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☆ 'High wire act': U.S. Congress gears up for immigration reform as Title 42 ends
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Richard Cowan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

It has been 37 years since Congress passed significant immigration reform, but a persistently high volume of migrants and an acute labor shortage have galvanized lawmakers. Republican Senator Thom Tillis said the end of Title 42 "sets the table" for Congress to craft new border-control laws as Republicans predict a wave of new arrivals. STARS ALIGNINGThe U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the nation's largest business association, has launched a campaign urging Congress to act. Republicans argue that is where the border security component comes in. Finally, passage of an immigration bill coupled with beefed-up border security could boost President Joe Biden's re-election campaign and give Republican candidates something to cheer too.

☆ U.S. judge blocks Biden clean water rule in 24 states
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 12 (Reuters) - A federal judge in North Dakota on Wednesday temporarily blocked implementation of a Biden administration rule establishing protections for seasonal streams and wetlands in 24 states, according to court documents. U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Hovland granted the states' request for a preliminary injunction prohibiting enforcement of the Environmental Protection Agency's Waters of the United States rule, which was finalized in December. In the order, Hovland said the states would "expend unrecoverable resources complying with a rule unlikely to withstand judicial scrutiny." An EPA spokesperson said the agency is reviewing Wednesday’s ruling and called the Biden administration rule “the best interpretation” of the Clean Water Act. In Congress, Republicans led an effort to repeal the water rule last month, with limited support from across the aisle including four Senate Democrats and independent Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona.

☆ Colorado passes first US right to repair legislation for farmers
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Bianca Flowers | Thomson Reuters | Bianca Flowers Is An Award-Winning Multimedia Journalist Based In Chicago Where She Reports On The Backbone Of The U.S. Labor Market. She Covers Agriculture | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Consumer Right to Repair Agriculture Equipment Act passed 46-14 in Colorado's Senate late on Tuesday, after winning approval in the state House of Representatives in February. The bill garnered bipartisan support as farmers grew increasingly frustrated with costly repairs and inflated input prices denting their profits. Colorado's legislation would mandate farm machinery manufacturers like Deere and rival CNH Industrial (CNHI.MI) to provide farmers with diagnostic tools, software documents, and repair manuals starting Jan 1. State lawmakers are pushing right to repair legislation even though Deere and CNH signed a memorandum of understanding with the American Farm Bureau Federation to allow farmers to fix their equipment, or go to a third-party repair shop. The agreement does not give farmers total access for repairs, said Kevin O'Reilly, director for the campaign of right to repair at the U.S. Public Interest Research Group.

☆ The beef supply is shrinking. That means meat isn't going to get much cheaper
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

A contraction in beef supplies “has been coming for a while,” said David Anderson, a professor in Texas A&M University’s agricultural economics department. Beef supplies are shrinking after farmers sold off cattle in response to drought and high costs. The “big unknown is going to be consumer demand.”The beef supply tends to grow and shrink in roughly 10-year cycles, said Lance Zimmerman, senior beef analyst for the North American market with Rabobank. “If that’s the case, beef prices may be steadier.”And with food inflation stubbornly high, consumers are already cutting back on certain items, including beef. If demand remains strong, “we may see some higher beef prices,” towards the fall and later, Bernt said.

The planned closure of the plant has left dozens of Virginia chicken growers scrambling to find new buyers in a region with few other options. Tyson alerted Virginia farmers by phone on March 13 and later by mail that it will shut its Glen Allen plant on May 12, according to three poultry farmers who supply the plant. The USDA, which enforces the PSA, told Reuters it is "closely monitoring" Tyson's planned plant closure. 'WE'RE DONE'Under normal circumstances, Tyson supplies farmers with chicks, while farmers assume the costs of land and chicken houses. On Monday, about 20 Tyson farmers and local government officials gathered in a fire station in Burkeville, Virginia, and raised concerns about Tyson's short timeline for closure of the plant, attendees said.

☆ Nigh: Food commodity markets remain tight, which is not where we want to be globally right now
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailNigh: Food commodity markets remain tight, which is not where we want to be globally right nowAmerican Farm Bureau senior economist Veronica Nigh discusses the state of the global food supply and security in the year since Russia invaded Ukraine, which is regarded as one of the top bread baskets to the world.

