Issue Insights

Developed by the Tennessee Farm Bureau Public Policy Division, issue insights aim to further educate members and lawmakers on relevant and notable topics.

Cost of Community Services

In 2006, Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation worked with the American Farmland Trust and local Farm Bureaus to conduct a cost of community services (COCS) study. A COCS study researched the current net fiscal impact of existing land uses in a particular county, in this instance three counties were studied - Tipton, Robertson, and Blount.

‘Farm Bill for America’s Families: Sustaining Our Future’ Promotes Importance of the Farm Bill

A new campaign launched this week promotes the importance of the farm bill to all Americans. Micheal Clements shares more on the diverse group of organizations coming together to share the farm bill message.

President Duvall Testimony as Prepared for the Senate Agriculture Committee

Testimony as Prepared for Zippy Duvall, President, American Farm Bureau Federation to the Senate Committee on Agriculture; Subcommittee on Commodities, Risk Management, and Trade

2023 Cattle Market Outlook

2022 was filled with mountains for U.S. cattle producers to climb. From high feed costs to the third consecutive year of drought, there was no shortage of complex obstacles, many with effects that will carry through well beyond 2023. This Market Intel is a deep dive into the 2023 cattle outlook, and what producers can do to position themselves for what lies ahead.

The ‘Others’ of The Farm Bill – Titles Outside of the ‘Big 4’

About 99% of farm bill outlays go to nutrition, crop insurance, commodities and conservation titles. The “Other” category makes up the remaining 1% of all projected outlays. Figure 1 provides the breakdown of all projected outlays as a percentage of total outlays under the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 farm bill, PL 115-334), including titles within the “other” category. This Market Intel will analyze the titles of the farm bill outside of the top four titles that account for nearly all farm bill outlays. These programs, while only making up 1%, have huge impacts on one of the most productive groups of people in the country, rural Americans.

High Path Avian Influenza Update – What’s next?

Since the first case of the 2022/2023 highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak was detected in the U.S. – in a turkey flock – on Feb. 7, 2022, the virus has affected 58.8 million birds in 831 flocks in 47 states. All levels of the supply chain have felt impacts from HPAI, from the farmer facing the risk of depopulation, all the way up to the consumer paying record prices for eggs and turkey due to tighter supplies. This Market Intel provides an update of the status of HPAI in the United States including the measures USDA has taken and what steps might be taken to mitigate the risks and impacts of HPAI in the United States.

Renewable Fuel Standard Final Rule – 2023, 2024, 2025: Increases Short of Expectations

In December, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a proposed multiyear rule on renewable fuel requirements for the liquid fuel industry. On June 21, they issued a final version of that rule rule that establishes RVO targets and percentage standards for 2023 to 2025 and modifies the RFS program. This Market Intel provides an analysis of the changes to the RFS standards and their potential impacts on farmers.

Stepping on Stepped-up Basis Has Big Consequences

Any change in capital gains tax policy that eliminates or scales back stepped-up basis could result in a massive tax burden on the agricultural sector according to new analysis by the American Soybean Association and the American Farm Bureau Federation.

Reviewing U.S. Carbon Sequestration

The most recent data from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Greenhouse Gas Inventory Data Explorer reveals U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in 2018 totaled 6.7 billion metric tons in CO2 equivalents, up 2%, or 188 million metric tons, from the prior year (Agriculture’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks).