The headlines kept rolling in at the end of each week.
In case you missed it, we’ve rounded up some of the most recent news to keep you informed.
Agriculture Industry News
China agreed to increase its U.S. purchases by $200 billion between 2020 and 2021. The agreement implied total agriculture, food, and seafood exports to China of $80 billion over the two years, but China was billions of dollars behind as the agreement entered its final month, according to a think tank that has monitored China’s performance.
“We continue to press China to increase their purchases,” said Vilsack at a House Agriculture Committee hearing. “They’re $13 billion short on purchases, and there are seven key areas where they have yet to perform — biotech approvals, DDG [distillers’ dried grains]Sales, tariffs, and other information about ethanol [items].”
Mike Brown, president, National Chicken Council, said in an essay published in a Maryland paper that President Biden is wrong to portray the meat and poultry industries as the culprit behind sharply rising grocery prices. “This administration has chosen to put politics above protein,” he wrote.
Consumer prices rose by 7% between 2021 and 2022, with chicken prices rising 10.4% and meat prices rising 14.8%. In the essay in the Salisbury (Maryland) Daily Times, Brown said the increase in chicken prices “is barely outpacing inflation — even despite major inputs like corn, soybeans, gasoline, packaging, and transportation increasing by double digits. Yet chicken producers are somehow the villain?”
Manage Stress and Risk on the Farm
Larry Tranel from Iowa State University Extension shares five guidelines to help you deal with financial stress.
To read more about the guidelines and to learn 10 signs of financial distress, check out the full article here.
It’s natural for some struggles to arise during the transition and expansion of families. However, with open minds and a willingness to do the work, in-law relationships don’t have to be dysfunctional and can actually be wonderful.
Elaine Froese believes that honesty, open communication, and lots of it, are the keys to success. Froese, who has been working with farm families for over 30 years, is an expert in family farm succession and conflict resolution. This topic and the strategies that can be used is covered by Lisa Foust-Prater, Editor.
Bryan Doherty of Total Farm Marketing writes, “Producers of commodities are receiving more dollars for what they produce. Profits are higher than last years. This is the good thing. The bad news is that input costs are soaring.”
The feeling of slipping profits and the possibility for losses increases as input costs rise. A difficult year ahead can be made easier by less-than-ideal crops, high input costs, and a derailment in the supply of inputs. There are many gray areas. Doherty suggests that you prepare for more risk and dollars in the next year.
Editor Lisa Foust Prater asks the important question, “How do we stop envy taking over?” If another farmer has a better crop, remember you have your own blessings to be counted. But, it’s easier said than done and social media doesn’t help. Seeing filtered faces and perfectly posed photos can make us feel like we aren’t quite up to snuff.
Being kind is the best way to protect ourselves from envy. It has nothing to with being religious.
Source: Successful Farming
