California Ag Network

Tag: USDA

  • May is National Salad Month, Celebrate with More US Grown Salad on the Table

    What is arguably the foundational ingredient in salad? Lettuce! USDA’s National Institute of Food & Agriculture (NIFA) supports research that is leading to stronger, healthier, more disease-resistant lettuce cultivars. See what NIFA is doing to keep healthy, safe salads on the menu for consumers everywhere.

    Current funded projects in California and Illinois include the following:

    The USDA Agricultural Research Service, Pacific West Area, in Albany, California, is working to improve the safety and survival of lettuce during fresh-cut processing and cold storage. Mechanical damage of processed leaf tissue offers new opportunities for the proliferation of E. coli, the main bacterial agent that causes lettuce-linked foodborne outbreaks. Researchers are working to identify lettuce cultivars that effectively reduce population sizes of E. coli upon shredding and cold storage and characterize defense responses on cut tissue.

    The USDA Agricultural Research Service in Berkeley, California, is studying the prevention of pathogen contamination in agriculture water in lettuce production. Researchers are developing and implementing a screening tool to test the effectiveness of sanitizer, antimicrobial resistance and tolerance to oxidizing compounds, and provide recommendations on keeping resistant strains from developing.

    The University of California – Davis is enhancing the use of resources to increase sustainable lettuce production in changing climates. This research project seeks to improve water, nitrogen and phosphate use in lettuce, and determine heat/cold/saline tolerance, to improve lettuce’s resilience. The research findings will be shared with breeders and students.

    The University of Chicago is modifying lettuce by altering its genetic makeup without introducing genetically modified genes. Researchers are using tiny fibers to inject substances that will enable changing the gene content of lettuce.

  • U.S. Retaliatory Tariffs Required as Canada Refuses USMCA Obligations

    The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) today called on the U.S. government to levy retaliatory tariffs on Canada after Ottawa made clear that it refuses to meet its signed treaty obligations under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) concerning dairy market access.

    In January, a USMCA dispute resolution panel initiated by the U.S. found that Canada’s dairy tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) system violates the terms of USMCA. Canada issued a new TRQ proposal in March which included only inconsequential changes. Today’s announcement shows no indication that Canada intends to comply with its USMCA commitments on dairy TRQs.

    “Canada made a clear choice to thumb its nose at both the United States government and its international treaty obligations. It has completely disregarded the USMCA agreement signed just a few short years ago,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of NMPF. “Ottawa’s decision today is clearly designed to test our resolve by doubling down on its longstanding dairy trade violations, ignoring both the spirit and the letter of its trade agreements. That decision demands retaliatory action by the U.S. government. Otherwise, our trade agreements will be seen as toothless before the ink is dry.”

    “USTR, USDA and scores of members of Congress from both side of the aisle have worked diligently to ensure American dairy farmers and manufacturers benefit from USMCA. They deserve our deepest thanks for bringing us this far,” said Krysta Harden, president and CEO of USDEC. “Unfortunately, Canada simply refuses to institute real reform, and such actions must have consequences. Retaliatory tariffs are both fair and necessary in this circumstance, as clearly provided for by USMCA.”

    As an April 5 bipartisan letter on the matter sent to Ambassador Tai and Secretary Vilsack from several leading members of the U.S. House of Representatives stated, “A deal’s a deal; it’s not too much to ask that our trading partners live up to their end of the bargain.”

    On April 19, USDEC and NMPF filed public comments on the matter with Global Affairs Canada. The filing noted, “Canada’s proposed allocation and administration policy changes in response to the CUSMA report continue to fall woefully short of full compliance with Canada’s CUSMA obligations. This has consequences not only for the agreed-upon CUSMA benefits denied U.S. and Canadian stakeholders, but also for the credibility of CUSMA enforcement procedures undergoing their first test in this dispute and for the success of CUSMA itself. We urge Canada to consider its larger interest in the success of the CUSMA and modify its dairy TRQ allocation and administration policies to give effect, in good faith, to Canada’s CUSMA commitments.”

