In This Issue:

• Prospective Plantings Report Shows Barley Down 17%
• House Chairman Has New Way to Fund Farm Bill, Plans Action Before Memorial Day
• Senator Hoeven Introduces Crop Insurance Bill, NBGA Among Ag Groups Supporting
• Anheuser-Busch is First Recipient of New "U.S. Farmed" Label
• NBGA Supports Pesticide Program Resources & Improvements
• NBGA Joins Comments on Neonicotinoids
• Mexico Postpones Ban on Glyphosate
• Senators Urge Action to Address Labor Costs
• Senators Introduce Ag Labor Reform Bill
• U.S. Grains Council Showcases Barley at World's Largest Food Convention

Prospective Plantings Report Shows Barley Down 17%

On March 28^th, USDA National Ag Statistics Service (NASS) released the Prospective Plantings report, a survey-based estimates of U.S. farmers’ 2024 planting intentions. Not unexpected, but the report is sobering for barley with 2.5 million acres, down 17% from the 3.1 million acres in 2023. The three largest barley producing states, Montana acres are projected to be down 20%, Idaho down 11% and North Dakota down 32%. Other key projections from the report show corn at 90 million acres, a decrease of 5%, wheat down 4% at 47.5 million acres, while soybeans increase 3% to 86.5 million acres. The report can be found here on the NASS website.

House Chairman Has New Way to Fund Farm Bill,

Plans Action Before Memorial Day

In comments to AgriPulse reporters on Tuesday, House Agriculture Committee Chairman GT Thompson (R-PA) indicated his intention to have a committee mark-up of a Farm Bill sometime before the end of May. Furthermore, Chairman Thompson said he has found a new way to pay for changes to the Title I Farm Programs and crop insurance. He did not divulge what that funding plan is but said it did not involve shifting money from SNAP and conservation programs, which he has previously proposed but has been opposed by Democrats. He also reiterated that the Farm Bill will have to be bipartisan to move forward. 

Senator Hoeven Introduces Crop Insurance Bill,

NBGA Among Ag Groups Supporting

On April 9^th, Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND), a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee and Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee, introduced the Federal Agriculture Risk Management Enhancement and Resilience (FARMER) Act, legislation to strengthen crop insurance and make higher levels of coverage more affordable for producers. Cosponsors of the bill include Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member John Boozman (R-Ark.) and Senators Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.). Specifically, Hoeven’s legislation, which he is working to include in the farm bill, would:



·        Increase premium support for higher levels of crop insurance coverage, which will enhance affordability and reduce the need for ad-hoc disaster assistance.

·        Improve the Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) by increasing premium support and expanding the coverage level, providing producers with an additional level of protection.

·        Direct the Risk Management Agency (RMA) to conduct a study to improve the effectiveness of SCO in large counties.

·        Not require producers to choose between purchasing enhanced crop insurance coverage or participating in Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs, giving them flexibility to make decisions that work best for their operations.

The bill is supported by the American Farm Bureau Federation, American Soybean Association, American Sugarbeet Growers Association, Crop Insurance Professionals Association, Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau, Midwest Council on Agriculture, National Association of Wheat Growers, National Barley Growers Association, National Cotton Council, National Corn Growers Association, National Sunflower Association, Southwest Council of Agribusiness, U.S. Beet Sugar Association, U.S. Canola Association, U.S. Durum Growers Association, Western Peanut Growers Association, Minnesota Corn Growers Association, North Dakota Corn Growers Association, North Dakota Farmers Union, North Dakota Grain Growers Association, North Dakota Soybean Growers Association and the Northharvest Bean Growers Association. 

Anheuser-Busch is First Recipient of New "U.S. Farmed" Label

American Farmland Trust (AFT) is launching a new U.S. Farmed certification for farm products across the consumer-packaged goods industry that derive at least 95 percent of their agricultural ingredients from farms in the United States. All producers of consumer-packaged goods may apply to get their products U.S. Farmed certified. AFT will use the funds raised through the certification process to provide U.S. farmers across all 50 states with free resources and one-on-one expert advisory services as well as expand AFT’s programs to help them to access, protect, and maintain American farmland.

