Ag census undercounted corn and soybean acreage The latest Census of Agriculture, released in February, reported a 2.2 percent decline in U.S. farmland from 2017 to 2022. A portion of that reduction, involving corn and soybean cropland, may be overstated, said Aaron Smith, a professor of agricultural economics at UC-Davis,… Continue reading
Administration sets limits on added sugars in school meals Updated nutrition standards for school meals include the first-ever limit on added sugars in foods and beverages, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, “an important step forward in improving nutrition for our youngsters.” The new regulations, which also call for less sodium… Continue reading
USDA mandates bird flu tests of dairy cows before transport Dairy farmers will be required to test their cattle for the H5N1 bird flu virus before shipping them across state lines, announced Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Wednesday as the government tries to prevent the spread of the disease and… Continue reading
Ten ag panelists on list of vulnerable House Democrats The campaign committee for House Democrats lists 10 members of the House Agriculture Committee among 29 “Frontline Democrats” in a fundraising appeal. “We must defend all 29 vulnerable Democrats running for re-election” if the party is to win a House majority… Continue reading
GOP-written farm bill is headed for House defeat, says senior Democrat House Republicans are following the “same ideological strategy that led to the failures of farm bills on the House floor in 2014 and 2018,” said Georgia Rep. David Scott, the senior Democrat on the Agriculture Committee. Republicans plan to… Continue reading
USDA assesses vaccine to protect cattle from bird flu virus The Agriculture Department said its research agency “has begun to assess the potential to develop an effective vaccine” against the H5N1 bird flu virus in cattle, although it warned that it is too early to say how long the process… Continue reading
Senators tell Biden administration to ‘play offense’ on trade The Biden administration is sitting on its hands when it ought to be knocking down trade barriers and negotiating new trade pacts for U.S. food and ag exports, said a bipartisan chorus of senators on Wednesday. Since President Biden took office… Continue reading
Farm bill vote in committee before Memorial Day, says House Ag chairman After repeated delays, House Agriculture chairman Glenn Thompson said on Tuesday that his committee, “without a doubt, will mark up a farm bill before Memorial Day.” Republicans on the Senate Agriculture Committee plan to release a farm bill… Continue reading
House Republicans embrace ‘pretty radical’ farm bill ideas — Vilsack Most of the Republicans on the House Agriculture Committee — 21 of 29 — support “pretty radical” farm bill proposals at a time when only a bipartisan bill is sure of enactment, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Monday. “It… Continue reading
Less corn land is needed than soy to satisfy SAF goal Soybean plantings would have to increase nearly 50 percent if soybean oil became the only feedstock for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), said two analysts from UC-Davis. With its higher yields per acre, corn ethanol as the sole feedstock would… Continue reading
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