Pro-rated pandemic aid: So many producers applied this summer for a share of the $223 million in the Pandemic Assistance Revenue Program that payments will be pro-rated at 9.5 percent. The USDA has paid $31.9 billion in previous Covid relief programs. (USDA)
Block antibiotic in citrus groves: Ruling on a lawsuit brought by environmental groups, the U.S. appeals court in San Francisco overturned EPA approval of the use of streptomycin, a medically important antibiotic, to treat citrus greening disease and citrus canker. (NRDC)
Seeking H-2A wage relief: The Labor Department should change the way it sets wage rates for agricultural workers with H-2A visas because the “runaway wages” are unaffordable, said the National Council of Agricultural Employers. (NCAE)
Delay in livestock rule: The USDA rule setting animal welfare standards for organic livestock will take effect on Jan. 12 instead of Jan. 2, as originally announced, to allow time for congressional review. (Agricultural Marketing Service)