Ag News; Farm Numbers on Slow Decline and NPPC on Prop 12
**Data from USDA’s Economic Research Service shows the number of U.S. farms continues a slow decline.
After peaking at 6.8 million farms in 1935, the number of farms and ranches fell sharply through the early 1970s.
Since then, the number of farms has continued to decline, but slowly.
In 2021, there were 2.01 million U.S. farms, down from 2.20 million in 2007.
However, total farm output nearly tripled between 1948 and 2019.
**The National Pork Producers Council welcomed a Supreme Court brief filed by the Biden administration in favor of ag groups regarding California’s Proposition 12.
The state law seeks to ban the sale of pork from pigs that don’t meet the state’s arbitrary production standards, including pigs raised on farms outside of California.
NPPC assistant vice president Michael Formica says, “We commend the Biden administration for taking action to stop ill-considered ballot initiatives like Prop 12.”
**In a letter to the President and Congressional leaders, Clean Fuels Alliance America touted the benefits of biodiesel when it comes to the price at the pump.
They say U.S. biodiesel and renewable diesel producers are working to extend fuel supplies and provide relief for American families.
The letter expresses appreciation for recent actions to grow Renewable Fuel Standard volumes for advanced biofuels and biomass-based diesel and provide additional infrastructure grants to improve access.