The Biden administration rule would protect wetlands and seasonal streams, not just permanent waterways like the rivers and lakes they feed into. Those smaller waterways were largely eliminated from protections by a Trump administration rule. The Biden administration signaled its intent to replace that rule in June 2021. The Trump-era rule had been vacated by an Arizona federal court in August 2021, which restored previous standards while the Biden administration worked on its changes. For the states: West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, Solicitor General Lindsay See and Senior Deputy Solicitor General Michael WilliamsFor the EPA: Counsel not immediately availableOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Worried residents near Ohio train derailment report dead fish and chickens as authorities say it's safe to return
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Aria Bendix | David K. Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Drone footage shows the freight train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, U.S., February 6, 2023 in this screengrab obtained from a handout video released by the NTSB. For days, authorities have been telling residents of the area around East Palestine, Ohio, that it is safe to return home after a 150-car train carrying hazardous chemicals derailed Feb. 3. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources said the chemical spill resulting from the derailment had killed an estimated 3,500 small fish across 7½ miles of streams as of Wednesday. For some people who live near the derailment site, the reports continue to spur fear that they and their animals might be exposed to chemicals through the air, water and soil. The Ohio Department of Agriculture said the risk to livestock remains low.

“One of the worst things you can hear from your child is them screaming ‘I don’t want to die! Residents across the state are just beginning to understand the full extent of the damage, especially in marginalized communities, as they recover from the deluge. But instead of work, Naranjo and other farmworkers are faced with some 20,000 flooded farmland in Salinas, according to early estimates from the Monterey County Farm Bureau, a nonprofit association of farmers and ranchers. When asked if he would return to work soon, Naranjo answered: “I don’t know.”Cars driving through a flooded roadway in Planada, Calif., on Jan. 10. “In my head, I thought if it was that bad, someone would come tell us, but no one ever did.

☆ Deere to Allow Farmers to Repair Their Own Equipment
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Patience Haggin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Deere & Co. has reached an agreement with a farm group that gives farmers access to resources needed to repair their high-tech equipment. Machinery manufacturer Deere & Co. signed a memorandum of understanding with the American Farm Bureau Federation on Sunday that the group said ensures farmers can repair their own farm equipment or take it to independent repair shops. The agreement addresses a debate that has grown in recent years, as the farm industry has implemented high-tech equipment like software and sensors in machinery like tractors and harvesters aimed at boosting harvests and speeding planting.

☆ Deere gives farmers long-sought ability to repair their own tractors
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The memorandum of understanding with the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) gives farmers access to the same Deere documentation, data and diagnostic tools used by the company’s authorized repair shops. In exchange, AFBF officials agreed not to push for state or federal legislation promoting users’ right to repair products they’ve leased or purchased. Farmers have said having to wait days or weeks for an official repair can undermine planting and harvesting schedules. Since 2000, US lawmakers have introduced more than a dozen bills dealing with the right to repair, focusing on automobiles, farm equipment and repairs of medical devices during the Covid-19 pandemic. With Sunday’s MOU, however, the tension between farmers and Deere has been resolved without the need for regulation or legislation, the agreement said.

☆ Deere & Co. will allow farmers to repair their own equipment
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( P.J. Huffstutter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

CHICAGO, Jan 8 (Reuters) - The American Farm Bureau Federation and machinery manufacturer Deere & Co (DE.N) signed a memorandum of understanding on Sunday that ensures farmers have the right to repair their own farm equipment or go to an independent technician. The Farm Bureau's memorandum of understanding with Deere "will ensure farmers everywhere are able to repair our own equipment," Farm Bureau president Zippy Duvall said, speaking at the federation's convention in Puerto Rico. It benefits farmers and independent repair facilities in the United States and Puerto Rico, for the "lawful operation and upkeep of Agricultural Equipment," the MOU states. For Deere and rival equipment manufacturers such as CNH Industrial and AGCO Corp, repairing machinery has given them a solid boost for their parts and services business. Duvall said Farm Bureau officials will meet regularly with Deere to discuss "solutions to the challenges farmers are facing in repairing their equipment", and said he hoped other farm equipment makers would take similar steps.

