Ag delinquency rates drop: Farm loan performance has strengthened, with less than 10 percent of commercial banks reporting loan delinquency rates above 3 percent, “the lowest share on record.” (Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank)
Tai warns on corn trade: During a meeting, U.S. trade representative Katherine Tai stressed to the Mexican trade minister the importance of uninterrupted U.S. corn exports to Mexico. (USTR)
California water restrictions loom: State water managers announced an initial allocation of only 5 percent of requested supplies from the State Water Project, and warned that severely reduced allocations are likely in 2023 if drought continues. (Los Angeles Times)
New USDA leaders: President Biden appointed Maximiliano Torres, a longtime congressional adviser, as USDA rural development director in Puerto Rico, and appointed Ginger Sykes Torres in Arizona and William Bunce in Wyoming as state directors for the Farm Service Agency. (White House)
Covid death rate rises: The rural death rate from Covid-19 climbed to 0.95 per 100,000 residents, compared to the urban rate of 0.75 per 100,000 people, according to CDC data. (Daily Yonder)