California Ag Today

The recent apple harvest across the nation has been remarkable both in terms of quantity and quality. However, the current challenge lies in securing sufficient consumers to purchase them. Chris Gerlach, the Director of Industry Analytics at the U.S. Apple Association, emphasizes the abundance of apples awaiting market distribution.

The U.S. cattle herd numbers are still at record-lows. Kevin Good, vice president of industry relations for CattleFax, says the U.S. herd is still at levels not seen for decades. As far as feeder cattle and calves go, America is down a million head, and that’s not including the reduction in cows.

This one’s for our Golden State dairy farmers; if you’re looking to protect your financial margin between milk prices and feed costs, you should check out the USDA’s Dairy Margin Coverage Program.

The pork industry has experienced some turbulence lately, as changing legislation paired with supply and demand raises questions about hog profitability. However, Steve Meyer with Ever.ag forecasts break-even market prices despite higher input costs.

USDA Chief Economist Seth Meyer talked about the state of the ag economy and the headwinds it faces in 2024. During his speech at the 100th Annual Ag Outlook Meeting, he said there are challenges ahead.

With the Farm Bill being a top priority for many in agriculture, American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall says it’s critical that Congress finishes a farm bill this year.

Doug McKalip, the Chief Agricultural Negotiator, says recent years in U.S. trade have been positive, with room for advancement.

The USDA is investing $500 million to expand work on the Forest Service’s Wildfire Crisis Strategy. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says the goal is to reduce the risk of wildfires for communities, critical infrastructure, and natural resources.

While U.S. milk production is expected to grow this year, according to Michael McConnel of the USDA’s Chief Economist Office. He adds the third and fourth quarters of 2023 showed some contraction, indicating a slower growth rate in 2024.

There’s been a lot of discussion during this farm bill cycle about the need to update Market Access Program and Foreign Market Development Program spending levels for commodity programs, including for the U.S. Meat Export Federation efforts to promote beef and pork exports. USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom said additional funding would be put to work right away.