Neighbors needn’t test: The USDA said “surrounding farms are not required to be tested” if bird flu is found in a dairy herd, under its order that lactating dairy cows be tested for the H5N1 bird flu virus before shipment across state lines. (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service)
Rural voters, urban districts: Some 72 percent of rural voters live in congressional districts where the majority of voters are urban or suburban residents, and only 28 percent are in districts where the majority of voters are rural Americans, according to an analysis of Census data. (Daily Yonder)
Rural impact of dollar stores: Independent grocers saw a 9.2 percent drop in sales if a dollar store opened nearby and were three times more likely to leave the market than an independent grocer in the city, said USDA analysts. (Economic Research Service)
Wildfire losses of $123 million: Wildfires in the Texas Panhandle burned 1.2 million acres and killed 12,000 cattle with total agricultural losses of $123 million from Feb. 26 through mid-March — the costliest wildfire in state history, said Texas A&M extension. (Agrilife Today)
Election test for Braun: Sen. Mike Braun, who has the endorsement of former president Donald Trump, faces a crowded field in the Republican gubernatorial primary in Indiana on Tuesday; Braun is a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. (NBC News)