Undeterrred, Thune runs: Although former president Trump has tried to recruit a challenger, South Dakota Sen. John Thune, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate and a member of its Agriculture Committee, said he will run this year for a fourth term. (Thune)
Omicron and meat: Pork and beef processors, hit hard by the 2020 arrival of Covid-19, do not report significant problems with the omicron variant; but USDA said cattle and hog slaughter declined last week and the meat inspectors union says “omicron is nailing us.” (Bloomberg)
Global potato crunch: Restaurants from Japan to Kenya have run out or rationed sales of french fries because of supply chain disruptions and bad weather for potatoes. (Washington Post)
Expedite dicamba lawsuit: Environmental groups asked a federal district court in Arizona for a speedy hearing of their lawsuit seeking to overturn the EPA’s approval in 2020 of continued use of the weedkiller dicamba. (Center for Food Safety)
Carbon credit costs: The cost of certifying carbon sequestration “is nearly as important a question as how one actually certifies,” say two Iowa State University analysts; high costs could limit participation to large producers who can afford them. (CARD Policy Briefs)