American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented on the ping pong of court orders that ended with a court-ordered reprieve from Treasury Department reporting requirements for many small businesses. Earlier this month, a federal court halted the Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) reporting requirement from the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. On Monday, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit reinstated the Jan. 1, 2025, deadline. In a third about-face, late last night, the court reversed that order until arguments can be heard, delaying the reporting requirement indefinitely.
Following the passage of the American Relief Act, 2025, House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (PA-15) issued the following statement: “The American Relief Act provides necessary assistance for American agriculture, and is a lifeline for the men and women who feed, clothe, and fuel our great nation. While the process was a long one, the result is a bill that puts America first, and serves as reminder that when the agriculture community is united, we can punch well above our weight. I was proud to support its passage, urge the Senate to quickly pass it, and call on the Department of Agriculture to act swiftly in the delivery of these critical resources.”
Following votes from Congress on year-end legislation, National Corn Growers Association President Kenneth Hartman Jr. released the following statement: “Corn growers are deeply disappointed that a permanent, year-round E15 solution was not included in the end-of-year legislation package. This no-cost provision would have provided a market-driven solution to farmers experiencing low corn prices. We call upon legislators to address this matter quickly in the start of the new Congress and fix this issue once and for all.”
In a major win for the nation’s corn growers, a dispute panel ruled that Mexico violated its commitments under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement when it issued a decree that banned genetically modified corn imports in early 2023. The decision was met with praise from the National Corn Growers Association and other corn grower advocates who had called on the United States Trade Representative to file the dispute.
The American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) is pleased to be the recipient of a $1,000,000 award from USDA’s new Regional Agricultural Promotion Program (RAPP) grants. These programs are intended to help the U.S. agricultural sector diversify sales into export markets in regions with rising purchasing power, including Africa, Latin America/the Caribbean, and South/Southeast Asia.
National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) invites you to join us for the 2025 NASDA Winter Policy Conference in Washington, D.C. The commissioners, secretaries and directors of agriculture from around the nation will gather with federal agencies, congressional leaders and industry stakeholders to address pressing agricultural and food policy issues. Join us on Feb. 24 – 26, 2025!
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the final approximately $300 million in assistance to distressed direct and guaranteed farm loan borrowers under Section 22006 of the Inflation Reduction Act. Over the past two years, USDA acted swiftly to assist distressed borrowers in retaining their land and continuing their agricultural operations. Since President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law in August 2022, USDA has provided approximately $2.5 billion in assistance to more than 47,800 distressed borrowers.
The Cooperative Communicators Association Communications Contest is live. Be sure to look over the checklists for each category to make your submission process as smooth as possible. View the contest portal for all the guidelines, recommendations, fees and important dates to remember, too.
The House Republican Steering Committee selected the Republican members who will serve on the House Committee on Agriculture for the 119th Congress.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement (OPPE) is accepting applications for the 2025 USDA E. Kika De La Garza Fellowship Program. These fellowships introduce faculty and staff from Hispanic-Serving Institutions and Hispanic-Serving School Districts to the vast array of USDA resources available to them. The fellowships take place during the summer of 2025, and applications are due by March 6, 2025.
