Reverse Discontinued NASS Reports and Farmer Sentiment Down
**A bipartisan group of 70 Representatives and Senators are calling on Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack to REVERSE the USDA’s decision to cancel or discontinue several NASS reports.
They say the July Cattle Report, the Cotton Objective Yield
Survey, and County Estimates for Crops and Livestock reports provide ag producers with transparent livestock, grain, and fiber market insights as they position themselves to effectively manage risk and build supply and demand estimates.
**Farmer sentiment dropped 15 points in April to a reading of 99, according to the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer.
Both barometer subindexes dropped, with the Current Conditions down 18 points to 83, and the Future Expectations off 14 points to 106.
April marked the lowest reading since June 2022.
The drop was driven by worries of the current financial situation and anticipated financial challenges in the coming year.
**Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service economists project the Panhandle wildfires that began February 26th caused $123 million in preliminary agricultural losses, making it the costliest on record.
The wildfires burned 1.2 million acres, making it the largest wildfire in Texas history.
The losses include more than 12,000 dead cattle, lost grazing values, and fence repair costs, according to economists.
AgriLife Director, Rick Avery says the recovery process will be ongoing.