Senate Agriculture Speaker Debbie Stabenow said she continues to work to secure increased funding for conservation programs included in an upcoming climate infrastructure package. But the committee’s senior Republican, John Boozman of Arkansas, opposes including the funding in a reconciliation bill without a GOP contribution.

Stabenow and Boozman both weighed in on the issue in a joint informal appearance with reporters after a committee hearing on Thursday.

“I hope we don’t rewrite the next farm bill through reconciliation,” Boozman said. Stabenow responded with assurances that the Farm Bill 2023 would be drafted by the committee.

But Boozman persisted, making it clear that he was still concerned that the spending provisions could shape the structure of the next Farm Bill. “Massive changes in Farm Bill policy don’t need to happen through reconciliation without input from Republicans… and really very little input from Democrats.

Take note: The USDA on Thursday released a strategy to advance “climate-smart” agriculture that relies heavily on using existing programs and policies to help farmers adopt new conservation practices.

Stabenow: livestock market price issues are ‘complicated’

Stabenow says livestock groups and processors must come together on a solution to address the wide profit margins between live cattle prices and canned beef cuts before holding a hearing on the matter.

“The challenge is that I don’t think there is a consensus around the solution, but certainly (these are) really important questions,” she said, when asked when a hearing on transparency of market prices for livestock as well as mandatory reporting of livestock prices could take place. The law authorizing the declaration of the cattle market expires in September.

Keep in mind: In a recent closed-door meeting, producer groups agreed on some action to be taken regarding livestock prices. These included the renewal of the Reporting Act, as well as equal treatment for forms and cash transactions, and the development of new processing capabilities.

Vilsack accuses 30×30 reviews of creepy tactics

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack doesn’t mince words when asked about persistent claims the administration is trying to remove 30% of U.S. farmland from production through its 30×30 initiative.

Republicans in the House and Senate have introduced legislation to block the “America the Beautiful” plan, which aims to strengthen voluntary farm conservation programs to meet its goal of conserving 30% of the country’s land and water by 2030. North Dakota Senator Kevin Cramer said the administration “paves the way for another federal government land grab”.

“We have stated many times, very clearly, what it is and what it is not,” Vilsack said. Agri-Pulse. The administration’s initial plan for what is also known as the 30×30 initiative says, “We honor and respect private property rights,” Vilsack said, and asked, “Does this sound like a land grab? ”

Critics of the GOP “just want to scare people. … People want us to work together. And there’s nothing in this report that isn’t about a farmer or a rancher, because it really says, “Damn, we’re doing good things. We need to do more, ”he said.

US ships over 1 million tonnes of corn to China in second week of May

China recently bought a lot of US corn for delivery during MY 2021-2022, but physical shipments of 2020-2021 corn are also going to Chinese ports, according to the latest weekly USDA trade data. The United States shipped 1,009,700 metric tonnes of US corn to China during the seven-day period of May 7 to 13, according to a report released Thursday.

These shipments helped push the second week of May to a marketing year high of over 2.2 million tonnes for total US corn exports to all destinations.

But China also continues to engage in new purchases of new crop corn. On Thursday alone, the USDA announced a new export sale of US corn to China for delivery in 2021-2022. This was 1.224 million tonnes and brings the total Chinese purchases of new crop corn from the United States to 10.744 million tonnes.

Take note: The USDA made a major error on the amount of an export sale – and subsequent shipment – of American beef to the Netherlands. The United States sold and then shipped around 34 metric tonnes of beef to Dutch buyers during the May 7-13 period – not 33,700 tonnes as was wrongly reported.

CP calls for rival KC Southern proposal

Canadian Pacific Railway is asking the Kansas City Southern board of directors to reject a recent Canadian National Railways acquisition proposal, citing Department of Justice concerns.

In one letter On Thursday at KCS, Keith Creel, President and CEO of CP, said his company believes that “KCS’s board of directors has a clear path to conclude that the level of risk surrounding a CN-KCS transaction and the CN’s ability to enter a (a) vote confidence is too high. “

Take note: Monday, the Surface Transport Office decided they would apply stricter exam rules to CNCP merger proposal. DOJ filed comments with the STB last Friday, saying CN’s proposal raises “sufficient competition concerns.”

CP declined to increase its $ 25 billion offer to KCS. CN offered $ 33.6 billion.

Foresters share concerns over tax increases with Senate

Some forest owners told the Senate Agriculture Committee on Thursday that the Biden administration’s tax proposals could be devastating to their operations. The president wants to tax capital gains on death. Taxes on farms and other family businesses would be deferred as long as they remained in business, and heirs would lose their strengthened base.

“Either the lumber will not be cut so that it doesn’t have the tax applied, or it will be cut very quickly before the tax is increased,” Joe Fox, president of the National Association of State Foresters, told the committee. .

Stabenow told reporters after the hearing that there was “a lot of support from us” to protect farms and family businesses from the tax.

He said it. “It’s their 401k, it’s their retirement plan, it’s all of their savings. The idea that they’re going to be taxed at a much higher rate… just isn’t right. – John Boozman, Senate Ag Ranking Member, R-Ark., On the impact on farms of the taxation of capital gains on death. The administration’s plan would defer tax liability as long as the farm remains in operation.

Questions? Advice? Contact Philip Brasher at [email protected]