Farm group criticizes House, Senate farm bills (National Family Farm Coalition): The NFFC, a farm and rural advocacy group, wrote in a letter to farm bill conferees that “neither version of the farm bill goes nearly far enough to truly improve the lives and livelihoods of family farmers and rural communities.”
Celebrating a diverse beer scene (Munchies): About 1,200 people attended a beer festival in Pittsburgh that spotlighted black-owned craft breweries.
Cotton stockpile to plunge in year ahead (ICAC): The global stockpile of cotton will drop by 10 percent during 2018/19 to its lowest level in seven years, driven by a sharp drawdown of stocks in China, a downturn in the cotton harvest worldwide, and strong demand for the fiber.
Trade war hurts dairy sales to China (Fox Business News): Tit-for-tat tariffs “have created a barrier” to further increases in U.S. dairy sales to China, said Tom Vilsack, chief executive of the U.S. Dairy Export Council and a former agriculture secretary.
Even blueberries get the blues (AP): Wild blueberries are a beloved crop in Maine and throughout New England, but production is down for the second year in a row as other nutrient-rich foods, particularly acai and quinoa, are dominating the “superfood” buzz.
Perdue names nutrition official (USDA): A former congressional staff worker, Pamilyn Miller, will serve as senior associate administrator for policy at the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service, announced Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue.