FDA: Bird flu viral fragments in milk were dead; pasteurization works

Although fragments of the H5N1 bird flu virus were found in one-fifth of milk purchased in grocery stores, a new round of high-precision testing "did not detect any live, infectious virus" and reaffirmed that the commercial milk supply is safe, said the FDA. (No paywall)

New USDA rule limits salmonella bacteria allowed in raw breaded chicken

Raw chicken will be rejected as an ingredient in making breaded, stuffed chicken products if there is too much salmonella bacteria in the meat — a step to protect consumers from food-borne illness, said the Agriculture Department. The rule, which would take effect in a year, is the first to name salmonella as an adulterant in a class of raw poultry products.

Today’s quick hits, April 29, 2024

Long-running water heist: Prosecutors accuse the former general manager of the Panoche Water District of stealing $25 million worth of water from a federal canal and selling it to farmers and water districts for two decades. (Los Angeles Times) ‘Placeholder’ GREET model: Agriculture …

Substantial oil, gas, and wind payments go to a sliver of farmers

A fraction of U.S. farmers, about 3.5 percent, receive payments for oil, gas, and wind energy production on their land, and those payments provide “substantial income,” said a USDA report. With the growth of wind and solar energy, a wider array of farmers could benefit from the payments, now centered in the Great Plains, said the Economic Research Service.

Analyst: ‘Sure looks like’ ag census undercounted corn and soybean acreage

The latest Census of Agriculture, released in February, reported a 2.2 percent decline in U.S. farmland from 2017 to 2022. A portion of that reduction, involving corn and soybean cropland, may be overstated, said Aaron Smith, a professor of agricultural economics at UC-Davis, in a blog.

Today’s quick hits, April 26, 2024

Drought spreads: Some 65 percent of Kansas, the No. 1 winter wheat state, is in moderate or severe drought, a 12-point increase in a week, with precipitation running 4 to 5 inches below normal in south-central and eastern Kansas. (Drought Monitor) Improved finances: Farm assets have grown far …

Hydropower is a green-energy darling. But it comes with tremendous costs.

In FERN’s latest story, published with Truthdig, reporter Christopher Ketcham unpacks the extensive human and environmental costs of hydroelectricity, even as government regulators, environmental journalists, climate academics, and green-grid design wizards celebrate it as a key piece of our sustainable energy strategy.

USDA mandates bird flu tests of dairy cows before transport

Dairy farmers will be required to test their cattle for the H5N1 bird flu virus before shipping them across state lines, announced Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Wednesday as the government tries to prevent the spread of the disease and learn more about how it is transmitted. The virus, a lethal threat to poultry, has moved from cow to cow, herd to herd, and cow to poultry, and has appeared in cows with no symptoms.

Some crops will get bigger reference price increases than others, Thompson says

If Congress follows his lead, some commodities will get larger increases in reference prices than others, but the new farm bill will provide a robust safety net for all producers, said House Agriculture Committee chair Glenn Thompson on Wednesday. Thompson said his proposed package, to be released in coming weeks, would remove some of the “guardrails” that limit the use of climate mitigation funding.

Today’s quick hits, April 25, 2024

Water as rural voting issue: Democrats in Arizona hope to gain rural support by promising an adequate supply of drinking water for residents, many of whom fear that large farms are monopolizing the water supply to grow alfalfa. (New York Times) Primary challenge: Christian conservative and …

For the first time, administration sets limits on added sugars in school meals

Updated nutrition standards for school meals include the first-ever limit on added sugars in foods and beverages, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, calling the move "an important step forward in improving nutrition for our youngsters." The new regulations, which also call for less sodium in meals, were released on Wednesday.

White House sets goal to protect, restore 8 million acres of wetlands

As part of initiatives related to Earth Day, the Biden administration set "a bold, new national goal to protect, restore, and reconnect 8 million acres of wetlands and 100,000 miles of our nation's rivers and streams" on Tuesday. The initiative could be the overdue response to the Supreme Court decision in 2023 that limited federal protection of wetlands but only seven states are currently taking part, said an attorney active in water law.

Today’s quick hits, April 24, 2024

USDA funds clean energy projects: More than 700 projects from California to Pennsylvania will share $238 million in grants and loans to expand the use of clean energy in rural America and to encourage sales of higher-blend biofuels, said Agriculture Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small. (USDA) …

Bird flu virus susceptible to antiviral meds used against seasonal flu, says CDC

Testing has confirmed that antiviral medications used against the seasonal flu would be effective against the H5N1 bird flu virus that also infects dairy cattle, said the Centers for Disease Control. The USDA said on Monday the virus has been confirmed in 33 dairy herds in eight states since it was first identified on March 25.

Ten ag panelists on list of vulnerable House Democrats

The campaign committee for House Democrats lists 10 members of the House Agriculture Committee among 29 "Frontline Democrats" in a fundraising appeal. "We must defend all 29 vulnerable Democrats running for re-election" if the party is to win a House majority in the Nov. 5 general election, said the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Today’s quick hits, April 23, 2024

Winter wheat condition declines: Half of the U.S. winter wheat crop was in good or excellent condition at the start of this week, down 5 points from last week as arid conditions spread; in Kansas, No. 1 in winter wheat, 36 percent of the wheat was rated good or excellent, down 7 points. …

GOP-written farm bill is headed for House defeat, says senior Democrat

House Republicans are following the "same ideological strategy that led to the failures of farm bills on the House floor in 2014 and 2018," said Georgia Rep. David Scott, the senior Democrat on the Agriculture Committee. Republicans plan to tamper with future SNAP benefits, a red line for Democrats, said Scott in an essay.

EPA issues waiver allowing summertime sales of E15

Pointing to war in Ukraine and conflict in the Middle East, the Biden administration announced an emergency waiver allowing summertime sale nationwide of E15, a higher blend of ethanol into gasoline than the traditional 10 percent.

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