After record corn sale to China, Perdue expects ‘a big shipping season this fall’ – July 31, 2020

After record corn sale to China, Perdue expects ‘a big shipping season this fall’

China is far short of meeting its “phase one” commitment to buy huge amounts of U.S. food and ag exports, but Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said, “We expect a big shipping season this fall.” On Thursday, Chinese companies made one of the largest corn purchases in half a century of USDA records.

 

Million-dollar payments from USDA’s coronavirus fund

A hog producer, Titan Swine, got the largest single payment during the first month of the USDA’s coronavirus relief program — $1.4 million — and it received two additional checks, totaling $1.1 million, on the same day, reported The Counter on Thursday. (No paywall)

 

Two new Republicans on House Agriculture

Republican Reps. Troy Balderson of Ohio and Chris Jacobs of New York are newly appointed members of the House Agriculture Committee, announced Rep. Michael Conaway, the GOP leader on the panel, on Thursday.

 

TODAY’S QUICK HITS

Free school meals during pandemic: A bill filed by Bobby Scott, chair of the House Education Committee, would make all students eligible for free school meals during the 2020/21 school year. The bill would cover breakfast, lunch, and after-school snacks, whether served in school, by delivery, or as “grab-and-go” meals. (House Committee on Education and Labor)

Lean payoff for U.S. beef?: A U.S.-Japan trade agreement “may not have as large an impact” on beef exports as cattle groups have hoped because of tariffs that may be applied to some of the meat, said three analysts. (Choices)

 

Tyson to test weekly for Covid-19: Tyson Foods said it would test employees at all of its 140 U.S. facilities for coronavirus each week, which would make it one of the first large U.S. employers to do so. (Washington Post)

 

Investors eyeing farmland: Investors, from pension funds to wealthy individuals, are developing a growing appetite for U.S. farmland at a time when, because of the rising age of owners, vast amounts of land may soon be for sale. (NPR)

 

Fewer bees hampers fruit crops: Five of seven crops, including apples, blueberries, and cherries, studied in 13 U.S. states “showed evidence that a lack of bees is hampering the amount of food that can be grown,” said a paper published by the Royal Society. (Guardian)

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