Story by Todd Neeley, DTN Staff Reporter

LINCOLN, Neb. (DTN) — EPA plans to complete a proposed rewrite of the 2023 waters of the U.S. rule on or before Sept. 1, 2023, after a Supreme Court ruling in May essentially struck down the Biden administration rule.

The agency filed a motion to stay an ongoing WOTUS lawsuit in federal court on Monday, telling the U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota that a rewrite is on the way.

Read more of this story from our partners at DTN/Progressive Farmer here: https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/news/article/2023/06/27/biden-administration-set-issue-new-1

Celebrating the 4th of July with a cookout will cost significantly more than two years ago, although prices have fallen slightly from record highs in 2022. Families will pay $67.73 to host an Independence Day cookout with ten family members or friends, based on the 2023 American Farm Bureau Federation marketbasket survey.

The $67.73 grocery bill is down three percent from 2022, but still approximately 14 percent higher than prices were just two years ago. Last year set a record high since AFBF began the survey in 2013, and 2023 comes in as the second-highest cost. The cookout favorites include cheeseburgers, chicken breasts, pork chops, homemade potato salad, strawberries and ice cream, among other products.

The marketbasket survey shows a year-to-year increase in the cost of hamburger buns, beef and potato salad, while there are drops in the cost of chicken breasts, lemonade and cookies. Although historically high, the cost of the cookout breaks down to less than $7 per person.

Dry weather and drought in the Midwest is reaching a critical point, according to University of Illinois Agricultural Economist Gary Schnitkey, who says yield loss could be coming quickly in his state.

He says; “Most of Illinois is in a moderate to severe drought. And if we don’t get rain in the next week or so, we’re going to be looking at some lower yields. And right now, there is a possibility that a 2012 style drought may be an offering for 2023.”

That holds true for much of the Midwest and the Corn Belt, which should be enjoying a wet season thanks to El Niño. Schnitkey says markets are reacting to the dry weather; “We saw new crop December 2023 corn contract go from $5 in mid-May and now it’s back up close to $6. And if we continue to see dry weather, you can expect to see that continue up, particularly if we’re looking at a widespread drought.”

If the drought this year follows 2012, Schnitkey outlines what to expect from the market; “The harvest price was 32 percent higher in 2012 for corn, and that would result this year in a $7.80 harvest price. Soybeans rose 23 percent during that year. Having said that, any rain will cause that to go away.”

He adds that the Midwest in June of this year has more reported drought conditions than in 2012, according to the Drought Monitor.

Story provided by NAFB News Service and Todd Gleason, WILL, Urbana, Illinois

The Department of Agriculture Tuesday expanded wildlife conservation investments by $500 million over the next five years. The effort leverages all available conservation programs, including the Conservation Reserve Program, through its Working Lands for Wildlife effort.

The commitments will ramp up the conservation assistance for farmers, ranchers, private forest owners and tribes with a focus on working lands in key geographies across the country. The funding will help deliver a series of cohesive Frameworks for Conservation Action, which establish a common vision across the partnership of public and private interests and goals for delivering conservation resources in a given ecosystem, combining cutting-edge science with local knowledge, according to USDA.

The new funding includes $250 million from the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program and $250 million from the Environmental Quality Incentives Program. USDA Undersecretary Robert Bonnie says, “Working Lands for Wildlife is ready to go to the next level, and today’s incorporation of the Conservation Reserve Program into its vision is a major leap forward.”

Following the Farm Bureau marketbasket survey, USDA’s Economic Research Service Tuesday reports that cheeseburgers will cost more this year for an Independence Day cookout. USDA says that in May 2023, the ingredients for a home-prepared ¼-pound cheeseburger totaled $2.17 per burger, an increase of 10 cents from 2022.

Prices for cheeseburger ingredients grew more slowly over the year than prices for all groceries, which rose 5.8 percent from May 2022 to May 2023. Ground beef made up the largest cost of the burger at $1.24, and Cheddar cheese accounted for $0.37. Both these items increased in price by 3.5 percent between 2022 and 2023 and together accounted for half the increase in costs.

