President Trump has promised agriculture will be a focal point in trade talks with Japan’s prime minister. Farmers and ranchers hope a deal with Japan will make up for lost market access after the U.S. withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Japan and TPP-member countries have signed a new agreement now in place, giving other nations reduced tariffs and improved access to Japan, resulting in a decline of U.S. products flowing to Japan. Before meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe last week, Trump stated the two would discuss agriculture. The trade deal will most likely increase exports of wheat and beef from Montana and the nation.
Japan will seek market access in return, which could include growing markets for its specialty agricultural products. The U.S. and Japan earlier this month agreed to accelerated trade talks in hopes of reaching a speedy deal by focusing on agriculture and automobile trade.
In crop progress news, USDA reports that for Montana, spring wheat is at 23 percent complete up 10 points from the previous week and behind the 5-year average of 34 percent. Barley planted is at 23 percent complete, above last year’s progress of 17 percent. Durum wheat planted was reported at 13 percent, which is ahead of last year’s 1 percent, but slightly behind the 5-year average of 16 percent.
Winter wheat was reported with 92 percent of the crop breaking dormancy with conditions rated as 78 percent good to excellent compared to 58 percent this time last year.
In other crop insurance news, in 2018 U.S. growers planted 32.7 million acres of winter wheat and 13.2 million acres of spring wheat. Total wheat acreage in 2018 was 47.8 million acres and was the second lowest wheat acreage on record in the U.S. wheat-based crop insurance policies were purchased on 38.7 million acres in 2018, representing 81 percent of all wheat planted area.
In Montana 91 percent of the wheat planted was covered under crop insurance. The percent of the planted area covered by crop insurance was the highest in North Dakota, followed by South Dakota, Minnesota and Washington.
The Department of Agriculture Monday extended the deadline to May 17 from May 1 for producers to certify 2018 crop production for payments through the Market Facilitation Program. The trade relief program payments will be issued only if eligible producers certify acres before the updated May 17 deadline.
Farm Service Agency says the deadline was moved because weather that delayed harvests in many parts of the country, preventing producers from certifying acres. The program helps producers who have been significantly affected by foreign tariffs, resulting in the loss of traditional exports, according to USDA.
To date, more than $8.3 billion has been paid to nearly 600,000 applicants. MFP provides payments to producers of many crops including corn, cotton, sorghum, soybeans, wheat, dairy, hogs, fresh sweet cherries and shelled almonds. Producers can certify production by contacting their local FSA office or through farmers.gov.
-Reported by Lane Nordlund/MTN News
