Monday, March 27, 2023

Members in the News: Kolodinsky, Schnitkey, Batabyal, Kalaitzandonakes, Ifft, Colussi, et.al

 

*Disclaimer - This email is to acknowledge citations of current AAEA members and/or their research in any public media channel. AAEA does not agree nor disagree with the views or attitudes of cited outside publications.


Jane Kolodinsky, University of Vermont

"NoCo9 Speaker Spotlight Series: Jane Kolodinsky of the University of Vermont"

By: Let’s Talk Hemp – March 14, 2023

It has been a long and winding road. Right now we have several hemp research groups that are national in scope. We secured a USDA foundational grant to revitalize rural communities and have teamed up with academic groups in Colorado and Kentucky. We are looking at the economic impact of hemp on rural economies.”

(Continued...)
Read More On: Let's Talk Hemp



Gary Schnitkey,University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

"Illinois Farmland Prices Continue Upward Rise"

By: Illinois Ag Connection – March 14, 2023

"Average cash rent levels increased substantially from 2022 to 2023 for all land productivity classes with the higher quality land experiencing the greatest absolute increase.”

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Read More On: Illinois Ag Connection


Amit Batabyal, Rochester Institute of Technology

To Reduce Adult Crime, Invest More In Early Childhood Education

By: Rochester Beacon – March 22, 2023

It is worth emphasizing that the benefits generated by the Head Start and Smart Start early childhood education programs on subsequent crime reduction paid for a large portion of the cost of providing the education. Moreover, these benefits paid for almost all the costs of providing education in high-poverty areas.

(Continued...)
Read More On: Rochester Beacon


Maria Kalaitzandonakes, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

"Food Prices Will Rise Again In 2023, Putting More Pressure On Families"

By: WSIU – March 19, 2023

“None of these are particularly easy or straightforward things, they all affect your daily life and choices,” she said. “People are actively changing their behavior and switching away from important foods.”

(Continued...)
Read More On: WSIU


Jennifer Ifft, Kansas State University

"Ike’s Ag Economics To Be Discussed"

By: KSAL – March 19, 2023

“Agricultural policy in the U.S. addresses many important challenges including fighting hunger domestically and internationally. Policies on maintaining a safe and secure food supply along with economic stability for farm families are critical. This presentation will cover key policies addressing these challenges during the Eisenhower Administration.”

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Read More On: KSAL


Joana Colussi, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Gary Schnitkey,
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Nick Paulson,
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

"Brazil Passes U.S. As Largest Corn Exporter"

By: Agri marketing – March 20, 2023

“In its March "World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE)" report, the USDA raised its forecast for Brazilian corn exports to 50 million tons for the 2022-23 marketing year (October-September). That would put Brazil above the United States, the long-established world leader in corn exports. The United States is expected to ship 47 million tons to foreign buyers, two million tons less than the February forecast. Brazilian exports have risen sevenfold in 15 years, jumping from 7 million tons to 50 million tons. Brazil and China signed an agreement on phytosanitary requirements for corn trade last year, and the first shipment of Brazilian corn to China occurred in November 2022.”

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Read More On: Agri Marekting


Brad Zwilling, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

"Increasing Agricultural Debt and Impact on Illinois Grain Farms"

By: Farms.com – March 20, 2023

"Agricultural debt on a nominal basis in Illinois has been increasing since 1991. Data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Illinois Farm Business Farm Management (FBFM) are shown to see if increasing debt levels pose problems for the financial health of Illinois farms. With more variability in the farm economy and rising inflation, increasing debt levels need to be monitored closely.”

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Read More On: Farms.com


Alfons Weersink, University of Guelph

"Ag Policies Called Biased Toward Grain"

By: Sask Today – March 19, 2023

“There is no equivalent of crop insurance for livestock farmers. Thus, there is some argument that a safety net provides an incentive to convert marginal land from pasture to crops. However, there are business risk management programs for all types of farmers, including beef producers. More importantly, the market and commodity prices have a much larger influence on farmer behavior. I think high crop prices (and decent weather) are the major reason for this conversion. While government programs play some role, the difference in relative returns from the market is a major driver.”