    The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) also shared their distaste with Canada’s actions. “This outcome is completely unacceptable,” said Michael Dykes, D.V.M., president and CEO of IDFA. “Canada’s publication today clearly shows they are ignoring their trade commitments agreed to in the USMCA and refusing to administer their dairy TRQs in a manner compliant with the agreement. The U.S. dairy industry has made clear from the start that U.S. dairy exporters demand real TRQ reform that will permit the market access Canada agreed to. The U.S. met with Canada a week ago on this very matter and expected a good faith effort. Instead, Canada continues to deny U.S. dairy products from reaching their full capacity under the terms of the deal and continues to deny the existence of any obligations. IDFA thoroughly rejects the Canadian policy published today and demands a swift response from USTR.”

    He continued, “Canada cannot be permitted to blatantly disregard their trade obligations after having been found non-compliant by a neutral and expert panel, only to then ignore their obligations without consequence. We are pleased to see USDA responding forcefully and hope that USTR does the same. Our government must hold Canada accountable.”

  • U.S. Fresh Potatoes Begin Export To Mexico

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and Mexico’s national plant protection organization (SENASICA) announce that the United States has begun exporting potatoes beyond the 26-kilometer border zone that previously marked the limit of their export.  The two countries reached an agreement late last year to expand that market access for U.S. potatoes, something that the United States has sought for more than 25 years.

    “Through this accomplishment, we are delivering better markets for U.S. farmers, supporting economic growth, and providing access to our southern neighbors to the high-quality and safe products our farmers work hard every day to grow and sustain.  USDA will continue to fight for new and expanded markets for American products as we help the nation build back better,” said U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

    The U.S. potato industry estimates that this access for U.S. fresh potatoes to all of Mexico will provide a market potential of $250 million per year, in five years. This is an increase of $190 million from the current export value of $60 million.

  • New Dairy, Livestock Insurance Options for Better Protection, Flexibility

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture has updated three key crop insurance options for livestock producers: the Dairy Revenue Protection (DRP), Livestock Gross Margin (LGM), and Livestock Risk Protection (LRP). USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) revised the insurance options to reach more producers, offer greater flexibility for protecting their operations, and ultimately, better meet the needs of the country’s swine, dairy, and cattle producers. The updates were published last week for the 2023 crop year, which begins July 1, 2022.

    “Great and sound customer service is the most important thing we can provide our nation’s producers, making sure the programs and products we offer give them the most useful tools for covering their risks,” said RMA Administrator Marcia Bunger. “Agriculture is not a static industry, and these updates reflect the importance we place on always knowing the evolving needs of producers and offering the most people the best risk management tools we can.”

    DRP is designed to insure against unexpected declines in the quarterly revenue from milk sales relative to a guaranteed coverage level; LGM protects against the loss of gross margin (or livestock’s market value minus feed costs); and LRP provides protection against price declines.

    Producers will now have more flexibility for DRP, LGM, and LRP, when indemnities are used to pay premiums, which can help producers manage their operation’s cash flow. With these updates, producers can now have both LGM and LRP policies, although they cannot insure the same class of livestock for the same time period or have the same livestock insured under multiple policies.

    Additional updates by insurance option include:

    Dairy Revenue Protection

    • Dairy producers are now able to continue coverage even if they experience a disaster, such as a barn fire, at their operation.

    Livestock Gross Margin

    • Cattle, Dairy, and Swine coverage has been expanded, making it available in all counties in all 50 states.   

    Livestock Risk Protection

    • Insurance companies are now required to pay indemnities within 30 days, rather than the previous 60 days, following the receipt of the claim form.  
    • Head limits have been increased:     
    o Fed Cattle: 12,000 head per endorsement and 25,000 head per crop year
    o Feeder Cattle: 12,000 head per endorsement and 25,000 head per crop year
    o Swine: 70,000 head per endorsement and 750,000 head per crop year
    • The termination date under LRP has been extended from June 30 to August 31  
    • Location reporting requirements have been relaxed to list only state and county, instead of the precise legal location.  

    Learn more on RMA’s Livestock Insurance Plans webpage. Crop insurance is sold and delivered solely through private crop insurance agents. A list of crop insurance agents is available at all USDA Service Centers and online at the RMA Agent Locator.

    More Information

    These improvements to livestock insurance options build on other efforts by USDA to improve programs for livestock producers. Recently, USDA expanded the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-raised Fish to cover transportation costs of livestock to feed as well as feed to livestock. And USDA expanded Dairy Margin Coverage to enable dairy producers to enroll supplemental coverage.

