WASHINGTON (DTN) -- At a White House event Tuesday, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and other Biden administration officials told close to 100 farm and rural leaders from around the country that the Biden administration's work to help smaller ranchers and farmers is continuing in the last months in office -- and hinted, without mentioning the name of Vice President Harris, that the efforts need to continue in a Harris administration.

"We have so much more to do," Vilsack told the attendees at the White House U.S. Farmers & Ranchers in Action event in the Indian Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. Neither the White House nor the Agriculture Department released a list of attendees, but it is fair to describe the attendees as friendly, since they were invited, and several officials described them as "partners" in the administration's efforts.

But the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) objected to the event.

Ethan Lane, NCBA's vice president of government affairs, said in a news release, "Real cattle producers have faced two hurricanes in two weeks and months of devastating wildfires across the West, and instead of addressing these immediate problems hurting farmers and ranchers, the Biden-Harris administration hosted a pep rally to prop up their failing Bidenomics agenda at the White House, with animal rights activists front and center.

"Had we been invited, we could have discussed more pressing issues like much-needed disaster relief, regulatory overreach, and USDA's questionable approval of South American beef imports," Lane said.

"This event makes clear what cattle producers have known for quite some time: When it comes to agriculture, this administration has prioritized politics over policy that supports cattle producers," Lane added.

But Michigan Agriculture and Rural Development Director Tim Boring, an appointee of Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, said in an interview after the event that he would "not characterize" the event the same way NCBA did.

Boring said he had heard cattle producers ask the Biden officials for "an opportunity to grow based on their values."

Russell Redding, the longtime Pennsylvania agriculture secretary who was reappointed by Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro, said the Biden administration had brought needed changes to USDA in helping small farmers and bridging the divide between farmers and consumers with programs such as purchasing locally produced food for schools.

"There is an interest in keeping momentum," Redding said.

Both Boring and Redding praised the administration for trying to tie together the various USDA programs in conservation, climate change and food aid.

"I think we heard a very comprehensive approach to quality of life in rural America," Boring said.

USDA RESPONDS TO NCBA

A USDA spokesperson said, "We appreciate the NCBA's attention to the issues faced by cattle producers across the country. From drought in the West to the impacts of two hurricanes in two weeks, USDA is highly cognizant of the various challenges America's cattle and other producers are confronting.

"USDA believes it's our job to take an all-hands approach to help address these challenges, such as meeting with a variety of stakeholders at events like today's Farmers & Ranchers in Action event -- where Secretary Vilsack announced new steps that will in part deliver a fairer marketplace for ranchers and farmers and USDA leaders heard firsthand from ranchers on opportunities and challenges they face -- traveling to meet with dairy farmers at the World Dairy Expo in Wisconsin last week, and taking significant actions to help producers and their communities adapt to the challenges brought on by a changing climate and water scarcity, as a few examples," the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson pointed out Vilsack and Farm Service Agency Administrator Zach Ducheneaux joined President Biden to visit impacted areas in Georgia and Florida last week as well as using every platform to highlight disaster resources for producers.

"These actions are only a few examples of the wide-ranging, comprehensive, and consequential work the Biden-Harris administration has done, and will continue to do, to support America's cattle producers, and all producers as they continue to navigate these and other challenges," the USDA spokesperson said.

'HISTORIC' EFFORTS

Republicans usually win elections in rural America but Anne Schwagerl, vice president of the Democratic-leaning Minnesota Farmers Union, said in an interview that the Biden administration "has made historic investments in agriculture and taken bold steps in making the marketplace fair."

The White House event, she said, was important in helping farm leaders "communicate those steps" to rural Americans "so we all as producers have the opportunity to continue to do what we do."

In his remarks, Vilsack announced several steps the administration intends to take in its last months to deliver on Biden's 2021 Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy.

USDA COMPETITION INITATIVES

Vilsack said USDA is:

-Leveraging its funding and research capacity, as well as interagency partnerships, to increase transparency and improve researcher access to seed germplasm, the starting materials plant breeders need to create diverse, resilient, and competitive seed varieties. These were key recommendations identified in USDA's 2023 report "More and Better Choices for Farmers: Promoting Fair Competition and Innovation in Seeds and Other Agricultural Inputs."

-Publishing an interim report that assesses competitive conditions in the meat retail industry. USDA said, "The report draws on over 1,600 comments received from the public in response to USDA requests for information, interviews with small, medium, and large meatpackers, distributors, retailers, academics, and farmer or advocacy organizations. It identifies hidden fees and unjust/anticompetitive pricing strategies present in the beef market as a case study."

-Issuing an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) to seek comments on several possible interventions to develop new benchmarks as AMA (Alternative Marketing Agreements) base prices and approaches to trading when using benchmarks under the Packers & Stockyards Act of 1921 to enhance price discovery and fairness in cattle markets.

Rob Larew, president of the National Farmers Union, praised the White House for holding the event and highlighting actions tied to competition and fairness.

"The Biden-Harris administration has done more than any other administration since Theodore Roosevelt to ensure that the agricultural and rural economy is fair and competitive for family farmers and ranchers," Larew said. "Today's announcement demonstrates USDA's thoughtful and proactive approach to addressing some of the most pressing issues farmers and ranchers face--namely, the need for transparency, fairness and innovation in both seed systems and livestock markets."

Larew noted, "The new framework for improving research access to seed germplasm is a significant step forward. Farmers rely on diverse, resilient seed traits to thrive in an increasingly unpredictable climate. This initiative helps to guarantee that seed choices are not limited by monopolistic practices but are driven by innovation and the demands of sustainability."

Larew added the efforts to highlight price discovery in cattle markets and enforce the Packers and Stockyards Act reflect an understanding of some of the challenges facing cattle producers.

"For too long, unfair pricing practices have undermined the livelihoods of family farmers. Today's advanced notice of proposed rulemaking is a welcome opportunity for farmers to shape new regulations that will promote fairness, increase transparency and ensure competitive markets for livestock producers," Larew said.

In opening remarks, National Economic Council Director Lael Brainard said the Biden administration is determined to help small farmers compete and at the same time bring down the price of groceries. Brainard said one reason food prices are so high is that the industry is dominated by a few companies.

Chief Agricultural Negotiator Doug McKalip said the administration had achieved a number of breakthroughs in convincing foreign countries to reduce tariffs and nontariff barriers to U.S. agricultural exports.

Kenneth Hartman, an Illinois grower who is the newly elected president of the National Corn Growers Association, said he was particularly impressed that McKalip had brought up the negotiations with Mexico over genetically modified corn and McKalip's statement that he hopes for a resolution to that issue soon. Hartman added that he was able to talk to Vilsack about several of NCGA's issues including sustainable aviation fuel.

Deputy Assistant to the President for Infrastructure Implementation Samantha Silverberg said the Biden administration's efforts to expand access to high-speed Internet service has connected 2.4 million homes, farms and small businesses, and that roads and bridges are among the 67,000 infrastructure projects throughout the country.

White House Domestic Policy Council Director Neera Tanden said the Rural Partners Network has helped the poorest rural counties access federal programs, and the administration "wants to expand RPN next year. We want to be partners with you to assure that no American can get left behind."

DTN Ag Policy Editor Chris Clayton contributed to this report.

Also see, "USDA Wants Livestock Industry to Consider Restrictions on Alternative Marketing Agreements," https://www.dtnpf.com/…

Jerry Hagstrom can be reached at jhagstrom@nationaljournal.com

Follow him on social platform X @hagstromreport

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