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AquaBounty, developer of GMO salmon, to cease fish farming operations
AquaBounty Technologies, which in 2015 became the first company to gain FDA approval of a GMO animal for human consumption, a salmon, said that after months of retrenchment, it would shut down its fish farming operations. Environmental groups had challenged the FDA decision in court for years and won promises from major grocers and food service companies not to stock the AquAdvantage salmon.
Trump says it’s hard to bring down prices
President-elect Donald Trump, who recently told an interviewer, “I won on groceries,” said in a Time magazine transcript released on Thursday, “It’s hard to bring things down once they’re up.” Meanwhile, a Purdue University poll found that consumers have lowered their expectations for food inflation.
Today’s quick hits, December 13, 2024
Brazil soy moratorium fight: Environmental groups are defending an 18-year-old voluntary agreement that bans trading in soybeans grown on recently deforested lands in the Amazon. (Associated Press) Federal forestry funds: The USDA awarded $355 million for incentives that encourage landowners to …
With Trump, oil refiners ‘will be back in the driver’s seat’ on RFS, says analyst
The incoming Trump administration is likely to be unfriendly to biofuels if it repeats the record of the president-elect’s first term in office, said biofuels analyst Scott Irwin of the University of Illinois on Wednesday. There could be the liberal approval of waivers exempting small refiners from the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), he said, as well as efforts to whittle down the ethanol mandate.
Democrats in Congress propose $10 billion in economic aid to farmers
With Congress due to adjourn in 10 days, Democrats proposed $10 billion in economic assistance to farmers nationwide to buffer the impact of lower commodity prices. Senior farm-state Republicans have said substantial aid is needed — $15 billion was mentioned on Wednesday — but House GOP leaders reportedly objected to the offset Democrats would use to pay for the aid.
Today’s quick hits, December 12, 2024
Food inflation is up: With higher meat prices a factor, food costs rose 2.6 percent in the past 12 months, the highest annualized rate since 2.6 percent in January, said the monthly CPI report. (Department of Labor) Advice on meat is ‘concerning’: The suggestion by the Dietary Guidelines …
Two thirds of large crop farms use precision agriculture technology, says report
Some 68 percent of large crop farms use precision agriculture technology that generates information that aids decision-making by operators, such as yield monitors, yield maps, and soil maps, said the USDA on Tuesday. The annual "Farms and Ranches at a Glance" report showed higher-volume farms are heavy users of the technology, notwithstanding earlier reports showing a low usage rate by farmers nationwide.
U.S. proposal would protect monarch butterfly as threatened species
The orange-and-black monarch butterfly, known for migrating thousands of miles, would be protected as a threatened species under a proposal by the Interior Department on Tuesday. The monarch population has dropped by 80 percent since the 1980s due to loss of habitat, exposure to pesticides, and climate change.
Today’s quick hits, Dec. 11, 2024
More legumes, less meat: Americans would be advised to eat more legumes, such as beans, peas, and lentils, while consuming less red and processed meat if the government adopts suggestions from the experts helping to write the new Dietary Guidelines. (HHS and USDA) Judges block Kroger deal: A …
Equipment sales falter as farm income slows, tariffs a concern, say regional Feds
Farm equipment sales are slowing alongside the downturn in farm income, creating a headwind to overall U.S. investment activity, said the Beige Book, a summary of economic conditions in Federal Reserve Bank districts. In discussing agriculture, the St. Louis Fed said some businesses were building inventory in anticipation of potential tariffs on imported goods.
Reports of three new human cases of bird flu include California child
Arizona health officials said two workers employed at poultry farms have recovered from mild cases of bird flu while the public health agency in Marin County, north of San Francisco, said it was investigating a possible bird flu infection of a child. If confirmed by the CDC, the U.S. total for bird flu infections would rise to 61 people in eight states this year.
Today’s quick hits, Dec. 10, 2024
Farm activist Corky Jones dies: Nebraska farmer Corky Jones, a former president of the American Agriculture Movement and a leader of the 1979 Tractorcade that brought hundreds of farmers to Washington to seek change in U.S. farm policy, has died at age 92. (Farm Aid) Eleven warmest months: The …
USDA orders testing nationwide for bird flu virus in milk fresh from the cow
The Agriculture Department will launch a testing program next week that looks for the bird flu virus in milk fresh from the farm to get a clearer picture of the prevalence of the H5N1 virus among U.S. dairy herds. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the tests would complement ongoing …
Farm groups prod Congress for economic relief
With two weeks left in the congressional schedule for this year, time is running out for lawmakers to provide financial relief to agriculture, said two farm groups. "It is imperative that they address the well-defined and fully substantiated needs of farmers just trying to hold on for another season," said Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation.
Today’s quick hits, Dec. 9, 2024
So, will prices rise or not?: President-elect Donald Trump said in a televised interview that tariffs “cost Americans nothing”; but when asked about estimates they could raise prices, he said, “I can’t guarantee anything. I can’t guarantee tomorrow.” (NPR) …
FDA is doing ‘not much’ against diabetes and obesity epidemics, says Sanders
The Food and Drug Administration ought to take on the food industry to protect Americans from ultra-processed foods loaded with salt, fat, and sugar, said Senate Health committee chairman Bernie Sanders on Thursday. “That is your job,” Sanders interjected when FDA commissioner Robert Califf said improvements in the U.S. diet will require societal consensus over the long term.
One mutation could make H5N1 a greater threat, researchers say
While there has been no sign of person-to-person spread of bird flu, researchers said on Thursday that a single mutation in the H5N1 avian influenza virus could enhance the virus’ ability to attach to human cells. That could potentially increase the possibility of transmission among humans, said the study, led by a team of scientists at the Scripps Research Institute.
Today’s quick hits, December 6, 2024
Ukraine keeps exporting grain: Despite lower yields and the loss of cropland because of the Russian invasion in February 2022, Ukraine has maintained its presence as a major corn and wheat exporter, said analysts. (farmdoc daily) Loeffler to head SBA: President-elect Donald Trump said he would …