AG COUNCIL NEWS & INFORMATION BRIEF
NOVEMBER 14, 2023
WASHINGTON AG UPDATE
House & Senate Ag Committee Leaders Agree to Farm Bill Extension: Republican and Democratic leaders of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees have reached an agreement to adopt an extension of the current farm bill for the 2024 crop year to provide greater certainty to American farmers. The hope is to attach such legislation to the next fiscal year spending measure to be considered by Congress. The committee leaders remain committed to their work in drafting a full five-year reauthorization measure with hopes of advancing the measure next year. More...AgWeb | Agri-Pulse | DTNPF | FarmJournal | Agri-Pulse Newsmakers Podcast | Brownfield Ag News | Joint Statement
Appropriations Deadline This Week: The fiscal year 2024 continuing resolution (CR), which provides funds for federal government operations, is set to expire at the end of this week. In order to avoid a government shutdown, the House and Senate must reach an agreement to further extend the CR to a later date that could allow more time to negotiate spending levels and priorities for the fiscal year, which began October 1. In addition to spending measures, congress also needs to consider extraneous matters, such as the farm bill, before the end of the year. More...Politico | CNN | DTNPF
Biden to Meet Xi in California: On Wednesday, November 15, President Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping will meet in California to discuss a range of issues related to the relationship between the two nations. The two are expected to discuss global security, international economic competition, rules, standards, and expections on trade and environmental policy, and other matters of strategic importance. The meeting will take place during a multi-national Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference. More...AP | Reuters | NYT | WSJ
Congressional Group Releases H-2A Report: A bipartisan Agricultural Labor Working Group established by House Agriculture Committee leaders in June recently released an interim report related to its ongoing effort to study how agriculture workforce challenges, especially as they relate to the H-2A visa program, which is vitaly important to Arkansas agriculture. Arkansas First District Congressman Rick Crawford was charged with leading the effort on the republican side. In August he held multiple listening sessions with farmers, including members of the Ag Council. Leaders of the study hope the effort leads to policy solutions in the form of legislation and regulatory reforms. More...ArkansasOnline | Interim Report | Agri-Pulse
Senate Ag Committee Holds Hearing on Artificial Intelligence: On Tuesday, November 14, the Senate Agriculture Committee held a hearing focused on agriculture technology and artificial intelligence and its growing role in advancing agriculture. The hearing focused on a range of technologies that are currently in use or in development. With advancements in computing systems and the convergence of a multitude of new farm system technologies at all levels of agriculture, the industry is entering a significant transformation led by technology advancements. More...Hearing Info | Boozman Statement
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
Syngenta Pays $280,000 Penalty for Foreign Ownership Compliance: On Thursday, November 9, Governor Sanders and Attorney General Griffin announced that Syngenta Seeds LLC delivered payment on a $280,000 fine to the state of Arkansas for failing to report the Chinese government ownership stake in the company's 160 acre research farm in Craighead County. The penalty and a recent announcement to force the sale of the property were a result of recent laws adopted by the General Assembly that were aimed at limiting foreign ownership of farmland in Arkansas from certain nations. It's not clear how the funds collected will be utilized. More...ArkansasOnline | ArkansasBusiness | Governer on X | AG on X
Arkansas Group Proposes Tax Increases on Ag: An Arkansas group aiming to drive the elimination of state income taxes released a plan on November 10th calling for new tax increases on farmers and the elimination of commodity check-off programs. The group, Opportunity Arkansas, suggests the elimination of all sales and use tax exemptions for agricultural inputs, which would amount to a massive tax increase on Arkansas's leading economic driver. The group also calls for the elimination of commodity check-off programs, which are funded through assessments collected from the row crop industry at the first point of sale to support commodity research and the promotion of Arkansas grown commodities. It appears the group would like for the collections to continue and be utilized to cover revenue losses from income tax cuts. More...About Opportunity Arkansas | Opportunity Arkansas Plan | Ag Council Response to the Proposal
UofA Division of Ag Announces Winter Production Meeting Dates: 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
AGFC Announces Substantial Gains in WRICE Hunting Opportunities as Season Begins: The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) recently announced that the Waterfowl Rice Incentive Conservation Enhancement (WRICE) program grew once again this year to include 78 grants to Arkansas farmers who participate in the program. The program incentivizes private landowners to conduct certain habitat practices and make parts of their lands accessible to public hunting through a permit process. Opening day for duck hunting begins November 18. More...AGFC Release | Info on WRICE
USDA Accepting 2024 Applications for EQIP & CSP Until December 8: Farmers and landowners in Arkansas have until December 8, 2023, to submit applications to receive financial assistance to implement conservation activities through the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) for the 2024 program year. Applicants can sign up at their local United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Field Service Center. More...USDA NRCS AR Announcement
USDA Accepting 2024 Applications for ACEP Until November 30: Farmers and landowners in Arkansas have until November 30, 2023, to submit applications to receive financial assistance to restore and protect critical wetlands and protect agricultural lands and grasslands through the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) for Wetlands Reserve Easements (WRE) and Agricultural Land Easements (ALE) programs. There will be a second cutoff date of February 29, 2024, also for funding consideration for Fiscal Year 2024. More...USDA NRCS AR Announcement
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
ArkansasGrown Expo Jan.25-27
ECONOMIC & INDUSTRY NEWS
November 13 Crop Progress Report: On Monday, November 13th, USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) issued a Crop Progress Report for Arkansas showing Arkansas farmers near the end of its harvest with 98 percent of soybeans harvested, 98 percent of cotton harvested and 98 percent of peanuts harvested. More... Arkansas Report | US Report
November Crop Production Report: On Thursday, November 9th, USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) issued its November Crop Production Reports for the U.S. and Arkansas. For Arkansas, the report estimated high yields for most crops with corn at 180 bu/acre, cotton at 1,236 lb/acre, peanuts at 5,000 lb/acre, rice at 7,550 lb/acre, and soybeans at 53 bu/acre. More... Arkansas Report | US Report
November WASDE: USDA released its latest World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimate (WASDE) report November 9th. The report provides the latest economic estimates for world supply and demand related to most major agricultural commodities. More...November WASDE | WASDE Visualization | Secretary WASDE Briefing
November Cotton Ginnings Report: On Thursday, November 9th, USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) issued its November Cotton Ginnings Report. The report estimated that Arkansas would gin 616,000 bales, which exceeds totals from each of the three previous years and indicates an early finish to the ginning season in the state. More...US Report
Cotton Board Appointments Announced: On November 7, USDA announced its appointments to the Cotton Board. Pace Hindsley of Marvell was reappointed as was his alternate Rafe Banks of Clarkedale. Both Hindsley and Banks also serve on the board of directors to the Ag Council of Arkansas. More...Cotton Board Announcement
DTN Market Insights: Commodity Market Info
Other Ag Headlines: Syngenta & Corteva Report Lower Sales | Bayer Considering Standalone Ag Business | Mosaic Sees High Demand & Tight Supplies | New Holland Rolls Out New Combine | Ag Lenders See Choppy Waters Ahead | China Makes Large Soybean Purchase | Farm Bureau Analysis of USDA's ERP Funding
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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