News Briefs

House Ag Committee Recognizes Challenges

The U.S. House Committee on Agriculture held a hearing recently entitled: “Uncertainty, Inflation, Regulations: Challenges for American Agriculture.” Committee chairman Congressman G.T. Thompson (R-PA) says that “enduring production agriculture policies are essential to our national security. Maintaining a safe, abundant and affordable domestic food supply is equally essential, as is meeting the needs of perennial global food crises.”

During the hearing, committee members and witnesses discussed a variety of issues, including the necessity of raising reference prices for commodity programs in response to high input costs and lagging prices, as well as the issue of the Adverse Effect Wage Rates for H2A workers.

Congressman Austin Scott (R-GA), who was recently appointed as vice chairman of the committee, stressed the need for reference price reform in his questions to American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall.

“Yes, it is time to broaden the baseline because those targets that we use and the commodity programs and the costs that we have to go to growing a crop is nowhere near where it was when that target was set,” Duvall says. “It needs to be modernized, and it needs to be a true safety net based on the cost of production today.”

Chairman Thompson closed the hearing with final remarks saying, “Getting the Farm Bill done right and on time will require a lot of work and attention from all of us, but we owe it to all our constituents—from producers to processors, and ultimately, to consumers—to get that policy right.”

2022 Peanut Crop Value Declines

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, the price of peanuts averaged $0.262 per pound in 2022 or $524 ton, 7.8% higher than 2021. The value of the 2022 crop at farm level is $1.4 million, a 6% decrease from 2021. Harvested peanut acres were down 10.1%.

The highest average price was paid in New Mexico at $980 per ton followed by Texas at $780 per ton. The lowest average price was paid in Georgia at $496 per ton. About 49% of the revenue from peanuts was produced in Georgia. Ranking second in revenue was Florida at10%, followed by Alabama at 9.8%.

National Peanut Board Allocates Research Funds

The National Peanut Board recently reviewed and approved 74 state production research projects for fiscal year 2023 for a total of $2,043,266 in funding allocations.

In its 20-plus year history, NPB has invested and secured more than $45 million in production research funding through budgeted allocations and industry matching funds. Funding production research to increase efficiencies for America’s peanut farmers and their families is a core part of the board’s mission.

During the quarterly board meeting, a new strategic plan was approved by the NPB. Also, during the meeting, staff gave an update of the 2023 “We Grow Comfort” campaign, and new board members and alternates were sworn in. The next meeting of the National Peanut Board will be held April 3-6 in Des Moines, Iowa.

Georgia Senator Appointed To Ag Committees

Georgia Senator Reverend Warnock was appointed to three influential subcommittees on the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.

Warnock will serve on the Subcommittee on Commodities,

In Brief

• Ag Committee, Farm Bureau leader talk need for reference price reform.

• The value of the 2022 peanut crop declined 6% from the 2021 crop.

• Sen. Warnock appointed to several agriculture subcommittees.

• Premium Peanut searches for new chief executive after Zimmer announces departure.

• Georgia Peanut Commission, Peanut Proud donate to Atlanta-area food bank as part of March National Peanut Month.

• UGA to host precision agriculture conference seeking local solutions through global advances.

Risk Management and Trade, the Subcommittee on Conservation, Climate, Forestry and Natural Resources, and the Subcommittee on Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics and Research.

Through his roles on his respective subcommittees, Senator Reverend Warnock will legislate and oversee federal policy regarding commodities, specialty crops, nutrition benefits, agriculture research and producers’ access to markets and capital.

The Senator will play a crucial role in crafting the 2023 Farm Bill, the primary agricultural and food policy tool of the federal government reauthorized once every five years.

Premium Peanut Announces CEO Transition

Premium Peanut recently announced that its CEO, Karl Zimmer, will be stepping down in September following the completion of the fiscal year for personal reasons.