☆ America needs immigrants to solve its labor shortage
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Vanessa Yurkevich | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

But If you’re wondering why America’s labor shortage persists nearly three years into the Covid pandemic, it’s in part because America doesn’t have enough immigrants. Immigrants are vital to the US economy and fill thousands of US jobs – jobs many Americas don’t want to do. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said that in addition to an aging workforce there is a lack of foreign labor contributing to labor shortages. Those types of industries had higher rates of unfilled jobs last year – adding to existing labor shortages, according to UC Davis research. “The farm labor crisis is hindering production and contributing to food price inflation.

☆ 400 groups urge U.S. lawmakers to take 'immediate steps' to block potential rail strike
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"The risks to our nation’s economy and communities simply make a national rail strike unacceptable," says the letter to congressional leaders seen by Reuters. "Therefore, absent a voluntary agreement, we call on you to take immediate steps to prevent a national rail strike and the certain economic destruction that would follow." It warned a strike could halt passenger railroad Amtrak and commuter rail services that "would disrupt up to 7 million travelers a day." If they do not, workers could strike or railroads could lock out employees - unless Congress intervenes. But railroads would halt hazardous materials shipments at least four days ahead of a strike deadline.

☆ Here's why your Thanksgiving turkey probably cost a lot more than it did last year
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Turkey farmers in the US face higher costs for feed, electricity and fuel due to an inflation surge. Bob's Turkey Farm in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, told Insider that all its costs are up by 25%. Bob's Turkey Farm in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, told Insider the cost of rearing a turkey had jumped by a quarter compared with last year but has only raised prices by up to 16%. The cost of feed, electricity, fuel, propane, oil and electricity is skyrocketing." The farm typically sells turkeys for about $6 a pound, meaning the average Thanksgiving turkey it sells costs about $100.

☆ We compared 9 major grocery stores to find out which one offers the best deal
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Ann Matica | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Thanksgiving turkey prices increased by as much as 28 percent from the same time last year. Insider compared turkey prices at nine different retailers to find out which one has the best deal. We compared turkey prices from nine major grocery store chains to determine which one offers the best bang for your buck this holiday season. "Even as grocery prices rise nationally, shoppers can rely on Lidl for the best deal to feed their family this holiday season, Stefaqqn Schwarz, Lidl US chief product officer, said. Talia Lakritz/InsiderThe grocery store Wegmans has an array of turkey sizes available for customers to choose from.

☆ Rail strike potential grows, threatening to worsen supply chain backlogs, inflation
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Eli M. Rosenberg | Eli Rosenberg Is An Investigative Tech Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +12 min

That’s how much paid sick leave some freight rail workers are demanding from the rail companies before they sign new contracts. Rail workers say years of grievances about workforce cuts, coupled with new scheduling requirements, have pushed them to the brink of exhaustion. But if any of the unions decides to strike, all rail unions will honor the work stoppage. Kennedy said the union had never agreed to higher wages at the expense of a benefit like paid sick leave. “A rail strike, even one of short duration, would be catastrophic,” said John Drake, a vice president at the Chamber of Commerce.

☆ These 2 charts show how much more expensive Thanksgiving dinner is this year
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Madison Hoff | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The average 2022 cost for a "classic" Thanksgiving dinner for 10 is $64.05, according to results from the American Farm Bureau Federation. The overall average cost of a "classic" Thanksgiving dinner for 10 people, which includes things like a 16-pound turkey and a dozen dinner rolls, is $64.05. The following chart shows how the average cost of a "classic" Thanksgiving dinner has varied over time and just how much it has climbed this year from last year. The other 14 items noted for either a classic or updated Thanksgiving dinner will see some kind of increase in their average price from 2021. People concerned about higher prices on items they need for their Thanksgiving plans may find some deals and sales at stores.

As food prices have risen, a U.S Census survey showed the share of households reporting food scarcity rising from 7.8% in August 2021 to 11.4% as of early October. As with other goods and services, there is a broad set of forces behind the Thanksgiving food spike. Thanksgiving-related travel this year may at least be cheaper than it was, with airline and fuel prices having declined recently. Discounted turkey prices often lure consumers to grocery stores and supermarkets, and bargains intensify as the holiday approaches. The Farm Bureau noted that frozen turkey prices had fallen to 95 cents a pound as of this week.