Bread prices rose the fastest, by 21.5 percent, and added 4 cents to the cost of a burger between 2022 and 2023. Tomato prices fell slightly over the year, but an increase in lettuce prices added one cent to total costs.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission announced the second voluntary carbon markets convening set for next month. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, July 19, at the CFTC’s Washington, D.C. headquarters at 11:30 a.m.

The purpose of the meeting is to discuss recent private sector initiatives for high-quality carbon credits, current trends and developments in the cash and derivatives markets for carbon credits, and public sector initiatives related to carbon markets. CFTC Chairman Rostin Behnam says, “The voluntary carbon markets are at a critical point in their development and growth, and the has an important policy responsibility to promote product innovation, price discovery, and liquidity for high-quality carbon credits.”

As the voluntary carbon markets evolve, the goal of the meeting is to build upon the information discussed at the CFTC’s first convening and the information learned from public comments as submitted in response to the Commission’s June 2022 Request for Information on Climate-Related Financial Risk.

The Bureau of Land Management extended the public comment period on its new land use rule through July fifth.

The bureau wants more feedback on its proposal to elevate conservation on federal lands. The announcement is getting significant pushback from the Public Lands Council, conservatives, energy companies, and ranchers in the Mountain West. Under the proposal, conservation would get equal footing to other land uses like oil and gas drilling, mining, grazing, and timber harvesting. Environmental groups would be allowed to lease federally owned parcels for preservation and habitat restoration. Opponents say changes to the rules for 246 million acres of land would undermine the industries that rely on those lands.

Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon says, “Simply put, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. It pits productive uses of public lands against conservation – a gross mischaracterization of the concept.” The House and Senate already have bills to halt the rule.

OMAHA (DTN) — The Mexican government on Saturday announced a 50% tariff on all white corn imports, a move that is estimated to impact about 1% of U.S. corn production but 20% of U.S. corn exports to Mexico.

Read more on this story from our partners at DTN/Progressive Farmer here: https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/news/article/2023/06/26/mexico-imposes-50-tariff-white-corn-2

Representatives Randy Feenstra (R-IA) and Angie Craig (D-MN) introduced the Crop Insurance for Future Farmers Act. It would equip new producers, beginning farmers, and U.S. veterans with the crop insurance protections they need to be productive, profitable, and successful.

The legislation would align the definition of “Beginning Farmer” to match most other beginning-farmer programs, extending crop and livestock insurance protections to ten years for new and beginning farmers. This increase to ten years would apply to all federal crop insurance programs, including livestock policies.

“We have to do a better job of helping new farmers build successful operations,” Craig says. “We’re working to strengthen the farm safety net and ensure we’re preparing the next generation of family farmers.” Recent estimates say 34 percent of all U.S. producers are over 65 years old, while only eight percent were under 35. Forty percent of all farmlands will transfer ownership over the next 20 years.

(FARGO, ND)– This week’s Crop Progress Report from USDA showed a continued worsening of crop conditions for the week ended June 25th; as many expected.

The nationwide corn rating fell 5% in the good to excellent category and now stands at 50% as of Sunday. Soybeans nationwide fell 3% in the good to excellent category and now stands at 51% as of Sunday. Spring wheat nationwide fell just 1% and now stands at 50% good to excellent as of Sunday, June 25th.

Corn ratings saw double digit declines in Missouri, Illinois and Minnesota last week while soybeans lost 12% in Missouri. Illinois corn and soybean crop now stands at just 26% and 25% respectively as lack of meaningful rainfall is taking its toll on the state.

North Dakota corn is rated at 65% good to excellent, South Dakota corn at 47% good to excellent and Minnesota is now 57% good to excellent. For soybeans, North Dakota stands at 62% good to excellent, South Dakota at 47% and Minnesota at 63% as of Sunday.

For spring wheat, North Dakota’s crop went down 6% to now stand at 49% good to excellent. Minnesota’s crop is now rated 69% good to excellent while South Dakota spring wheat continues to struggle at just 27% good to excellent.

Winter wheat harvest in the southern plains continues along with 24% of the crop harvested as of Sunday.

Read the full report here: https://usda.library.cornell.edu/concern/publications/8336h188j