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Issues of the Day
January 26, 2023
January 26, 2023
Hello, everybody out there in farm country. This radio commentary is brought to you by the
National Corn Growers Association, CropLife America, and Renewable Fuels Association.
They are all friends, supporters, and allies of a healthy farm economy and prosperous rural
America. Thank you.
It is time for our government to go to work. The Senate and House both are in the process of
naming who will serve on the different committees. The Republican-led house is scheduled to
take up a GOP energy bill. It will direct the Biden Administration to come up with a plan to
increase oil and gas production on federal land before drawing down our Strategic Petroleum
Reserve anymore. We know President Biden does not want the U.S. to pump more oil. He wants
to buy it from other countries. What will happen? We shall see.
In farm country the need to pass a new farm bill is at the top of our list. Paul Ryan, former House
Speaker speaking at the International Dairy Foods Association Forum last Sunday predicts that
we will pass a new farm bill this year. House Ag Committee Chairman G.T. Thompson and
Senate Ag Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow will give us that bipartisan ag leadership
that we need. I am optimistic.
Focus on Mexico. Yes – China is our biggest ag export market, but Mexico is close behind.
Mexico wants to ban imports of genetically modified corn. Our U.S. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack
said that’s not going to happen. Good job Mr. Secretary. Keep the pressure on.
Another subject- the worst avian influenza outbreak we have ever had. The bird flu attack started
about 1 year ago. When you get it, the whole poultry flock must be destroyed. 58 million poultry
in 47 states are gone. Egg farmers are not insured. The virus has been devastating. Protecting the
flocks has not been easy. Wild birds flying North or South just spread it everywhere.
I have not talked about this new subject, but it is in the news every day. We all remember all of
the news and attention focused on secret government documents found at President Trump’s
Mar-a-Lago resort. The national news media was attacking Trump every day. Now President
Biden is in the hot seat. The FBI is investigating. They seem to find secret papers almost
wherever they look. I know some people thought President Trump should be put in jail for his
reckless handling of secret papers. Now they have to think about President Biden’s problem.
Now we have news that former Vice President Pence has some classified papers in his home. I
guess President Trump is not alone.
If you would like to review Jack Block’s radio shows going back more than 20 years, just go
online to www.johnblockreports.com.
Previous Weeks
2023 Predictions
January 19 2023
Hello, everybody out there in farm country. This is Randy Russell sitting in for my good friend Jack Block. And now today’s commentary. January is a month to reflect on the past year and focus on the year ahead. This week I’d like to share with you five observations and predictions for 2023—from the economy to the farm bill.
So…. here they are.
First, U.S. financial markets are too optimistic. Analysts reacted to last week’s CPI for December
of 6.5% and said inflation is falling, a…
New Day
January 12 2023
Hello, everybody out there in farm country. Here’s the John Block commentary.
It took a lot of votes and too much time, but we do have a new Speaker of the House. For 2
years with Biden as President, Democrat control of the Senate and House, the liberal leaning
Democrat team had a lot more power to dictate policy. California Republican Kevin McCarthy
was elected as Speaker to lead the House. Power in D.C. is now divided and we don’t expect
very much to get done during President Biden’s next 2…
Renewable Diesel Fuel
January 5 2023
Hello, everybody out there in farm country. Here’s the John Block commentary.
Whenever we step into a New Year, it makes me think about past years and I try to anticipate the future. When I came back from the 101st Airborne in 1960 to our Illinois farm, our principal crop was corn - corn for pigs, cows, and chickens. By the 1970s and 1980s, the industry started processing corn into ethanol and distillers dried grain. Gas your car up and that fuel will probably be 10% ethanol, which is a huge…
Happy New Year!
December 31 2022
Hello, everybody out there in farm country. Here’s the John Block commentary. Happy New Year – The year 2022 is all but over.
Overall, it was a very good year for farmers, ranchers, and the ag industry. Grain and livestock prices continue to remain reasonably strong. Egg prices are at a record high. I looked at the cost for a dozen in the grocery store. They were over $4.00. That is because bird flu has killed 40 million of our egg-laying hens.
US farm exports set a new record this year at $194…
Merry Christmas
December 22 2022
Hello, everybody out there in farm country. The John Block commentary today will focus on Christmas. Yes – we still have the Covid virus to worry about, but families and friends will becoming together for dinners and parties.
And now today’s commentary.
When I was a ten- or twelve-year-old boy, my mom, dad and 2 sisters would join my mother’s
sister and her family. We exchanged gifts and had a delicious dinner. My father opened the event
by thanking God that we could all be together on the…
AG Biotech
December 17 2022
Hello everybody out there in Farm Country. Today I will give the microphone to my daughter Savannah Block. She graduated from Virginia Tech University with a degree in Ag Economics. She has worked on ag issues with Members of Congress and in the private sector. It’s all yours, Savannah.
I want to talk about a very important topic for farmers, ranchers, and rural America:
biotechnology.
Many people who are not familiar with the agriculture world think about “pharmaceuticals”
when they hear that…
This and That
December 8 2022
Hello, everybody out there in farm country. This radio commentary is brought to you by the National Corn Growers Association, CropLife America, and Renewable Fuels Association. They are all friends, supporters, and allies of a healthy farm economy and prosperous rural America. Thank you.
And now today’s commentary.
Not much time between now and Christmas, and Congress must pass legislation to fund the
government, or we will be shut down. We need an annual budget, but I expect they will just…
Debt
December 1 2022
Hello, everybody out there in farm country. This radio commentary is brought to you by the National Corn Growers Association, CropLife America, and Renewable Fuels Association. They are all friends, supporters, and allies of a healthy farm economy and prosperous rural America. Thank you.
And now today’s commentary.
Congress is back for the so called “Lame Duck” session. They will be expected to pass legislation
to keep the government funded or it will shut down. But they should not spend…
Thanks\giving 2022
November 24 2022
Hello, everybody out there in farm country. This radio commentary is brought to you by the
National Corn Growers Association, CropLife America, and Renewable Fuels Association.
They are all friends, supporters, and allies of a healthy farm economy and prosperous rural
America. Thank you.
And now today’s commentary.
Throughout my lifetime Thanksgiving has been a very important holiday – just behind
Christmas. It is our opportunity to say, “Thank You” to our friends and to God.
The first Thanksgiving…
New Congress, Old Challenges
November 18 2022
Hello, everybody out there in farm country. This radio commentary is brought to you by the National Corn Growers Association, CropLife America, and Renewable Fuels Association. They are all friends, supporters, and allies of a healthy farm economy and prosperous rural America. Thank you.
And now today’s commentary.
It took longer than it should to determine winners and losers in the midterm elections. Looks like Republicans will lead in the House and Democrats in the Senate. The first thing this…
