AG COUNCIL NEWS & INFORMATION BRIEF
OCTOBER 4, 2023
WASHINGTON AG UPDATE
Shutdown Avoided for Now: A last minute act by Congress avoided a federal government shutdown with passage of a short term continuing resolution (CR) just before the start of the new fiscal year which began October 1. The CR will allow for the federal government, including USDA, to continue to operate with funding for six weeks through November 17th. The new deadline provides much needed time for both the House and Senate to attempt to pass and agree to new funding levels for the remainder of the 2024 fiscal year. More...RFDTV | ArkansasOnline | Agri-Pulse | AgWeb
Portions of Farm Bill Set to Expire: Portions of the farm billl, including commodity title programs, expired and are currently not in place for the coming crop year. The prospects of a new farm bill hinge on the ability of Congress to reach an agreement on fiscal year 2024 appropriations, which are currently operating on a continuing resolution. If Congress fails to enact a spending package for the new year, it becomes more likely that an extension of current law will be the next best option for the upcoming crop year. More...AgWeb | CRS Report on Expiration
House Dumps McCarthy as Speaker: On Tuesday, October 3rd, a majority of members of the House of Representatives voted to remove Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) from his post as Speaker of the House. The move, spearheaded by a few members of the House Republican Caucus, leaves the House without an elected leader. In the interim, Patrick McHenry (R-NC) will serve as speaker pro-tempore with limited leadership powers. It's not clear what the next steps will be for the House or who will muster the votes required to be elected Speaker. or how one could achieve a majority of votes to be elected. The uncertainty of the leadership of the House is likely to cause even more significant challenges going forward in any legislative activities, including funding the federal government and other traditional legislative activities such as advancing the farm bill. More...ArkansasOnline I | ArkansasOnline II | WashingtonPost | TheHill
Farmers Encouraged to Comment on New Herbicide Strategy Before October 22: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it would extend the comment period 30 days for its proposed strategy on herbicides until October 22. The strategy is part of a larger plan to address recent court rulings related to the EPA’s work to protect federally endangered and threatened (listed) species from conventional agricultural crop protection products. According to the EPA, the strategy describes proposed early mitigations for more than 900 listed species and designated critical habitats to reduce potential impacts from the agricultural use of these herbicides while helping to ensure the continued availability of these important pesticide tools. We encourage farmers to provide comments informing EPA of concerns related to the new proposed rules and guidelines. More...EPA Draft Strategy on Herbicides | Sign Joint Farmer Letter | Submit Individual Comment
Ag Law Center Head Testifies in Senate Ag Committee on Foreign Investment in Agriculture: Harrison Pittman, the director of the National Ag Law Center in Fayetteville, testified before the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee at a hearing considering issues related to foreign ownership of farmland, agribusiness, and critical agriculture infrastructure. The issue has gained interest in Washington and states across the country, including Arkansas, as various risks of such foreign investment have been highlighted in recent years. More...Boozman Press Release | UADA | Video | ArkansasOnline |
Boozman & Crawford Lead Effort to Recognize Rice Stewardship Anniversary: Senator John Boozman and Congressman Rick Crawford joined in leading a join resolution recognizing and supporting the Rice Stewardship Partnership, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. The recognition fell on National Rice Month. The partnership, led primarily by USA Rice and Ducks Unlimited is aimed at providing incentives for rice farmers to improve on farm efficiencies and enhance wildlife habitat. More...Boozman Press Release | USA Rice Stewardship Homepage
ARKANSAS AG UPDATE
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
Arkansas Revenue Dip Less Than Expected: The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) reported its revenue numbers for the end of September. The numbers showed a revenue dip of $60.2 million (7.9%) from 2022, however those numbers did exceed the DFA's forecast by $74.9 million (11.9%). For the first quarter of the 2024 fiscal year, revenues were down 1.1% from the previous year. More...ArkansasBusiness | TalkBusiness | ArkansasOnline | Revenue Report
