AG COUNCIL NEWS & INFORMATION BRIEF
November 25, 2024
WASHINGTON AG UPDATE
Trump Names Brooke Rollins as Secretary of Agriculture: On Saturday, November 23, President-elect Donald J. Trump announced that he has nominated Brooke Rollins of Glen Rose, TX, to serve as Secretary of Agriculture. Rollins. Rollins will come to the post with experience working with President-elect Trump having served as a policy advisor during the first Trump administration, and more recently as president and CEO of the America First Policy Group, which set much of the policty agenda for the Trump campaign. Rollins, who is 52 years old, graduated from Texas A&M University with an undergraduate degree in agricultural development, which was followed with a law degree from the University of Texas. She will be the second woman to serve as Secretary of Agriculture if approved by the U.S. Senate. More...DTNPF | ProFarmer | AP News | SuccessfulFarming | Agri-Pulse
Congressional Deadlines Coming Soon: With a quickly approaching deadline of December 20th, the 118th Congress has a limited amount of time remaining to address a range of lingering issues that are viewed as critical for the United States. Included in the list of things, beyond the direct spending for government operations past December 20th, are a number of things related to agriculture. Included in that list are how to deal with an expired farm bill, how to provide economic assistance for farmers struggling with an insufficient farm bill safety net, and what levels of disaster assistance are needed to respond to damages caused by hurricanes, drought, and other natural disasters. Challenging weather, high input costs, elevated interest costs, and deeply depressed commodity futures markets and poor local cash markets as combined factors are crushing farmers. The U.S. farm economy is in dire straights, and finding credit to operate in the coming 2025 crop year will be extremely difficult without economic assistance, disaster assistance, and a functional farm bill. More...Agri-Pulse | DTNPF | AgWeb | Agri-Pulse Audio | ProFarmer
Senate Appropriations Committee Holds Hearing on Disaster Funding Needs: On Wednesday, November 20, the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee held a hearing to consider emergency spending needs facing the United States. During the hearing, Senator Boozman pressed USDA Deputy Secretary on the importance of providing economic relief to farmers to help them through the current economic challenges they face, particularly due to inflation and depressed commodity markets. Assistance for American farmers was a key focal point of the hearing as many Senators spoke about challenges facing the agriculture sector in their states. More...Video of Hearing | Video of Senator Boozman | Brownfield AgNews | Agri-Pulse | Agri-Pulse Audio
Stabenow Introduces Farm Bill Legislative Text: On Monday, November 18th, U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) released text of a farm bill proposal. The proposal was largely panned as being filed too late, insufficient in regards to economic assistance and enhancements to farm safety net programs, and too partisan for passage. Senator Stabenow is scheduled to retire from the Senate at the end of the 118th Congress. More...Stabenow Press Release | Bill Text | Bill Summary | Brownfield AgNews | ArkansasOnline | Agri-Pulse Audio
Trump Rolling Out Nominations for Appointments: President-elect Donald J. Trump and his transition team have steadlily progressed in naming certain key appointments for administrative positions, including cabinet secretaries and deputy secretaries. It's expected that the Senate will spend considerable time in the early weeks of the 119th Congress reviewing and approving cabinet candidates and other presidential appointees. Members of the 119th Congress will be sworn in on January 3rd, and President Trump will take his oath and assume the offiice of the presidency on January 20th. In addition to considering appointees in the early days, the incoming administration is expected to take a series of actions through executive orders to direct various agencies to begin work on policy priorities of the administration. More...Politico Trump Transition 2025 | CNN Transition Page | PunchbowlNews |
Trump Administration Allies Outline Plans to Downsize Government with DOGE: A major focal point of the incoming Trump Administration will be on downsizing the federal government bureacracy through deregulation and workforce reductions. An initiative, known as the Department of Government Efficiency or DOGE, will be led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. They will serve as outside policy advisors and consultants that will drive administrative policies that will result in reductions in regulations, downsizing of federal workforce, and trimmings of government agencies and agency activities. They intend to lean heavily on recent rulings of the Supreme Court of the United States, existing authorities vested in the office of the presidency, a favorable supreme court, and majorities in Congress. Administrative changes towards these goals are expected to be swift and sweeping with many occuring through executive orders. More...WSJ Opinion PIece by Musk & Ramaswamy | Forbes | WashingtonPost
