Wednesday, April 6, 2022
CA Women for Ag
The Federal Weekly Report
NATIONAL MALL SHOWCASES MODERN FARM IMPLEMENTS FOR NATIONAL AG DAY
Agri-Pulse writes that equipment companies and industry groups rolled in equipment and set up tents for the Celebration of Modern Agriculture on Monday and Tuesday, an event sponsored by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers that was held on the National Mall. With Capitol Hill and the Washington Monument in the background, members of Congress, government officials, and roughly 16,000 visitors wandered the booths as they talked to vendors and learned about high-tech farm equipment.
Among the technology up for display was an X9 combine from John Deere, which the company had to ship to a local dealer and then move through the city from there, according to Chad Passman, the public and industry relations manager for North American agriculture at John Deere.
Clean Fuels Alliance America, a group advocating for expansion in the biodiesel, renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel industries, displayed sanitation trucks that ran on 100% biodiesel. The trucks are part of the larger District of Columbia municipal fleet.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, and industry leaders all toured the exhibits.
SENATE AG LEADERS SET FARM BILL TIMELINE
Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Ranking Member John Boozman (R-AR), both told The Hagstrom Report that their plans are to write a new farm bill in 2023.
The current farm bill expires Sept. 30, 2023. There have been rumors that Republicans don’t want to write a new farm bill until after the 2024 presidential election.
But Stabenow said after a hearing that the committee is still on track to write the bill in 2023. Stabenow noted that there will be field hearings in her home state of Michigan and in Boozman’s home state of Arkansas in the next few months, and after that there will be title-by-title hearings on the bill.
SCOTT SUMMONS MEATPACKING CEOS FOR HOUSE AG HEARING
House Ag Committee Chair David Scott (D-GA) announced Monday the plans for an April 27 hearing in a statement. He then clarified at the Agri-Pulse Ag and Food Policy Summit that the hearing would include the CEOs of the so-called “big four” meatpackers, if they accept the committee’s invitation.
Rep. Glenn Thompson, the committee’s ranking member, expressed some frustration over the hearing and the “direction” of the committee.
“If there has been manipulation or wrongdoing by packers, then the law needs to be enforced under the existing authorities at both USDA and DOJ,” Thompson (R-PA) said in a statement. “Unfortunately, this hearing — scheduled with zero input from Republicans — has the appearance of a political charade designed to further this Administration’s narrative of blaming industry executives, instead of the Democratic party’s own reckless spending, for skyrocketing inflation.”
Julie Anna Potts, president and CEO of the North American Meat Institute, pointed to hearings on the subject that have already taken place – two in House Ag and additional oversight by the House Judiciary and Senate Judiciary and Agriculture committees – and said the group would offer familiar thoughts at the upcoming hearing.
“The Meat Institute and its members have already made themselves available to Chairman Scott and all Members of Congress on several occasions to help improve the understanding of the beef markets,” she said. “This hearing will be no different. The questions have been asked and answered.”
UKRAINE: RUSSIA’S ATTACK ON AG SECTOR IS DEVASTATING
Agri-Pulse reports that Ukraine used a special session of the World Trade Organization’s agriculture committee to charge that Russia is targeting Ukraine’s ability to feed both its own people as well those in countries that rely on its ag exports.
“Ukraine accused Russia of continual bombardment of critical infrastructure, major ports, grain storage facilities and agricultural land and equipment,” a Geneva trade official said Tuesday.
“Information gathered by Ukraine showed that Russia stole and blockaded cargo ships with grains from Ukraine ports and prevented humanitarian aid passing through and delivering food aid to people close to starvation.”
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization launched a Ukraine crisis webpage to integrate up-todate information on the situation with FAO’s response. The page includes a visualization of Ukraine’s crop calendar accompanied by a timeline of FAO’s emergency response and articles about the impact of the war on global food security.
Source: California Women for Agriculture
