Slower rise in land values: Midwestern farmland values were 4 percent higher in the first quarter of 2024 than they were in the same period last year, the smallest year-over-year gain since fall 2020, said ag bankers in a quarterly survey. (Chicago Federal Reserve Bank)
Lab meat ban: Alabama joined Florida in banning the manufacture, distribution, or sale of cultivated meat, punishable in Alabama by up to three months in jail and a $500 fine. (Wired)
Falling farm equipment sales: As farm income slows after a three-year boom and with interest rates staying high, farm equipment dealers are seeing fewer sales of new and used equipment. (Reuters)
California vintners face downturn: After years of steady growth, the California wine industry may be headed for a shakeout because of a sharp contraction in global wine consumption. (San Francisco Chronicle)
China okays GE wheat: The world’s largest producer and consumer of wheat has approved production of a gene-edited, disease-resistant wheat variety, a step that could lead to approval of other genetically engineered food crops. (StratNews Global)