Antihunger advocate to head House Ag nutrition panel
A congressional stalwart against hunger, Jim McGovern of Massachusetts, was named as ranking Democrat on the House Agriculture subcommittee on nutrition.
Farm sector borrowing up sharply as lower crop prices pinch
Low crop prices and high production costs depressed profits for farmers in the closing months of 2014, "leading to a sharp rise in farm-sector borrowing and a slight decline in farmland values," said the Agricultural Finance Databook produced by the...
Moran, overseer of USDA funds, has $1.4 mln for campaign
Kansas Republican Jerry Moran, chairman of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on agriculture, has $1.4 million in cash in his campaign fund, said Roll Call.
Lawsuit seeks US air pollution limits on large livestock farms
Five environmental, animal welfare and community organizations filed suit in federal district court in Washington, DC, to force EPA to set air pollution standards for large livestock farms.
Roberts says regulatory overkill is top Ag Committee issue
Chairman Pat Roberts says the big issue confronting the Senate Agriculture Committee is "regulatory overkill we are experiencing with every agency" and particularly with the EPA. Roberts mentioned regulatory reform twice while listing committee priorities for this session. "We've got a lot of priorities," he said, citing reauthorization of the CFTC, the mandatory livestock price reporting law, and child nutrition programs - "big time." Regulatory reform, he said, "seems to be the big thing" in farm country.
Cut back on crop-based biofuels to close the world food gap
The think tank World Resources Institute says the world food gap could be narrowed greatly if crop-based biofuels - made from corn, sugarcane or vegetable oils - are eliminated. In a working paper, WRI points to estimates that food production must rise by 70 percent by 2050 to feed the growing world population. "If crop-based biofuels were phased out, the 2050 crop calorie gap would decrease from 70 percent to about 60 percent, a significant step toward a sustainable food future," says the report by Tim Searchinger and Ralph Heimlich.
Senate newcomers will lead three Agriculture subcommittees
Three newly elected senators - Joni Ernst of Iowa, Ben Sasse of Nebraska and David Perdue of Georgia - will chair Senate Agriculture subcommittees this session, announced Agriculture chairman Pat Roberts. In a statement, Roberts said the committee had "a hearty dose of new blood" as well as experienced veterans. “We have a lot of work to do, not only with legislation but in our robust oversight responsibilities. This posse is saddled up and ready to ride.”
Rising age of farmers seen leading to larger farms
"One of the best-known trends in American agriculture is the aging farmer," writes David Widmar at the blog Agricultural Economic Insights, suggesting one result will be increased concentration of farmland ownership.
A roadblock for livestock drug that boosts weight
Efforts by drugmaker Merck to re-introduce its growth-promoting drug Zilmax to the market are "stuck in a kind of veterinary purgatory," says the NPR blog The Salt.
Sticker shock in southern Plains, mid-South for SCO
Growers in the southern Plains and the mid-South express sticker shock at the price of the new Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO), created by the 2014 farm law to allow growers to boost their level of revenue protection, says DTN.
Obama mentions farm use while discussing drone rules
In a CNN interview, President Obama called for regulations for drones to ensure "that we get the good and minimize the bad." The president commented one day after a two-foot wide drone crashed on the White House grounds.
Tax rules encourage hospitals to boost nutrition programs
Nonprofit hospitals are expanding "'upstream' prevention-based programs that can help reduce the burden of chronic disease," says a blog at the site Health Care Without Harm.
Froman says “good progress” with Japan on ag and autos
The 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership for free trade could be wrapped up within months, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman told lawmakers.
Slow rise in child nutrition costs, food stamp rolls shrink
The U.S. child nutrition program, due for renewal this year by Congress, will rise in cost by 4 percent annually for the coming decade from the current $21 billion, says CBO. In its annual economic baseline report, CBO says "growth in the number of meals provided and in reimbursement rates will lead to spending increases" for a total cost of $32 billion in 2025. Food prices are projected to rise by 2.7 percent annually in the coming years, a fairly normal rate of food inflation.
“Two different worlds based on population density”
Republican candidates for the U.S. House won in 82 percent of counties in last fall's general election "and Democrats did best in the most densely populated counties," says the Daily Yonder.
Obama seeks $1.2 billion to fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria
"The Obama administration wants to double the amount of federal funding dedicated to combating antibiotic-resistant bacteria," says the Washington Post, based on comments from White House officials in advance of the fiscal 2016 budget request.
Livestock, poultry groups ask Congress to approve TPA
Groups representing U.S. cattle, hog and poultry producers urged lawmakers to approve rules that assure trade agreements will get a yes-or-no vote with no amendments.
Small Ohio creamery aims to revolutionize milk
Snowville Creamery is a small operation with big ideas and run by a career dairyman, says Civil Eats. Says owner Warren Taylor, “I built a creamery to prove that we can produce good high quality, good tasting milk for everybody in America.”
U.S., China agree to open their borders to apple imports
China agreed to open its market to imports of all varieties of U.S.-grown apples, a step thatUSDA said could expand apple exports, worth $1 billion in 2013, by 10 percent.
Grocery stores, the economic barometer of rural towns
The local grocery store is often the "anchor business" of a rural community, acting as a meeting place as well as a food vendor, says a Kansas State University expert quoted by DTN.