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Read More on:
Sask today


Marin Skidmore, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

"Local Manure Regulations Can Help Reduce Water Pollution From Dairy Farms"

By: Phys.org – March 20, 2023

"Wisconsin is unique, because they have allowed counties to participate in enforcement of state agricultural code without state approval. Most states have either sole state-level enforcement or allow local enforcement only with state approval. As a result, Wisconsin has more county-level participation in manure management than neighboring states, although the state still maintains enforcement authority as well.”

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Read More On: Phys.org or Eurasia Review


Seungki Lee, The Ohio State University

"Coffee and Grain Markets on April 14"

By: Ohio Country Journal – March 21, 2023

“Ohio State University Extension invites Ohio grain producers to grab a cup of coffee and join the next edition of a quarterly grain market conversation with Seungki Lee, Assistant Professor in the Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics (AEDE) from 7:30 to 8:00 a.m. on Friday, April 14, 2023. During this webinar held via Zoom, Dr. Lee will provide his insights on the World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) crop report.”

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Read More on: Ohio Country Journal


Jared Hutchins, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

"Dairy Sector Boasts 100 Years Of Successful Herd Data Collection"

By: Eurasia Review – March 23, 2023

“The National Cooperative Dairy Herd Improvement Program (NCDHIP) is an interesting case study because it illustrates how to translate the benefits of data collection for all dairy producers. Its model can serve as inspiration for other agricultural sectors. Previously it was commonplace for dairy farmers to water down their milk to get paid more. But farmers were now paid on butterfat instead of milk weight. The Babcock test created a paradigm shift in dairy, giving producers an incentive to learn and fund research about this new metric.”

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Read More on: Eurasia Review


Ricky Volpe, California Polytechnic State University

"The price-Cutting Battle of Retail Chains In Hungary Seems To Be Unique"

By: Trademagazin– March 23, 203

“Inflation will eventually reach a point where it stabilizes and then normalizes. February figures point in that direction. He says: “If the pressure eases at the very beginning of the food supply chain, the impact will go reach retail shelves in a very, very long period of time.”

(Continued...)
Read More On: Trademagazin


Shadi Atallah, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

"Tapping Into New Syrup Flavors"

By: Carriage Towne News – March 23, 203

“Providing information to consumers about the type of syrup they are sampling, as well as the potential advantages of promoting sugarbush and forest diversification, resulted in an increase in willingness to pay for a 12.7-oz bottle by as much as $1.10.”

(Continued...)
Read More On: Carriage Towne News

Monday, March 20, 2023

Members in the News: Mintert, Ortega, Resnick, Vos, Martin, Somogyi, Rutledge, et.al

*Disclaimer - This email is to acknowledge citations of current AAEA members and/or their research in any public media channel. AAEA does not agree nor disagree with the views or attitudes of cited outside publications.


James Mintert, Purdue University

"Agricultural Loan Delinquency Rates Fall Further Below 1%, Lowest In Decade-Plus"

By: S&P global – March 16, 2023

“In a release that the improved sentiment was due to a better feeling about financial conditions as farmers estimated their 2022 income following the autumn harvest.”

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Read More On: S&P Global


David Ortega, Michigan State University

"While The Costs of Some Things Are Coming Down, a Lot of Other Prices Are Climbing"

By: NPR – March 14, 2023

 “We're seeing some improvements in the forces that are leading to price increases, but there's still a ways to go before we start to see substantial relief at the grocery store.”

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Read More On: NPR


Danielle Resnick, International Food Policy Research Institute
Rob Vos,
International Food Policy Research Institute
Will Martin,
International Food Policy Research Institute

"The Political Economy of Reforming Costly Agricultural Policies"

By: Brookings – March 10, 2023

“Agricultural support policies provide over $800 billion per year in transfers worldwide. Such policies encompass a broad range of government instruments to support the agriculture sector, which are typically funded from taxpayers and consumers. These include “coupled” subsidies intended to incentivize producers to expand output, “decoupled subsidies” that avoid shifting production incentives, and market-price support measures such as tariff and non-tariff barriers. Many of these policies have facilitated hunger and poverty reduction, but they also have fostered agricultural production systems that threaten environmental sustainability through increased greenhouse gas emission and land use expansion.”

