will be watching auctions in Italy and Spain.
EU-US meeting: A two-day EU-US Senior Officials Meeting takes place in Copenhagen. Discussions will focus on justice and security issues such as data protection, air transport security, migration and cyber crime.
Transportation: Weekly Traffic of Major Railroads (Assn. Of American Railroads).
Energy reports: Weekly US underground natural gas stocks (EIA).
Economic reports: Jobless Claims (Labor Dept.) | Weekly Mortgage Rates (Freddie Mac) | ICI weekly money market mutual fund data | Retail Sales | Business Inventories | Treasury Budget .
USDA reports: Grain Transportation Report (AMS) | Export Sales (FAS) | World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (ERS) | Cotton Ginnings (NASS) | Cotton: World Markets and Trade (FAS) | World Agricultural Production (FAS) | Oilseeds: World Markets and Trade (FAS) | Grains: World Markets and Trade (FAS) | Season-Average Price Forecasts (ERS) | Latest US Agricultural Trade Data (ERS) | Rice Stocks (NASS) | Grain Stocks (NASS) | Crop Production – Annual (NASS) | Winter Wheat Seedings (NASS) | Cotton, Grains, Oilseeds and World Ag Production Data (FAS) | Crop Production (NASS) |

Friday, Jan. 13
China releases economic indicators, including economic output, industrial production and retail sales.
Economic reports: International Trade | Consumer Sentiment | Import and Export Prices .
USDA reports: Dairy Product Prices (NASS) | Turkey Hatchery (NASS) | Peanut Prices (NASS) | Oil Crops Outlook (ERS) | Rice Outlook (ERS).

NOTE: This column is copyrighted material, therefore reproduction or retransmission is prohibited under U.S. copyright laws.

California farms face continuing labor shortages

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 21:32:55 GMT

California growers continue to face labor shortages, according to a new survey.

Conducted by the California Farm Bureau Federation in collaboration with the University of California-Davis, the survey of 1,071 farmers and ranchers reported 56% of farmers who responded had been unable to hire all the employees they needed at some point during the previous five years, according to a news release.

The survey reported that for those farmers reporting employee shortages, at least 70% said they had more trouble hiring employees in 2017 and 2018.

“The survey shows farmers have tried and are trying all the tactics available to them, such as increased wages, changes in farming and cropping patterns, use of the existing H-2A visa program and automation where appropriate,” California Farm Bureau Federation president Jamie Johansson said in the release. “The missing element is an improved agricultural immigration system, to match willing employees with farm employers.”

Wages higher

The survey found 86% of farmers who completed the survey said they had raised wages in efforts to hire enough people, with 61% reporting they had hired a farm labor contractor to recruit employees, according to the release.

Mechanization of farm labor was also a trend, according to the release. The survey said more than half of farmers reported they have started using mechanization. Of those, the release said 56% said the use of mechanization was because of employee shortages.

Other findings:

37% of farmers said they had adjusted cultivation practices to ease labor shortages;
31% said they are switching acreage to less labor-intensive crops;
More farmers are using the H-2A agricultural visa program; but only about 6% of surveyed farmers said they had enrolled in it.

“Through the years, the H-2A program has proven inadequate for farms in California and throughout the nation,” Johansson said in the release. “Farm Bureau will continue to work with Congress to create a secure, flexible, market-based immigration program that works better for both farmers and farm employees.”

The release said the 2019 results are similar to a California Farm Bureau survey in 2017, which revealed 55% of farmers said they had labor shortages.

The full survey report is available on the CFBF website .

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