Brazil Cattle Market Down and USDA Helps Draught Stricken Wheat Farmers

Brazil Cattle Market Down and USDA Helps Draught Stricken Wheat Farmers

Bob Larson
Bob Larson
From the Ag Information Network, I'm Bob Larson with your Agribusiness Update.

**The Senate Ag Committee has approved a bill to reauthorize the Pesticide Registration Improvement Act, which requires companies to pay fees to help fund registration applications and reviews conducted by the EPA.

The measure cleared the committee by voice vote last week. After the vote, Ag Committee Chairman Pat Roberts of Kansas, and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, said in a joint statement the reauthorization was a useful exercise.

**Brazil's cattle market has had its biggest losses in ten years following that country's meat inspection scandal. A Bloomberg News report says the scandal has put a financial squeeze on JBS, and the company is purchasing fewer cattle. On top of that, JBS no longer offers cash on delivery of animals, but wants to pay producers as much as 30 days later. JBS is Brazil's largest cattle buyer.

The situation has resulted in a 17 % drop in Brazil's cattle futures this year. Producers worry about being paid for cattle delivered to JBS, and the meatpacker is using about 80 % of its processing capacity.

**The USDA is offering more flexibility to farmers and ranchers in the Dakotas and Montana as drought worsens in that area. The agency says it will allow certain Conservation Reserve Program contract holders to donate their hay to livestock producers in drought-stricken counties.

The agency also opened CRP land to grazing for any county within 150 miles of a county already approved for emergency grazing.

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