Get a shot, get $100: Meatpacker JBS USA and its subsidiary Pilgrim’s Pride said they would pay a $100 bonus to each of their 66,000 U.S. employees who volunteers to get vaccinated against Covid-19. (JBS)
Taste is tops: The pandemic has caused significant changes in food-purchasing behavior, but taste still matters most when Americans buy food, followed by safety, price, and nutrition, say consumer surveys. (farmdoc Daily)
Drought to expand: With La Niña conditions expected to continue into spring, drought is forecast to expand in the southern Plains and along the central and eastern Gulf of Mexico and the southern Atlantic Coast. Drought is predicted to continue in the northern Plains, the Southwest, and California. (National Weather Service)
AFBF urges more transparent crop reports: The largest U.S. farm group, claiming farmer confidence in USDA crop reports is ebbing, says the government should modernize its technology and do a better job of explaining how it produces its crop estimates. (Reuters)
Another look at chlorpyrifos: The EPA will take a new look at whether to keep chlorpyrifos, a widely used pesticide, on the market, potentially countermanding a decision by the Trump administration. (NPR)
Court to review RFS exemptions: A federal appeals court said it would review three Renewable Fuel Standard exemptions granted by the EPA on the final day of the Trump administration, and temporarily blocked the EPA from implementing the exemptions. (DTN/Progressive Farmer)