Latest news with #AmericanFarmBureauFederation
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump pledges protection for farmworkers as raids hit SoCal fields
OXNARD, Calif. - President Donald Trump is slightly changing course on his immigration policy, now saying "we must protect our farmworkers". "They're not citizens, but they've turned out to be, you know, great. And we're going to have to do something about that. We cant take farmers and take all their people and send them back because they don't have maybe what they're supposed to have, maybe not. So we're going to have an order on that pretty soon. We can't do that to our farmers," the president said Thursday. American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall said he appreciated Trump's comments and expressed the vital role farmworkers play in the supply chain. "Farm employees work hard every day to help produce healthy, American-grown food. If these workers are not present in fields and barns, there is a risk of supply chain disruptions similar to those experienced during the pandemic. We look forward to working with the President on solutions that ensure continuity in the food supply in the short term, and we call on Congress to follow the President's lead to develop a permanent solution that fixes outdated and broken farmworker programs," Duvall said in a statement. Gov. Gavin Newsom also commented on Trump's announcement, calling it a major win. Local perspective Meanwhile, many farmworkers in Ventura County say they are terrified of going to work due to the ICE raids. According to the Mexican Consulate and the Farm Bureau of Ventura County, in the last 48 hours at least 40 farmworkers have been taken. ICE agents tried to enter five local packing facilities without warrants, and conducted operations in at least 10 fields. They also reportedly initiated random vehicle stops on roads that are frequented by immigrants going to work. In video posted online, agents can be heard using a megaphone to ask workers if they are citizens and have proper documents. In another video, an agent was heard saying, "yeah they know their rights, they've been here for 30 years. I get it, we are doing our job." What they're saying Local politicians and farmworker advocates at the Ventura County government center condemned the arrests, regardless of the immigration status of those being detained. "The raid on Tuesday, the consulate confirmed that every single person picked up had been here for at least 10 years," said immigration attorney Vanessa Frank. "This past week, our communities on the central coast in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties have been terrorized," Santa Maria councilmember Gloria Soto mentioned during a press conference. The Source Information for this story came from community members who spoke at a Ventura County press conference. A statement was provided by American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall, and President Donald Trump.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Egg prices fell for the first time in months. Will they get any cheaper?
U.S. egg prices fell in April for the first time in months but remain high as a dozen Grade A eggs are still running consumers $5.12 on average. The overall cost of eggs dropped 12.7% last month, according to the Labor Department's consumer price index. The drop represents the first month-to-month decline since October 2024. The series of price hikes over the last few months were related to the long-standing bird flu outbreak that impacted American poultry farms and egg-laying hens. The average price for a dozen Grade A eggs hit a record $6.23 in March. "Considering that we were at record level prices just a couple of months ago, I think this is a pretty big move," said Bernt Nelson, an economist at the American Farm Bureau Federation. "We can't say that it'll necessarily stay this way, but for the near term, this is great." Nelson attributes much of the price decrease due to farmers' collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to implement biosecurity, or measures taken to prevent the spread of bird flu, at their farms. Eylem Senyuz, a senior investment strategy analyst at Truist said prices are down also because U.S. sellers are importing a higher number of eggs. Declining costs for energy and feed needed to heat and care for chickens also contribute to the decline, he said. Changes in consumer behavior can also affect prices. If a dozen eggs costs $6 and you're used to paying $2, you may stop buying eggs altogether, resulting in less demand and eventually lower prices, Senyuz said. White House spokesperson Kush Desai celebrated the decline in a statement on May 13, touting other news from the CPI report, which also showed cooling inflation. 'The CPI report shows that the American people are experiencing real economic relief: grocery, gas, and egg prices are down, while real wages are up," Desai said. "President Trump's America First policies created a historic economy in his first term, and he's laying the groundwork to repeat the success in his second term.' But are lower egg prices temporary, or are they going to stick? More: Egg prices are up. Is raising backyard chickens a better deal? In April, the USDA still anticipated a significant rise in egg prices this year, predicting an increase as high as 54.6% in 2025. Nelson said the USDA's prediction is partially based on an assumption that farmers will continue to struggle with bird flu. However, "If things stay calm like they are now, we have a relatively low case load and that stronger biosecurity does its job and starts showing some success, we might see egg prices stay down," he said. Multiple other factors, including the rate of production will affect the price of eggs over the next few months. Even a peace-deal between Russia and Ukraine, two of the world's major grain producers could change egg prices for U.S. consumers, Senyuz said, because it could lower the cost of feed for chickens. "By just looking at input prices, energy and agriculture, and the import process that has started, if I had to guess what the next month's number should be, it should be lower rather than higher," Senyuz said. Ellen Kan, a partner at Simon-Kucher, said it's hard to tell where egg prices will be a few months from now because while there has been an effort to build back domestic supply, the sizes of egg-laying flocks are still significantly smaller than they were before bird flu outbreaks. She said the supply chain is not "meaningfully protected" in any way different from six months ago. "We are still subject to any sort of volatility or major shocks to the supply system if there is another big outbreak," Kan said. "So, I'm not sure the solve is sustainable. We could get lucky and it could stick, but who knows?" Changing tariff policy also adds to price uncertainty. High tariffs on eggs or anything that affects their production would likely mean cost increases, according to Senyuz and Kan. Grocery prices overall dropped 0.4% in April, nearly offsetting a 0.5% rise the month prior. Other breakfast essentials also fell, with the price of cereal falling 2.5% and the cost of bacon declining 1%. Other food staples did get pricier, including bread, which rose 1.6% and fresh fish and seafood, which increased 0.8%. While the cost of groceries, on average, declined, the report found the price of dining out got more expensive and is up about 4% from the past year. The price of food away from home rose 0.4% in April, marking the third consecutive monthly uptick. Reach Rachel Barber at rbarber@ and follow her on X @rachelbarber_ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Egg prices dropped in April. Is the decline temporary? Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
USA Today
13-05-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Egg prices fell for the first time in months. Will they get any cheaper?