(Continued...)
Read More On: Brookings


Simon Somogyi, University of Guelph

"Tips to Ride Out Supply Chain Disruptions and Rising Costs"

By: FFC - March 15, 2023

"The war between Russia and Ukraine is the biggest cause of rising costs. The Ukraine conflict has had a profound impact on the cost of goods with skyrocketing grain and fertilizer prices impacting the production costs in almost all areas of food production - meats, produce, dairy and eggs. Having numerous suppliers for goods, particularly raw materials, is so important. This way, when one supplier shuts down for the ingredient you need or the logistics make it slower to get the ingredient into the processor, you have alternatives."

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Read More On: FFC


Zach Rutledge, Michigan State University

"USDA Session Tackles H-2A, Labor Shortages"

By: Vegetable Growers News – March 9, 2023

“Half of growers face labor shortage problems. Growers reporting labor needs state the average shortage is 20% of the workers they would normally have hired. COVID-19 accelerated existing shortages and forced growers to adjust, by raising wages, providing incentives such as scheduling flexibility, offering health insurance benefits and production bonuses for employee retention and turning to farm labor contractors.”

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Read More on:
Vegetable Growers News


Jonathan Coppess, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

"Midwest farmers tripled use of cover crops, but it's still just a small fraction of acres"

By: Earth Eats - March 1, 2023

“It is certainly not at a level that would be necessary for some of the challenges, like the water quality challenges like soil erosion. It's going to take a lot more acres to get there. Cover crops also received a temporary boost, thanks to COVID-19 relief money. The Biden administration spent $60 million on subsidies for more than 12 million acres of cover crops during the 2020-2021 growing seasons.”

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Read More On: Earth Eats, WSIU, KLNE-FM, Spot On Illinois, Iowa Public Radio


William Ridley, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

"U.S. Cotton Exports Shift Due to Competition, Trade Policy"

By: Herald-Whig – March 4, 2023

“As recently as the early 2000s, Brazil was only a minor player in the cotton market, and now they’re the second largest exporter in the world. Brazil’s cotton production is more than it used to be, with a large expansion in land area devoted to cotton. It is also a trend more broadly with Brazil’s agricultural sectors. They’ve become much more trade-oriented. Almost overnight, they became a major player in the cotton sector.”

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Read More on: Heral-Whig


Bruce Sherrick, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

·       "Land Prices Remain Strong"
By: Farm Week – March 2, 2023

·       "Adopting More Soil Conserving Practices Can Reduce Crop Insurance Costs
By: Ag web – March 13, 2023

·       "Buying of Transferring a Farm Getting More Expensive"
By: Farm Week Now - March 13, 2023


Maria Kalaitzandonakes, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Jonathan Coppess,
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

"Food prices will rise again in 2023, putting more pressure on families"

By: KOSU-FM – March 10, 2023

“None of these are particularly easy or straightforward things, they all affect your daily life and choices. People are actively changing their behavior and switching away from important foods.”

“We hear these huge numbers of $1.2 trillion going toward food assistance, and we lose a more important part of the policy. We overlook some of the tough decisions of choosing between paying a bill, putting gas in the car or eating. And that’s where people are skipping meals.”

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Read More On: KOSU-FM


Gary Schnitkey, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Nick Paulson,
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

"Fertilizer Prices Have Come Down From Record Highs"

By: The Farmers Exchange – March 10, 2023

“Fertilizer prices have been on a declining trend in recent months. Declines in natural gas and corn prices likely have led to nitrogen fertilizer price declines. Moreover, stability in fertilizer markets may have been achieved as the Ukraine-Russia war continues. However, any further disruptions within the market, from escalating global tensions to supply chain disruptions, could lead to fertilizer price increases. Recent profit announcements indicate that fertilizer companies had a good profit year in 2022.”

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Read More On: The Farmers Exchange


Bruce Sherrick, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Gary Schnitkey,
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

"Farm Values Conference Set For March 23"

By: Morton Courier – March 8, 2023

“They will look more closely at influences on land sales, outside influences on prices being paid, who’s buying and selling, and what to look for in terms of ‘crystal balling’ the future of land values and lease/rent rates.”

