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
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
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
(AG Insider) The 2024 Total Solar Eclipse passing over North America on April 8 is a rare occurrence that brings excitement and some amazing changes to the weather over the course of about four hours. Besides the obvious change in daylight, the temperature could drop, humidity could rise, and wind… Continue reading
USDA: Test for bird flu before interstate transport of cattle Michigan officials said the H5N1 bird flu virus has infected three additional dairy herds in the state, just as the USDA recommended farmers test their herds for the virus before moving cattle between states. The tests should both give us… Continue reading
Food insecurity twice as high in U.S. military as among civilians A quarter of the U.S. military experienced food insecurity in recent years, more than twice the civilian rate of 10 percent, said a USDA report on Thursday. Rates were highest among active-duty personnel under the age of 25 who… Continue reading
HPAI found in dairy cows in seventh state The H5N1 bird flu virus has been found in a dairy herd in North Carolina, said state Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler on Wednesday, making it the seventh state in a little over two weeks to report infected cattle. “We have spent years… Continue reading
USDA News & Features Organic Food Features