Tyson to pay $221.5 million to settle price fixing claims
The largest U.S. poultry producer, Tyson Foods, said on Wednesday it would pay $221.5 million to settle antitrust litigation that accuses it of price fixing in the sale of broiler chicken meat.
Agriculture is ready for climate mitigation, says Vilsack
Biden chooses Virginia ag commissioner for deputy secretary at USDA
After two years of work, USDA publishes national hemp rule
USDA to allocate nearly $2 billion in coronavirus aid to contract growers
On the calendar, week of Jan. 19, 2021
Farm sector rebounding but may need more aid, says Duvall
The farm economy, battered since 2018 by a trade war and a pandemic, is rallying, though it is too early to declare a return to prosperity, said the president of the largest U.S. farm organization on Thursday, reserving judgment on whether more stopgap federal aid will be needed.
Biden: Higher SNAP benefits for the rest of the year
As part of his $1.9 trillion coronavirus package, President-elect Joe Biden said on Thursday that the 15 percent increase in SNAP benefits approved last month should be extended through the end of this year. Biden, announcing his American Rescue Plan, vowed his administration would "tackle the growing hunger crisis in America."
Significant gene edits for hogs ‘are on the horizon,’ say U.S. producers
At least five other nations are moving toward gene editing of hogs, which could put them miles ahead of the United States in producing disease-resistant and faster-growing hogs that cost less to grow, said a group speaking for American hog farmers on Thursday.
EPA plan would give small refiners more time to comply with RFS
Small oil refineries would have an additional six months to show they had complied with their obligations to mix corn ethanol into gasoline during 2019 under an EPA proposal published on Thursday.
After refusing to overturn election, five House ag panelists oppose impeachment
Although they defied President Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, five Republicans on the House Agriculture Committee voted on Wednesday against impeaching Trump for inciting the deadly mob attack on the Capitol last week. They said that impeachment was divisive and hasty, while the new Agriculture chairman, Georgia Democrat David Scott, said speedy action was needed.
FDA cool to USDA push to regulate GE livestock
Commissioner Stephen Hahn cited the FDA's role in approving a genetically modified pig for food and biomedical use — "a tremendous milestone for scientific innovation" — at the same time that his agency has been coolly neutral on Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue's proposal to have the USDA take over regulation of GE livestock.
Highest corn and soybean prices since commodity boom, says USDA
U.S. farmers, who harvested some of their largest corn and soybean crops ever last fall, will reap the highest season-average prices for the crops since the heady days of the commodity boom that ended in worldwide surpluses seven years ago, said the government on Tuesday. Commodity prices are on the rise due to tightening global supplies and large purchases by China, the first country to rebound economically from the pandemic.
Temp-agency food workers should be prioritized for vaccine, advocates say
Workers in food distribution, production, and logistics who are employed by temporary staffing agencies and other subcontractors should be prioritized for early access to the Covid-19 vaccine alongside other food system workers, argues a new report focused on the Chicago labor force. <strong> (No paywall) </strong>
Free meals proposed for all students
Congress should permanantly expand the school food program so that all public school students can eat breakfast and lunch for free, said the School Nutrition Association on Tuesday. The association said many school food directors expect to run a deficit this school year because of school closures and the higher cost of preparing and serving meals during the pandemic.
Farm labor reform is critical, say Land O’Lakes, AFBF leaders
Big poultry processor to pay $75 million to resolve antitrust lawsuit
U.S. ends organic recognition agreement with India
Agriculture must be part of climate change negotiations, says Farm Bureau
Although blamed for 10 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, agriculture has a "great track record" through land stewardship and biofuels in mitigating climate change, says Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, in looking ahead to the Biden administration. "We must make sure we are at the table for discussions around climate change." <strong>(No paywall)</strong>
Biden wants more coronavirus relief for ag, Vilsack tells produce groups
President-elect Biden's nominee for agriculture secretary, Tom Vilsack, told leading fruit and vegetable growers during a digital meeting Friday that the new administration is committed to additional stimulus and relief. The two dozen participants also discussed how immigration reform could ease chronic labor shortages, according to a summary of the talk.