Devin Fielding held up a photograph of his children when he explained why he farms, as well as the golden opportunity he sees in the University of Idaho-led Innovative Agricultural and Marketing Partnership (IAMP) program, formerly known as Climate-Smart Commodities for Idaho. The Shelley farmer and rancher acknowledged he has a dirty job requiring long hours, slim profit margins, uncertainty and risk. But Fielding recognizes farming instills a strong work ethic and a deep appreciation of natural resources, and he’s vested in making certain his kids also have the chance to work the land and learn farming values.

Research by four Cal Poly San Luis Obispo agriculture communication students found that suicide rates in agriculture are five times higher than the national average — and shockingly, even double the rate for military veterans. Among the reasons: net farm income worries (the leading cause), social isolation among farmers, pesticide-induced issues, and the ever-present stigma related to mental health issues in this country.

A year ago growers were seeing high prices as a result of the Black Sea conflict between Russia and Ukraine, as the war tightened supplies on fertilizer precursors and finished products on the global market. Drought, pricing, and supply chain issues made growers less likely to put on any additional fertilizer. While not perfect, some of these factors have improved from last fall.

USDA’s most recent Farm Sector Income Forecast dropped net farm income expectations for 2023 lower than initial February estimates to $141.3 billion, down 23% from 2022’s $183 billion. This $41.7 billion decline nearly erases the $42.9 billion increase that was forecast between 2021 and 2022 but is smaller than the $46 billion gain between 2020 and 2021 following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Russian wheat export prices continued to decline last week, amid reduced demand, analysts said. The price of 12.5%-protein Russian wheat scheduled for free-on-board (FOB) delivery in November was $225 per metric ton last week, down $5 from the week before, the IKAR agriculture consultancy reported. "Demand can only be found at this level," said IKAR head Dmitry Rylko. The Sovecon agriculture consultancy sees the price for this class of wheat at $237-241 per ton FOB, down $1 from the week before.

China bought more U.S. soft red winter wheat, the U.S government said on Friday, as Chinese buyers increasingly turn to the global market for supplies after rain damaged the nation's harvest. Recent sales to China are a boost for the U.S. wheat industry, which has struggled with weak exports. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said exporters sold 181,000 metric tons of soft red winter wheat to China, following another sale of 220,000 metric tons to China last week. Previously, the U.S. had not reported wheat sales to China in its daily reporting system since July 2021.

Join NAWG’s advocacy campaign to engage with legislators on increasing Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development (FMD) programs authorized in the Farm Bill. MAP’s authorized funding has not changed since 2006 and FMD funding has remained the same since 2002. Inflation and sequestration have significantly eroded our ability to compete with other countries who are steadily investing more in their agricultural export promotion efforts. Please visit NAWG’s website to participate in the grassroots efforts to make your voice heard.