Month: August 2023

(AgInsider) A decade after the House briefly put the idea into play, a senior Republican on the House Agriculture Committee said the far-ranging farm bill should be divided into two separate pieces of legislation: SNAP and everything else. SNAP, which cost $119 billion last year, has become “an emotional, political… Continue reading

(AgInsider) The White House announced $677 million in grants and loans today for high-speed internet service in rural areas of 22 states and the Marshall Islands. With the fourth round of funding, the USDA has put $3.1 billion into 179 rural broadband projects through its ReConnect program in less than… Continue reading

(AgInsider) The cost of price support for dairy, and for an array of field crops, could skyrocket if Congress allows the 2018 farm law to expire without a replacement, estimated the Congressional Research Service. In a report called Expiration of the Farm Bill, the CRS said dairy subsidies could cost… Continue reading

(AG Insider) Since it was confirmed in Florida 25 years ago, citrus greening disease has slashed citrus production in the state by 75 percent and infected trees in Louisiana, Texas, and California. USDA researchers said on Thursday they have found a potential remedy that boosts a citrus tree’s natural resistance… Continue reading

Researchers identify potential remedy for citrus greening disease Since it was confirmed in Florida 25 years ago, citrus greening disease has slashed citrus production in the state by 75 percent and infected trees in Louisiana, Texas, and California. USDA researchers said on Thursday they have found a potential remedy that… Continue reading

FDA names its first deputy commissioner for food Seven months after saying he would put more emphasis on food safety, FDA commissioner Robert Califf announced the appointment of James Jones as the agency’s first deputy commissioner for human foods on Wednesday. Jones, a former EPA pesticide regulator, was a member… Continue reading

U.S. needs more trade pacts as a hedge against China China is a golden market and a potential pothole for U.S. food and ag exports, said 20 farm and agribusiness groups in a letter to presidential aspirants. The letter, delivered ahead of the first debate among Republican contenders on Wednesday,… Continue reading

Bird flu takes a summer vacation The outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza that killed a record 58.8 million birds in domestic flocks and drove up egg prices in 2022 and early 2023 has faded during the summer months, said USDA data published on Monday. Only three outbreaks, totaling 1,860… Continue reading

Rural broadband projects get $667 million in USDA backing The White House announced $677 million in grants and loans today for high-speed internet service in rural areas of 22 states and the Marshall Islands. With the fourth round of funding, the USDA has put $3.1 billion into 179 rural broadband… Continue reading

U.S. files USMCA challenge to Mexico’s corn import rules Putting its warnings into action, the Biden administration officially accused Mexico on Thursday of violating North American trade rules by prohibiting imports of genetically modified white corn used in making tortillas, a staple of the Mexican diet. Mexico, the birthplace of… Continue reading