Category: Produce

There are many reasons to pass the farm bill this year. Prices for corn, soybeans, and other commodities have fallen well below producers’ break-even point; over 100 million birds – including turkeys, broilers, and layers – have been infected by bird flu since 2022, and net farm income is estimated to fall by $10.2 billion this year alone. 

Inflation also remains a painful tax on our farmers, who already face unnecessary and punitive red tape like WOTUS and looming expirations on important pro-growth tax provisions in 2025. All in all, our farmers and producers need Congress to pass the farm bill as soon as possible to deliver relief and certainty to our agricultural community.

The newest development underscoring the urgent need to pass the farm bill is the Department of Agriculture’s latest Outlook for U.S. Agriculture Trade. According to this report, our agricultural trade deficit is projected to reach nearly $43 billion for fiscal 2025. Soybean and corn exports are estimated to fall by $1.5 billion and $900 million, respectively, while beef exports are expected to drop by $1 billion. 

This projection is far worse than USDA anticipated for even fiscal 2024, when our agricultural trade deficit was approximated to reach $30 billion – which at the time was only the third instance we registered a deficit since 2000.

Thanks to the Biden-Harris administration’s failure to negotiate new trade agreements and hold our trading partners – especially China – accountable for unlawful and unfair tactics, we can expect a fourth year of an agricultural trade deficit.

In May, more than 110 days ago, Republicans on the House Agriculture Committee did our jobs and passed the farm bill with support for four of our Democratic colleagues. In addition to strengthening crop insurance, increasing reference prices, and investing in agriculture education, our farm bill includes measures that can help us close our agricultural trade deficit, open new export markets for American agriculture, and build demand for our commodities.

First, we doubled funding for the Market Access Program  and the Foreign Market Development Program to establish export markets and build higher demand for American agricultural commodities across the world.

These programs – administered through USDA – have the goal of promoting our agricultural products in every corner of the globe so that we can compete with countries like Brazil and Argentina that are filling the vacuum created by the Biden-Harris administration’s total lack of export development and trade policy. Every dollar invested in these initiatives is well worthwhile – helping producers realize $24 in added value for every $1 invested. 

Second, as the result of my travels across Iowa’s 4th District and discussions with producers and agribusinesses, I discovered that a major barrier to opening new export markets is the shelf life of perishable goods. Beef, pork, turkey, chicken, and other products that require cold temperatures to prevent spoiling have a significant disadvantage in global markets.

That’s why I introduced the Fortifying Refrigeration Infrastructure and Developing Global Exports Act  – or the FRIDGE Act for short – which is included in the farm bill.

This legislation would help build refrigeration infrastructure and make port improvements both domestically and internationally to support the global distribution of perishable American meats and other commodities. It would also give our country a leg up on other nations as we look to solidify long-term and profitable growth in the agriculture industry through more trading access points and mutual agreements.

Third, our farm bill invests in preventative and response measures to protect our farmers and producers from foreign animal disease and includes policies to responsibly support trade continuity in the event of an outbreak. This two-fold approach promotes animal health and economic security for our producers.

On the one hand, it reauthorizes the three-legged stool of animal health, which includes the National Animal Health Laboratory Network, the National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program, and the National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures Bank. These programs coordinate response efforts and bring federal, state, and university animal health labs to prevent and detect disease outbreaks.

On the other hand, the farm bill includes legislation that I led – the Safe American Food Exports Act –– to ensure a disease outbreak in one part of the country does not impact an unaffected state’s ability to export agricultural goods. This mechanism guarantees that most agricultural trade can continue uninterrupted and maintain important revenue streams for our farmers.

For more than 110 days, Republicans have pleaded with our Democratic colleagues in the Senate to release the text of their farm bill and work with us to deliver for American agriculture. The USDA’s latest outlook on our agricultural trade deficit should be another wake-up call for lawmakers to put politics aside and pass the farm bill this year. Our farmers and producers are counting on us to do our jobs so that they can continue to do theirs – feed and fuel our country and the world.

Rep. Randy Feenstra represents Iowa’s 4th District and serves on the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Agriculture Committee.

Ten years ago, Nkanyiso Ngubane and Nothando Shangase started Dukathole Farm. In New Hanover, in KwaZulu-Natal, South-Africa, they grow open field and greenhouse vegetables. The agricultural graduates combine food production with educational opportunities, and employments of women and youth.

Nothando was born and raised in deep rural Ndwedwe in the Thafamasi Area. “Farming was a daily life and most families depended on farming for food security. However, as I grew up, I noticed that the agricultural sector was highly dominated by men, more especially in animal production and most families did not treat farming as a business. Even though they had land and the potential to move from subsistence to commercial farming, they lacked knowledge and did not have enough courage to take produce to formal markets. This pushed me to grow my knowledge about the industry where I enrolled for a Diploma in agriculture at Mangosuthu University of Technology, and a BTech Agriculture degree with Tshwane University of Technology, wanting not just to see change but also to be the change.”

