Category: Vegetables

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.

FIU horticulturist Amir A. Khoddamzadeh was selected as one of nine science fellows for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s E. Kika De La Garza Fellowship Program.

The program offers faculty from Hispanic-Serving Institutions and Hispanic-Serving School Districts the opportunity to work collaboratively with USDA to gain insight into the federal government and to build a more diverse pipeline into public service and the agricultural sector.

The 2024 cohort — including education, high school, and science fellows — spent one week in Washington, D.C., this summer to learn how USDA services and programs can benefit them, their students, and their communities. They also each got to spend an additional week at a location of their choice to collaborate with top scientists from USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, Food Safety and Inspection Service, or the U.S. Forest Service.

Khoddamzadeh chose to go to Riverside, California, and work with the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in the Agricultural Water Efficiency and Salinity Research Unit. That connection will pay off for the agroecology graduate students working on salt stress adaptations and regenerative agriculture in his Conservation and Sustainable Horticulture Lab as he introduces them to the ARS scientists he met out west.

Next year, Khoddamzadeh will host members of USDA agencies on campus so they can interact with students and recent graduates interested in internships and other opportunities.

Mr. Khoddamzadeh

“This fellowship has provided me with invaluable opportunities to enhance our research collaborations and to foster the development of our students,” Khoddamzadeh said. “I am deeply honored to be part of such a distinguished program and look forward to contributing to our shared goals by informing the students about the great opportunities and internships with different agencies at USDA.”

The E. Kika De La Garza Fellows Program is a key component of USDA’s Hispanic-Serving Institutions National Program, dedicated to supporting a 21st-century agricultural workforce through professional and workforce development. In partnership with the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, the program has provided high-quality internship experiences to more than 3,000 interns since 1994.

“This year’s class of fellows is the largest so far and a testament to the program’s success,” said Lisa R. Ramírez, director of USDA’s Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement.

For Khoddamzadeh, this fellowship is another way to give his students opportunities for success. Earlier this year, he spent his sabbatical at the USDA ARS Subtropical Horticultural Research Station in Miami. Now, there are six graduate and five undergraduate FIU earth and environment students working on projects related to climate change and adaptation to various ornamental plants and food crops.

Source: FIU.

Biofuel company Gevo is aiming to bolster its network for low-carbon sustainable aviation fuel feedstocks through the $210 million purchase of an ethanol plant located on a North Dakota carbon capture site. 

Gevo announced Thursday it was buying the 65-million-gallon-per-year Red Trail Energy ethanol facility along with its 500 acres of land, and would lease another 5,800 additional acres in the Broom Creek formation in southwestern North Dakota. The plant already sequesters around 160,000 metric tons of carbon annually, but has a total sequestration capacity of 1 million metric tons per year, Gevo said in a press release. 

The acquisition secures a key source of low carbon intensity ethanol for Gevo, one of the companies angling to be on on the ground floor of sustainable aviation fuel production in the U.S. Red Trail Energy currently distributes low-carbon ethanol to Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alberta, Gevo said.

The location provides an “ideal” site for producing sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, Gevo President and COO Chris Ryan said in the release.

“This site is extremely well set up,” Gevo CEO Patrick Gruber said in a press call Thursday. “It has the [carbon capture and sequestration] already baked and it works, it’s operating. It’s one of three sites in the whole country that have ethanol CO₂ capture. It’s really good.”

Gevo expects to close the transaction by the first quarter of next year, depending on regulatory approvals and closing conditions. It plans to pay for the plant and the land through both cash and asset-level debt, according to the release.

Gevo is planning to retain the 50 employees currently working full-time at the plant.

For more news, go to www.agri-pulse.com. 

In fresh produce, freshness is the cornerstone of today’s supermarket offerings. It is known that consumers select supermarkets based on the quality and freshness of the produce available. However, meeting this expectation poses significant challenges for the fresh produce industry, particularly due to the seasonal and perishable nature of salad leaves, which are among the most demanding products to maintain at peak freshness.

Green leaf growers invest considerable effort to meet supermarkets’ stringent freshness standards through rigorous quality assessments. Yet, this process is often time-consuming, costly, and subject to variability, with quality standards differing between inspectors and across different points in the supply chain.

GoMicro’s AI assessment technology addresses these challenges by standardizing and streamlining quality assessment, providing objective, verifiable results at every stage of the supply chain.

“The ability to be consistent and objective in our assessment of harvested raw material allows us to deliver fresh, high-quality produce to our customers. This objectivity is a significant step forward to raising fresh produce supply standards,” said Mike Fielden, CEO of Boratto Farms, an early adopter of GoMicro’s AI technology.

GoMicro’s technology not only accurately detects defects but also evaluates the freshness of green leaves, ensuring that only the highest quality products reach supermarket shelves. With this tool, retailers can confidently offer fresh, top-tier produce that aligns with the expectations of today’s discerning shoppers.