  • USDA Accepting Applications to Help Cover Costs of Organic, Transitioning Producers

    Agricultural producers and handlers who are certified organic, along with producers and handlers who are transitioning to organic production, can now apply for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Organic and Transitional Education and Certification Program (OTECP) and Organic Certification Cost Share Program(OCCSP), which help producers and handlers cover the cost of organic certification, along with other related expenses. Applications for OTECP and OCCSP are both due October 31, 2022.

    “By helping with organic certification costs – long identified as a barrier to certification – USDA has helped producers participate in new markets while investing in the long-term health of their operations,” said Farm Service Agency Administrator Zach Ducheneaux. “We launched the Organic and Transitional Education and Certification Program to build on the support offered through the Organic Certification Cost Share Program and provide additional assistance to organic and transitioning producers weathering the continued market impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, in response to stakeholder feedback, we have aligned the signup dates for these two organic programs and encourage producers to work with the local USDA Service Centers and State agencies to complete the applications. The FSA, and the USDA broadly, are committed to making sure our Nation’s organic producers and handlers have the tools they need to continue positively shaping our local and regional food systems.”

    Cost Share for 2022 

    OTECP covers:

    • Certification costs for organic producers and handlers (25% up to $250 per category).
    • Eligible expenses for transitional producers, including fees for pre-certification inspections and development of an organic system plan (75% up to $750).
    • Registration fees for educational events (75% up to $200).
    • Soil testing (75% up to $100).

    Meanwhile, OCCSP covers 50% or up to $500 per category of certification costs in 2022.

    This cost share for certification is available for each of these categories: crops, wild crops, livestock, processing/handling and State organic program fees.

    Producers can receive cost share through both OTECP and OCCSP. Both OTECP and OCCSP cover costs incurred from October 1, 2021, to September 30, 2022.  Producers have until October 31, 2022 to file applications, and FSA will make payments as applications are received.

    How to Apply 

    To apply, producers and handlers should contact the Farm Service Agency (FSA) at their local USDA Service Center. As part of completing the OCCSP applications, producers and handlers will need to provide documentation of their organic certification and eligible expenses. Organic producers and handlers may also apply for OCCSP through participating State agencies.

    Additional details can be found on the OTECP and OCCSP webpages.

    Opportunity for State Agencies   

    FSA is accepting applications for State agencies to administer OCCSP through July 18, 2022. If a State department of agriculture chooses to participate in OCCSP, both the State department of agriculture and FSA County Offices in that State will accept OCCSP applications and make payments to eligible certified operations. However, the producer or handler may only receive OCCSP assistance by either FSA or the participating State department of agriculture.

    More Information   

    OTECP builds upon OCCSP, providing additional relief to help producers during the pandemic. OTECP uses funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act; OCCSP is funded through the Farm Bill.

    USDA has made other strides to assist organic producers. In 2022, USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) increased expansion limits for organic producers with coverage through Whole-Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP). RMA also updated the insurance option to allow producers to report acreage as certified organic or transitioning, as long as organic certification was requested by the acreage reporting date. Also, this year, RMA introduced a new option – Micro Farm – through WFRP designed for producers with small-scale operations that sell locally, which includes organic producers.

  • $6 Billion on its Way to Commodity & Specialty Crop Producers Impacted by 2020, 2021 Natural Disasters

    The U. S Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that commodity and specialty crop producers impacted by natural disaster events in 2020 and 2021 will soon begin receiving emergency relief payments totaling approximately $6 billion through the Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) new Emergency Relief Program (ERP) to offset crop yield and value losses.

    “For over two years, farmers and ranchers across the country have been hard hit by an ongoing pandemic coupled with more frequent and catastrophic natural disasters,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.  “As the agriculture industry deals with new challenges and stressors, we at USDA look for opportunities to inject financial support back into the rural economy through direct payments to producers who bear the brunt of circumstances beyond their control. These emergency relief payments will help offset the significant crop losses due to major weather events in 2020 and 2021 and help ensure farming operations are viable this crop year, into the next growing season and beyond.”