Anheuser-Busch will be the first company to achieve U.S. Farmed certification and adopt the U.S. Farmed seal. The U.S. Farmed seal certifies products have at least 95% American-Grown Ingredients. NBGA indicated support for the initiative with this statement: “From beer to bread, barley is the foundation of products in nearly every American home. By highlighting products made with U.S. barley and U.S. agricultural commodities, the U.S. Farmed program will promote and support American barley growers and provide resources to help preserve agricultural production in the U.S.” More information on the initiative can be found here.

NBGA Supports Pesticide Program Resources & Improvements

The National Barley Growers Association joined over 100 other national, state, and regional agricultural organizations in a letter supporting much needed resources for federal pesticide programs. The letter supports increased funding combined with much needed program improvements, including:

·        $166 million to fund EPA’s pesticide program;

·        $3 million for FWS for pesticide Endangered Species Act (ESA) consultations;

·        Language directing EPA to use the best available science (with specific examples) in ESA assessments;

·        Language directing EPA to allow pesticide registrants/third parties to do biological evaluations (BE) for regulatory efficiency;

·        Language directing EPA to ensure human epidemiological data can be verified and is fit for regulatory purposes;

·        Language ensuring that EPA may not approve pesticide labels inconsistent with their health risk assessment findings;

·        Language directing FWS to develop sub-county level species maps, when possible; and

·        Language directing EPA to consult with stakeholders prior to publishing any ESA proposals/mitigations.

NBGA Joins Comments on Neonicotinoids

The NBGA signed on to comments developed by the Growing Matters Coalition addressing the PEER petition which seeks rulemaking to require efficacy data, among other things, for neonicotinoids and other systemic pesticides.  

Mexico Postpones Ban on Glyphosate

On March 26^th, the Mexican government announced a postponement of their proposed ban on glyphosate. The government cited the absence of available substitutes and the need to safeguard food safety while indicating they will continue to seek low-toxic alternatives. The ban, which was initially announced in 2023, would have terminated authorization and permits for glyphosate use, import, production, and distribution by April 1, 2024.

Senators Urge Action to Address Labor Costs

A group of Senators wrote to the Senate and House Leadership urging action to freeze the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) that determines costs for H-2A employees. Senators in barley producing states that signed on to the letter include Kevin Cramer and John Hoeven of North Dakota and Jim Risch of Idaho. While the AEWR varies by state, the national average rate is $17.55 per hour this year, up 5.6% over last year.       

Senators Introduce Ag Labor Reform Bill



On March 28th, Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) introduced the Affordable and Secure Food Act, that would streamline the H-2A visa program for foreign farmworkers and create a pathway to permanent residency for those workers, as well as create a new status for undocumented farmworkers. Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and other committee members are co-sponsoring the bill. It is the companion version of the House bipartisan Farm Workforce Modernization Act, which was introduced by Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) in June 2023. The House passed previous versions of the bill with Republican support in the 116th and 117th Congresses, but they were not taken up in the Senate either time.

U.S. Grains Council Showcases Barley at World's Largest Food Convention

From our partners at US Grains Council (USGC), in March, USGC’s China office participated in the 110th China Food and Drink Fair, an opportunity to showcase the quality of U.S. barley to consumers and industry professionals in one of the U.S.’ largest export markets.

The Council’s booth hosted six Chinese craft beer breweries that use U.S. malt for attendees to get a better perspective on the various applications of U.S. malt and the success of companies that choose it.

“The craft beer booth was wildly popular and having high-quality U.S. products on display is an effective way to increase demand for malt,” said Wennie Liu, USGC program manager. “The Council’s presence at such an important event reinforces its strong relationship and partnership with the Chinese craft beer industry, positioning U.S. malt to make further progress in this massive market.”

The event, held March 19-22 in Chengdu, China, set a record with nearly 400,000 visitors in attendance to learn from the 6,600 exhibitors, most of which represent the food and beverage sectors.

Council staff also attended "The Taste of America," an event organized by the U.S. Agricultural Trade Office in Beijing and the U.S. Embassy. More than 160 guests gathered to sample U.S. products and Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in China David Meale was on hand to meet participants.

Off the exhibition floor, Council staff also had the chance to meet with multiple influential industry figures focused on aquaculture, sorghum exports and biofuels.

“In addition to the opportunity to meet so many engaged attendees on the exhibition floor, these events are also vital for the Council to connect with its partners and coordinate strategies to maximize U.S. agriculture’s market share in China,” Liu said.