Agri-Pulse Open Mic Interview

This week’s Open Mic guest is Dan Halstrom, president and CEO of the U.S. Meat Export Federation. Despite logistical challenges from a strained national infrastructure, high prices and a strong U.S. dollar, sales of red meat to global customers are running at or near a record pace for 2022. While there’s no shortage of global meat production, Halstrom says expected growth in global consumer demand should absorb additional meat supplies. Mexico has become a valuable market for U.S. pork, and Halstrom says they’re keeping a close eye on the threat of a trade spat over GMO corn imports.

This week’s Open Mic guest is Doug Winter, chairman of the U.S. Soybean Export Council. Despite increased competition and global economic challenges, more than half the U.S. soybean production is destined for export customers. Last week Winter and the soybean industry celebrated a 40-year anniversary of opening the Chinese market. Now, U.S. growers are in search of other opportunities for their beans, oil and meal. In this interview, Winter discusses the growing importance of sustainable production to maintaining markets and how the quality of U.S. soy is helping to overcome less expensive South American supplies.

This week’s Open Mic guest is Andrew Bate, Founder of SwarmFarm Robotics. The Queensland farmer wasn’t satisfied with the results of more land and larger machines and made the decision to bring autonomy and robotics to the family’s Australian farm. The result was the birth of SwarmFarm Robotics.  Bate believes the new technology can change the principles of modern farming adding to both productivity and sustainability. Bate says many common farm practices can easily be adapted to robotics while additional research will lend itself to even greater roles for machines tending fields around the world.

This week’s guest is Kornelis “Kees” Huizinga, a member of the Global Farmer Network and farmer in central Ukraine. Since moving to Ukraine two decades ago, Kees Huizinga have seen exponential increases in planted area and production per hectare making them a major player in global markets. But Russia’s invasion of the country has brought major hardship on Ukraine farmers in the loss of crops, livestock and infrastructure. Many Ukraine farmers have been lost not just in battles but while tending their fields and caring for livestock. Kees says farmers today identify with their grandfathers who fought for freedom during World War II. And he emphasizes the need to continue supporting Ukraine’s military.

This week’s Open Mic guest is Chris Novak, President and CEO of CropLife America. With the dust still settling from the mid-term elections, officials with the crop protection industry have set their sights on the lame duck session of Congress, hopeful that Environmental Protection Agency funding and the Pesticide Registration Improvement Renewal Act can see action by legislators. Novak discusses the regulatory bottlenecks at EPA, the impacts on bringing new, more sustainable crop protection chemicals to market, as well as new questions by environmentalists about the Endangered Species Act. Novak says the industry is facing economic headwinds from higher energy and operating costs but expects to have products in place to meet farmer needs for the 2023 crop year.

This week’s Open Mic guest is Rep. Rick Crawford. The Arkansas Republican was elected to a 7th term in last week’s election. Looking forward, Crawford doesn’t expect significant legislation to come from a limited lame duck session and suggests narrow margins in the next Senate and House will require compromise and a bipartisan effort to accomplish much. Crawford suggests a more conciliatory tone from the White House could bring legislative victories in the new year. He expects a new farm bill to be marked up next year and doesn’t expect significant policy changes, but says reference prices for many commodities will need to be adjusted. Finally, Crawford offers caution when dealing with the Chinese.

This week’s Open Mic guest is Errico Auricchio, chairman of the Consortium of Common Food Names. The European Union has been successful in negotiating trade agreements that prevent producers of certain foods from selling in those markets unless they’re produced by EU member countries. Auricchio brought his family’s tradition of producing fine cheeses to the United States in the late 1970’s. Now, Wisconsin-based BelGioioso cheese, vineyards and other food companies are seeing limited access to global markets because of the EU’s GI claims. Auricchio and other members of the CCFN are urging Washington to step up efforts to maintain global opportunities for American food companies.

This week’s Open Mic guest is House Rules Committee Chairman Jim McGovern. The Massachusetts Democrat is an outspoken supporter of government food and nutrition programs. McGovern strongly approves of President Joe Biden’s attention to health and nutrition and ending hunger in the United States by 2030 and says he will not support a new farm bill that does not support the White House initiatives toward ending hunger. McGovern scoffs at critics who suggest Democrats are to blame for inflation and a troubled economy. He questions sanctions without review and says relations with China require a delicate balance.

This week’s guest on Open Mic is Todd Van Hoose, President and CEO of the Farm Credit Council. While there are challenges with various commodities in different regions of the country, Van Hoose says generally 2022 should be profitable for most producers. However, the outlook for 2023 and beyond appears much more daunting with higher interest rates, increased input costs and uncertain outlook with both government regulations and legislation. In this interview, Van Hoose discusses potential changes to farm risk management tools, permanent disaster assistance and land values.

This week’s Open Mic guest is Terry Wolters, president of the National Pork Producers Council. Justices on the Supreme Court recently heard arguments on both sides of the California ballot initiative known as Proposition 12. Minnesota producer Terry Wolters says the measure would cause problems for producers and processors and increase food costs for consumers. In this interview, Wolters offers his observations of the discussion and expands on the possible implications of the ballot measure. Wolters offers insight on trade, border security, labor and USDA’s processing protocols.