    Background

    On September 30, 2021, President Biden signed into law the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act (P.L. 117-43), which includes $10 billion in assistance to agricultural producers impacted by wildfires, droughts, hurricanes, winter storms, and other eligible disasters experienced during calendar years 2020 and 2021. FSA recently made payments to ranchers impacted by drought and wildfire through the first phase of the Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP). ERP is another relief component of the Act.

    For impacted producers, existing Federal Crop Insurance or Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) data is the basis for calculating initial payments. USDA estimates that phase one ERP benefits will reach more than 220,000 producers who received indemnities for losses covered by federal crop insurance and more than 4,000 producers who obtained NAP coverage for 2020 and 2021 crop losses.

    ERP Eligibility – Phase One

    ERP covers losses to crops, trees, bushes, and vines due to a qualifying natural disaster event in calendar years 2020 and 2021.  Eligible crops include all crops for which crop insurance or NAP coverage was available, except for crops intended for grazing. Qualifying natural disaster events include wildfires, hurricanes, floods, derechos, excessive heat, winter storms, freeze (including a polar vortex), smoke exposure, excessive moisture, qualifying drought, and related conditions.

    For drought, ERP assistance is available if any area within the county in which the loss occurred was rated by the U.S. Drought Monitor as having a:

    •  D2 (severe drought) for eight consecutive weeks; or 
    •  D3 (extreme drought) or higher level of drought intensity. 

      

    Lists of 2020 and 2021 drought counties eligible for ERP is available on the emergency relief website.

    To streamline and simplify the delivery of ERP phase one benefits, FSA will send pre-filled application forms to producers where crop insurance and NAP data are already on file. This form includes eligibility requirements, outlines the application process and provides ERP payment calculations. Producers will receive a separate application form for each program year in which an eligible loss occurred. Receipt of a pre-filled application is not confirmation that a producer is eligible to receive an ERP phase one payment.

    Additionally, producers must have the following forms on file with FSA within 60 days of the ERP phase one deadline, which will later be announced by FSA’s Deputy Administrator for Farm Programs:

    • Form AD-2047, Customer Data Worksheet.  
    • Form CCC-902, Farm Operating Plan for an individual or legal entity.   
    • Form CCC-901, Member Information for Legal Entities (if applicable).   
    • Form FSA-510, Request for an Exception to the $125,000 Payment Limitation for Certain Programs (if applicable).   
    • Form CCC-860, Socially Disadvantaged, Limited Resource, Beginning and Veteran Farmer or Rancher Certification, if applicable, for the 2021 program year.   
    • A highly erodible land conservation (sometimes referred to as HELC) and wetland conservation certification (Form AD-1026 Highly Erodible Land Conservation (HELC) and Wetland Conservation (WC) Certification) for the ERP producer and applicable affiliates.  

    Most producers, especially those who have previously participated in FSA programs, will likely have these required forms on file. However, those who are uncertain or want to confirm the status of their forms can contact their local FSA county office.

    ERP Payment Calculations – Phase One 

    For crops covered by crop insurance, the ERP phase one payment calculation for a crop and unit will depend on the type and level of coverage obtained by the producer. Each calculation will use an ERP factor based on the producer’s level of crop insurance or NAP coverage.

      

    • Crop Insurance – the ERP factor is 75% to 95% depending on the level of coverage ranging from catastrophic to at least 80% coverage. 
    • NAP – the ERP factor is 75% to 95% depending on the level of coverage ranging from catastrophic to 65% coverage.      

     

    Full ERP payment calculation factor tables are available on the emergency relief website and in the program fact sheet.

    Applying ERP factors ensures that payments to producers do not exceed available funding and that cumulative payments do not exceed 90% of losses for all producers as required by the Act.

    Also, there will be certain payment calculation considerations for area plans under crop insurance policies.

    The ERP payment percentage for historically underserved producers, including beginning, limited resource, socially disadvantaged, and veteran farmers and ranchers will be increased by 15% of the calculated payment for crops having insurance coverage or NAP.

    To qualify for the higher payment percentage, eligible producers must have a CCC-860, Socially Disadvantaged, Limited Resource, Beginning and Veteran Farmer or Rancher Certification, form on file with FSA for the 2021 program year.

