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Farmers Stunned as USDA Proposes Axing DEI From Energy Projects

Unknown agriculture, environmental science, government, government regulations, rural development

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 The Department of Agriculture has an announcement for farmers.
 owed federal grant money
 Think about removing "counterproductive DEIA" elements from your initiatives to receive funding more quickly.


 The department informed those farmers in a letter sent last week that they would start handling the delayed payments after thirty days. However, they are initially urging the farmers to modify their energy initiatives, like setting up solar panels or enhancing ventilation systems, so as to eliminate diversity elements or implement other changes that more closely match President Donald Trump’s objectives.


 "When I received that, I sent it to my USDA representative and asked, 'What on earth does this mean?'" said Michael Protas, who was granted money to put up solar panels on his farm in Dickerson, Maryland.


 The interruption of three rural energy initiatives, which were halted by the Trump administration in January, has stranded farmers and led to a federal lawsuit. According to a letter from the USDA sent out last week, they will start releasing the delayed funds, ensuring that all recipients will ultimately get their allocated money.


 The department distributed an optional web-based questionnaire to impacted farmers, encouraging them to suggest modifications within thirty days. Participants completing this survey—whether agreeing with proposed adjustments or indicating they wouldn’t change their plans—would see their financial support expedited upon review and acceptance of suggested alterations as per the department’s guidelines. Conversely, individuals failing to respond shall experience a one-month delay before the department initiates the disbursement process for their grants.


 Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins stated that the department was making adjustments following the Inflation Reduction Act, which is associated with President Joe Biden.
 key climate and healthcare legislation
 , “delivered more bureaucracy than benefits for rural families.”


 But farmers said the announcement created only more confusion and another hurdle to receive funding they desperately need to pay off loans and replenish money already spent on projects. Some reported finally receiving their payments this week without having altered their projects. Others said that they feared their contracts with the USDA would be voided if they responded to the survey in the wrong way and that they weren’t sure what changes the Agriculture Department is looking for.


 “DEI has nothing to do with solar panels,” Protas said. “I don’t know what they’re asking for.”


 The Agriculture Department declined to answer questions from The Washington Post about what changes to remove diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility from rural energy projects could entail.


 The funding embargo began on Trump’s inaugural day as he signed an order.
 executive order
 To hold back millions of dollars in funds pledged to farmers from past years aimed at promoting sustainable and energy-efficient farming methods. Numerous agreements included compensating farmers for their costs; however, the delay in payments placed these financial burdens squarely on them.


 On March 13, multiple farmers along with nonprofit organizations
 sued
 The Agriculture Department is being accused of improperly holding back funds that Congress had allocated. (According to Hana Vizcarra, an attorney with Earthjustice, one plaintiff in the lawsuit was granted funding on Monday. The Agriculture Department has not responded to inquiries from The Post regarding the lawsuit.)


 “They expect the government just to fulfill their obligations,” Vizcarra said. “And instead, as the new administration came in, they just froze all the funds and disrupted work that was already ongoing and put everything at risk.”


 The request for farmers to complete a survey and consider changing their projects came as another frustrating curveball to those who have waited months for their money under the Empowering Rural America (New ERA), Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) and Rural Energy for America (REAP) programs.


 “It just adds more confusion,” said Protas, who took out a roughly $97,000 loan to install solar panels on his farm. A REAP grant was supposed to cover about half the amount.


 The Agriculture Department’s letter said that, besides removing diversity features, project revisions could include using “more affordable and effective energy sources” and implementing changes to increase “production, transportation, refining and generation capacity of energy and critical minerals.”


 The department had earlier taken pride in rejecting grants aimed at promoting diversity programs. In a March social media post, Rollins mentioned that she terminated a $397,000 grant to a California-based non-profit organization running a training initiative for aspiring farmers. She stated this program was focused on teaching "queer, trans, and BIPOC urban farmers and consumers about food justice," as reported by Civil Eats.
 reported
 .


 Earthjustice
 called
 The announcement was labeled as a "stunt" and the department was accused of fabricating an excuse to withhold funds from farmers who refuse to alter their programs. Vizcarra also mentioned that farmers supported through various other USDA initiatives continue to be without the financial assistance they were expecting.


 This simply seems like an extra obstacle we have to overcome," she stated. "There’s no reason for them to further complicate things for those who received grants by making them wonder if they must use specific phrases to obtain funds that the government has already committed to giving.


