US ag groups urge flexibility amid food crisis threat

(Posted on 01/04/22)

The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) in the USA has urged Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to provide flexibility for Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres to help address global commodity supply challenges caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The NGFA consists of grain, feed, processing, exporting and other grain-related companies that operate more than 8,000 facilities handling U.S. grains and oilseeds.
“As Russia’s latest aggression against the sovereign nation of Ukraine enters its fifth week, there is growing concern over the implications this war will have on global food security,” noted the NGFA, American Bakers Association, American Farm Bureau Federation, Agricultural Retailers Association, National Oilseed Processors Association, North American Millers’ Association, and North American Export Grain Association in a March 23 letter. 
“The United States needs to produce more grain and oilseeds to offset the loss of Ukraine’s grain and sunflowers,” they wrote. “Time is of the essence.”
Ukraine provides 12 percent of the world’s wheat, 15 percent of the world’s corn, 15 percent of the world’s barley and 50 percent of the world’s sunflower oil. 
“It remains unclear whether Ukrainian farmers will be able to safely plant crops this spring or harvest their soon-to-ripen winter wheat crops, or if carriers will be able to safely export available commodities out of the region,” the groups noted. “Tragically, this situation recently prompted United Nations Secretary General António Guterres to warn of a possible ‘hurricane of hunger and a meltdown of the global food system.’”
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) 2017 National Resources Inventory, 26 percent of general CRP acres were “prime farmland,” which is defined as “land that has the best combination of physical and chemical characteristics for producing food, feed, forage, fiber, and oilseed crops…” The groups urged USDA to provide flexibility to producers to plant crops on prime farmland enrolled in CRP without penalty, whether on an emergency basis or through an early-out of their current CRP contracts.
The groups also urged USDA to enroll only “environmentally sensitive” land in the latest general CRP signup, which closed on March 11, and preclude the addition of any additional prime farmland into CRP.
The groups encouraged USDA to instead use working lands programs, including the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and the Conservation Stewardship Program, on prime farmland to the maximum extent possible. 
“The U.S. is blessed with some of the best quality soils on the planet, coupled with the best farmers in the world,” the letter stated. “The U.S. should do all it can to feed a growing hungry population now threatened by a likely global production shortfall by reassessing vital productive acres being idled here at home.”                                                                                                                           
NAGFA’s membership includes grain elevators; feed and feed ingredient manufacturers; biofuels companies; grain and oilseed processors and millers; exporters; livestock and poultry integrators; and associated firms that provide goods and services to the nation’s grain, feed and processing industry. The NGFA also consists of 27 affiliated State and Regional Grain and Feed Associations, and is co-located and has a strategic alliance with North American Export Grain Association, and a strategic alliance with Pet Food Institute.

Latest News

Rio Tinto, BHP and Fortescue to create safer workplaces

Rio Tinto, BHP and Fortescue are launching an innovative pilot programme aimed at helping to eliminate... Read more

AJ Steel agreement with KEZAD to expand in Abu Dhabi

Leading UAE steel pipe manufacturer and exporter, AJ Steel, has signed an agreement with the integrated... Read more

EU fertilizer industry calls for more comprehensive long-term strategy

Fertilizers Europe has welcomed the recognition of the European Commission that urgent and targeted... Read more

NGFA urge US Congress to prevent rail shutdown

The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) in the USA and 192 other members of the Agricultural... Read more

BHP and Rio Tinto to collaborate on new tailings technology

Global miners BHP and Rio Tinto have formed a partnership agreement to accelerate the development of... Read more

Trafigura signs German guaranteed US$800m loan agreement

Trafigura, a market leader in the global commodities industry, has entered into a USD800 million five... Read more

Blastr and Cargill Metals MOU for supply of green steel

Cargill’s metals business and Blastr Green Steel AS, a developer of decarbonized steel supply,... Read more

BHP releases Operational Review for quarter ended 30 September

Commenting on BHP’s newly released Operational Review, Chief Executive Officer, Mike Henry said... Read more

Partnership to decarbonise RTFT and boost critical minerals processing

Rio Tinto is partnering with the Government of Canada to invest up to C$737 million (US$537 million)... Read more

Partnership for renewable solar power at RBM

Richard’s Bay Minerals (RBM) will be supplied with renewable solar power through an agreement... Read more