Tighter Cuba trade rules should have little impact on agriculture
The State, Treasury, and Commerce departments unveiled regulations, outlined by President Trump in June, to keep dollars out of the hands of Cuban military and intelligence agencies.
Farm country fears loss of NAFTA and its benefits
President Trump’s repeated threats to scrap NAFTA are creating uncertainty in the Farm Belt, where ag exports are a key source of income, and may undermine U.S. negotiating power in other parts of the world, said farm group leaders.
Sales of antibiotics for livestock drop for the first time, FDA data show
The amount of antibiotics sold for use in livestock in the United States has dropped for the first time since data collection began, according to FDA numbers. The data also show for the first time which types of meat animals are receiving the most antibiotics. (No paywall)
Rural population growth fueled by foreign-born residents
The population of rural America grew just one-tenth of the national total of 3.1 percent from 2010 to 2015, and foreign-born residents accounted for three-fourths of the rural gain, says the Daily Yonder.
Trump tells oil-patch senators to look for a biofuel compromise
President Trump, a staunch supporter of corn ethanol, told nine senators from oil-producing states to take their complaints about federal biofuel mandates to their farm-state colleagues and find a mutually acceptable solution.
Public spotlight does little to stop ‘lunch shaming’ in schools
Seven months after New Mexico passed a state law against “lunch shaming,” progress to end the practice is slow, writes school-food blogger Bettina Elias Siegel on Civil Eats.
Inspector general to review Pruitt meeting with mining execs
The inspector general’s office at the EPA will investigate an April meeting between EPA administrator Scott Pruitt and the National Mining Association, said The Hill newspaper.
Purdue poll finds few farmers expect higher commodity prices
The great majority of corn, soybean, wheat, and cotton growers expect commodity prices to muddle along at current levels through next fall, says a monthly Purdue poll. Only 20 to 25 percent of row-crop farmers expect higher prices in the next 12 months.
Largest global grain harvest ever keeps prices steady
The bigger-than-expected corn crop in the United States is helping to drive world cereal grain production to a record for the second year in a row, said the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.
Senators’ suggestion for GMO labels: Put it in writing
Americans have a right to know what’s in their food, said 11 Democratic senators in urging the USDA to mandate clear and easy-to-understand labels on food made with genetically modified organisms.
Pingree mulls run for governor of Maine
Fifth-term Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine, a leading advocate in the House for small farmers and farmers’ markets, is considering a run for governor of Maine in 2018, says the Portland Press Herald.
Congress set to pass bill to keep shark fins out of soup
A bill that would prohibit the shark fin trade nationwide is poised to pass in Congress with deep bipartisan support. Shark fin soup, considered a delicacy in Chinese cuisine, can bring in $100 or more for a bowl.
Senate confirms Smith to Farm Credit board
The Senate has confirmed Glen Smith to serve on the Farm Credit Administration board, but two other Trump nominees for agricultural posts are being blocked.
Wildlife agency suspends use of ‘cyanide bombs’ on coyotes
Wildlife Services, the branch of the USDA that controls so-called problem wildlife, will no longer use “cyanide bombs” to kill coyotes on public lands in Colorado.
2017 among three hottest years on record
According to a UN report, 2017 is on track to be one of the three hottest years on record. The cause, it says, is climate change, which the report implicates in “extraordinary weather,” including extreme hurricanes, floods, and droughts.
Rural America has 770,000 fewer jobs than a decade ago
In rural America, “two-thirds of counties had fewer jobs in October than in 2007,” says the Daily Yonder after examining data from the U.S. Labor Department.
Trump slashes size of Utah national monuments, faces court challenges
President Trump signed two proclamations at the Utah state Capitol, cutting the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments to less than 40 percent of their original size and opening 2 million acres (3,125 square miles) to "hunting, grazing and responsible economic development." Tribes and environmental groups said they would go to court to block what a think tank called "the largest elimination of protected areas in U.S. history."
WHO urges drastic cuts in use of antibiotics in agriculture and aquaculture
In a major new statement about the overuse of antibiotics in agriculture, the World Health Organization is urging livestock agriculture and fish farming worldwide to sharply cut antibiotic use, reserving the precious drugs for animals that are sick and then choosing only antibiotics that are not important to human medicine. (No paywall)
Analyst says food stamp agencies ‘insufficiently interested’ in promoting work
The government ought to encourage food stamp recipients to find employment or to move up to better-paying jobs, said Robert Doar during a discussion on the future of the largest U.S. antihunger program.
Iowa’s water quality suffers without a fix in sight
More than 200 of Iowa’s community water systems struggle with agricultural runoff, periodically issuing “Do Not Drink” orders because of high levels of nitrates. “The good news is that researchers have a pretty good handle on how to solve Iowa’s water problem,” reports Elizabeth Royte in FERN’s latest story, with National Geographic. (No paywall)