 Travis Forgues, who operates a dairy farm in Westby, Wisconsin, along with his spouse, Amy, mentioned that he anticipates receiving approximately a $55,000 REAP grant to assist with the cost of installing solar panels. Last week, the pair completed the USDA’s questionnaire and stated they wouldn’t be altering their plans for the project.


 I hope we haven't made an error here," Forgues stated. "When discussing topics like solar power or energy autonomy, this isn't really related to diversity, equity, and inclusion issues. To be honest, even if it were tied to those matters, I wouldn't consider it significant.


 David Funk manages an energy consultancy firm that offers services funded by REAP for farmers in Idaho and nearby regions like Washington. Last week, he submitted a declaration stating that he wouldn’t alter his program’s operations and recommended his farming clientele follow suit. Although he got paid on Monday evening, several of the farmers collaborating with him have yet to receive their funds.


 Funk stated that he appreciated the Agriculture Department’s commitment to providing compensation to recipients at last. However, he also noted that it seemed inefficient for the government to subject farmers to such prolonged ambiguity before reinstating their access to financial resources.


 "They have harmed numerous businesses and undermined the reliability of the government in their pursuit to eliminate DEI from things that do not actually possess it," Funk stated.

Farmers Stunned as USDA Proposes Axing DEI From Energy Projects

Unknown agriculture, environmental science, government, government regulations, rural development

The Department of Agriculture has an announcement for farmers. owed federal grant money Think about removing "counterproductive DEIA" elements from your initiatives to receive funding more quickly…

Menuju Musim Panen Besar, Kementan Siapkan 5.399 Alat Pertanian untuk Petani

Unknown agriculture, commerce, farmers, farming, farming sector

<img data-document-id="cms/api/amp/image/AA1CbPbd" data-reference="image" src="https://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/AA1CbPbd.jpg"/>

 
 
 DIWIDA
 
 
 ,
 
 
 Jakarta
 
 
 - Kementerian Pertanian menyalurkan 5.399 unit alsintan moderen guna mempersiapkan sambutan
 panen raya
 Yang diprediksi akan dilaksanakan setelah Lebaran pada tahun 2025. Alatnya terdiri dari sebanyak 3.247 unit combine harvester.
 ombine harvester
 besar dan 2.152 unit pEmptyEntries
 ower thresher
 Alokasinya bertambah dari pencairan sebanyak 1.400 unit.
 ombine harvester
 dimensi besar akan mencakup beberapa area di Indonesia sepanjang tahun 2024.


 Direktur Jenderal Infrastruktur dan Permesinan Pertanian di Kementerian Peternakan Andi Nur Alam Syah menyampaikan bahwa penyaluran alat-alat mesin pertanian ini bertujuan untuk meningkatkan produktivitas sektor pertanian secara nasional. "Melalui proses otomatisasi tersebut, para petani bisa melakukan panen dengan kecepatan tinggi, menjadi lebih efisien serta mendapatkan hasil tanaman yang berkualitas," ungkap Andi saat memberikan klarifikasi kepada media pada hari Rabu, tanggal 2 April 2025.


 Andi menilai penggunaan
 combine harvester
 dapat menekan angka kerugian panen
 losses
 Panen dengan menggunakan mesin bisa mencapai kenaikan sebesar 3-5 persen jika dibandingkan dengan metode manual. Tambahan informasi dari dia juga mengatakan bahwa penggunaan mesin ini mampu memperpendek durasi pemanenan menjadi 3-4 jam untuk setiap hektarnya. Dia menjelaskan, "Ini jauh lebih efisien daripada proses konvensional yang biasanya butuh waktu antara 2 sampai 3 hari untuk sekali hektar." Kata Andi.


 Andi meyakini
 power thresher
 Atau alat pemotong pun bisa meningkatkan produktivitas panen padi dengan sangat baik. Dia menggarisbawahi perbedaannya,
 power thresher
 mempunyai kemampuan menggiling padi secara rata-rata antara 300-600 kilogram setiap jam, sedangkan metode manual hanya dapat mengegilng padi kurang lebih 50-100 kg per jam menggunakan jumlah tenaga kerja yang terbatas. " Di samping itu,
 power thresher
 Dapat mengurangi kerugian sebanyak 1-2 persen. Alat ini pun dilengkapi dengan blower yang berfungsi untuk memisahkan kotoran dan sekam, sehingga menghasilkan beras yang lebih bersih," lanjut Andi.