Moreover, GoMicro’s AI technology extends beyond green leaves, offering the capability to assess the quality and freshness of a wide range of fruits and vegetables. Its portable, phone-based design employs patent-pending technology, delivering the precision required to identify even subtle defects in fresh produce.

“Human assessment has its limits,” says Dr. Sivam Krish, the founder and CEO of GoMicro. “It’s based on subjective decisions that we strive to make objective. Our technology bridges this gap, providing consistent and reliable quality assessments.”

For more information
Sivam Krish
GoMicro
[email protected]
www.gomicro.co

Banning the use of foreign biofuel feedstocks such as used cooking oil for a new tax credit could result in retaliation against U.S. farm exports, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Tuesday.

The Treasury Department is under pressure from some lawmakers to limit eligibility for the new 45Z clean fuels tax incentive to fuels made from feedstocks sourced in the United States. The 45Z credit, which was created by the Inflation Reduction Act, takes effect in 2025.

“It’s a tough issue, because if you essentially create some kind of significant restriction in the effort of trying to protect commodities and items that are grown and raised here, you essentially invite the entire world to do the same thing,” Vilsack told members of Growth Energy, an ethanol industry group.

“So, when we try to export corn, or we try to export soybeans, or we try to export pork, or we try to export poultry or beef or whatever, or ethanol, other countries go, ‘Wait a minute. They’re restricting this over here to protect their industry. Okay? We’ll do the same.’”

In a letter to the Treasury Department last week, more than 40 lawmakers said the Biden administration should make it clear that the 45Z credit would only apply to biofuels produced from domestic feedstocks. The lawmakers say that state and federal policies are driving demand for used cooking oil and tallow sourced overseas.

The National Oilseed Processors Association and the American Soybean Association support the lawmakers’ request.

The debate over the 45Z credit is coming as the California Air Resources Board is proposing a 20% cap on the amount of renewable diesel made from soybean or canola oil that can qualify for the state’s low carbon fuel standard. Critics say the cap could drive more demand for foreign feedstocks for renewable diesel.

While warning against restrictions on foreign feedstocks, Vilsack said it was important to guard against fraudulent imports that are reported as used cooking oil but are actually palm oil.  

Vilsack said the administration is working to issue regulations for the 45Z tax credit before Biden leaves office Jan. 20.

“There’s just a genuine effort and interest on behalf of the administration to get this done done before Jan. 20, and it’s on the top of my list,” he said. “So, everybody knows I’m very interested in this at the department.”

The value of the 45Z credit will vary depending on the carbon intensity of the biofuel. USDA has been providing input to Treasury on the agricultural practices that can lower the carbon score of feedstocks such as corn and soybeans.

Farm groups have complained that Treasury’s guidance for a temporary tax credit for sustainable aviation fuel is too restrictive. 

Corn ethanol can qualify for the 40B credit, if the grain is grown with three practices that are considered climate-smart – no-till, cover crops and energy-efficient fertilizer – or if the ethanol producer uses carbon capture and sequestration to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Soy oil qualifies if the soybeans were grown using no-till and cover crops on the same acreage.

The 40B credit expires at the end of the year to be replaced by 45Z.

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

Midland Valley High School is starting the school year with a larger greenhouse, and Agricultural Education teacher Jean Smith says it is time for a change. “It’s twice the size of the greenhouse we had, and the other one pretty much was just falling apart,” she said.

The original 1,344-square-foot greenhouse was replaced with one nearly double its size, a 2,592-square-foot facility with an irrigation system.

Smith said that last year the school wasn’t able to plant ferns because they had no room to grow – a stark contrast between the 200 that have been planted this semester in the new facility.

There are plans to use the greenhouse for plants like geraniums, Gerbera daisies, tomatoes, and peppers. In the space where the previous greenhouse sat, Smith said Midland Valley hopes to start a community garden with cabbage, broccoli, collards, and blueberries. “That’s kind of our intention for this whole area,” she said.

Read more at Post and Courier.

Farmers who grow the crops being hammered the hardest by commodity market declines are hitting Capitol Hill this week, accompanied by ag bankers and Farm Credit lenders, to make a last-ditch push for a new farm bill.

In an unusual lobbying move, teams of farmers representing the row crops that depend on the major commodity title programs plan to visit House and Senate offices, with the groups accompanied by an ag lender to help the case that many farmers will face a dire financial situation heading into next year because of the price declines. 

“Congress must act before the end of the year to get that [the farm bill” across the finish line,” said Jake Westlin, vice president of policy and communications for the National Association of Wheat Growers. “It’s not going to be any easier next year.”

A veteran lobbyist told Agri-Pulse the use of cross-commodity teams of farmers to lobby Congress was done at least once before, in lobbying for what became the 2002 farm bill. Commodity groups generally don’t coordinate with each other in visiting lawmakers and their staffs. 

