‘Huge impact’ on Nebraska agriculture (Gov. Ricketts): Storms and flooding have killed thousands of livestock, said the state’s request for federal disaster assistance, which estimated cattle losses of $400 million and crop losses of $440 million. The request also cited $439 million in damage to public infrastructure and $85 million in damage to homes and businesses.
Monsanto seeks approval of dicamba on corn (EPA): Agricultural seed and chemical giant Monsanto has requested federal approval to sell the herbicide dicamba for use on GMO corn. Public comments are due by April 17.
Democratic hopefuls to address rural issues (Iowa Starting Line): The first and perhaps only forum dedicated to rural issues is scheduled for Democratic presidential aspirants on March 30 in Storm Lake, in northwestern Iowa.
Farm stress that doesn’t show (DTN/Progressive Farmer): Lenders are avoiding risky loans, with the result that struggling farmers sometimes don’t show up in statistics on loan delinquencies or bankruptcies, two common gauges of the financial stability of the sector.
China hog production plunges (Reuters): Although the Agriculture Ministry says the country’s hog inventory is 17-percent smaller than a year ago, some analysts say pig production could plummet by 30 percent due to an ineffective response to the African swine fever epidemic, which appears to be more widespread than officially reported.
Turkey Hill sold (Philly.com): Kroger sold iconic Lancaster County dairy manufacturer Turkey Hill to Peak Rock Capital, a Texas private equity firm.