 Badan Pusat Statistik (BPS) mengestimasi bahwa hasil panen beras untuk periode bulan Februari sampai dengan April tahun 2025 di 10 daerah penghasil utama padi bakal mencapai angka sekitar 6,63 juta ton gabah kering giling (GKG). Menurut laporan tersebut, hal ini merupakan indikator penting dari kemampuan produksi pertanian yang harus dibantu oleh perkembangan teknologi canggih supaya para petani bisa mendapatkan hasil maksimal dalam setiap musim tanam mereka.
 "Andi" menyatakan bahwa melalui penambahan dan pemeliharaan mekanisasi pada tingkatan lebih lanjut bersama dengan adanya peluang panen yang signifikan tersebut, pemerintah percaya kuat bahwa produktivitas sumber daya pangan negara kita akan semakin naik ke level baru."


 Mantan Menteri Pertanian Andi Amran Sulaiman sebelumnya menyatakan bahwa modernisasi pertanian dengan menggunakan peralatan mekanis menjadi komponen penting dalam merancang strategi untuk mengatasi masalah produksi makanan di tanah air. "Kami bertekad memberikan kesempatan kepada para petani agar bisa memiliki alat-alat mesin pertanian yang cukup," ujar Amran. Dia menjelaskan lebih lanjut bahwa dukungan tersebut bukan hanya akan meningkatkan hasil panen, tapi juga membantu mencapai kemandirian pangan secara berkelanjutan.


 Pada tahun ini, Kementerian Pertanian telah menetapkan anggaran sebesar Rp10 triliun terkait dengan dukungan peralatan dan mesin pertanian dalam rangka mewujudkan ketahanan pangan nasional. Peralatan-peralatan tersebut meliputi traktor empat roda, traktor dua roda, pengumpul gabah, penanam tanaman padi otomatis, serta pompa air yang akan didistribusikan ke seluruh wilayah Indonesia. Namun, seperti dikemukakan oleh Eliza Mardian dari CORE Indonesia bahwa memberikan fasilitas teknologi modern semacam itu tidak secara langsung dapat memperbaiki efisiensi para petani.


 Penyebabnya adalah alsintan yang ada memiliki ukuran yang cukup besar. Menurut Eliza, ini membuat peralatan tersebut tidak sesuai dengan kebanyakan area pertanian milik para petani, yang luasnya di bawah 0,5 hektar.


 Dia pernah bertemu secara langsung dengan para petani di Kabupaten Cianjur yang pada akhirnya membuang alat pemanenan otomatis karena terlalu sulit untuk membawanya ke ladang sendiri. "Harap pastikan bahwa teknologi yang tersedia sejalan dengan kebutuhan mereka," kata Eliza ketika diwawancara.
 Tempo
 Pada hari Rabu, tanggal 14 Januari 2025.


 Pada tahun ini, pemerintah telah menganggarkan dana APBN senilai Rp144,6 triliun untuk mendukung ketahanan pangan nasional. Angka tersebut lebih tinggi daripada alokasi pada tahun 2024 yang hanya berjumlah Rp108,8 triliun. Meski demikian, melihat penurunan produktivitas tanaman padi yang konsisten, Eliza meragukan efektifitas strategi pemerintah dalam mewujudkan kedaulatan beras.


 Pilihan keputusan tersebut, menurut Eliza, seharusnya tak cuma fokus pada penambahan produksi, tetapi juga perlu meningkatkan kesejahteraan para pertanian. "Bukan hanya soal jumlah, tapi juga bagaimana kita bisa mendongkrak nasib petani lewat fasilitas yang layak," jelas Eliza. Dia pun sepakat dengan niat pemerintah dalam merombak sistem irigasi serta menciptakan lingkungan riset yang kuat demi menghasilkan bibit beras berkualitas tinggi.


 Dia mengusulkan agar pemerintah merancang pembuatan mesin penggilingan padi tingkat desa bagi gabungan kelompok tani. Tujuan dari saran ini adalah supaya para petani bisa mendapatkan harga yang wajar dan terhindar dari ketergantungan kepada tengkulak, sehingga secara otomatis akan mendorong peningkatan produksi mereka. Akhirnya, dia berharap dapat dibentuk suatu jaringan koperasi serta Usaha Mikro Kecil Menengah (UMKM) yang nantinya akan menyediakan ruang untuk produk-produk pertanian setempat.

