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‘We need fair trade,’ says McCarthy at farm bill session
The United States needs to knock down foreign barriers to American food and agriculture exports in the name of fairness, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said on Tuesday at the World Ag Expo in California's Central Valley. "We need fair trade," McCarthy said at a farm bill listening session and in a speech at the expo.
USDA ‘disappointed’ by revised Mexico corn ban
In a step to defuse trade tensions with the United States, Mexico removed a looming ban on most imports of GMO corn and said it would only block genetically modified corn that would be used in making tortillas. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Tuesday the USDA was dissatisfied by the revisions.
Food inflation rate decelerates, though still high
The U.S. food inflation rate fell for the fifth month in a row to 10.1 percent for the past year, said the Labor Department on Tuesday. Food, the second-largest consumer expenditure after housing, was a factor in the persistently high U.S. inflation rate. USDA analysts estimate food prices will rise by 7.1 percent this year, the highest in three decades although a slowdown from 2022.
Today’s quick hits, Feb. 15, 2023
U.S. sides with farmers on repairs: The Justice Department backed farmers in a right-to-repair suit against John Deere and Co., asking a federal judge in Illinois to rule against a company motion that could lead to dismissal of the case. (DTN/Progressive Farmer) Snowpack is melting sooner: As …
USDA puts part of its climate windfall into land stewardship
Four popular USDA land stewardship and working lands programs will receive an additional $850 million this year to handle the perennial crush of applications for assistance, said the Biden administration on Monday. The outlay will be the Agriculture Department's first use of the $19.5 billion earmarked for its conservation programs in the climate, health and tax law passed last summer.
Interior funds project to reduce Colorado River water use
The Interior Department will provide $125 million for a program that compensates water users, including farmers, on the Upper Colorado River who voluntarily conserve water. The money for the System Conservation Pilot Program was part of $728 million announced by Interior Secretary Deb Haaland on Monday for Western water projects.
Today’s quick hits, Feb. 14, 2023
McCarthy at listening session: House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, whose district includes part of Tulare County, will attend a farm bill listening session on Tuesday at the World Ag Expo in Tulare, California. (House Agriculture) Pipeline backers try to buy support: Navigator CO2 Ventures offered up …
Cotton growers make room for more corn and wheat
Battered by drought and rising costs, U.S. cotton growers will devote more of their land to corn, wheat and soybeans — crops that promise higher revenue this year — while sharply reducing their cotton plantings, said a survey released on Sunday. The National Cotton Council said its survey of growers indicated 11.4 million acres will be planted to cotton this spring, 17 percent less than last year.
Farm bill perspectives come in blue and red in the Senate
Farm bills are typically a marriage of farm support and public nutrition programs, but Republicans and Democrats bring different priorities to the undertaking, said associate professor Jonathan Coppess of the University of Illinois.
Today’s quick hits, Feb. 13, 2023
Ag exports victory lap: U.S. farm exports were a record $196 billion in calendar 2022. (USDA) Teens in packing plants: Children as young as 14 would be allowed to work at certain jobs in meatpacking plants or industrial laundries in Iowa under a bill filed by state Sen. Jason Schultz, a …
Strengthen the farm safety net and rely less on bailouts, say farm-state senators
The government has spent nearly $70 billion on disaster, trade war, and pandemic relief since the 2018 farm bill was enacted, a huge amount that shows the need for a strong farm safety net that’s written into law rather than on the fly, said farm-state senators on Thursday. They called for a stronger and expanded crop insurance program as the first line of support for farmers and ranchers against uncertain weather, volatile commodity markets, and rising production expenses.
Worrisome signs of mammal-to-mammal spread of bird flu
The ongoing bird flu outbreak is the largest ever in Europe and North America, and recent reports suggest the disease has passed from mammal to mammal, raising the risk of a spillover into humans, said a U.S. medical journal. The director general of the World Health Organization said that while the risk to people remained low, the reported infections in mink, otters, and sea lions “must be monitored closely.”
Today’s quick hits, Feb. 10, 2023
Dems finalize ag roster: House Democrats completed their Agriculture Committee roster, adding Reps. Salud Carbajal of California, Angie Craig of Minnesota, Chellie Pingree of Maine, and Darren Soto of Florida to the panel. (House Agriculture Democrats) Call for heat protections: The attorneys …
Chairman’s priorities: ‘Production’ agriculture, rural revitalization
In a camaraderie-filled meeting, Chairman Glenn Thompson said that everyone on the House Agriculture Committee was a member “of the farm team,” and his list of priorities for the committee put conventional agriculture and rural development first. “We certainly will have our work cut out for us as far as reauthorizing the farm bill,” he said on Wednesday.
Can Danone reach its climate goals without scaling back dairy farming?
Last month, the French food company Danone — owner of milk and yogurt brands like Activia and Horizon Organics — pledged to cut absolute methane emissions from its milk supply chains by 30 percent by 2030, making it the first major food company with a methane-specific emissions target. But reducing those methane emissions is far from simple. A “methane ambition” document released by Danone outlines a few options, although somewhat vaguely and without acknowledging some of the controversies surrounding them. No paywall
California orange crop twice as large as Florida’s, says USDA
California, for decades the No. 2 grower, is roaring into the lead as the largest orange-producing state in the nation, said the Agriculture Department on Wednesday. It forecast an orange crop of 1.84 million tons in California this season, more than double Florida’s projected hurricane-damaged harvest of 720,000 tons.
Today’s quick hits, Feb. 9, 2023
More local meat processing: Companion House and Senate bills would create a USDA competitive grant program to support local meat production by helping small processors expand their capacity. (Rep. Pingree) Organic standards need regular review: The new farm bill should include a provision to …
After a 2022 record, U.S. farm income retreats to third-highest ever
U.S. agriculture is headed for the third year in a row of far-above-average income, estimated the Agriculture Department on Tuesday. Lower market prices for corn, soybeans, cotton, hogs, broiler chickens and eggs will combine with rising expenses to pull down net farm income by nearly $26 …