IFB Weekly: Most Recent Talking Points

Note: For our full comprehensive talking points document, please contact your local county Farm Bureau.

In the News

Illinois Farm Bureau routinely coordinates interviews with local, state, and national media outlets on various issues. The following are recent interviews with IFB staff and farmers on topics such as Thanksgiving costs, inflation, and Mississippi River water levels.

Michael Ganschow, of Bureau County, appeared on “This Week in AgriBusiness” with Max Armstrong on RFD-TV to discuss IFB’s first-ever produced documentary on the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy. Watch the full interview here: This Week in Agribusiness December 10 2022 - YouTube

Congress Averts Rail Strike

Source: American Farm Bureau Federation

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented on President Biden signing legislation that would avert a disastrous rail strike.

“AFBF applauds Congress and President Biden for working together to avert a rail strike. High diesel prices, a truck driver shortage, and low water levels on the Mississippi River have already made shipping conditions difficult. A rail strike would have had a devastating effect on the American economy, especially as families grapple with higher prices caused by inflation,” said Duvall. “Farmers rely on trains to transport food and feed, and they also depend on the rails to bring important supplies like fertilizer back to the farm, which is why AFBF urged Congress and the president to find a solution to the rail worker impasse. Their bipartisan efforts will help ensure farmers can continue delivering food from their farms to families across the country.”

Main Messages:

Farmers not only rely on trains to transport food and feed, they also rely on the rails to bring important supplies like fertilizer.
The supply chain is already grappling with high diesel prices, a truck driver shortage, and low water levels on the Mississippi. A rail strike would make already difficult shipping conditions catastrophic.
A rail strike would drive up the cost of food even further, creating an even heavier burden on families struggling to make ends meet because of inflation.
We’re pleased the House and Senate passed legislation to keep the rail cars moving and we urge President Biden to quickly sign the legislation.

Supporting Messages:

Railways account for nearly 30% of freight movement in the U.S. second only to trucking in moving goods.
1.6 million carloads of grain and other farm products are hauled by rail every year. That’s more than 8,000 railcars every day.
1.6 million carloads of food products are hauled by rail every year.
30% of packaged food in the US is moved by rail.
Denser lower cost items like canned soups that low-income consumer rely on are shipped by rail at an even higher rate.
Railroads operate at a fraction of the cost of trucks. Shifting to trucks would drastically increase costs for buyers and shippers. Those cost increases would be passed onto to consumers.
Any decrease in the capacity of freight over rail puts pressure on other transportation options, such as trucking and barges which are already operating near their capacity.
Producers who were already losing export market access because of low river levels could now be further impacted by a rail strike
High diesel costs make more efficient modes of freight transportation, such as rail, essential to farmers and ranchers working to make ends meet.
Shifting to trucking would make transportation costs unbearable. Trucks can only cover a minor percentage of rail freight capacity.
A rail strike would be damaging to fertilizer manufacturing and distribution.
Fertilizer and natural gas prices remain elevated, and a rail strike would push prices up further.
A significant portion of di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) & monoammonium phosphate (MAP) fertilizer is needed through the fall. With barge issues, rail needs to be reliable to move fertilizer and keep costs down.
The Renewable Fuels Association has stated that over 70% of the ethanol produced in the US is transported via railway.

General Inflation Talking Points

Headline Messages:

Inflation remains at the top of American’s minds heading into the holiday season
Farmers aren’t alone in facing a tough economy, but many family farms are struggling to hang on in the face of skyrocketing input costs.
Like consumers, farmers are price-takers not price-makers.
General inflation is a long-term problem, which we expect to put pressure on our wallets and create price uncertainty for the next few years.
The ripple effects of the war in Ukraine, and general supply and supply chain issues add to the challenges of ensuring the security of the global food supply.
The impacts of inflation and global disputes on our food supply create added pressure to make sure we get it right when it comes to the 2023 farm bill.

The Illinois Livestock Industry

The Illinois livestock industry benefits agriculture in our state by creating market opportunities, driving economic growth, strengthening our communities, and protecting the environment.

Headline Messages:

Livestock farms, along with meat and dairy processing, are economic engines for Illinois.
For every $100 of output from livestock farms, an ADDITIONAL $80 is generated in economic activity outside of our industry. That means more dollars to support local needs.
Statewide, livestock farms support 91,000+ jobs and account for $4.7 billion in Illinois household income.
One small meat processor generates $27.9 million in economic activity and supports 88 local community jobs each year.
Illinois is home to more than 71,000 farms, 96% of which are family-owned and a third of which include livestock.
Illinois’ state licensed meat establishments processed more than 31 million pounds of meat to feed families across the state in 2020.
Illinois farm families donated more than 250,000 pounds of food to local food pantries in 2020.

Environmental Talking Points

Headline Messages:

Farmers are at the forefront of climate-smart farming, putting scientific solutions, technology, and innovation to work to protect our land, air and water.
U.S. agriculture contributes around 10% to overall greenhouse gas emissions by economic sector, far less than other major industries.
Thanks to farmers’ dedication to conserve natural resources, that share drops to negative 2% when additional carbon absorbing practices are factored in.
Farmers are promoting healthy soil by planting cover crops and adopting sustainable practices that trap carbon.
Farm Bureau is leading the way in policies that reduce emissions, enrich the soil and protect our water and air, all while producing more food, fiber and renewable fuel than ever before.

Thanksgiving Costs Survey

Headline Messages:

Average cost of this year’s classic Thanksgiving feast for 10 in Illinois is $65.53 ($6.55/person)
Illinois survey results reflect slightly higher prices than the national average
The national average cost of this year’s classic Thanksgiving feast for 10 is $64.05 ($6.41/person), up $10.74 (20%) over the previous year’s average of $53.31 ($6.41/person)
The national average cost for a 16-pound turkey is $28.96
This represents the greatest increase since the survey began and will undoubtedly make it more difficult for some families to afford a big holiday dinner.
Inflation running at 7% to 9% in recent months is robbing consumers (and farmers) of their buying power.
Food price inflation is even higher, and other factors include supply chain disruptions and the war in Ukraine, with other countries pulling back on exports to protect domestic supplies.
Despite this, consumers have many options when it comes to their meat of choice this holiday season.