Menuju Musim Panen Besar, Kementan Siapkan 5.399 Alat Pertanian untuk Petani

Unknown agriculture, commerce, farmers, farming, farming sector

DIWIDA , Jakarta - Kementerian Pertanian menyalurkan 5.399 unit alsintan moderen guna mempersiapkan sambutan panen raya Yang diprediksi akan dilaksanakan setelah Lebaran…

Why These 3 Crops Could Be the Key to Unlocking U.S.-India Agricultural Ties

Unknown agriculture, commodity markets, crops, economics, farming

<img data-document-id="cms/api/amp/image/AA1BvOgO" data-reference="image" src="https://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/AA1BvOgO.jpg"/>

 When it comes to enhancing market access in India, the US focuses on three key agricultural products: soybeans, maize (corn), and cotton.


 The desire for "openness" might increase even further due to U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to implement what he calls reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods starting from April 2: "We will charge them the same duties they levy on us."


 The United States is a major exporter of all three commodities, with their total export value reaching nearly $62 billion in 2022 (refer to the table for details).


 Notably significant is China’s role as the largest buyer of U.S. soybeans and cotton, even though its acquisitions dropped from $17.9 billion to $12.8 billion for soybeans and from $2.9 billion to $1.5 billion for cotton during the period spanning 2022 through 2024.


 In 2022, China was the leading buyer of American corn, with imports valued at $5.2 billion. However, this figure dropped significantly to $328 million by 2024. Starting from 2023, Mexico and Japan took over as the primary purchasers of U.S. corn.


 
 India — a promising marketplace
 


 Against this backdrop, a recent report from the USDA’s economic research service titled 'The Increasing Demand for Animal Products and Feed in India' offers an intriguing read.


 The report forecasts an uptick in India’s use of animal-based goods—such as dairy, eggs, seafood, and poultry—as both the populace grows and individual incomes rise. This escalation will consequently fuel the requirement for more livestock fodder, potentially necessitating significant imports of components like maize and soybeans "as soon as the early 2030s."


 India’s domestic maize consumption is projected to increase from 34.7 million tonnes (mt) in the fiscal year 2022-23 to 98 mt in 2040 and 200.2 mt in 2050 assuming "fast" economic expansion (at an annual rate of 6.6%). If the yearly income growth moderates to 4.6%, then this figure will rise only slightly, reaching 62.8 mt in 2040 and 93 mt in 2050. The usage of soya bean meal could also see similar increases, rising from 6.2 mt during 2022-23 to 30.9 mt and 68.3 mt respectively over those periods with rapid income growth. Under moderate income growth conditions, however, it might reach 17.7 mt in 2040 and 28.3 mt in 2050.


 To meet the increased demand under the "rapid" income growth scenario, 46 million tons and 134 million tons of corn, along with 19 million tons and 53 million tons of soybean meal, would have to be imported in 2040 and 2050, respectively. In contrast, should income growth remain moderate, corn imports would amount to 11 million tons in 2040 and 26 million tons in 2050, whereas soybean meal imports would stand at 6 million tons and 13 million tons during these years accordingly.


 In simple terms, India presents significant market opportunities for American corn and soybeans, particularly as China decreases its purchases or looks for supplies from alternative providers such as Brazil and Argentina.


 
 Underlying assumptions
 


 For some context, China imported 112 million tons of soybeans, 23.4 million tons of corn, 15.9 million tons of barley, 8.3 million tons of sorghum, 5.5 million tons of rapeseed, and 9.4 million tons of oilseed meal during the period from 2023 to 2024. A significant portion of these imports was used to satisfy the feed requirements for their vast herds of pigs and flocks of poultry: China houses approximately half of the global pig population and one-fifth of its chicken population.


 According to the USDA report, India ranks significantly lower in terms of animal product consumption compared to global standards. In 2020, India's per capita consumption stood at just 82.6 kg, far beneath the worldwide average of 143 kg. This figure breaks down with milk accounting for the largest portion at 66.3 kg, trailed by fish at 7.9 kg, eggs at 3.9 kg, poultry meat at 2.6 kg, beef at 1.1 kg, mutton at 0.6 kg, and pork at only 0.2 kg.


 India's production of animal-based goods has shown notable average yearly growth—ranging from 8.5% for poultry, 5.8% for eggs, 5.1% for cattle and buffalo meat, 5% for dairy, and 3.9% for butter and ghee—from 2000 to 2022. However, the production of goat and sheep meat grew by only 0.8%, falling short compared to the mean population increase of 1.4% over the same duration.


