Memorial Day – Thank You!
The Board of Staff at MCPR extends our sincere thanks to all the families of military personnel who died while serving in the US Armed Forces.
|
|
In this Edition
Capitol Corner- State
- The Ginormous Tax Bill had Very Few Actual Tax Provisions; Here’s What They Are
- Linder Farm Network - FIELD TALK PODCAST – 2024 Legislative Session Wrap Up
Capitol Corner - Federal
- Biden-Harris Administration Invests in Domestic Fertilizer Projects to Strengthen American Farms and Businesses
- Vilsack Outlines His Opposition To House Farm Bill
Industry Related News
- Fast or Slow: Which Adoption Path Will AI Follow in Agriculture?
- Outlook Pessimistic as Ninth District Farmers Head into Planting
Partner News/Announcements
- Legislative Wrap-Up Luncheon: Join Legislative Leaders at AgriGrowth's 2024 Legislative Wrap-Up Luncheon
- Opportunity for Growers to Submit Comments to the U.S. EPA About the Importance of Low-volatility Dicamba Product
- The Need for Partnerships: Standardizing Nationwide Biostimulant Labeling Legislation/Regulation
|
|
The Ginormous Tax Bill had Very Few Actual Tax Provisions; Here’s What They Are
The Minnesota Legislature in the final minutes of the 2024 session passed a more than 1,400-page tax bill that Democrats used to push through their to-do list, including a ban on a certain kind of rapid-fire gun trigger and a bill guaranteeing minimum pay rates for Uber and Lyft drivers. But the bill itself has very few tax provisions.
The biggest change will make last year’s child tax credit more user-friendly. The bill, which Gov. Tim Walz is expected to sign, allows families to receive the child tax credit in installments throughout the year, rather than in one lump sum.
|
|
Linder Farm Network - FIELD TALK PODCAST – 2024 Legislative Session Wrap Up
Minnesota farm organizations spent months monitoring activity in St. Paul during the recently completed legislative session. Minnesota Soybean Growers Association Executive Director Joe Smentek and Minnesota Corn Growers Association Senior Policy Director Amanda Bilek joined the Linder Farm Network to assess actions affecting agriculture.
|
|
Biden-Harris Administration Invests in Domestic Fertilizer Projects to Strengthen American Farms and Businesses
CASCO, Wis., May 23, 2024 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA is investing in domestic fertilizer projects to strengthen competition for U.S. farmers, ranchers and agricultural producers.
This funding advances President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to grow the nation’s economy from the middle out and bottom up. It will create jobs and spur economic growth in rural communities by increasing competition in agricultural markets. Through these projects, President Biden is delivering on promises he made two years ago when he visited rural Illinois to announce the doubling of funding available through the Fertilizer Production and Expansion Program (FPEP).
“The Biden-Harris Administration and USDA are committed to bolstering the economy and increasing competition for our nation’s farmers, ranchers and small business owners,” Secretary Vilsack said. “The investments announced today, made possible through the Commodity Credit Corporation, will increase domestic fertilizer production and strengthen our supply chain, all while creating good-paying jobs that will benefit everyone.”
|
|
Vilsack Outlines His Opposition To House Farm Bill
Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says he has “deep concerns” about the House Ag Committee’s version of the new farm bill.
“It really is designed not to create a route to passage,” he said, “but I think it’s designed unfortunately for a route to impasse, which will cause a further delay.”
During a press call Wednesday, Vilsack said he opposes the House’s nutrition provisions. “Proposing to reduce over time the benefits that might be available to families that are utilizing SNAP, as much as $27 billion, it is essentially a crack in the coalition.”
He says farm bill text that includes Commodity Credit Corporation reform could be problematic for disaster assistance. “Tying the hands of a secretary, as this bill proposes, making it impossible to utilize the benefits of the Commodity Credit Corporation in those circumstances.”
Vilsack says he supports the Senate Ag Committee’s framework recently released by Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow.
|
|
Fast or Slow: Which Adoption Path Will AI Follow in Agriculture?
The past year or so, one set of initials has dominated much of the technology talk in the agricultural world — AI (artificial intelligence). Since computer systems using AI first became “a thing” a few years ago, there has been a rush across various industries to adopt these technologies for more widespread usage. Examples of this include AI systems being used to mimic celebrity (or politician) voices and ChatGTP authoring articles that have appeared across the internet.