☆ Thanksgiving dinner will cost 20% more this year because of inflation
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Vanessa Yurkevich | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN Business —Thanksgiving dinner will cost a whopping 20% more than it did last year, according to a new survey released Wednesday by the American Farm Bureau Federation. “General inflation slashing the purchasing power of consumers is a significant factor contributing to the increase in average cost of this year’s Thanksgiving dinner,” said Roger Cryan, chief economist at the American Farm Bureau Federation. Supply chain issues stemming from the war in Ukraine pushed the cost of Thanksgiving menu items higher, as did higher input costs for farmers and ranchers like feed, fuel, and fertilizer. Every Thanksgiving meal item tracked by the Farm Bureau rose in cost this year, except for one: cranberries. Shoppers in the western part of the country saw the highest prices while those in the South found the most affordable Thanksgiving menu items.

☆ More than 300 groups urge Biden involvement to avoid rail shutdown
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Oct 27 (Reuters) - More than 300 groups including the National Retail Federation and National Association of Manufacturers on Thursday urged President Joe Biden's involvement to help avoid a potential rail strike that could have significant impacts on the U.S. economy. On Wednesday, a second union voted against ratifying a national tentative agreement reached in mid-September, raising prospects of a labor disruption later this year. "If that were to be the case, we could witness a strike that would shut down the entire freight rail system." The unions represent 115,000 workers at railroads including Union Pacific (UNP.N), BNSF, CSX (CSX.O), Norfolk Southern (NSC.N) and Kansas City Southern . The rail deal included a 24% wage increase over a five-year period from 2020 through 2024 as well $1,000 lump sum payments in each of the next five years.

☆ 300 business groups call on Biden to intervene in rail unions contract vote
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Vanessa Yurkevich | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Washington CNN Business —Three hundred business groups are calling on President Joe Biden to intervene in the ratification of the national tentative agreement he helped broker last month between rail unions and US freight railroads. In a letter sent to the president Thursday, retail, agricultural, manufacturing, and trucking associations jointly asked the president to ensure that the tentative agreement is ratified. Sick time is unpaid in the current tentative agreement. They also give union members cash bonuses of $1,000 a year. All told, the backpay and bonuses will give union members an average payment of $11,000 per worker once the deal is ratified.

☆ U.S. nears record poultry deaths from bird flu; virus type complicates fight
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Tom Polansek | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

This has spurred export bans, lowered egg and turkey production, and contributed to record prices of the staples ahead of the U.S. holiday season. Europe is already suffering its worst avian flu crisis, with nearly 50 million poultry culled. The United States is monitoring wild birds for avian flu in four migration paths known as flyways, up from two previously, and plans to do the same next year. "This virus could be present in wild birds for the foreseeable future," Sifford said. Minnesota-based Hormel Foods Corp (HRL.N), owner of the Jennie-O Turkey Store brand, said it expects avian flu to reduce its turkey production at least through March 2023.

Inflation appears poised to gobble up this year's Thanksgiving budgets, as U.S. food prices continue to soar. Leading the food price increases over the past 12 months: margarine, up 44%; flour and prepared flour mixes, up 24.2%; frozen and refrigerated bakery products like pies, tarts and turnovers, up 20.4%. Uncooked turkey prices were up 17%, and processed fruits and vegetables were up 16%. Turkey prices have seen a particularly acute impact from inflation and a bird flu outbreak. Other factors driving food prices higher are the costs of energy and labor.

Oct 11 (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday weighed the constitutionality of a California law banning the sale of pork from pigs confined in spaces with too little space to move freely that industry groups have said impermissibly regulates out-of-state farmers. The law was approved by voters as a ballot initiative in 2018 to bar sales in California of pork, veal and eggs from animals whose confinement failed to meet minimum space requirements. "As I read California's law, it's about products being sold in California," conservative Justice Clarence Thomas said. The Supreme Court took up the case after the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. President Joe Biden's administration has sided with the pork producers, saying in a Supreme Court brief that states cannot ban products "that pose no threat to public health or safety based on philosophical objections."

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