    Because the amount of loss due to a qualifying disaster event in calendar years 202 and 2021 cannot be separated from the amount of loss caused by other eligible causes of loss as defined by the applicable crop insurance or NAP policy, the ERP phase one payment will be calculated based on the producer’s loss due to all eligible causes of loss.

    Future Insurance Coverage Requirements

    All producers who receive ERP phase one payments, including those receiving a payment based on crop, tree, bush, or vine insurance policies, are statutorily required to purchase crop insurance, or NAP coverage where crop insurance is not available, for the next two available crop years, as determined by the Secretary.  Participants must obtain crop insurance or NAP, as may be applicable:

    • At a coverage level equal to or greater than 60% for insurable crops; or 
    • At the catastrophic level or higher for NAP crops. 

     

    Coverage requirements will be determined from the date a producer receives an ERP payment and may vary depending on the timing and availability of crop insurance or NAP for a producer’s particular crops.  The final crop year to purchase crop insurance or NAP coverage to meet the second year of coverage for this requirement is the 2026 crop year.

    Emergency Relief – Phase Two (Crop and Livestock Producers)

    Today’s announcement is only phase one of relief for commodity and specialty crop producers.  Making the initial payments using existing safety net and risk management data will both speed implementation and further encourage participation in these permanent programs, such as Federal crop insurance, as Congress intended.

    The second phase of both ERP and ELRP programs will fill gaps and cover producers who did not participate in or receive payments through the existing programs that are being leveraged for phase one implementation.  When phase one payment processing is complete, the remaining funds will be used to cover gaps identified under phase two.

    Through proactive communication and outreach, USDA will keep producers and stakeholders informed as program details are made available.   More information on ERP can be found in the Notice of Funding Availability.

    Additional Commodity Loss Assistance

    The Milk Loss Program and On-Farm Stored Commodity Loss Program are also funded through the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act and will be announced in a future rule in the Federal Register.

    More Information

    Additional USDA disaster assistance information can be found on farmers.gov, including the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster-at-a-Glance fact sheet, and Farm Loan Discovery Tool. For FSA and Natural Resources Conservation Service programs, producers should contact their local USDA Service Center. For assistance with a crop insurance claim, producers and landowners should contact their crop insurance agent.

  • Central Valley Ag Students Recognized for Research, Industry & Community Involvement

    Four Fresno State students in the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology were recognized May 5 with area ag scholar awards by 23rd District Assemblyman Jim Patterson at a ceremony at the Vincent E. Petrucci Viticulture Building.

    Plant science senior Omar Albughanam (of Clovis), agricultural business senior Riley Barney (Chowchilla), agricultural education senior Jocelyne Juarez (Wasco) and plant science junior Aalexis Woolf (Bakersfield) were selected for the awards based on their passion, growth and innovation related to their academic success, research and service to industry and the community.

    Each student also received a $500 scholarship from My Job Depends on Ag, a national grassroots organization that started in Fresno and shares personal perspectives on how agriculture impacts all lives.

    Albughanam placed fourth in the national speech contest this past fall at the Students for Agronomy, Soils and Environmental Science Conference, and also competed in related soil judging and quiz bowl team events. He has worked with students, faculty, industry and community members as the Irrigation Club president and as a Plant Science Club member. He also studies topics related to gas, moisture and nitrate topics as a USDA technical research intern.

    Barney has worked with students, faculty and staff as Agricultural Business Club president and Jordan College Student Leadership Council member. She has worked on a legislative bill that impacts the labeling and usage of California olive oil as a California Apple Commission intern.  She has studied the potential impacts of genetically modified walnuts and domestic and international market response as a member of the Jordan College Honors Research Cohort. She will start a master’s degree in international affairs this fall at the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M.

    Juarez has been committed to Central Valley agricultural education and outreach as part of the state FFA Field Day planning committee and multicultural ambassadors campus program. She has dedicated her honors research to studying learning activities that develop soft skills that are tied to the Ag Career Readiness Certificate Pathway project. She has served as a co-coordinator for the state agricultural ambassador conference and hosted campus visits and farm tours for Central Valley schools.

    Woolf has served as president and former secretary of the FFA Field Day committee, which welcomes 3,000 students, advisers and volunteers to campus each year. She has served as a campus agricultural ambassador and judged various speaking competitions for local high school students. She spent this past summer interning with Syngenta Crop Protection and created presentations to educate future customers.

