Agriculture is ‘unpredictable sector’ in Sino-U.S. trade, says Tai
The United States will press China to live up to its commitments in the “phase one” agreement, said U.S. trade representative Katherine Tai on Monday in unveiling the Biden administration’s “strategic vision for re-aligning trade policies toward China.” During a speech at a Washington think tank, Tai said agricultural trade was an “unpredictable sector” given Chinese willingness to intervene in the market.
Loan guarantees for ‘middle of the supply chain’
The USDA will create a $100 million loan-guarantee program to expand processing capacity in the meat industry and improve the infrastructure of the food chain, announced Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Monday. The program is “focused on the middle of the supply chain,” he said, such as mobile processing units, new cold storage equipment and formation of cooperatives to gather, process and market farm goods.
In Mississippi, chicken farmers rise up against pay cut they say is tied to merger
In early August, Sanderson Farms announced a base pay cut for its growers throughout Mississippi. This was two days after news of a deal that effectively merged Sanderson and Wayne Farms, another major poultry processor in the state. Growers objected, complaining to the company and calling their local representatives.
Today’s Quick Hits
Supreme Court appeal: Trade group Growth Energy asked the Supreme Court to overturn an appellate decision and reinstate year-round sales of E15, a 15-percent blend of ethanol into gasoline. (Growth Energy)
Net-zero McDonald’s: Details are to be released next year, but fast-food giant McDonald’s said it aims to achieve net-zero emissions of greenhouse gases from offices, restaurants and supply chains globally by 2050. (Quartz)
Rural cyber attack: Popular online auction sites for farm equipment and farmland were shut down as the result of a ransomware attack on Sandhills Global. (Farm Journal)
Vilsack on livestock: Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley will be the lead-off witnesses at a House Agriculture hearing on Thursday on the state of the U.S. livestock industry. (House Agriculture)
Fortenberry defense fund: Nebraska Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, the senior Republican on the House Appropriations subcommittee overseeing USDA and FDA, “raised money for a legal defense fund with claims he’s facing federal prosecution that a spokesman later disavowed.” (Axios)