NAWG will have members among the cross-commodity teams of farmers along with the National Corn Growers Association, American Soybean Association, National Cotton Council, National Sorghum Producers and USA Rice.

Separately, more than 300 groups have signed a letter that is going to congressional leaders Monday to make the case for a new farm bill.

USDA last week raised its forecast for net farm income this year but still estimated that sales from crops would be down by 10%. Sales from corn and soybeans are expected to fall about 21.9% and 16.7% respectively, while receipts from wheat and cotton are projected down 14.5% and 25.5% respectively

Members of the National Farmers Union and the National Pork Producers Council also will be in the nation’s capital this week. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will speak to NFU members on Monday. 

Time is fast running out on passing a new farm bill. The Senate Agriculture Committee has taken no action on a bill, and the House Agriculture Committee’s farm bill still has a $33 billion funding gap that needs to be addressed before it can be put on the House floor. After September, Congress won’t be in session again until after the Nov. 5 election.

Senate GOP Whip John Thune, R-S.D., said in August that Congress was likely to pass another one-year extension of the 2018 farm bill. 

That may be the inevitable outcome, but the farm groups lobbying the Hill this week don’t want such an extension attached to the stop-gap funding bill that Congress needs to pass this month to keep the government open after the new fiscal year starts Oct. 1. 

A farm bill extension isn’t included in a GOP-backed continuing resolution that the House is expected to vote on this week. The CR has virtually no chance of passing the Senate, because it would extend through March and also includes the SAVE Act, a bill that would require prospective voters to provide documentary proof of their citizenship. 

Separately, the House is also set to focus on concerns this week about foreign ownership of U.S. farmland. The House is scheduled to consider a bill that would prohibit individuals and companies “owned by, controlled by, or subject to the jurisdiction of” the governments of Iran, North Korea, China or Russia from purchasing or leasing agricultural land. 

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The Protecting America’s Agricultural Land from Foreign Harm Act, first introduced by Washington Republican Dan Newhouse, would not require any current landowners to divest of land, but those “associated with these governments” would be barred from participating in Agriculture Department programs.

Chinese investors reported owning 349,915 U.S. agricultural acres in 2022, but the Chinese government did not have any direct filings, according to the USDA. Iranian investors held 1,749 acres that year, while Russian investors held 73. No North Korean investors reported holding land.

The House also has scheduled a series of hearings this week on issues important to agriculture.

FDA’s deputy commissioner for human foods, Jim Jones, will testify before a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, a House Agriculture subcommittee will hold a joint hearing with the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee on food distribution problems with USDA’s Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations and the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, which serves about 720,000 seniors.

Also Wednesday, the House Natural Resources subcommittee will have a hearing on bills related to the Endangered Species Act, and a House Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee will have a hearing on implementation of the Biden administration’s latest waters of the U.S. rule, which defines the jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act.

Also this week, ABC News will host a debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump on Tuesday night in Philadelphia.

Ahead of the presidential debate, the Farm Foundation on Monday will sponsor a debate on ag issues between Kip Tom, who’s leading the Farmers and Ranchers for Trump Coalition, and Rod Snyder, who recently stepped down as director of EPA’s first Office of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. Tom, an Indiana farmer, served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations food and agriculture programs during the Trump administration.

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

Monday, Sept. 9

Agriculture Future of America hosts their Policy Institute through Sept.
10. Agri-Pulse Founder Sara Wyant participates in a policy discussion
on Sept. 10, Westin Crystal City.

1 p.m. – Farm Foundation forum on the GOP and Democratic platforms, National Press Club.

4 p.m. – House Rules Committee meeting to consider bills including H.R. 9456, Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act of 2024 and a fiscal 2025 continuing resolution, H-313 Capitol.

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

Tuesday, Sept. 10

10 a.m. – House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing on FDA’s Human Foods program, 2123 Rayburn.

9 p.m. – ABC News hosts debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, Philadelphia.

Wednesday, Sept. 11

8:30 a.m. – Bureau of Labor Statistics releases Consumer Price Index.

10 a.m. – Joint hearing by a House Agriculture subcommittee and the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee on food distributions shortages among tribal and elderly communities, 1300 Longworth.

10 a.m.– House Natural Resources subcommittee hearing on bills related to the Endangered Species Act, 1324 Longworth.

10 a.m. – House Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee hearing, “Waters of the United States Implementation Post-Sackett Decision: Experiences and Perspective,” 2167 Rayburn.

Thursday, Sept. 12

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

10 a.m. – Senate Finance Committee hearing, “The 2025 Tax Policy Debate and Tax Avoidance Strategies,” 215 Dirksen.

Noon – USDA releases monthly Crop Production report and World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates

Friday, Sept. 13

Noah Wicks contributed to this report. 

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