AG COUNCIL NEWS & INFORMATION BRIEF
DECEMBER 5, 2023
WASHINGTON AG UPDATE
Extension of Farm Bill Sets Stage for Potential Action in 2024: As part of a bipartisan agreement to avoid a government shutdown and provide federal funding for a few more weeks, congress adopted an extension of the current farm bill for the 2024 crop year to provide greater certainty to American farmers. House and Senate Agriculture Committee leaders on both sides remain committed to introducing and advancing farm bill reauthorization legislation sometime in the coming year, however the timeline and opportunities for floor time remain uncertain as Congress must address spending measures and the impending presidential election looms large. More...ArkansasOnline | DTNPF | AgWeb
Continuing Resolutions Set New Appropriations Deadlines: Just prior to the Thanksgiving holiday, Congress passed a short term continuing resolution to maintain fiscal year 2024 funding for a few more weeks in order to avoid a government shutdown and provide more time to negotiate spending levels for the remainder of the fiscal year, which expires October 1. The measure split spending measures into two packages, one that expires January 19, 2024, and another that expires February 2, 2024. Included in the first package are measures to fund USDA, DOT, HUD, DOE, and Veterans Affairs. More...WashingtonPost | RollCall l | RollCall II
H-2A Wage Rates Expected to Jump Again: USDA wage survey results indicate farm employers will see minimum wage rates for H-2A employees that are substantially higher than 2023 when the U.S. Department of Labor establishes the Adverse Effective Wage Rates (AEWR). For Arkansas wages for ag labor is expected to jump from $13.57/hour to $14.53/hour. Official wages are expected to be announced in January. More...USDA Labor Report | DOL AEWR Page
Enlist Herbicide Use Restrictions Eased After Biological Opinion: A final biological opinion (BiOp) recently issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) determined that the registration of Enlist products is not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of endangered or threatened species or adversely modify their critical habitat. The BiOp contains findings from FWS that the use of Enlist products, as specified in the approved product labels, are not likely to jeopardize any listed species or adversely modify their critical habitats. The Agency intends to have label revisions approved in advance of the 2024 growing season. Mitigation actions resulting from the BE and BiOp are specific to certain geographic areas and can be found on the EPA's Bulletins Live! Two system. More...EPA Release | Federal Register | DTNPF | Corteva News Release | EPA Bulletins Live! Two
CFTC Seeks Comments on New Guidance for Voluntary Carbon Trading: The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) issued new proposed guidance regarding the listing for trading of voluntary carbon credit derivative contracts and opened the proposal to public comments. The comment period for the proposed guidance will be open for 75 days, and will end on February 16, 2024. Such a rule could lead to the development of new opportunities for farmers to produce marketable carbon offsets to those seeking to purchase credits to offset emissions. More...CFTC Announcement | Comment Portal | Reuters | Politico
UN Climate Summit in Dubai Considers Ag: The United Nations are gathered in Dubai, U.A.E., for a two-week conference centered on climate policy in which they considered an array of broad policy goals and commitments to address common areas of concern related to the environment with a primary focus on global warming and climate change. Included in the discussion was ways for food and agriculture production systems to set and meet goals for sustainability and climate resiliency. More...Cop28Dubai | Cop28Food&Ag | WSJ
ARKANSAS AG UPDATE
Ag Council Annual Meeting Set for December 14-15: The Ag Council of Arkansas will hold its annual board of directors meeting in Little Rock on December 14-15 at the Capital Hotel. The meeting will include a business session of the board of directors on Thursday and a general session featuring guest speakers on relevant topics on Friday. The traditional welcome reception and presidents' dinner will be held Thursday following the business session. Sponsorship opportunities are available. More...Meeting Info
Arkansas Farm Bureau Elects New President: Following the Arkansas Farm Bureau annual convention last week, the organization announced the election of Dan Wright, a poultry farmer from Waldron, to serve as the 12th president of the organization. Wright follows Rich Hillman of Carlisle who announced his plans to step down earlier this year following a four years of service as president. Mike Freeze of Keo was re-elected as vice president, and Terry Dabbs was elected to serve as secretary/treasurer. The organization also announced that it authorized the establishment of a Political Action Committee (PAC) to advance the interests of the organization. More...ArkansasFarmBureau News Release | TalkBusiness
Governor Makes Appointments to Commodity Boards: On November 20th Governor Sarah Sanders announced several appointments to various agricultural commodity boards. Included in the list of boards were the corn and grain sorghum research and promotion board, the rice research and promotion board, and the soybean research and promotion board. Several members of the Ag Council were named as appointees. More...SHS Announcement
Governor Recognizes New Class of Century Farms: On November 27th Governor Sarah Sanders announced the induction of a new class of Arkansas Century Farms, which are farming operations of 10 acres or more that have been held within a family for over 100 years. The Arkansas Department of Agriculture established the program in 2012 to highlight the contributions of these families to the agriculture industry as well as the state. More...About the Century Farm Program | 2023 Class | ArkansasOnline
