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Jan. 11, 2013

Article

Crop Production 2012 Summary: Corn 13% Below 2011, Soybeans Down 3%

Corn for grain production is estimated at 10.8 billion bushels, up 1% from the Nov. 1 forecast but 13% below 2011. The average yield in the United States is estimated at 123.4 bu./acre. Soybean production in 2012 totaled 3.01 billion bushels, up 1% from the Nov. 1 forecast but down 3% from 2011. United States production is the seventh largest on record. The average yield per acre is estimated at 39.6 bu....More
Jan. 8, 2013

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Jan. 8 WAOB Summary

Much of the Midwest experienced a dry week, except for some light precipitation across the southern tier of the region. Nevertheless, snow remained on the ground in much of the Corn Belt, particularly across the Ohio Valley and the Upper Midwest. Elsewhere, cold, mostly dry weather covered the West, with light precipitation confined to the Rockies and the Pacific Coast States. Weekly temperatures averaged at least 10-20° F below normal in snow-covered sections of the Intermountain West.
Jan. 8, 2013

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Farm Bill Extension for 2013

As part of the congressional agreement that was passed to avoid the fiscal cliff, the 2008 Farm Bill was extended through the 2013 crop year, and will now expire on Sept. 30, 2013. The extension of the current farm bill was viewed as a big disappointment to several members of Congress from both parties, as well as by many agricultural organizations and other groups that were hoping for reform in ag policy with a new bill....More
Jan. 4, 2013

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Farm Bill Extension: What's In, What's Out

There is time-honored political axiom that says there are two things that you never want to see being made. One is sausage. The other is legislation. That was certainly the case as the Senate and House furiously dealt with the fiscal cliff, the dairy cliff and farm policy. All were woven together Monday and Tuesday and it seems no one is happy with the outcome so that means it must be as fair as it can get....More
Jan. 2, 2013

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Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on the Food, Farm and Jobs Bill Extension 1

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today issued the following statement on the Food, Farm and Jobs Bill that Congress extended for nine months....More
Jan. 2, 2013

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Jan. 1 Farm Bill Extension Deal is a Disaster for Farmers

The farm bill extension deal reached in negotiations between Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Vice President Joe Biden is a disaster for farmers and the American people. The nine-month extension measure was attached to the bigger fiscal cliff bill and passed by the Senate and House....More
Jan. 2, 2013

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NACD Statement on Farm Bill Extension  

National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) President Gene Schmidt made the following statement regarding Congress' passage of a short-term Farm Bill extension rather than a five-year comprehensive bill....More
Jan. 2, 2013

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Farm Bill Deal A Disaster

In the waning hours of 2012, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Vice President Joe Biden negotiated a nine-month extension of the Farm Bill that the Center for Rural Affairs criticized heavily....More
Jan. 2, 2013

Article

Delta Farm Press

2008 Farm Bill Extended

The 2008 Farm Bill has been extended for nine months. A plunge off the fiscal cliff was averted late Tuesday (Jan. 1) evening when the House passed “HR 8, the Tax Relief Extension Act” – earlier passed by the Senate, 89 to 8 – on a 257 to 167 vote. The legislation, which contains the 2008 Farm Bill extension, is expected to raise taxes by some $620 billion by increasing tax rates on incomes over $400,000 for individuals and $450,000 for couples....More
Jan. 2, 2013

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With Extension Passed, ASA Calls on 113th Congress to Commit to a New Farm Bill

With a vote of 257-167 late Tuesday night, the House of Representatives concurred with the Senate in passing a package to avert the fiscal cliff that includes an extension of the 2008 Farm Bill, funding and authorizing key farm, research and nutrition programs through the end of the 2013 fiscal year in September. American Soybean Association (ASA) President Danny Murphy, a soybean farmer from Canton, Miss., released the following statement on the vote:...More
Jan. 2, 2013

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NCGA: Congress’ Farm Bill Failure Hampers America

National Corn Growers Association President Pam Johnson released the following statement in response to Congress’ inaction to pass a new five-year farm bill before the end of 2012:...More
Dec. 20, 2012

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6 Reasons a New Farm Bill is Necessary 3

Congress is coming perilously close to leaving Washington, D.C., without passing a farm bill. It is vitally important that a new five-year farm bill to be signed into law before Jan. 1, 2013 for the following reasons....More
Dec. 18, 2012

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Census Provides Opportunity to Grow the Future of Agriculture

It's not every day that a walk to your mailbox leads to an opportunity to help shape farm programs, boost rural services and grow your farm future. But for producers across the country, that opportunity will soon become a reality. The 2012 Census of Agriculture, the only source of consistent and comprehensive agricultural data for every state and county in the nation, is currently being mailed to millions of farmers and ranchers across the United States....More
Dec. 14, 2012

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Emerging Opportunities in Rural America, Importance of Farm Bill: #askUSDA your questions

Pull up that Twitter account and get your questions ready. On Monday, Dec. 17, 2:30 p.m. (Central time) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will host a live Virtual Office Hours session on Twitter to answer questions on the important role of rural America to the national and global economy, increasing agricultural opportunities in U.S. communities, and the importance of passing a five-year Farm Bill....More
Dec. 13, 2012

