In This Issue:

• Ag Appropriations Extended Again, Agreement in Place on Final FY2024 Bill
• New CBO Barley Price Projections Not as Low as Previous Forecast
• NBGA VP Attends Grower Leader Meeting in Washington, DC
• Barley Representatives Participated in US Grains Council Meeting
• EPA Announces New Agriculture Office
• NASS Urges Farmer Participation in USDA Survey
• NBGA Submits Comments on Treated Seed Requirements
• EPA Provides Update on Endangered Species Act Proposals
• Net Farm Income Projected to be Down in 2024

Ag Appropriations Extended Again,

Agreement in Place on Final FY2024 Bill



The current Continuing Resolution (CR) covering Agriculture Appropriations was extended another week, through March 8^th to provide time to complete and pass the FY2024 Ag Appropriations bill. There is an agreement on a new FY24 Ag Appropriations bill and there is optimism that there won’t be a year-long CR or another short-term CR beyond March 8^th. 

New CBO Barley Price Projections Not as Low as Previous Forecast

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) updated their Farm Bill cost and price projections with many crops, including barley, seeing higher prices compared to the previous versions. This could have an impact on the cost of the next Farm Bill. CBO is now forecasting the Price Loss Coverage (PLC) program will cost $28 billion from 2024 through 2034. The forecast issued last May estimated $33.1 billion in PLC outlays. The Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) program is projected to cost $15.6 billion, down from $28.4 billion. If congressional leaders use the new forecast and subsequent updates to the Farm Bill baseline, it could reduce the cost of raising Reference Prices under the PLC program. For barley, the estimates have the “all barley” price staying above the $4.95 barley Reference Price every year through 2034. Previous projections had prices dipping below $4.95 from 2027 through 2034, which would trigger PLC payments in those years. Similar upward movement in price projections occurred for other crops as well. 

Read more here...

NBGA VP Attends Grower Leader Meeting in Washington, DC

NBGA Vice President Mitch Konen attended a forum of commodity group producer leaders hosted by National Corn Growers Association February 13-14. The meeting provided an opportunity for the producers to connect with each other and share perspectives for their commodity and their region of the country. Groups represented at the meeting included corn, soy, wheat, sorghum, barley, pulses, sugar, peanuts, pork, dairy, Farm Bureau, NFU. Producers discussed the biggest challenges and opportunities their respective commodities face. Trade was a big topic of conversation, citing the recent ag trade deficits, lack of new trade agreements, and China dynamics. Labor was also a common topic among many of the groups.  

Barley Representatives Participated in US Grains Council Meeting

The US Grains Council (USGC) held their meeting in Guatemala in mid-February. Several barley growers and state staff attended and NBGA representative Tom Hance attended the Barley Sector meeting virtually. The barley sector meeting included a review of the USGC RAPP proposal for barley export promotion, updates on barley markets, opportunities, barriers, and USGC activities in the various regions (China, Mexico, Japan, South Korea). 

EPA Announces New Agriculture Office

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that it is establishing a new office to expand engagement opportunities with agricultural and rural communities. The creation of the first-ever EPA Office of Agriculture and Rural Affairs is part of the Administration’s effort to improve environmental stewardship and economic opportunity for America’s farmers and ranchers, as well as strengthening the vitality of small towns and rural communities.

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NASS Urges Farmer Participation in USDA Survey

The National Ag Statistics Service (NASS) is asking for NBHGA and barely growers help with the Agricultural Resource Management Survey. This survey from USDA will reach producers soon, with questions about acreage, cash sales, and crop production costs and returns. Producers are encouraged to complete this survey to help their industry and policymakers better understand farm operation financial data. NASS will publish the farm economic data in the annual Farm Production Expenditures report on July 26, 2024, at nass.usda.gov/Publications. Information provided to NASS is kept confidential, as required by federal law. The agency only publishes data in aggregate form, ensuring that no individual respondent or operation can be identified.



For more information about this survey, visit: nass.usda.gov/go/arms. If you do not receive this survey in the mail, you can sign up to be counted for future USDA surveys at agcounts.usda.gov. 

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NBGA Submits Comments on Treated Seed Requirements

NBGA submitted comments in February regarding the importance of seed treatments and the EPA’s review of requirements applicable to treated seed.

The NBGA comments can be viewed here.

EPA Provides Update on Endangered Species Act Proposals

On February 7^th EPA released an update on the Endangered Species Workplan reflecting on their responses to stakeholder feedback received since the release of the 2022 ESA Workplan and three comment periods thus far (Workplan Update, Vulnerable Species Pilot and Draft Herbicide Strategy)

Following are some key points from the announcement:



1.     Species Maps/PULAs: EPS is working on refining VSP species maps with FWS, USDA, and the University of Georgia, and developing a draft SOP to include others in the work. EPA plans for a mapping workshop in April.

2.     Memorandum of Understanding with USDA NRCS: This allows EPA to formally recognize NRCS practice definitions as meeting run-off/conservation requirements and allows for more flexibility in meeting proposed mitigations. EPA will focus on 24 NRCS practices that reduce runoff and erosion. More info will come out later this month and additional meetings/workshops will be organized. 

3.     Online Mitigation Menu: EPA would like to develop a more streamlined approach for adding mitigations to labels and communicating them. EPA will launch its first online mitigation menu that will allow the Agency to quickly add new mitigation measures options, thus ensuring that growers can use those new options promptly. EPA plans to release a draft online menu for public comment later in 2024.

4.     Offset Workshop: EPA will be hosting an Offsets workshop Feb 13-14 2024. ‘Offsets’ involve using measures such as setting aside or improving habitat to balance potential impacts on species by pesticides. This will be an initial meeting between federal agencies and stakeholders to determine a path forward to regulate this under FIFRA.  

Net Farm Income Projected to be Down in 2024

On February 7^th USDA released the 2024 Farm Sector Income Forecast which projects farm income to fall in 2024 after reaching record highs in 2022.

In inflation-adjusted 2024 dollars, net farm income is forecast to decrease by $43.1 billion (27.1 percent) from 2023 to 2024, and net cash farm income is forecast to decrease by $42.2 billion (25.8 percent) compared with the previous year. If realized, both measures in 2024 would fall below their 2003-22 averages (in inflation-adjusted dollars).

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. (2024, February 7). Farm Sector Income & Finances: Farm Sector Income Forecast.