More people short of food: In late December, 29 million adults — 14 percent of respondents — said their households sometimes or often did not get enough food to eat in the preceding week, the highest number since the Census Bureau began its “pulse” surveys. (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities)
Supreme Court to hear ethanol case: The Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal by oil refiners of the year-ago ruling that greatly restricts the EPA’s authority to exempt small refiners from the federal mandate to use corn ethanol and other biofuels. (Argus Media)
China needed a big finish: At the start of December, China had imported $19.4 billion, or just 53 percent, of the $36.6 billion of U.S. food, agriculture and seafood products it pledged to buy in 2020 as part of the “phase one” trade agreement, according to Chinese customs data. (Peterson Institute for International Economics)
USDA tracks USMCA produce trade: A new weekly report, prepared in partnership with the Commerce Department and the U.S. trade representative’s office, will monitor marketplace trends in seasonal and perishable imports from Canada and Mexico as well as other suppliers. (Agricultural Marketing Service)
World food prices at three-year high: The FAO Food Price Index, a gauge of prices for a market basket of food commodities, was an average 97.9 points during 2020, the highest annual level in three years. (FAO)