    More information on the awards is available from Alisha Gallon, district director for the Office of Assemblyman Jim Patterson, at Alisha.Gallon@asm.ca.gov or 559.446.2029.

  • USDA Accepting Applications for Philippines Ag Trade Mission

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accepting applications from U.S. exporters for an agricultural trade mission to Manila, Philippines, July 18-21, 2022. The mission will provide U.S. growers, producers, and exporters the opportunity to explore a thriving market that is expected to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic with one of the strongest growth forecasts in Asia.

    The Philippines is the eighth-largest export market for U.S. agricultural and food exports, averaging $3.1 billion annually during the last five years. It offers U.S. agribusinesses tremendous export potential thanks to its young and fast-growing population, strong consumer preference for U.S. foods and beverages, and robust service-based economy, which has reported increased sales in food retail, food service, and food processing following the country’s economic reopening.

    “As the Administration works to provide new and better market opportunities for U.S. agricultural exporters, the Philippines sets itself apart from the rest with a U.S. partnership that spans decades and an even brighter future for trade,” said USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) Administrator Daniel Whitley. “The Philippines and the United States just marked the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our two countries and the United States is proud to be one of the Philippines’ largest economic partners. When it comes to U.S. foods and beverages in particular, U.S. brands are highly regarded as safe, reliable, and of good quality, and are the leaders in the marketplace, accounting for 21 percent market share.”

    For U.S. companies interested in exploring the Philippine market, strong export opportunities include beef; pork; poultry; cheese and cheese products; food preparations, including infant food; fresh vegetables; healthy foods; gourmet; convenience food products; processed fruit and vegetables; wines, beer, and distilled spirits; pet food; seafood products; and tree nuts.

    “USDA is also pleased to be partnering with the Food Export Association of the Midwest USA and Food Export USA–Northeast for this mission,” added Whitley. “Strong collaboration between FAS and the U.S. agricultural industry will ensure we are providing the best possible service to our customers both internationally and right here at home.”

    While in Manila, participants will conduct business-to-business meetings with potential importers, receive in-depth market briefings from FAS and industry trade experts, and participate in site visits and other networking opportunities.

    The deadline to apply for the Philippines trade mission is May 18, and spots are limited. USDA previously had a trade mission to the Philippines scheduled for April 2020, which was cancelled due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. Applicants originally selected for the 2020 trade mission will be given priority to participate in this one.

    For more information, visit https://www.fas.usda.gov/topics/trade-missions or email trademissions@usda.gov.

  • U.S. Dairy Industry Urges USDA to Re-Issue Container Report & Provide Additional Export Relief

    The U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) and the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) today sent a letter to the Biden administration recommending specific steps to provide relief and support to dairy farmers and exporters facing supply chain constraints.

    The letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg called for interagency collaboration to enhance capacity at ports, incentivize carriers to load export cargo, and improve transparency throughout the supply chain. The lead recommendation called for USDA’s Agriculture Marketing Service (AMS) to restart its Ocean Shipping Container Availability Report (OSCAR).

    “Supply chain challenges have cost U.S. dairy exporters over $1.5 billion last year alone. We thank Secretaries Vilsack and Buttigieg for their advocacy for America’s agriculture exporters in the face of significant supply chain constraints. We are incredibly grateful for the administration’s ongoing efforts and creative solutions, particularly for the development of ‘pop-up’ sites for agricultural exporters to source empty containers,” said Krysta Harden, president and CEO of USDEC. “The additional recommendations submitted today would provide agricultural exporters much needed insight into container availability and provide avenues to incentivize carriers to load outbound shipments to key dairy markets around the world.”

    Shipping containers for U.S. dairy exports continue to be in short supply at coastal ports, and even more scarce at inland locations. These essential links in the global supply chain must be available to American dairy exporters throughout the country in order to ship their products to overseas buyers,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of NMPF. “We thank USDA and DOT for their strong focus on this issue. As congestion continues, so too must the spectrum of tools deployed to address these challenges. Today’s letter highlights the additional steps necessary to take to ensure American dairy farmers are not losing long-term international market share due to these persistent supply chain challenges.”

