AG COUNCIL NEWS & INFORMATION BRIEF
December 16, 2022
WASHINGTON AG UPDATE
Congress Nears Finish Line on Spending Bill as Christmas Approaches: This week ended with Congress passing another short-term extension of government spending to buy a little more time to put the final touches on what is expected to be an omnibus spending package for the remainder of the 2023 fiscal year, which will conclude at the end of September 2023. The House and Senate leaders are reported to be in agreement on a framework for an omnibus spending bill that could include important provisions on disaster assistance among other things. More...Agri-Pulse | TheHill
Senate Ag Committee Holds Hearing on Research: On December 6th, the U.S. Senate Agriculture, Forestry and Nutrition Committee held a farm bill related hearing focused on research programs. Dr. Deacue Fields, the Vice President of Agriculture for the University of Arkansas System, served as a key witness to the hearing. The committee, led in part by Ranking Member John Boozman (R-AR), will be tasked with reauthorization of the farm bill, which is scheduled to expire following the 2023 crop year. This was the second hearing of the committee to focus on a specific title of the farm bill. More... Hearing Information | Video | UofA Release
Vilsack Announces Another Round of Climate Grants: On December 12th, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced a new round of climate-smart commodities projects. The new round funded 71 projects for a total of $325 million. More...Agri-Pulse | DTN | USDA Announcement
Vilsack Threatens Mexico on USMCA Violations with Corn: On December 15th, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack stated that he would likely file a dispute resolution case against Mexico under the USMCA trade agreement if Mexico does not take a path that resolves the concerns the U.S. agriculture sector has regarding Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's decree to ban imports of biotech corn. More...DTN | DTN II | Agri-Pulse
EPA Issues Notice of Intent to Cancel Products: The EPA announced this week that it's issuing a notice of intent to cancel (NOIC) three products containing the pesticide chlorpyrifos upon receiving voluntary requests submitted by some chlorpyrifos registrants to cancel 14 chlorpyrifos pesticide registrations and terminate food uses for three chlorpyrifos pesticide registrations. More...Bloomberg | EPA Announcement
Senators Offer New H2A Labor Reform Bill: On December 15th, a bipartisan bill on migrant farm labor reforms was introduced in the U.S. Senate with hopes of getting approved in the final days of the current Congress. The new legislation is a modified version of the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, which did pass the House this Congress. If nothing advances before the end of the year, any such proposals must be re-introduced again in the new Congress, which begins in January. More... Agri-Pulse | Agri-Pulse II | RollCall | Senator Bennet Press Release
ARKANSAS AG UPDATE
Ag Council Annual Meeting: The Ag Council held its Annual Board of Directors Meeting December 12-13 at the Capital Hotel in Little Rock. The two day session offered an opportunity for board members to conduct the business of the organization, hear from many informative guest speakers, and enjoy time with each other and visit with special guests, which included Governor-elect Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward. More... Reed Named President | Meeting Summary
Governor-elect Announces Choice for Ag Secretary: On December 12, Arkansas Governor-elect Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced her choice to lead the Arkansas Department of Agriculture. She decided to retain Wes Ward who was first appointed in 2015 by Governor Asa Hutchinson. More... SHS Announcement | Arkansas Advocate | Twitter | TalkBusiness
94th General Assembly Takes Shape for January Start: In recent weeks, the Arkansas Senate and House of Representatives have spent considerable time in recent weeks planning for the upcoming legislative session, which will convene a new General Assembly. More...House Information | Senate Information
MidSouth Farm & Gin Show Set for February 24-25: The 71st Annual MidSouth Farm & Gin Show is set for February 24-25 in Memphis at the Renasant Convention Center. More...Registration | Event Website
UofA Winter Production Meeting Schedule Released: The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture announced upcoming meeting dates and locations for its winter production meetings, which will begin January 10th and run through March 1. More...UADA News Release | Schedule
UofA Releases Crop Enterprise Budgets for 2023: The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture recently released its 2023 crop enterprise budgets, an important tool to help farmers plan their 2023 planting decisions. The dynamic excel spreadsheet includes some changes that reflect some of the biggest economic impactors from the current year, however the program allows users to adjust numbers as they see fit. More...UADA Crop Budgets | News Release
UofA Accepting Applications for Leadership Program: The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture recently announced that it is accepting applications for its leadership program known as LeadAR. The program is designed to strengthen leadership, knowledge, and networks for Arkansans who are passionate about the futures of their communities. LeadAR provides an in-depth learning experience covering important economic and social issues impacting the state. More...UADA Announcement | Application Form
UofA Variety Performance Trials: The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture has begun the process of releasing variety performance trials for a range of agricultural commodities. More...UofA Variety Test Homepage | Rice Performance Trial Data | Cotton Variety Testing Update
ECONOMIC & INDUSTRY NEWS
Ag Census Update: Please complete and return your census as soon as you can so you are counted. More... USDA | Online
WASDE Report December 9th: WASDE | WASDE Report | Secretary Briefing
USDA Crop Production Report: Cotton - U.S. | Arkansas Arkansas Wheat County Estimates
Arkansas Economic Profile: 2022 Pocket Facts - News