Biden Addresses Climate Concerns in Amazon Rainforest: During a recent visit to Brazil, which represented the first visit to the Amazon Rainforest by a sitting U.S. President, President Biden announced plans to expand upon efforts to preserve and protect rainforests. The president provided a speech from the rainforest where he outlined the various investments towards reforestation and limitation of further deforestation. In recent years, Brazil has allowed for destruction of vast areas of forest and natural areas in favor of crop production, leading to environmental concerns and other consequences to the global economy. More...WhiteHouse | Video | ArkansasOnline
UN Climate Meeting (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan, Sets New Climate Financing Goal: The United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNCCC) Conference of the Parties (COP), held its most recent annual summit in Baku Azerbaijan last week. The conference brought several nations and business and industry leaders together to discuss ideas and policies for addressing concerns related to climate and environment. As with most COP summits, agriculture was a component and area of discussion for attendees. The final agreement included a commitment of $300 billion to help developing nations address climate concerns. More...COP29 Homepage | UN Climate Change | UADA Presentation at COP29 | Negotiated Texts from COP29 | ArkansasOnline | WSJ
White House Calls for Emergency Spending for Disasters: On November 18, President Biden issued a letter to Congress calling for $100 billion in supplemental disaster aid spending to help with a wide range of natural disasters across the United States including hurricanes, tornados, drought, floods and wildfires. Included in his recommendation was $24 billion for farmers affected by natural disasters. His proposal did not directly call for economic assistance for farmers struggling with inflation and depressed commodity prices. More...DTNPF | WhiteHouse | APNews |Reuters
Brazil and China Announce Strategic Partnership: On Wednesday, November 20th, China and Brazil announced several points of agreement and cooperation between the two nations. Among the agreements were mutually beneficial activities related to food and agriculture production and trade. The agreements were reached during a state visit from President Xi to Brazil. The agreements deepen the cooperation among the two nations and the broader multi-national BRICS coalition, which is comprised of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. More...Agri-Pulse | AgWeb | Reuters | AP | List of Agreement Points | Overview from China | Agri-Pulse Audio
Other News & Info from Washington:
Ag Groups Fight Liability Risks from PFAs
ARKANSAS AG UPDATE
Arkansas General Assembly Continues Preparations for Upcoming Legislative Session: The Arkansas General Assembly continues to prepare for their upcoming legislative session, which will begin January 13th. In recent days, members of the House and Senate established leadership positions and committee assingments, and the window for bill filing opened. In addition, Governor Sanders introduced a balanced budget proposal for consideration during the legislative session. More...House Committee Assignments | Senate Committee Assignments
Governor Unveils Balanced Budget Proposal for Legislative Consideration: As Governor Sarah Sanders and members of the Arkansas General Assembly gear up for the upcoming legislative session that will begin in January, the budget takes center stage. Governor Sanders unveiled her proposed general revenue balanced budget for fiscal year 2026 on November 21st. The legislative session will begin January 13th and last up to 90 days. More...Governor's Address | Video | ArkansasOnline | AP | TalkBusiness |
UofA Announces New Hire for System President: The University of Arkansas Board of Trustees announced that it has settled on a new hire to serve as president of the the University System. Jay B. Silveria was named as the incoming president, and he will replace John Bobbitt, who announced his plans to retire earlier this year. Silveria will begin serving January 15, 2025, under a 5 year agreement. He brings a lengthy record of public service that extends from service in the U.S. Air Force, University President at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Associate Vice President and COO of Texas A&M University, Washington, D.C., and Executive Director of the Bush School of Government and Public Service. More...UofA System Announcement | ArkansasOnline | ArkansasOnline II
New Conservation Funding Opportunities for 4 Arkansas Counties Through Rice RCPP: On November 18, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced that farmers and landowners in four Arkansas counties have until Dec 20, 2024, to submit applications to receive assistance to implement conservation activities. The project will be offering financial. More...NRCS Announcement | JonesboroSun |
HIRED Grants Announced as New State Effort to Better Develop Workforce: On November 15, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced that she was awarding $48 million in training grants to support workforce development efforts aligned with the Arkansas Workforce Strategy. A portion of the funding will go towards precision ag initiatives, and other funds will go to support other technical labor skills required in a variety of industry segments, including agriculture. More...Governor's Announcement | TalkBusiness | ArkansasOnline