Egg prices fell for the first time in months. Will they get any cheaper? Show Caption Hide Caption Trump vowed economic relief, but Americans say they're struggling President Donald Trump promised to end inflation and bring down food costs right away after he took office. Here's what Americans think 100 days in. U.S. egg prices fell in April for the first time in months but remain high as a dozen Grade A eggs are still running consumers $5.12 on average. The overall cost of eggs dropped 12.7% last month, according to the Labor Department's consumer price index. The drop represents the first month-to-month decline since October 2024. The series of price hikes over the last few months were related to the long-standing bird flu outbreak that impacted American poultry farms and egg-laying hens. The average price for a dozen Grade A eggs hit a record $6.23 in March. "Considering that we were at record level prices just a couple of months ago, I think this is a pretty big move," said Bernt Nelson, an economist at the American Farm Bureau Federation. "We can't say that it'll necessarily stay this way, but for the near term, this is great." Nelson attributes much of the price decrease due to farmers' collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to implement biosecurity, or measures taken to prevent the spread of bird flu, at their farms. Eylem Senyuz, a senior investment strategy analyst at Truist said prices are down also because U.S. sellers are importing a higher number of eggs. Declining costs for energy and feed needed to heat and care for chickens also contribute to the decline, he said. Changes in consumer behavior can also have an effect on prices. If a dozen eggs costs $6 and you're used to paying $2, you may stop buying eggs all together, resulting in less demand and eventually lower prices, Senyuz said. White House spokesperson Kush Desai celebrated the decline in a statement Tuesday touting other news from the CPI report which also showed cooling inflation. 'The CPI report shows that the American people are experiencing real economic relief: grocery, gas, and egg prices are down, while real wages are up," Desai said. "President Trump's America First policies created a historic economy in his first term, and he's laying the groundwork to repeat the success in his second term.' But are lower egg prices temporary or are they going to stick? More: Egg prices are up. Is raising backyard chickens a better deal? Will egg prices continue to drop or will they rise again? In April, the USDA still anticipated a significant rise in egg prices this year, predicting an increase as high as 54.6% in 2025. Nelson said the USDA's prediction is partially based on an assumption that farmers will continue to struggle with bird flu. However, "If things stay calm like they are now, we have a relatively low case load and that stronger biosecurity does its job and starts showing some success, we might see egg prices stay down," he said. Multiple other factors including the rate of production will affect the price of eggs over the next few months. Even a peace-deal between Russia and Ukraine, two of the world's major grain producers could change egg prices for U.S. consumers, Senyuz said, because it could lower the cost of feed for chickens. "By just looking at input prices, energy and agriculture, and the import process that has started, if I had to guess what the next month's number should be, it should be lower rather than higher," Senyuz said. Ellen Kan, a partner at Simon-Kucher, said it's hard to tell where egg prices will be a few months from now because while there has been an effort to build back domestic supply, the sizes of egg-laying flocks are still significantly smaller than they were before bird flu outbreaks. She said the supply chain is not "meaningfully protected" in any way different from six months ago. "We are still subject to any sort of volatility or major shocks to the supply system if there is another big outbreak," Kan said. "So, I'm not sure the solve is sustainable. We could get lucky and it could stick, but who knows?" Changing tariff policy also adds to price uncertainty. High tariffs on eggs or anything that affects their production would likely mean cost increases, according to Senyuz and Kan. Did groceries overall get cheaper in April? Grocery prices overall dropped 0.4% in April, nearly offsetting a 0.5% rise the month prior. Other breakfast essentials also fell, with the price of cereal falling 2.5% and the cost of bacon declining 1%. Other food staples did get pricier, including bread which rose 1.6% and fresh fish and seafood which increased 0.8%. While the cost of groceries, on average, declined, the report found the price of dining out got more expensive and is up about 4% from the past year. The price of food away from home rose 0.4% in April, marking the third consecutive monthly uptick. Reach Rachel Barber at rbarber@ and follow her on X @rachelbarber_
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Egg prices fell for the first time in months. Will they get any cheaper?
