Pacific Northwest Ag Network
Consumer Price Index Increases
Labor and Statistics reported this week that the Consumer Price Index rose 0.5% in January on a seasonally adjusted basis, after increasing 0.1% in December. Over the last 12 months, the all-items index increased 6.4% before seasonal adjustment.
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USDA Announces Steps to Improve Child Health through Nutritious School Meals
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced late last week major initiatives that he said will support and enhance the health of America's children through nutritious school meals. At the USDA Conversation on Healthy School Meals Roundtable, Vilsack says, “Our commitment to the school meal programs comes from a common goal we all share – keeping kids healthy and helping them reach their full pote
All Milk Prices Expected To Drop In 2023
For milk and most dairy products, “prices have started to decline, quicker than we had expected,” noted USDA outlook board chairman Mark Jekanowski. He added it's a combination of continued increases in milk and dairy production plus weak demand and pretty strong international competition.
So far all of 2023 com...
December Producer Price Index Declines
The Bureau of Labor Statistics announced this week that the Producer Price Index for final demand declined 0.5% in December when seasonally adjusted. The index measures the average change over time in the selling prices received by domestic producers for their output. Final d...
Food Prices Drop in December but 2022 still Significantly Higher than 2021
The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization’s Food Price Index dropped during December, but 2022 food prices were 18% higher year-over-year. The December index averaged 132.4 points, 2.6 points below November, the ninth-straight monthly decline. The December ...
USDA Announces Conservation Stewardship Program
The next deadline for Conservation Stewardship Program applications to be considered for funding this year is February 10th. Through CSP, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service helps farmers, ranchers and forest landowners earn payments for expanding conservation activities while maintaining agricultural production on their land. The Departmen...
Ag’s Share of Total Export Value Hits New High
The total value of U.S. exports has grown at an average annual rate of 6% since 2002, reaching a record high of $1.4 trillion in fiscal year 2021. Agriculture’s share of total U.S. exports has steadily increased between fiscal years 2002 and 2021. The ...
There Are Enough Christmas Trees To Meet Demand
The Christmas tree industry wants Americans to know there will be enough trees available to meet the demand for real Christmas trees. Marsha Gray, executive director of the Real Christmas Tree Board, said,” The industry met the demand in 2021 and will do so again this year. This is a yea...
Positive Reaction to Senate Action Preventing Rail Shutdown
Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack said he is grateful for Congress taking swift action to prevent a crippling national rail shutdown.
“A rail strike would have had significant and long-lasting effects on the American economy,” Vilsack said. “U.S. farmers a...
Industry Welcomes Biden Call to Congress on Potential Rail Strike
Agriculture groups welcomed President Biden's call on Congress to avert a potential rail worker strike.
Corey Rosenbusch of The Fertilizer Institute praised the action by Biden, adding, “Congress must act now to ensure that fertilizers and other critical materials and goods that U.S. consume...