Amanda Mathis Named USDA NRCS State Conservationist for Arkansas: On November 189th, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced that it has named Amanda Mathis to serve as State Conservationist in Arkansas. Mathis has served as deputy state conservationist for Arkansas since 2015, and she's served as acting State Conservationist in multiple states. She offers a deep understanding of NRCS programs, employees, and farmer customers. She's expected to transition into the new post with ease beginning December 29. More...USDA NRCS Announcement
UofA Winter Production Meetings Set for 2025: The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture (UADA) recently announced that it would begin holding annual winter production meetings beginning in January. The meetings, which are open to the public, offer producers, consultants and other agriculture professionals, an opportunity to gain the latest knowledge and information from researchers. The meetings are held between harvest and planting to offer producers an opportunity to engage with land-grant extension and research personnel to discuss their latest findings and best practices in hopes of improving the following year’s crop. More...UADA Announcement | Winter Production Meeting Date Schedule
Upcoming Meetings and Events:
Arkansas Farm Bureau Convention Hot Springs December 4-6
USA Rice Outlook Conference in Little Rock December 8-10 | Register
Cotton Board/Cotton Inc Joint Meeting San Diego December 10-12
Ag Council Annual Board of Directors Meeting December 12-13, Little Rock (RSVP)
Arkansas Grown Conference January 30-February 1, Hot Springs
Mid-South Farm & Gin Show February 28-March 1 Memphis
Arkansas Soil & Water Conference January 29 Jonesboro
Beltwide Cotton Conference January 14-16 New Orleans
Arkansas Crop Management Conference January 21-23
Cotton & Rice Conference January 27-28 Memphis
ASU AgriBusiness Conference February 12 Jonesboro
National Cotton Council Annual Meeting February 14-16 Dallas
Arkansas Rice Annual Meeting February 25 Stuttgart
UofA Winter Production Meetings Jan-Feb
Arkansas Association of Conservation Districts Annual Meeting March 13-14 North Little Rock
Other Arkansas News & Info Links:
Legislation Filed to Create New Regulations and Penalties for Crop Residue Burning
Arkansas Game & Fish Commission Director Austin Booth Resigns
Governor Announces $204 Million for Water Projects
Arkansas River Barge Traffic Up
PSC Approves 23% Rate Increase for Summit Utilities
PSC Considering Rate Increase by Entergy
UofA 2025 Crop Enterprise Budgets Now Available
Geospatial mapping study shows drought trend in ag-dominated Arkansas Delta
Additional Arkansas Ag Resources:
USDA Daily Arkansas Grain Bids
Arkansas Vegetative Drought Geospatial Maps
DeltaPlastics Push4Pickup App
Crop Residue Field Burning Smoke Management FIRESMART App
Arkansas Farm Bueau AgCast Podcast
USDA AMS Service Rates
Arkansas Department of Ag Calendar
Ag Council Leadership Opportunities
Apply for Service on State Boards & Commissions
USDA NRCS Arkansas Offices
USDA Land Value & Cash Rent Estimates
Arkansas Crops Update
UADA Crop Budgets (2025)
UADA Verification Information
Arkansas Rice Research Studies Report for 2023
Arkansas Row Crop Risk Management
Pine Tree Discoloration & Mortality Reporting
Feral Hog Task Force
Arkansas Voluntary Smoke Management Guidelines
Digital Edition of Delta Farm Press
H-2A Guidebook by Congressman Crawford
Enrollment Link: U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol
Climate Smart Grant Opportunities Dashboard
ECONOMIC & INDUSTRY NEWS
November 18 Crop Progress & Condition Report: On November 18, USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) issued an updated Crop Progress and Condition Report. According to the report, Arkansas was almost complete with harvest lacking just 10 percent of the peanut crop and 1 percent of cotton and soybeans. Winter wheat was estimated to be 88 percent planted. More...U.S. Report | Arkansas Report
November USDA WASDE Report: On November 8, USDA issued a World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimate (WASDE) Report and Crop Production Report. The reports showcase supply and demand estimates for major crops and include anticipated production for the 2024 crop year. The data produced in the August report furthered the expectation of a large yield across the United States for most commodities. More...WASDE Report | Secretary Briefing (slides | video) | Visual Summary | U.S. Crop Production Report | Arkansas Crop Production Report | ProFarmer Analysis
Other Market News & Info:
The Cotton Haul of Fame: BASF opens enrollment for exclusive One Ton Club and truck lease sweepstakes for 20th year
November 23 ProFarmer Newsletter
Deere Sales Down Substantially
Court Rules Treated Seeds Don't Require Separate Registration
Other USDA Reports:
- Farm Labor
- Cotton System
- Fats & Oils
- Flour Milling
- Grain Crushings
- Cotton Ginnings
- Peanut Prices
Other links of Interest:
USDA Daily Arkansas Grain Bids
Arkansas Rice Update from UADA
Morning Coffee & Ag Markets Podcast from UADA Economists
NCC Cotton Economic Review for November
DTN Commodity Market Insights
Nutrien Ag Solutions Weather Reports
UADA Fundamentals of Federal Crop Insurance
FarmJournal ProFarmer Newsletter
Cotton Inc Monthly Economic Newsletter
Cotton Inc 2024 Mid-Year Report to USDA
USA Rice Daily
RiceStuff Podcast Homepage
Entergy Agri Desk
Jarrod Hardke's Arkansas Rice Report
Arkansas-Crops Blog
UADA Ag News Blog
USDA County Cash Rent Estimates
Arkansas Economic Profile: 2024 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
Contribute to our PAC! (Donor Form)
Contribute to our Presidents' Scholarship! (Donor Form)
Newsletter Sign-up Link: https://agcouncil.net/newsletter/