Month: June 2024

USDA offers 90 percent compensation for bird flu losses in dairy herds The government will compensate farmers for 90 percent of the value of milk lost as a result of H5N1 avian flu infections in their dairy cows, announced Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Thursday. “We want to assist our… Continue reading

Second year of lower returns on corn and soybeans The continued decline in season-average corn and soybean prices since the peaks of 2022 will pinch farmer returns from the crops for the second year in a row, said three analysts writing at the farmdoc daily blog. They estimated that operator… Continue reading

USDA proposes fairness-in-marketing livestock rule Re-entering a battle that dates from the Obama era, the USDA said on Tuesday it would modify its livestock marketing regulations to make it easier for producers to win complaints that they were treated unfairly by meatpackers. At present, producers must show a harm to… Continue reading

House farm bill would shield Bayer from Roundup lawsuits Tucked into the horticulture section of the farm bill approved by the House Agriculture Committee is language shielding seed and ag chemical giant Bayer from lawsuits against its Roundup weedkiller. Section 10204, running one-and-a-half pages, amounts to a “Get out of… Continue reading

Largest U.S. honey collection since 1997 Domestic beekeepers collected 183 million pounds of honey in 2022, the largest amount in 25 years, according to the latest Census of Agriculture. The United States is the 10th largest honey producer in the world and the number of beekeeping operations grew by 30… Continue reading

Biden administration plan to limit old-growth logging The government will protect millions of acres of old-growth forest on public lands from threats that include wildfire, insects, disease, and climate change with an updated management plan, said Biden administration officials on Thursday. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the U.S. Forest Service… Continue reading

SNAP costs down 5 percent by CBO The largest U.S. anti-hunger program, SNAP, will cost $59 billion less over the coming decade than thought in February because food prices are moderating, said the Congressional Budget Office. The updated CBO baseline also indicated that savings assumed in the House Republican farm… Continue reading

(AGinsider/AFRnews) Wednesday, June 19, 2024 – The USDA will observe the annual holiday that marks the end of slavery in America. Juneteenth, while a celebration of freedom and an important moment not just in African American history, but in American history, offers an opportunity to reflect on the hope it… Continue reading

Prices: Supermarket vs Restaurants Although frustrated by high prices, most Americans feel grocery prices are “somewhat” or “very” fair, while they are more likely to label prices at restaurants as unfair, according to results released on Monday. Fast food restaurants got the lowest ratings and 52 percent of respondents said… Continue reading

Larger-than-average ‘dead zone’ is forecast for Gulf of Mexico Based on streamflow and nutrient runoff from the Midwest and Plains, federal scientists forecast a “dead zone” of 5,827 square miles in the Gulf of Mexico this summer, 50 percent larger than last year and three times bigger than the 2035… Continue reading