State Revenues Continue to Show Strength and Resilience: The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration released its November revenue numbers on Monday, December 4th, which showed positive revenue numbers for the state. Net monthly revenue remains in excess of last year, and in excess of projections. However, fiscal year-to-date revenue collections are slightly lower than the same time period a year ago but still in excess of forecast. More...ArkansasBusiness | TalkBusiness
UofA Division of Ag Winter Production Meetings on Horizon: The University of Arkansas System's Division of Agriculture recently announced its dates and locations for upcoming annual Winter Production Meetings. The meetings will be held in January and February across much of Arkansas. The meetings provide an opportunity for producers and consultants to interface with researchers to share the latest information on various commodities grown in Arkansas. More..UADA Announcement
Arkansas Crop Management Conference Set for January 16-18: The Arkansas Crop Management Conference (ACMC) is January 16-18, 2024 at the Wyndham Riverfront Hotel in North Little Rock, AR. The conference begins at 9:00 am on January 16 and ends at noon on January 18. More...ACPA Website | Registration Form |
Arkansas Grown Conference Set for January 25-27: The Arkansas Department of Agriculture will hold its second annual Arkansas Grown & Arkansas Made conference in Hot Springs January 25-27. The event, which is a collaborative effort with a range of partner organizations, aims to provide information sessions and networking opportunities for individuals and businesses involved in the production of agriculture and food related products for local food systems. More...Arkansas Grown Conference Info | Registration Link
National Cotton & Rice Conference Set for Jonesboro January 30-31: The 27th annual National Conservation Systems Cotton and Rice Conference will be held in Jonesboro, Arkansas, January 30-31. The event, which draws attendees from multiple states offers a range of information related to production agriculture for various commodities grown in the region. More...Meeting Info | Schedule of Events
Arkansas Rice Annual Meeting Set for Jonesboro February 1: Arkansas Rice will hold its annual meeting in Jonesboro on February 1st. The meeting will provide opportunities to network, gain information related to the rice industry, and engage with the business activities of the state's leading rice industry organization. More...Meeting Info | Registration Link | Sponsorship Link
Arkansas Soybean Association Annual Meeting Set for Stuttgart February 8: Arkansas Soybean Association will hold its next annual meeting February 8th at the Grand Prairie Center in Stuttgart. The meeting will provide opportunities to network, gain information related to the soybean industry, and engage with the business activities of the state soybean industry organization. More...Meeting Info
Farmers Encouraged to Use FireSmart App for Crop Residue Burns: Arkansas farmers are encouraged to download and utilize the new FireSmart App to help farmers comply with voluntary smoke management guidelines prior to conducting crop residue field burning following harvest. The smart phone application is aimed at helping farmers check conditions and report prescribed burns to ensure minimal impact when conducting this important practice. More...FireSmartApp | Voluntary Smoke Management Guidelines
Members Encouraged to Apply for Service on State Boards and Commissions: We strongly encourage Ag Council members to apply for public service on various agriculture related state boards and commissions which serve important roles for our industry. We stand ready to help our members navigate the application and appointment process. More...https://agcouncil.net/services/leadership/ | Application Portal | Office of Governor Homepage
Additional Arkansas Ag Resources:
USDA Daily Arkansas Grain Bids
Arkansas Department of Ag Calendar
Ag Council Leadership Opportunities
Apply for Service on State Boards & Commissions
USDA NRCS Arkansas Offices
USDA County Cash Rent Estimates
Arkansas Crops Update
UADA Crop Budgets
Arkansas Row Crop Risk Management
Pine Tree Discoloration & Mortality Reporting
Feral Hog Task Force
2023 Arkansas Grown Publication
Digital Edition of Delta Farm Press
Arkansas Crop Management Conference Jan. 16-18
ArkansasGrown Expo Jan.25-27
Arkansas Soil & Water Education Conference Jan. 29
Cotton and Rice Conference Jan. 30-31
Arkansas Rice Annual Meeting Feb. 1
ASU Agri-Business Conference Set for February 7
Arkansas Soybean Association Annual Meeting Feb. 8
ECONOMIC & INDUSTRY NEWS
USDA Report Projects Decline in Net Farm Income: According to a new farm income forecast issued by USDA, net farm income, a broad measure of profits, is forecast at $151.1 billion in calendar year 2023, a decrease of $31.8 billion (17.4 percent) relative to 2022 in nominal (not adjusted for inflation) dollars. After adjusting for inflation, net farm income is forecast to decrease $37.9 billion (20.0 percent) in 2023 relative to 2022. More...USDA Report | USDA Ag Prices Report | Agri-Pulse
USDA-NIFA Report: Value of Cover Crops Survey | Survey Results
Ag Exports Report: USDA ERS Ag Exports
DTN Market Insights: Commodity Market Info
Arkansas Economic Profile: 2023 Pocket Facts - News | USDA Arkansas Ag Economic Overview | Arkansas Ag Census Data | Arkansas Historical Data | Arkansas Farms & Land Report | Arkansas Land Values & Cash Rent Report
Arkansas Farm Labor Report
UofA Crop Updates | UofA Land Grant Research & Extension Service Video
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