U.S. President Joe Biden will kick off 14-day rural farm tours focusing on water, meat and market price issues. 

The President will initiate his farm calls in Minnesota. Though unconnected with the tour,  the state recently produced the first Democratic Presidential challenger to Biden for the 2024 poll. Senator Dean Phillips of Minnesota announced last week that he’d run for president.

At his first stop, Biden will reveal his administration’s $1 billion kitty for the expansion of rural America’s poultry processing industry.

This comes at a time when the price of chicken has surged in October to $1.96 a pound, essentially a production cuts backlash.

Alongside, the farm tour will emphasize the President’s intention to give farmers extra market options. Such options will eventually  gift consumers with low prices for groceries. 

Of consequence is the fact that global food prices are still 50% higher than those of the pre-COVID years, 2015-2019. This is according to a World Bank report of mid-August, 2023. 

American consumers, however, started to see falling prices of wheat, soybeans, corn, eggs and milk as early as June, 2023. 

Related to the falling prices is the practical effect of climate-conscious agriculture. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on October 16, 2023 of making payments to climate-smart producers worth $1.77b.

The Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities, an initiative by the U.S. department of agriculture will also release $3 billion to fund climate farming. The allocation will help farmers shift to a raft of 140 smart projects that will provide new market opportunities.

Agricultural Tours in Multiple States

As Biden wraps up his Minnesota tour, his Agriculture Secretary, Tom Vilsack will proceed to Indiana, Colorado and Wyoming. In the first state he will regal youthful farmers with fresh opportunities while in the other states he will talk of land conservation.

Water development will be the key mission of Interior Secretary, Deb Haaland on a tour of New Mexico. On her part, Jennifer Granholm, the Energy Secretary, will be discussing green fuel such as biofuels across rural Southwest.

Trade Secretary, Katehrine Tai will head to Indiana to discuss global trade with local farmers. 

Other tours by various U.S. government officials will head to New Hampshire and Pennsylvania, to discuss market opportunities for young people.