NAFTA is a major test for Trump in rural America, says farm-state senator
President Trump said he intends to win "a better deal for our country and our farmers and our manufacturers" in negotiations for the new NAFTA, and Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley says he'll hold him to it. NAFTA "will be a major test of the president's impact on rural America going forward," said Grassley, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee and chair of the Judiciary Committee.
Hurricanes, wildfires and other disasters cost U.S. $306 billion
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) ranked 2017 as the most expensive year ever for natural disasters in the United States, reported the Washington Post. Hurricanes, wildfires and other catastrophes caused a combined $306 billion in damage, with 16 events that cost $1 billion apiece.
Judge dismisses federal case against Nevada rancher Bundy
U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro dismissed federal charges against Navada rancher Cliven Bundy and his sons "with prejudice," meaning the government cannot try them again for an armed standoff over cattle grazing on public land, said the Los Angeles Times. "The court finds that the universal sense of justice has been violated," said Navarro, because prosecutors failed to share evidence with the defendants.
Few black-owned grocery stores in the U.S.
As the owner of a full-service supermarket in New Orleans, Dwayne Boudreaux "is a rare success in Black and brown communities nationwide, but not for lack of effort," says Civil Eats. "In fact, Boudreaux is one of the nation’s few remaining Black people operating full-service supermarkets."
Rural internet to be high priority for Trump administration
President Trump will express support during a speech to the largest U.S. farm group today for a dramatic expansion of high-speed internet service in rural America. The strategy will be a springboard for economic growth for a segment of the population dogged by lower wages and higher poverty rates than the rest of the nation, said a White House adviser. The president also is expected to call for greater use of federal forests and fewer hurdles to agricultural biotechnology, two areas that may be lightning rods for controversy.
Ag trade is vital, says Farm Bureau leader a day before Trump speech
Farmers are among President Trump's staunchest supporters, and they have a response to his threats to scrap NAFTA and rewrite other trade agreements: "Without those global markets, our already-depressed farm economy would go down even more," said Zippy Duvall, leader of the largest U.S. farm group. "Trade should not be a dirty word," Duvall told the estimated 7,000 attendees at American Farm Bureau Federation convention, where Trump is scheduled to speak this afternoon.
U.S. sees ‘much work to do’ on revising trade pact with South Korea
Negotiators are "engaged on their priority areas of interest" for revisions of the U.S.-South Korean free-trade agreement, but the U.S. trade representative's office says there is "much work to do before we can reach an agreement that serves the economic interests of the American people." South Korea is the sixth-largest market for U.S. farm exports; the Trump administration has focused on industrial products such as automobiles.
Monsanto expects its dicamba-tolerant seeds on 40 percent of U.S. soy acres this year
The world’s largest seed and ag-chemical company said it expects U.S. farmers will plant 40 million acres of its dicamba-tolerant GMO soybeans this year, double the 2017 total and equal to four of every 10 acres of projected soybean sowings.
Climate change means less oxygen in seawater, shifts in marine populations
Thanks to climate change, "marine waters, even far out in the high seas, are losing oxygen ... upending where and how sea creatures live," says National Geographic, citing a study in the journal Science. "The authors conclude that it’s emptying vast regions of the ocean, changing what and where creatures live and eat, threatening to shrink fish populations and individual fish, and making overfishing more likely."
Consumers turn from organic milk in favor of plant-based alternatives
For years, the dairy industry has faced a long-term decline in per capita milk consumption. Organic milk was the exception in recent years, but it is now losing its place in the dairy section to plant-based milks, says Food Dive.
Farmer survey points to smallest winter wheat sowing since 1909
Wheat growers sowed 31.2 million acres of winter wheat for harvest this spring, the lowest figure since 1909 for the dominant type of U.S. wheat, according to a survey of farmers by Farm Futures. It would be a declne of 4.5 percent from last year and reflect poor profit potential of the wheat compared to other crops.
FAO sees high risk of hunger in eight nations, famine possible in three
In a “global early warning” report, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization lists eight nations with a high risk of hunger and says famine is possible in three of them: Yemen, South Sudan, and Somalia.
Forecast: Hard freeze in portions of Florida citrus belt
Hurricane Irma pummeled Florida’s citrus crop in September, and now a hard freeze is possible in the northeastern portion of the citrus belt, says weather consultancy Radiant Solutions.
U.S. appeals court nixes Idaho ‘ag gag’ law against recording farm operations
In their rush to protect farmers from adverse publicity, Idaho legislators enacted an unconstitutional, “staggeringly overbroad” muzzle of free speech and investigative reporting, ruled U.S. appeals court judges in Seattle.
Worker shortage brings big changes to California fields
As farmworkers become harder to find, California growers are providing better pay and benefits, attracting some U.S.-born workers. Still, experts say, mechanization will be the long-term answer.
Big-name companies abandon food industry trade group
A Washington heavyweight among food industry trade groups, the Grocery Manufacturers Association, has lost two additional members who are long-time titans in the sector, Hershey and Cargill, reported Politico.
Food stamp revisions possible but not radical change, says key House Democrat
States have abused their discretion in order to keep able-bodied adults on the food stamp rolls, said Collin Peterson, the Democratic leader of the House Agriculture Committee, suggesting that some changes were possible in the anti-hunger program but also warning that attempts at radical reforms could blow up the 2018 farm bill.
U.S. farm groups launch ‘Farm Town Strong’ to battle opioid crisis
The two largest U.S. farm groups, with millions of members, have launched the “Farm Town Strong” campaign to raise awareness of opioid abuse and how to get treatment.
Arkansas board sticks to April 16 cutoff of dicamba on cotton and soybeans
The Arkansas State Plant Board voted for the second time on dicamba regulations and had the same answer: a ban from April 16 to Oct. 31 on use of the weedkiller on cotton and soybeans, said the Associated Press.
Most ‘hard-to-count’ counties in U.S. census are in rural areas
The bulk of “hard-to-count” counties for the upcoming 2020 census — 251 out of the total of 316 counties that qualify — are in rural America, according to a briefing paper from the Carsey School of Public Policy in New Hampshire.