Key Takeaways

• Legislation introduced to permanently move Food for Peace to the Agriculture Department, with bipartisan support.
• The U.S. has reached a trade agreement with El Salvador aimed at facilitating agricultural exports and curbing fraud.
• Proposed changes to WOTUS regulations face criticism from Democratic senators for expanding federal jurisdiction beyond recent court rulings.

Senate Considerations on Food for Peace Shift

Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, John Boozman, expressed readiness to expedite legislative action if the Trump administration seeks to permanently transfer the Food for Peace program to the Agriculture Department. He noted the cooperation of both the USDA and State Department, having recently signed an interagency agreement for a temporary move. Boozman indicated a willingness among lawmakers to modify existing statutes to facilitate this transfer.

Kansas GOP lawmakers, including Senator Jerry Moran and Representative Tracey Mann, are spearheading efforts to make the transfer permanent. Moran emphasized the broad support for this initiative within Congress and among the public during a recent interview on Agri-Pulse’s Newsmakers program.

Trade Pact with El Salvador

In a significant development, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has finalized a trade agreement with El Salvador. This deal aims to reduce tariffs and includes measures designed to streamline agricultural exports. El Salvador has committed to recognizing U.S. dairy sanitary certificates and USDA inspections for meat and poultry, while also agreeing to limit fumigation of U.S. agricultural products to scientifically justified cases. Furthermore, the agreement will accelerate biotech approvals and reinforce protections against fraudulent re-labeling of U.S. rice.

The U.S. rice industry has welcomed the commitment to address fraud in Central American rice markets, particularly given issues with Thai milled rice being misidentified as U.S. origin for tariff-free export to other countries.

Potential Changes in Senate Agriculture Leadership

Senator Amy Klobuchar has announced her candidacy for Governor of Minnesota. Should she win, Senator Cory Booker from New Jersey is likely to take her place as the leading Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee. Booker’s leadership would mark a significant shift, as he would be the first African-American to hold such a position and is known for his advocacy for veganism and critiques of concentrated animal feeding operations. While there may be concerns within the agriculture sector regarding his viewpoints, Senator John Hoeven expressed confidence in Booker’s effectiveness in representing farmers.

Criticism of Proposed WOTUS Regulation

A coalition of Democratic senators has criticized the Trump administration’s proposed Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule. They argue that it exceeds the jurisdictional limits established by a 2023 Supreme Court decision, which excludes certain wetlands from federal protection. The senators contend that the new proposal threatens to leave a significant majority of nontidal wetlands unprotected and could further imperil other water bodies.

Digital Commodities Legislation Moves Forward

The Senate Agriculture Committee has approved a bill aimed at clarifying regulations within the digital commodities market. Known as the Digital Commodity Intermediaries Act, this legislation plans to provide a clear definition of digital commodities and grants expanded authority to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission for market oversight, enhancing consumer protections.

Super Bowl Chicken Wing Forecast

The National Chicken Council projects that Americans will consume approximately 1.48 billion chicken wings during Super Bowl 60, exceeding last year’s figures by around 10 million. This surge can be attributed to a 19.8% increase in wing sales over the last month, coinciding with the NFL playoffs. If lined up, this quantity of wings could span across the distance between renowned NFL stadiums in Massachusetts and Washington.

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