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USDA, NOAA Enter into Agreement to Improve Drought Weather Forecasting

In the wake of a series of regional drought conferences with farmers, ranchers, business owners and other stakeholders, USDA is entering into a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Commerce, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), to improve sharing of data and expertise, monitoring networks and drought forecasting efforts. The MOU is a direct outcome of the regional conferences....More
Dec. 11, 2012

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December 2012 WASDE Corn, Soybean Summary

U.S. feed grain supply and use projections for 2012-2013 are unchanged this month, but price outlooks for corn are lowered based on prices reported to date. The season-average farm price for corn is lowered 20¢ at the midpoint and the projected range is narrowed to $6.80-8/bu. Prices received by farmers through October remained well below cash market bids and this year’s early corn harvest appears to have boosted early season marketing placing further downward pressure on the outlook for the season-average price....More
Dec. 11, 2012

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Prospects for a New Farm Bill

The 2008 Farm Bill expired on Sept. 30, 2012, and some programs will be discontinued without a new farm bill, or an extension of the 2008 Farm Bill. In late June 2012, the U.S. Senate passed its version of the next farm bill, which was followed by the U.S. House Agriculture Committee passing a Farm Bill out of Committee during the summer months. However, the U.S. House failed to take up the bill on the House floor prior to the congressional recess before the 2012 Election....More
Dec. 6, 2012

Article

2012 Farm Bill Options: Extension, Stand Alone or Fiscal Cliff Results

The 2012 Farm Bill has become entwined with the debate over federal budget priorities at a time of large fiscal deficits, a debate commonly called the fiscal cliff. The 2012 Farm Bill process most closely resembles the 1991 Farm bill process, which also became entwined in a debate over budget priorities and deficits. This article briefly examines the current status of the 2012 Farm Bill process and offers a peek at future farm safety net issues....More
Dec. 5, 2012

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ASA, Allied Farm Groups Meet with Hoyer to Press for Farm Bill

American Soybean Association (ASA) President Steve Wellman and Vice President Richard Wilkins joined fellow farmer-leaders from the American Farm Bureau Federation, National Milk Producers Federation, National Corn Growers Association and the National Association of Wheat Growers in a meeting today with House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) to reiterate the critical importance of finishing a new, five-year farm bill before the 112th Congress adjourns....More
Dec. 5, 2012

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U.S. Fiscal Cliff and Agriculture

The U.S. fiscal cliff refers to the combination of two events that will occur in late 2012 and early 2013: the implementation of federal budget cuts resulting from the compromise to extend the U.S. federal debt ceiling and the expiration of many of the tax cuts enacted since 2000. The name, "fiscal cliff," stems from the widely held concern that these two actions may cause an economic recession. However, the fiscal cliff is actually a symptom, not the problem....More
Dec. 4, 2012

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Fiscal Cliff Will Affect Farm Operators 1

The so-called “fiscal cliff” is a name that has been attached to the combination off spending cuts and tax increases at the federal level that are scheduled to take effect at the end of 2012, if Congress fails to reach an agreement to address the federal budget deficit. Both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House are trying to find a federal budget compromise that can be passed by both houses of Congress, and ultimately signed into law by President Obama....More
Nov. 20, 2012

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EPA Denies RFS Waiver

The EPA recently announced that it would be denying the request for a waiver of the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS). The EPA indicated that the agency did not find the necessary evidence to support a finding of “severe economic harm” that would have warranted the RFS waiver to be granted. EPA used a series of economic analyses and modeling done in conjunction with USDA and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)....More
Nov. 16, 2012

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Corn and Soybean Digest

2012 Farm Bill: Post-Election Update

Now that the 2012 election is over, it's time to turn our heads back to the farm bill. Congress has yet to pass a farm bill as a whole. The Senate passed their version this summer, and the House Agriculture Committee has passed a version. Kent Thiesse, former Extension educator and CSD digital columnist, talks about what needs to happen to pass a farm bill as well as the impacts farmers are feeling due to the current lack of farm bill....More
Nov. 13, 2012

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USDA Increases Expected Soybean Production

The USDA Crop Production report released on Nov. 9 increased the estimated total soybean production in 2012 to 2.97 billion bushels, which is 4% above the 2.86 billion bushel estimate in October. The 2012 soybean production estimate is still 4% lower than the 2011 U.S. soybean production of 3.09 billion bushels, and 11% below the 2010 production level of 3.33 billion bushels. This production increase is a fairly major production adjustment for this late in the year....More
Nov. 12, 2012

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Corn, Soybean Prices Following Short-Crop Pattern

The USDA November forecasts of the size of the 2012 U.S. corn and soybean crops were larger than expected, particularly for soybeans. As a result, the general downtrend in soybean prices since mid-September has accelerated, with January futures now at the lowest level since June 29. Corn prices have moved into the lower half of the trading range that has been in place since mid-September and December futures are at the lowest level since Sept. 28....More