Weekly Update for
April 18

Ahead of the Senate Finance Committee hearing on The President’s 2024 Trade Policy Agenda on April 15, the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) and over 30 agriculture organizations sent a letter to United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai urging enhanced engagement on trade policies to bolster our global competitive standing around the world. Recommitting to an aggressive trade agenda, holding parties accountable to commitments, and improving trade enforcement mechanisms are critical steps that need to be taken. On April 16 and 17, United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai testified before the House Ways and Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee, respectively. Her testimony focused on how the Biden-Harris Administration’s trade agenda is supporting economic growth from the middle out and the bottom up by empowering workers both at home and abroad, rebuilding American manufacturing, and strengthening the resilience of U.S. supply chains.

On April 18, NAWG and five other commodity groups sent a letter to the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) encouraging it to vote negative in advancing a petition to place antidumping and countervailing duties on imports of the herbicide 2,4-D shipped from India and China. The letter said if the ITC votes to continue the case beyond the preliminary stage, farmers across the country could soon find it difficult to access critical supplies. “The imports covered by this case are the large majority of sources of supply other than Corteva, which is the only U.S. supplier,” the letter said. “To put it simply, America’s farmers cannot rely upon a sole domestic supplier of 2,4-D to meet nearly all the market’s needs, and imports are needed to meet the majority of market needs.” The ITC is scheduled to vote on its preliminary determination in this case on May 17, 2024.

On April 18, U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) and the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) welcomed the news that U.S. wheat farmers can help increase global food assistance under a new U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) funding program USDA and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will invest $1 billion in Commodity Credit Corporation funding to provide for the purchase, shipment and distribution of U.S. wheat and other commodities for USAID international food assistance programming. “Additional funding for food assistance programs will help address the most urgent humanitarian needs in a generation. USW and NAWG look forward to working with USDA and other partners to ensure additional food donations generate the significant benefits where they are needed,” said NAWG President Keeff Felty. “As NAWG works with Congress to reauthorize the Farm Bill, we continue to advocate for strengthening the in-kind commodity donation program and additional investments in the existing trade promotion programs.” Additionally, the organizations thank Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and John Boozman (R-AR) for a letter they sent to Vilsack this past fall formally requesting additional support for food assistance. U.S. wheat farmers have been partners in U.S. food assistance programs for more than 70 years and take pride in sharing their harvest to address critical hunger needs. Through the USDA’s Food for Progress and USAID Food for Peace programs, the American people have donated more than one million metric tons of wheat annually for the past three years. “American wheat farmers are proud to step up to the plate to provide critical food resources to address global needs,” Oklahoma wheat farmer and USW Chairman Michael Peters said. “This funding will provide wheat and other commodities to address food insecurity. These additional resources will help the U.S. wheat industry, and U.S. agriculture, continue to be a reliable source of food for the world.”

On April 9, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) announced they would discontinue select 2024 data collection programs and reports. These programs and reports include all County Estimates for Crops and Livestock beginning with the 2024 production year, as well as the July Cattle report the Cotton Objective Yield Survey. The USDA says that the decision was not made lightly but was necessary and was made in light of the appropriated budget levels.

On April 15, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry John Boozman (R-AR) and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Bill Cassidy, N.D. (R-LA) requested information on how the Biden administration is developing its federal nutrition guidelines. For context, every five years the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture (USDA) release updates to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans to provide up-to-date nutritional information and recommendations to aid Americans in choosing healthier lifestyles and inform nutritional programs that include federal school meal programs. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) also released a report that that recommended the USDA and HHS improve their selection process when it comes to experts on the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) that limits conflicts of interest and ensures a balance of scientific perspectives. These recommendations were reported to not have been followed up by the current administration and so the Senators criticized the administration following the scheduled release of the next Dietary Guidelines that will be published at the end of 2025.

On Aril 16, Secretary Tom Vilsack testified in front of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies. The hearing focused on President Joe Biden’s 2025 budget request for USDA, which totals $213.3 billion, with $181.7 billion in mandatory funding and $31.6 billion in discretionary funding. Vilsack highlighted concerns over declining U.S. farms and farmland and other key issues facing the agency. He also outlined the agency’s plan to continue to support America’s farmers and ranchers, create economic opportunity in rural areas, and improve USDA’s processes and customer service.

On April 17, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the names of individuals who hold senior staff positions in Washington, D.C. Alysia K. Peters has been appointed Director of Intergovernmental Affairs for the Office of External and Intergovernmental Affairs. Dr. Alexandra Lawrence has been appointed Chief of Staff for the Natural Resources Conversation Service. Ethan Holmes has been appointed Senior Policy Advisor for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Sakeenah Shabazz has been appointed Senior Policy Advisor for the Food and Nutrition Service. Maya Cohn has been appointed Policy Advisor for the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Maya Johnson has been appointed Policy Advisor for the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

National Wheat Foundation Project Manager Anne Osborne spoke to Grace McDonald of the Northern Ag Network and the interview was aired on Friday, April 12. The Wheat Yield Contest and leadership programs were discussed.

Please follow Myplate_gov on Instagram and MyPlate.gov on X to learn more about MyPlate. The Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, has a goal to make MyPlate a household name.