Governor Announces Appointments: On Monday, October 2nd, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced some appointments for various agriculture related boards, including the Boll Weevil Committee, the Rice Research and Promotion Board, and the Soybean Research and Promotion Board. Additional appointments scheduled for consideration are expected to be announced in the coming days. More...Governor's Announcement
Arkansas Grown Conference Set for January 25-27: The Arkansas Department of Agriculture announced plans to hold its second Arkansas Grown Conference and Expo January 25-27 in Hot Springs. The conference is designed for farmers and producers who grow food for the state’s local food systems. More...Arkansas Dept. of Ag Announcement | Expo Conference & Expo Website
Arkansas Ag Hall of Fame Accepting Nominations for Next Class of Inductees: The Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame recently announced that it is seeking nominations from the public for its next class. The Agriculture Hall of Fame recognizes Arkansans who have contributed significantly to the state’s largest industry while spotlighting their contributions to the state’s economic development. Since its first class was selected in 1987, a total of 176 men and women have been inducted. The nomination deadline is November 1 and the induction ceremony will be held March 1 in Little Rock at the Doubletree Hotel. More...TalkBusiness | Nomination Forms | Ag HOF Website
Abandoned Pesticide Collection Dates and Sites Set for Northeast Arkansas: The Arkansas Department of Agriculture announced that it will hold three fall collections for abandoned pesticides in Northeast Arkansas beginning November 1. Craighead County will hold the first collection on November 1 at Simplot [7997 Hwy 18 Lake City, AR 72437]; Poinsett County will hold the second collection on November 2 at Poinsett County Landfill [751 North East St. Harrisburg, AR 72432]; and Mississippi County will hold the third collection on November 3 at Nutrien Ag [Lost Cane 2096 West State HWY 158 Manila, AR 72442]. Collection hours are from 8am until 1pm. More...About the program | Fall Collection Info | Inventory Form (required)
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
Cotton Council's Don Parker Passed Away After Illness: Don Parker, Vice President of Technical Services for the National Cotton Council, passed away Monday, October 2nd, after battling a brief illness. Don was a valuable and reliable resource for the cotton industry on a range of subject matters affecting the industry. He will be sorely missed by those who knew him and the industry as a whole. A memorial service will be held Friday, October 6, at the First Baptist Church of McLaurin (15 Dixie Street, Hattiesburg, MS, 39401) at 11:00 a.m. Flowers and donations may be sent to the church in his name. Donations may also be sent to the American Cancer Society in his honor.
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
Upcoming Webinars on Conservation Easement Programs: The University of Arkansas and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will host webinars on Thursday, October 5th on two conservation easement programs. The two programs are the Wetland Reserve Easement Program and the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program. The sessions will be held at 9AM and 10AM.
WRE 9:00 a.m. CST - Webinar Registration Link
ACEP at 10:00 a.m. CST - Webinar Registration Link
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
Arkansas State Fair Oct 13-22
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
ECONOMIC & INDUSTRY NEWS
October 2 Crop Progress Report: On Monday, October 2nd, USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) issued a Crop Progress Report for Arkansas showing 68 percent of the cotton crop to be in good to excellent condition, 71 percent of soybeans to be in good to excellent condition, and 73 percent of peanuts to be in good to excellent condition. Harvest was entering the second half of the season in stride with percent of 92 percent of corn harvested, 81 percent of rice harvested, 47 percent of soybeans harvested, 12 percent of cotton harvested, and 3 percent of peanuts harvested. More... Arkansas Report | US Report
Next WASDE Coming October 12: USDA is set to release the next World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimate (WASDE) report October 12. The report provides the latest economic estimates for world supply and demand related to most major agricultural commodities. More...WASDE HomePage
AGCO & Trimble Make Deal on Trimble Ag: On September 28th, AGCO and Trimble announced a joint venture that would sell a majority of Trimble's agriculture division for a cooperative arrangement that both companies hope will help grow their business interests. More...AGCO News Release | Trimble News Release | Reuters | Agri-Pulse | BusinessWire
Other Recent USDA NASS Economic Reports:
October Cotton Systems
Fats and Oilseed Crushings
Grain Crushings
Grain Stocks
Small Grains Annual Summary
Agricultural Prices
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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