NAWG Participates in MAP/FMD Coalition Meetings
This past week, NAWG participated in several meetings with members of the House Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies. These meetings focused on continued investment in the Market Access Program (MAP) and the Foreign Market Development (FMD) Program through the appropriations process. These public-private partnership programs support American farmers and allow for expansion of export markets.
National Wheat Yield Contest Highlighted in Ag Journal Article
The National Wheat Yield Contest and NWF project manager Anne Osborne were highlighted in a recent Ag Journal article. The article explored details of the National Wheat Yield Contest and included information about NWF’s three new research projects: high yield and high quality, high yield and high profitability, and potassium in wheat. Read the whole article here.
Food for Progress Program Award of U.S. Wheat to Sudan
Recently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service announced a Food for Progress program award of 300,000 metric tons of U.S. hard red wheat to Sudan. Wheat grown in the United States remains a crucial component of our food aid programs, and this assistance will go a long way to help the Sudanese people. For more information about this award – which is valued at $120 million – and how the food aid programs function, check out this posting from U.S. Wheat Associates.
GOVERNMENT AND INDUSTRY NEWS
USDA Releases Prospective Plantings, Grain Stocks Reports
On March 31, 2021, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) publicized a news release about the Prospective Plantings report and Grain Stocks report that were released earlier in the day. Wheat planted area for 2021 is estimated at 46.4 million acres, up 5% from 2020. Grain stocks from wheat totaled 1.31 billion bushels, down 7% from a year ago. Read the news release here.
USDA Announces 2021 Marketing Assistance Loan Rates
On March 31, 2021, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) released the 2021 Marketing Assistance Loan rates for wheat, feed grains, oilseeds, rice, and pulse crops. The national loan rate for wheat is $3.38 per bushel. Read the rest of the release here.
Biden Unveils Infrastructure Proposal in Pittsburgh
President Biden released his $2 trillion American Jobs Plan investment in the nation’s roads, waterways, airports, electric grid, and broadband on Wednesday during a speech in Pittsburgh. The package will invest about 1% of the GDP per year over eight years. Under the proposal, all Americans would have access to high-speed internet broadband by the end of the decade. Biden’s plan would also modernize 20,000 miles of streets and highways out of the total of 173,000 miles Biden says are in poor condition, and address problems with some of the tens of thousands of bridges that need repairs. A second economic proposal focused on human infrastructure is expected in April. This infrastructure plan includes significant corporate tax provisions that NAWG is currently evaluating. NAWG continues to engage with Congressional offices on Capitol Hill about our infrastructure and tax policy positions.
Oscar Gonzales Appointed as USDA Assistant Secretary for Administration
On Tuesday, President Biden appointed Oscar Gonzales to serve as Assistant Secretary for Administration at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Previously, Gonzales served in the Obama Administration in several senior positions with USDA. Find the press release here.
NATIONAL WHEAT FOUNDATION NEWS
National Wheat Yield Contest Early Winter Wheat Deadline EXTENDED to April 15th
The National Wheat Foundation (NWF) is officially accepting grower enrollment for the 2021 National Wheat Yield Contest! The Contest is divided into two primary competition categories: winter wheat and spring wheat, and two subcategories: dryland and irrigated. The Foundation is accepting entries for Winter and Spring Wheat. The early deadline for Winter Wheat entries has been extended to April 15th. Producers signing up by that time will get a $25 discount on their registration. The final deadline for Winter Wheat entries is May 15th. The Spring Wheat entry deadline is August 1st, with an early registration deadline of June 15th. The wheat contest is administered entirely online, and growers can register at https://yieldcontest.