Aided by grassland signup, Conservation Reserve reaches enrollment limit
For the first time in more than a decade, the Conservation Reserve, which pays landowners an annual rent in exchange for taking fragile cropland out of production, is full, thanks to surging interest in the Grassland CRP option, said the Agriculture Department on Wednesday. Grasslands will become the largest element in the reserve, with more than 9 million acres enrolled in the year ahead.
USDA and states to tackle anticompetitive practices
A new partnership between the USDA and 31 states will “help lower food costs for American families while also giving farmers and ranchers more and better options,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack at the White House on Wednesday.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Meals come with a price: Half of families with school-age children said it was somewhat or very difficult to cover their expenses following the expiration of a USDA waiver allowing schools to serve meals for free to all pupils. (USDA)
Ukrainian grain targeted: On a second day of attacks, Russian missiles destroyed 60,000 tonnes of grain stored at the Ukrainian port of Odessa and knocked a “considerable amount” of export infrastructure out of operation. (BBC)
Teen worker dies at chicken plant: A 16-year-old worker at a chicken processing plant in southern Mississippi was fatally injured in an accident while “conducting sanitation operations,” said Mar-Jac Poultry. (CNN)
Bigger world corn crop: Global corn production was forecast to surge nearly 5 percent in 2023/24, more than offsetting a decline in wheat production and keeping total grain output, forecast at 2.292 billion tonnes, close to the record set two years ago. (International Grains Council)
Full-time firefighting: Several counties in Southern California are preparing to start fighting wildfires with night-flying helitankers that will be able to dump fire retardant or water on fires 24 hours a day. (Los Angeles Times)
