In June 2024, Rural Americans wanted to know more about the $32 billion trade deficit projection, early concerns about tar spots in the Corn Belt, how the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Chevron Doctrine will directly affect ag, AFBF’s urgent call for USDA assistance on labor shortages, and Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack’s harsh critique of the House Farm Bill plan.
Here is your Rural Wrap-Up for the month of June 2024:
Record Trade Deficit: Why one major farm group says Congress has the power to reverse the numbers
Economists with the American Farm Bureau forecast a $32 billion deficit for 2024, nearly double the record set last year.
This would mark the fourth time in six years that ag trade has been in the red.
Worrisome This Early: Tar spot in several Corn Belt states has producers on high alert
How SCOTUS overturning the Chevron Doctrine directly impacts ag
A big decision was handed down this week from the Supreme Court. In a majority ruling, justices overturned a decades old ruling around federal agencies and their ability to interpret the laws.
Legal experts say this will have broad implications, and could impact ag regulations around farm subsidies, crop insurance, and environmental practices, including the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) regulations.
American Farm Bureau asks USDA for help on ag labor shortages
Political Not Practical: Sec. Vilsack slams House Farm Bill plan
Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack is calling on the House Ag Committee to go back to the drawing board over the Farm Bill, calling their framework political, not practical.
Vilsack told reporters their bill is funded by gimmicks and likely will not get a majority vote in either chamber. He takes issue with their nutrition plans and restricts the Commodity Credit Corporation’s spending authority.
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RFD-TV’s Rural Wrap-Up curates headlines from the previous week that mattered most to Rural Americans.
For today’s top rural news stories, visit the Rural Rundown.