The Dukathole business was established in 2014 to meet the growing demand and ongoing need for fresh vegetables. Dukathole aims to develop a high-quality vegetable brand targeting not only South Africa but also a growing business for exports. For Dukathole directors, farming has become their livelihood, and they have experienced both intensive and conventional vegetable growing systems.

Production
Dukathole produces a variety of vegetables both on the open field and in hydroponic tunnels. “Mainly in the open field, we have produced green beans, baby marrows, cabbages, and cauliflower. In the greenhouse, we have produced runner beans and cherry tomatoes, and our main produce has been cucumbers of which we produced 11 200 cucumber sticks per tunnel per season”, says Nothando. Their total acreage is 50 hectare, both including open field and greenhouse production.

Hydroponics
“We initially opted for hydroponic tunnels because of the limited land we had, and we needed a system that would allow us to produce high yields, while also allowing us to utilize vertical space. The other advantages we have experienced include water savings, fertigation being more effective as irrigation is directed straight to the roots, and the system enables us to customize the fertigation programs according to our different crops and their requirements. The growth cycles are also faster than our traditional methods, and product quality is easily maintained.”

Challenges for the two female director
“I would say as growers we face challenges of complying with financial institutions and formal market requirements. The industry is still developing, especially for black growers in South Africa. We find these two aspects challenging and limiting us to maximize our land and to produce up to our full potential”, says Nothando when asked to reflect on the challenges in the industry. She explains that growers, and especially women, are facing another extensive challenge of theft and other security issues. “This has led to additional unforeseen business costs.”

Dukathole Farm has been fully funded by the South African government so far and they are looking forward to this season to grow and comply with private financial institutes to become financially independent. “We have tried to comply before but have not met their requirements yet which has led us to so many delays while teaching us endurance.” She explains there’s not enough assets to be used as collaterals, and the cashflow is not constant due to limited land. After terminating their lease contract on a previous site, the team is currently in the process of relocating one of their greenhouses.

Nothando explains that they have recently already moved their business to a new site and are looking forward to introducing grain production in the open field as part of their agriculture. They will have dry beans for the first time this season, and they “cannot wait to learn and grow, and we are thrilled to see ourselves entering new doors to complete what we have to offer”.

Labor
The Dukathole Farm employs residents, more especially women and youth. As a small business cannot afford minimal wages for all their workers, they reduce the working hours to comply with the South African Labour Act. “As we are professionally trained managers of the farm, we also empower the women we employ by training them in our ways of cultivation. We believe this is the best sustainable way.”

For more information:
Dukathole Farm
Nothando Shangase
Email: [email protected]

House Republicans will force a vote this week on EPA’s new tailpipe emission standards that critics say amount to a mandate for electric vehicles. Meanwhile, some staff-level talks continue on a possible new farm bill amid a continued sharp divide over how to fund it.

The House is scheduled to consider a Congressional Review Act resolution this week that would kill the EPA’s new emission standards for light-duty and medium-duty vehicles. The ethanol industry opposes the standards because of the impact they could have on gasoline and usage, and former Donald Trump has promised to revoke the standards and the rest of President Joe Biden’s clean-energy agenda.

The House vote would be largely symbolic, since the CRA resolution would be vetoed by Biden even if it were to pass the Democratic-controlled Senate. Nevertheless, the vote could put some farm-district House Democrats in an uncomfortable position.

EPA estimates that under the new standards battery electric vehicles may account for 30% to 56% of new light duty sales for model years 2030-2032 and 20% to 32% of new medium-duty vehicle sales. 

Meanwhile, lawmakers have only two more weeks heading to continue campaigning for the Nov. 5 election, and they still have to agree on a stopgap funding bill to prevent a government shutdown Oct. 1.

Time also is running out for leaders of the House and Senate Ag committees to reach an elusive deal on a new farm bill.

Farm groups brought growers to Capitol Hill last week to make a final push to persuade lawmakers to pass a new bill before the end of the year or else to pass some kind of emergency funding package to compensate row crop growers for the downturn in commodity markets.

The top Democrat on the House Ag Committee, David Scott of Georgia, said in a memo to colleagues that he hopes he could reach agreement yet this month on broad funding parameters for a new farm bill. But there’s little sign that such a deal is close, even though top aides to the House and Senate Ag committees continue meeting privately to discuss the legislation.

According to sources, Republicans are insisting that any bill provide a significant new funding to cover the cost of raising farm income supports, including by raising Price Loss Coverage reference prices. However, the funding would likely have to come from overriding Congressional Budget Office funding estimates for the bill.

House GOP leaders and Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., wanted to include a farm bill extension in whatever continuing resolution Congress passes this month to keep the government funded. But Senate Ag Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., told Agri-Pulse there is no need to move another extension of the 2018 farm bill until after the election,

She didn’t rule out considering a supplemental funding package. “I think that’s yet to be decided, I mean, we’ll have to see,” she said.

She went on,  “If we don’t pass a farm bill there will have to be some kind of extension. I think right now, we’ve seen two kinds of things: We’ve seen prices going down for farmers and input costs staying high. We also had a new national food insecurity report that came out that said we have more Americans now that are food insecure. So this says to me that we need to act and we need to act both to support farmers … and families.”