 The robust expansion of the livestock industry can be seen in the significant increase in domestic corn consumption, which has almost tripled from 12 million tonnes in 2002-03 to 34.7 million tonnes in 2022-23, with usage for animal feed increasing fourfold (from 5.2 million tonnes to 20.6 million tonnes).


 However, whether the anticipated growth in the consumption of animal products and the resultant demand for feed will match the projections made by the USDA research report remains debatable. So far, India has only played a small role as an importer of feed ingredients. There have been instances when substantial amounts of corn (458,470 metric tons in 2019-20) and soybean meal/cake (679,843 metric tons in 2021-22) were imported. According to the report, overall feed usage was estimated at around 46.4 million metric tons in 2022, with imports contributing just about 178,969 metric tons.


 Although these quantities pale in comparison to those from China, one thing is clear: the United States views India as a significant future market for its corn and soybeans. At present, India imposes a 45% basic custom duty on imported soyabeans and a 50% duty on corn imports.


 Moreover, it includes limitations concerning genetically modified (GM) items, which essentially prohibit the importation of maize, soybeans, or their derivatives from the United States. It would not come as a surprise to witness the Trump administration advocating for the removal of such tariffs and non-tariff obstacles on American maize and soybeans.


 
 Cotton — shifting from an exporting nation to an importing one
 


 The third crop of focus is cotton, wherein the United States led as the global top exporter until Brazil surpassed it in the period from 2023 to 2024.


 The chart provided illustrates that India’s cotton production tripled from 13.6 million to 39.8 million bales from the period spanning 2002-03 to 2013-14, after which it gradually decreased to reach a 16-year low of 29.9 million bales during this harvest season.


 The development of genetically modified (GM) cotton hybrids with genes sourced from the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), which targets the American bollworm, allowed India to become the globe’s second-largest producer (following China) and exporter (behind the United States) by the period 2011–12. However, these advancements were undermined because no novel GM technologies received approval for commercial use post-2006, leading to current Bt hybrid varieties becoming vulnerable to different pests such as the pink bollworm and whitefly.


 The anticipated cotton imports for India during the period of 2024-25 (from October to September) are expected to reach 3 million bales, exceeding its predicted exports which stand at 1.7 million bales. This figure contrasts sharply with the peak export level of 13 million bales recorded back in 2011-12.


 This shift from a net exporting country to an importing one would offer the United States a chance to increase its cotton shipments to India. In 2022, U.S. exports to India amounted to $491.2 million, dropped to $231.2 million in 2023, and further fell to $210.7 million in 2024—this downward trend might reverse as the current 11% duty on imported natural fiber gets eliminated.


 India might have a greater likelihood of emerging as the largest market for the US when it comes to cotton rather than soybean or corn. It could also be suggested that eliminating duties on raw cotton imports has the potential to enhance India’s textile and clothing exports to the US, which amounted to $10.8 billion in 2024.


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Why These 3 Crops Could Be the Key to Unlocking U.S.-India Agricultural Ties

Unknown agriculture, commodity markets, crops, economics, farming

When it comes to enhancing market access in India, the US focuses on three key agricultural products: soybeans, maize (corn), and cotton. The desire for "openness" might increase even further due t…

ローラ、本名を公表母の故郷で農業を学ぶ決意を宣言

Unknown agriculture, culture, farming, food culture, news

ローラ、本名を公表母の故郷で農業を学ぶ決意を宣言

Unknown agriculture, culture, farming, food culture, news

モデルでタレントのローラ（34）が17日、インスタグラムで自身の本名を公表し、母親の故郷で農業を学んでいくことを宣言した。ローラは活動の拠点を米国ロサンゼルスに移しているが、インスタでは母親の故郷となる新潟で農作業を行う様子を投稿してきた。同日更新したインスタでは「私の佐藤家の祖先が眠る新潟で、雑穀やお米、野菜さんたちを畑で耕す事を決めました」と報告し、その流れで「私の本名は『佐藤えり』で…

Farmers Stunned as USDA Proposes Axing DEI From Energy Projects

Menuju Musim Panen Besar, Kementan Siapkan 5.399 Alat Pertanian untuk Petani

Why These 3 Crops Could Be the Key to Unlocking U.S.-India Agricultural Ties

ローラ、本名を公表 母の故郷で農業を学ぶ決意を宣言

ローラ、本名を公表母の故郷で農業を学ぶ決意を宣言