U.S. egg prices fell in April for the first time in months but remain high as a dozen Grade A eggs are still running consumers $5.12 on average. The overall cost of eggs dropped 12.7% last month, according to the Labor Department's consumer price index. The drop represents the first month-to-month decline since October 2024. The series of price hikes over the last few months were related to the long-standing bird flu outbreak that impacted American poultry farms and egg-laying hens. The average price for a dozen Grade A eggs hit a record $6.23 in March. "Considering that we were at record level prices just a couple of months ago, I think this is a pretty big move," said Bernt Nelson, an economist at the American Farm Bureau Federation. "We can't say that it'll necessarily stay this way, but for the near term, this is great." Nelson attributes much of the price decrease due to farmers' collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to implement biosecurity, or measures taken to prevent the spread of bird flu, at their farms. Eylem Senyuz, a senior investment strategy analyst at Truist said prices are down also because U.S. sellers are importing a higher number of eggs. Declining costs for energy and feed needed to heat and care for chickens also contribute to the decline, he said. Changes in consumer behavior can also have an effect on prices. If a dozen eggs costs $6 and you're used to paying $2, you may stop buying eggs all together, resulting in less demand and eventually lower prices, Senyuz said. White House spokesperson Kush Desai celebrated the decline in a statement Tuesday touting other news from the CPI report which also showed cooling inflation. 'The CPI report shows that the American people are experiencing real economic relief: grocery, gas, and egg prices are down, while real wages are up," Desai said. "President Trump's America First policies created a historic economy in his first term, and he's laying the groundwork to repeat the success in his second term.' But are lower egg prices temporary or are they going to stick? More: Egg prices are up. Is raising backyard chickens a better deal? In April, the USDA still anticipated a significant rise in egg prices this year, predicting an increase as high as 54.6% in 2025. Nelson said the USDA's prediction is partially based on an assumption that farmers will continue to struggle with bird flu. However, "If things stay calm like they are now, we have a relatively low case load and that stronger biosecurity does its job and starts showing some success, we might see egg prices stay down," he said. Multiple other factors including the rate of production will affect the price of eggs over the next few months. Even a peace-deal between Russia and Ukraine, two of the world's major grain producers could change egg prices for U.S. consumers, Senyuz said, because it could lower the cost of feed for chickens. "By just looking at input prices, energy and agriculture, and the import process that has started, if I had to guess what the next month's number should be, it should be lower rather than higher," Senyuz said. Ellen Kan, a partner at Simon-Kucher, said it's hard to tell where egg prices will be a few months from now because while there has been an effort to build back domestic supply, the sizes of egg-laying flocks are still significantly smaller than they were before bird flu outbreaks. She said the supply chain is not "meaningfully protected" in any way different from six months ago. "We are still subject to any sort of volatility or major shocks to the supply system if there is another big outbreak," Kan said. "So, I'm not sure the solve is sustainable. We could get lucky and it could stick, but who knows?" Changing tariff policy also adds to price uncertainty. High tariffs on eggs or anything that affects their production would likely mean cost increases, according to Senyuz and Kan. Grocery prices overall dropped 0.4% in April, nearly offsetting a 0.5% rise the month prior. Other breakfast essentials also fell, with the price of cereal falling 2.5% and the cost of bacon declining 1%. Other food staples did get pricier, including bread which rose 1.6% and fresh fish and seafood which increased 0.8%. While the cost of groceries, on average, declined, the report found the price of dining out got more expensive and is up about 4% from the past year. The price of food away from home rose 0.4% in April, marking the third consecutive monthly uptick. Reach Rachel Barber at rbarber@ and follow her on X @rachelbarber_ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Egg prices dropped in April. Is the decline temporary?
Axios
07-04-2025
- Business
- Axios
Farmers are freaked by Trump tariffs
President Trump's tariffs on nearly every trading partner but Russia are rattling farmers across the country, especially in Illinois. Why it matters: As the nation's third-biggest ag exporter — registering $13.7 billion in farm exports in 2023 — Illinois could lose a lot under new trade barriers. Flashback: In the wake of the 2018-19 Trump tariffs, American farmers lost $27 billion in sales as China shifted its purchases from the Midwest to South America. Farmers say they had only recently rebuilt those market relationships. What they're saying: "Increased tariffs threaten the economic sustainability of farmers who have lost money on most major crops for the past three years," said Zippy Duvall, president of American Farm Bureau Federation, in a Wednesday night statement. Duvall predicts retaliatory tariffs will hurt sales while raising costs on machinery and fertilizer, "a combination that not only threatens farmers' competitiveness in the short-term, but it may cause long-term damage by leading to losses in market share." Meanwhile economists expect tariffs to boost the cost of produce by 4% and overall food by 2.8%. The intrigue: Some of Trump's farm supporters assumed his threats were a bluff. "I think everybody was expecting that it was just a lot of talk to bring people to the table and work a few things out," farmer and Illinois Soybean Association official Brady Holst told Axios last month.