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Read More On: Morton Courier


Clayton Michaud, USDA Economic Research Service

"Foreign Ownership of US Farmland on the Rise"

By: Lancaster Farming – February 24, 2023

“Foreign entities own approximately 40 million acres, which accounts for 3% of all privately held agricultural land in the U.S. The majority of that land is forest — particularly purchases in Maine by Canada — but cropland is becoming a more popular commodity for foreign investors.”

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Read More On: Lancaster Farming


Joana Colussi, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

"Prairie Profile: Joana Colussi"

By: Farm Progress - March 16, 2023

“It’s important for Americans to understand that everything that happens in Brazil and Argentina will directly impact the American market because today’s agriculture is a very global industry, we have to closely watch South American weather patterns and production.”

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Read More On: Farm Progress


Roderick Rejesus, North Carolina State University
Sunjae Won,
Auburn University
Barry K. Goodwin,
North Carolina State University
Serkan Aglasan,
Mehmet Akif Ersoy University

"Adopting More Soil Conserving Practices Can Reduce Crop Insurance Costs"

By: Ag Web – March 13, 2023

“Advocates of conservation agriculture have long insisted that farmers who adopt use of practices such as cover cropping and no till or reduced till cultivation can improve the water-holding capacity of their topsoil by adding organic matter, which helps to make their crops more resilient in the face of extreme weather events.  This attribute can not only benefit individual farmers by reducing their yield variability on a year-by-year basis, it can benefit society and taxpayers by reducing the need to make indemnity payments to U.S. farmers who participate in the federal crop insurance program.”

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Read More On: Ag Web


Scott Irwin, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

"What Will 2023’s Diesel Production Capacity Look Like?"

By: RFD-TV - March 15, 2023

"Renewable diesel production is soaring, driven largely by federal and state policies. Many are now speculating over projected production capacity for the years ahead. Dr. Scott Irwin with the University of Illinois spoke with RFD-TV’s own Tammi Arender on last year’s highlights, contributing factors, and what to expect this year. (Speaks at time stamp 0:10)"

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Read More On: RFD-TV


Wendong Zhang, Cornell University

"How Might Rising Interest Rates Impact Iowa Farmland Values?"

By: The Gazette – March 16, 2023

“A simple way to calculate land value is to divide net income by interest rate. This year’s farm income still is strong compared to, for example, 2019 levels. But it’s trending down as COVID-19 assistance programs are being phased out. The U.S. Department of Agriculture forecasts net farm income to decrease by about 16 percent from 2022 to 2023.”

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Read More On: The Gazette


Maria Gerveni, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Scott Irwin,
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

"Updated Overview of the Production Capacity of U.S. Renewable Diesel Plants"

By: Agri Marketing – March 13, 2023

“The two main types of biomass-based diesel fuels used to comply with the U.S. Renewable Fuel (RFS) mandates are "FAME biodiesel" and "renewable diesel." Although FAME biodiesel and renewable diesel are produced with the same organic oil and fats feedstocks, their production process differs substantially, resulting in the creation of two fundamentally different fuels.”

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Read More On: Ag Marketing


Joe Janzen, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

"WASDE Recap: Lower US Corn Export Prospects, But Are They Low Enough?"

By: Farms.com – March 14, 2023

“The WASDE report contained significant downward adjustments to projected corn and soybean production in Argentina, but these changes were to some degree anticipated by the market. Bullish news about lower South American production may have boosted US soybean export prospects slightly but was insufficient to support to US corn exports.”

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Read More On: Farms.com


Maria Kalaitzandonakes, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Jonathan Coppess,
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

"Promoting Sustainable Agricultural Production in the Next Farm Bill: Is There Any Common Ground?"

By: Ag Fax – March 14, 2023

“This week, farmers, agriculture groups, and climate advocates have been demonstrating in Washington D.C. requesting that Congress do more to address climate change in the next farm bill. The event, Farmers for Climate Change Action: Rally for Resilience, called for resources, assistance, and incentives to encourage farmers to address climate change. This demonstration is a part of a much larger conversation about climate change and agriculture – and how to induce farmers to adopt sustainable practices.”

(Continued...)
Read More On: Ag Fax