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Republicans would put half of climate funding into commodity subsidies, says Stabenow

Senate Agriculture chairwoman Debbie Stabenow rejected on Thursday a Republican proposal to move several billion dollars of climate funds into the commodity title of the farm bill. “No, the answer to that is no,” Stabenow said at an expo on climate-smart agriculture practices.

USDA report looks at ways to grow biomass market

Expanding the market for biomass-based products, which include furniture, bioplastics, and biofuels, would create new sources of revenue for the agricultural sector, said a USDA report released on Thursday. It recommends a broad-ranging effort by the government to encourage greater production.

Americans expect high food inflation to persist

Despite the recent slowdown in the rise of food prices, many consumers believe high food inflation will persist for a year to come, said Purdue researchers on Wednesday. Republicans were far more likely than Democrats to predict higher food prices, suggesting a partisan tint in expectations.

Senate Republicans renew bid to shift climate funds

Pointing to a “once-in-a-generation opportunity,” Republican staffers on the Senate Agriculture Committee proposed on Wednesday shifting more than $13 billion earmarked separately for climate mitigation into USDA land stewardship programs. Under Congress’ arcane budget rules, the transfer would result in a long-term increase of $1.8 billion a year for stewardship, they said, “subject only to congressional reauthorization.”

More biodiesel plants may close in 2024, says ag analyst

Production of biodiesel, the original renewable fuel made from soybean oil, is being squeezed by the boom in renewable diesel, wrote agricultural economist Scott Irwin on Tuesday. "If the losses in 2024 to date continue, more biodiesel plant shutdowns may be in the offing," he said on the farmdoc daily blog.

Food inflation dips lower, to 2.2 percent

Steaks, pork chops, and milk cost less than they did a year ago, said the Labor Department on Tuesday in reporting that grocery prices rose by 1 percent in the past 12 months. The overall food inflation rate, which includes groceries, carry-out food, and restaurant meals, was 2.2 percent, the lowest rate since May 2021.

Protect SNAP benefits, create farm revenue streams in farm bill — White House

The White House warned lawmakers against cutting SNAP in the new farm bill on Monday and said they should embrace climate-smart agriculture and other practices that would boost farmer income across the board, rather than pamper big operators. Farm bill leaders have been deadlocked for months over crop subsidies, SNAP, and climate funds.

USDA restricts use of ‘Product of USA’ label to U.S.-grown meat, poultry, and eggs

Under a new rule, food processors will be able to put "Product of USA" on packages of meat, poultry, and egg products only if the animals were born, raised, slaughtered, and processed in the United States, announced Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Monday. Until now, the labels could be pasted on foreign meat that was processed in America.

Disease is factor in higher death rate in rural America

While the U.S. mortality rate is lower than in the 1960s, the urban rate has declined more rapidly than the rural rate, especially in the past generation. Three USDA analysts said a notable factor was a higher death rate from disease among working-age people in rural America.

Five months late, USDA gets full-year funding

President Biden signed into law a $460 billion appropriations bill with funding through Sept. 30 for the USDA and five other federal departments on Saturday, providing full-year funding after four stopgap bills. House and Senate leaders have a March 22 deadline to agree on and pass a funding bill for the rest of the federal government.

Allow ag processors to hire guestworkers, says House group

Congress should expand the agricultural guestworker program, now limited to seasonal jobs, to include employment at year-round processing plants, said a working group composed of House Agriculture Committee members on Thursday. “One thing that has become clear is the need for dairy producers, meat processors, sugar processors, forestry, ranchers, and others to have access to a steady and legal workforce,” said the lawmakers.

In speech, Biden backs ban on ‘shrinkflation’

President Biden, in his State of the Union address Thursday night, urged Congress to ban “shrinkflation” — the practice of reducing product size or quantity without lowering the price — in food and other consumer goods. “Pass Bobby Casey’s bill and stop this,” said Biden, referring to Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania.

Use ‘non-prime’ farmland for renewable energy, says Vilsack

At the same time he announced $2.2 billion in loans and loan guarantees for rural electric cooperatives, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack acknowledged on Wednesday fears that U.S. farmland will be covered by wind turbines and solar collectors. "We know that there are some concerns out there about whether renewable energy will overtake prime farmland," he said.

House passes ‘minibus’ with USDA funding and CFIUS role

After four stop-gap bills stretching over five months, U.S. representatives overwhelmingly passed and sent to the Senate on Wednesday a $467.5 billion package to fund the USDA and six other federal departments for the rest of the fiscal year. The so-called minibus includes a $1 billion increase for WIC and for USDA membership, on a case by case basis, on the powerful Treasury-led committee that decides if foreign investments in America pose a national security risk.

Common offer to lease farmland for solar panels: $1,000 an acre

More than half of large U.S. farmers say they have been offered at least $1,000 an acre during discussions about planting solar panels instead of crops on their land, said a Purdue University poll released on Tuesday. Bids have climbed rapidly since 2021, when the most common offer was less than $750 an acre.

Lower glyphosate prices hurt Bayer sales

Bayer Group, a pharmaceutical and consumer health goods giant and one of the world’s largest seed and ag chemical companies, said on Tuesday that its sales had fallen by 3.1 billion euros in 2023, with lower herbicide prices as a factor. Sales by the crop sciences division, which accounts for half of Bayer’s revenue, were down by 1.9 billion euros, or 3.7 percent.

USDA issues fair play rule on livestock marketing, part of White House competition drive

Farmers will have stronger protections against deceptive contracts and retaliatory tactics from meat processors under a new USDA rule on market integrity, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. The new rule, which takes effect on May 6, is part of a USDA initiative for transparency and fair play in livestock marketing.

Four rural districts win USDA school food awards

Rural school districts in Alaska, Iowa, Maine, and Ohio are winners of Healthy Meal Initiatives awards for improving the nutritional quality of meals served to students, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Monday. Vilsack announced the awards during a speech to school food directors in which he said healthy school meals could combat the rising U.S. child obesity rate.

Appropriations bill offers full funding for WIC and role for USDA on CFIUS

The Women, Infants, and Children program will get a $1 billion increase in funding this year to meet rising food costs and increased enrollment, said leaders of the Senate and House Appropriations committees on Sunday. <strong>(No paywall)</strong>

EPA creates agriculture and rural affairs office

Speaking at the largest farm gathering in the country, EPA administrator Michael Regan announced the creation of a new EPA office to expand two-way communication with farmers and rural communities. "With the launch of this new office, we are ensuring agricultural and rural stakeholders will have a seat at the table for many years to come," said Regan at the Commodity Classic in Houston.