Agriculture has also jumped onto this AI bandwagon in a few instances. Back in 2022, John Deere introduced a new AI-driven system for its self-propelled sprayers called See & Spray. In operation, See & Spray utilizes targeted spray technology designed by Blue River Technology. This employs cameras and processors mounted on John Deere’s carbon-fiber truss-style boom in combination with computer vision and AI to distinguish weeds from crop plants. Other such systems have also been introduced by such well-known ag technology manufacturers as Raven Industries and BASF Bosch in the interim.
|
|
Outlook Pessimistic as Ninth District Farmers Head into Planting
Spring is a hopeful time, and for farmers, that means putting crops into the ground that they hope will produce good yields and sell for a profit. But as they headed to the fields this spring, the mood has been somber. “Lower commodity prices with higher interest rates are putting a lot of pressure on operations,” commented a South Dakota banker on a recent Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis survey.
According to lenders responding to the Minneapolis Fed’s first-quarter agricultural credit conditions survey, conducted in April, farm incomes and spending decreased over the opening three months of 2024. Falling incomes led to an increase in demand for loans, even at elevated interest rates. Renewals and extensions also increased on balance, while rates of loan repayment declined. Despite these negative financial trends, farmland values increased on average from a year earlier across the district, and cash rents increased slightly as well. The outlook for the growing season was pessimistic, as respondents expected further declines in farm incomes and spending.
|
|
|
|
Partner News/
Announcements
|
|
Legislative Wrap-Up Luncheon: Join Legislative Leaders at AgriGrowth's 2024 Legislative Wrap-Up Luncheon
Join AgriGrowth and Capitol leaders for a recap of the 2024 legislative session, and what it will mean for our state and the agri-food industry. AgriGrowth’s public policy luncheon offers legislators a chance to speak to and network with various food and agriculture industry stakeholders, and for our audience to get to know guest speakers while discussing prevailing legislative issues at the Legislature and within state government.
Featured Panel:
- Senator Judy Seeberger, Agriculture, Broadband, and Rural Development Committee, (DFL - Afton) CONFIRMED
- Senator Bill Weber, Senate Assistant Minority Leader (GOP - Luverne) CONFIRMED
- Representative Samantha Vang, Chair House Agriculture Finance & Policy Committee, (DFL - Brooklyn Center) CONFIRMED
- Representative Paul Anderson, House Agriculture Finance & Policy Committee Republican Lead, (GOP - Starbuck) CONFIRMED
- Commissioner Thom Petersen will also provide an update from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture CONFIRMED
June 4, 2024, from 11:30 to 1:00 pm at the Drury Inn Hotel, St. Paul
|
|
Opportunity for Growers to Submit Comments to the U.S. EPA About the Importance of Low-volatility Dicamba Product
-
On May 3, 2024, EPA published a notice of receipt and request for comment on Bayer Crop Science’s application for registration of a low-volatility dicamba formulation for use in Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® Technology or XtendFlex® Technology (dicamba-tolerant soybean) and XtendFlex® Technology (dicamba-tolerant cotton).
-
EPA is collecting public comments until June 3, 2024. You can submit your comments online here. This online system will allow you to either type your message into a comment box or upload a PDF of your comments.
|
|
The Need for Partnerships: Standardizing Nationwide Biostimulant Labeling Legislation/Regulation
Description:
This webinar will provide an overview of the efforts leading up to the adoption of the AAPFCO beneficial substance model bill (which includes plant biostimulants); the status of adoption across the various state legislatures, and the importance of educating state lawmakers about adopting the definition and label format for uniformity across the country....
|
|
Follow MCPR on Social Media! |
|
Are you following MCPR on social media? Make sure you like and follow us so you don't miss out on events, what's happening with our members and the latest news impacting Minnesota’s agricultural retail sector!
Does your organization or company have news or a press release that you would like to share with the MCPR’s membership? If so, please contact MCPR - lee@mcpr-cca.org.
|
|
Minnesota Crop Production Retailers | P: 763.235.6466
www.mcpr-cca.org
1020 Innovation Lane, Mankato, MN 56001
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