    The specified programmatic elements to provide supply chain relief include:

      • Restarting USDA AMS’ OSCAR, which would detail the availability of ocean shipping containers at locations throughout the United States.
      • Establishing inland pop-up terminal yards, similar to those in Oakland and Seattle, in Minneapolis, Chicago, Detroit, Salt Lake City and Kansas City. This would enable greater access inland to containers and improve the ability to secure vessel accommodations with short earliest-return-date windows at those locations.
      • Developing the ‘fast lane’ concept to incentivize the flow of agriculture exports into and from ports. This would include trucking lanes at port terminals that are dedicated to the expeditious delivery of perishable agriculture goods to ports.
      • Incentivizing ocean carriers to load more export containers, instead of empty containers, through preferred or prioritized berthing access.
      • Including real-time tracking of containers as part of the Administration’s Freight Logistics Optimization Works initiative.
      • Piloting projects with carriers for ‘dual turns’ of containers, wherein containers delivering imports to an in-land location may be provided directly to an export-focused shipper, rather than being sent back empty to the port. This could be supported through the USDA’s Commodity Credit Corporation resources.

    The National Milk Producers Federation, based in Arlington, VA, develops and carries out policies that advance dairy producers and the cooperatives they own. NMPF’s member cooperatives produce more than two-thirds of U.S. milk, making NMPF dairy’s voice on Capitol Hill and with government agencies.

    For more, visit www.nmpf.org.The U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) is a non-profit, independent membership organization that represents the global trade interests of U.S. dairy producers, proprietary processors and cooperatives, ingredient suppliers and export traders. Its mission is to enhance U.S. global competitiveness and assist the U.S. industry to increase its global dairy ingredient sales and exports of U.S. dairy products.

  • Benefits of Early Calving are Increasing Due to Late Winter Warming

    On rangelands of the Western U.S., calving in late winter instead of spring maximizes calf growth (weight) by supplying high-quality forage when its most needed, according to a study by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS).

    Calf pasturing in rangeland at the USDA-ARS Livestock and Range Research Laboratory. (Photo by Tom Geary)

    There is high value in utilizing rangelands to lower the cost of beef production. Selecting the right calving time, when calves are born, is one factor ranchers can adjust to affect the efficiency of beef production.

    However, with climate conditions shifting, the costs and benefits of calving at different times are changing.

    Scientists at the ARS Livestock and Range Research Laboratory in Miles City, MT completed a long-term study recently published in Rangeland Ecology & Management. The researchers analyzed more than eighty years of data from over 39,000 calves to obtain an accurate reading of the effect of calving date on calf weight gain.

    “The long-term data allowed us to estimate the relationship between calving date and calf weight averaged over many years. The average relationship helps producers determine the best calving date over the long term. This must be considered because the calving date of a herd is difficult to adjust once set,” explained Research Rangeland Management Specialist and lead author Matthew Rinella.

    The research team observed that calves born early March [late winter] averaged about 13% heavier at 180 days of age than those born early May [spring]. This is because calves born in

    March are older and larger and can therefore better utilize the high-quality forage that is available in summer, whereas May calves reach 180 days of age in early November, long after forage quality has typically declined.

    “When calves are born earlier, they typically experience a better match between their nutrient requirements and the timing of protein and energy supplied by forage,” Rinella said.

    Eighty-two years of data allowed the scientists to look at cold mortality rate of beef calves born during late winter. To avoid this risk, some ranchers prefer waiting until spring to calve. However, even after considering the risk, the researchers found early calving increases overall beef production.

    In addition, since the 1940s, the risk of cold weather mortality has declined due to warming winter temperatures, and there is a good chance this trend will continue according to climate models.  Moreover, the beginning of plant growth appears to be shifting earlier in the Western U.S. All provides further incentives to calve early.

    Other considerations factored in determining when the right timing is for calving, including calf markets, feed costs, and the timing of ranching operations.

    “This study puts numbers to calf weight and beef production resulting from different calving dates so that ranchers can factor these things into their decision-making,” said Rinella.

    The Agricultural Research Service is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s chief scientific in-house research agency. Daily, ARS focuses on solutions to agricultural problems affecting America. Each dollar invested in agricultural research results in $17 of economic impact.