USDA
Analysts ask if crop insurance should be redesigned
The federally subsidized crop-insurance program grew dramatically over the past two decades. It covers 44 percent more acres and, with creation of revenue insurance, the average level of coverage climbed to 75 percent in 2014, a 17-point increase from 1996, according to economists Carl Zulauf of Ohio State and Dan Orden of Virginia Tech.
White House objects to USDA-FDA funding levels and riders
The USDA-FDA appropriations bill awaiting a vote in the Senate "short-changes food safety needs" and "under-funds efforts to address the challenge of child poverty" while carrying harmful "ideological provisions," said the White House budget office.
As California drought bill goes to Senate, the pressure is on Feinstein
One in four rural children lives in poverty
The child poverty rate in rural America grew to 26 percent in the decade following the 2000 Census, when it was 19 percent, says a USDA analysis. By comparison, the poverty rate for urban children is now 21 percent.
Bird-flu epidemic raises questions about large-scale poultry farming
The bird-flu epidemic that claimed 48.1 million domesticated fowl on U.S. poultry farms "illustrates the scale of chicken farming in the United States," says the Guardian, asking if factory farming is viable.
U.S. agricultural productivity is strong now, but the future is uncertain
Along with the population, U.S. agricultural output has more than doubled since 1948, says a USDA report. "With little growth in total input use (0.07 percent per year) during that period, the extraordinary performance of the U.S. farm sector was driven mainly by productivity growth, at an annual rate of 1.42 percent," according to the report.
Vietnam surges as cotton user; India tops China as grower
China is the heavyweight of the world cotton market. It is the largest importer and user of cotton on earth but it is forecast to lose its position as the world's largest grower to India this year.
Rural infrastructure fund makes first investments
The first round of funding for rural infrastructure projects was released by the year-old U.S. Rural Infrastructure Opportunity Fund that mixes public and private capital, said the USDA.
Farms hit by bird flu could resume production this fall
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says poultry producers who lost flocks in the worst avian influenza epidemic ever to hit the United States could have birds back in the barn by fall, according to USA Today.
Grassland conservation application period opens Sept. 1
Landowners can apply beginning Sept. 1 for federal payments for preserving grasslands, rangeland and pastures while keeping the land in production, said the USDA.
School lunch factions meet, look for solutions
Obama administration officials suggested additional steps to help schools meet requirements to serve healthier meals during an hour-long meeting with nutrition, school and consumer groups. Sam Kass, senior nutrition advisor at the White House, said it was a "positive discussion" and Wendy Weyer of the School Nutrition Association said the meeting was "very solutions-oriented."
White House defers to FDA on GMO food-labeling petitions
The White House responded to two petitions for labeling of foods made with genetically modified organisms by deferring to the expertise of the FDA, which has been studying the question for more than two years.
Corn and soy crops develop faster than usual
After a wet and cold spring that delayed planting, the U.S. corn and soybean crops now are ahead of the usual pace for development, says the weekly Crop Progress report. Some 34 percent of the corn crop is silking, one point ahead of the five-year average and double the rating one year ago. And 41 percent of soybeans are blooming, 2 points ahead of average and 17 points ahead of the 2013 crop for the second week of July.
Corn, wheat and soy dominate crop insurance
The three most widely planted U.S. crops - corn, soybeans and wheat - account for roughly 68 percent of crop insurance sales, says USDA, a dominating total but smaller than 15 years earlier. Then, the three crops were responsible for 80 percent of acres enrolled in crop insurance. With new types of policies and more crops eligible for coverage, the share held by the three major crops has declined. USDA says pasture, forage and range land zoomed to 48 million acres insured in 2012 compared to zero in 1997.
SNA says “no” to White House nutrition advisor Sam Kass
The School Nutrition Association turned down a request by Sam Kass, White House nutrition policy advisor, to speak at this week's national conference, attended by 6,500 people working in the school food industry, says Politico. SNA chief executive Patricia Montague says Kass, in a message passed through USDA, asked to speak at the conference "to rally the troops" on rules requiring healthier school meals.
Christie says he wants USDA leader with “real life experience”
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, seeking the Republican nomination for president, says if he had the chance he would "put someone in charge of USDA who actually has done this before," says Agri-Pulse in a story from a GOP pig roast near Camanche, Iowa.
Food stamp enrollment down by 1 million people this year
Food stamp enrollment is down by an average 1 million people from fiscal 2013, say USDA data, to 46.6 million people for the first seven months of this fiscal year. The decline points to a 2 percent reduction in participation for the fiscal year ending on Sept 30. It would be the first decline in six years.
Senate bill says U.S. diet advice must be solely nutritional
The Senate version of the USDA/FDA funding bill includes language that would restrict the new edition of the Dietary Guidelines to solely nutritional and dietary matters.
Ten RECs get $4.4 billion in New ERA clean energy funding
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced $4.37 billion in grants and loans to 10 rural electric cooperatives on Thursday for clean energy projects that would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 1.1 million tons a year. With the awards, the USDA has allocated nearly $9 billion of the $9.7 billion available in the Empowering Rural America program.