Agriculture

In our neck of the woods, uncertainty isn’t new. It’s a fact of our lives. But lately, it’s been coming from every direction. Even as the disruptions of the COVID era ease, equipment, fuel and raw material prices continue to increase.

American agriculture is at a crossroads—and few voices carry more insight than former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, the former Nebraska governor, and now he’s the chairman of Ag for the alliant, Mike Johanns.

The March 20 edition of the AgNet News Hour delivered a mix of practical field insights and high-level agricultural policy discussion, giving California farmers both immediate takeaways and long-term perspective.

The March 19 edition of the AgNet News Hour featured a compelling and wide-ranging interview with former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns, who offered insight into the economic challenges facing farmers and what it will take to sustain agriculture for the next generation.

alliant is urging farmers to combine the recently announced $12 billion immediate bridge funding package with the R&D credit.

President Trump announced new tariffs steel (25%) and aluminum (25%) in addition to what was previously imposed on Canada (25%), Mexico (25%), and China (10%). Citing a national emergency, the tariffs are all set to take effect early March after a temporary pause, China’s increase tariff went into effect as of February 4th.

It’s been nearly a decade since Mike Johanns retired from politics. That doesn’t mean he’s detached from policy.

Automation allows farmers and food distributors to streamline their supply chains, relying on less labor to get their goods to market.

The House of Representatives was without a Speaker for 21 days, and so there is now a significant backlog of legislative business left to be addressed.

Agriculture has always been a complicated business in a constant state of change. Those who recognize and embrace this reality will succeed while others will be left behind. The greatest opportunities in agriculture today will be in improved technology, including artificial intelligence.