The top Republican on the Senate Ag Committee, John Boozman of Arkansas, said he wanted to work with Scott to “find whatever solution is out there, realizing that our farmers, because the input costs are so high, because commodity prices are just, the bottoms falling out, that they’re in serious trouble.

“So not really sure what we’ll land on, but I’m really encouraged by the fact that Congressman Scott is providing a lot of leadership.”

A Republican on the House Ag Committee who faces a tough re-election race, Zach Nunn of Iowa, said there is still time for committee leaders to reach a deal on a new farm bill.

“The House at least, is having a conversation … The big pushback here is that the Senate has got to do something and come to the table in a meaningful way. It sounds like Stabenow and Boozman are starting to have that conversation. I would take that as an encouraging sign.” 

Nunn is referring to the fact that the Senate Ag Committee has not considered a farm bill in this Congress. The House Ag Committee advanced a farm bill in May but it is not fully funded and hasn’t been considered on the House floor.

Here is a list of agriculture- or rural-related events scheduled for this week in Washington and elsewhere (all times EDT):

Monday, Sept. 16

All day – Ag Outlook Forum presented by Agri-Pulse and the Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City.

4 p.m. – USDA releases weekly Crop Progress report.

Tuesday, Sept. 17

1 p.m. – American Frozen Food Institute forum, “A Comprehensive Look at Chemical Food Safety: Bridging State, Federal and Legal Perspectives.”

4 p.m. – House Rules Committee meeting to consider Congressional Review Act resolution to withdraw EPA emission standards for light-duty and medium-duty vehicles, H-313 Capitol.

9:30 p.m.  –  Turning Point Action forum, “Make America Healthy Again,” Scottsdale, Arizona.

Wednesday, Sept. 18

2 p.m.  – Center for American Progress forum, “Protecting Americans from Extreme Heat.”

2 p.m. – Senate Agriculture subcommittee hearing on school breakfast and lunch programs, 328-A Russell.

Thursday, Sept. 19

8:30 a.m. – USDA releases Weekly Export Sales report.

Friday, Sept. 20

For more news, go to Agri-Pulse.com.

 

For the state of Israel, Oct. 7, 2023, was devastating. It has had a profound impact on every aspect of life, including, more than is realized, agriculture. 

Israel has become a global leader in agriculture research and technology providing guidance to Jordan, Africa and even California. Agriculture has become a major part of the Israeli economy.  Israel feeds itself and exports several billion dollars in agricultural products, all from a desert. 

Israeli leadership on drip irrigation technology is widely recognized, but Israel also is blending the water with the nutrients needed by the land. In addition, Israel also is powering the irrigation system with solar energy and experimenting with salt water for irrigation.  

The Oct. 7 attack took direct aim at Israel’s agriculture leadership and devastated many farming communities, including dairies, 100,000 acres of agriculture land, and vital farming equipment. The western Negev Desert, where 70% of Israel’s produce grows, was the primary target and is critical to the nation’s food security. Agriculture was not collateral damage; it was one of the intended targets.  

It is instructive to look back to understand how a small, desert country became a leader in agriculture technology, intent on helping to feed a hungry planet?  

Israel is a country with limited water resources. Its climate ranges from Mediterranean in the north to semi-arid and arid in the south.  Although the state of Israel was created in 1948, the desert started to bloom much earlier.  The Agriculture Research Organization was founded by Yitzhak Volcani in 1921 to provide cutting edge agricultural research. 

ARO’s research has focused on:

• Agriculture under arid conditions and on marginal soils

• Irrigation using recycled wastewater and saline water

• Crop cultivation in protected environments

• Freshwater aquaculture under conditions of water shortage

• Minimization of produce losses through pest control and post-harvest storage methods

• Seed banking

• Breeding and development of new strains of crops and domestic animals better suited to adverse conditions

In short, agriculture predates the state of Israel.

The Volcani Center is the Agriculture Research Agency of the Israeli Department of Agriculture; the Volcani International Partnerships is their NGO. USDA has entered into a Partnership with Israel for Bilateral Agriculture Research and Development to promote collaboration among US and Israeli scientists and engineers.  

On Oct, 6, 2023, Volcani and Israel were working with USDA, the Tony Blair Foundation, the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa and many other international partners to fight global hunger.  Immediately after Oct. 7 they set up ReGrow Israel, a new organization to support Israel’s farming communities. Today, Volcani and Israel are planning to make the desert bloom all over again.  They must protect Israel’s food security, help stabilize the economy of Israel, and then again turn to global hunger.  

Clearly, that challenge has gotten more difficult.  Hamas has made it more difficult but so has global warming, drought in the Horn of Africa, and the invasion of Ukraine, among other challenges.  The point is that the Hamas invasion of Israel on Oct. 7 has had a global impact on food security.  

Marshall Matz is senior counsel at OFW Law in Washington, and the is he founding chairman of the World Food Program, USA. He dedicates this op-ed to Danielle Abraham, the director of the Volcani Partnerships and ReGrow Israel.