As damage continues, EPA ponders whether dicamba is safe to use at all
The notoriously volatile weed killer dicamba was blamed for 3,500 incidents of “off-target” damage this year, including to more than 1 million acres of soybeans, said the EPA on Tuesday. The regulator said it was reviewing whether dicamba “can be used in a manner that does not pose unreasonable risks” and said it would help states that wish to restrict use of the herbicide.
Year-on-year food inflation is highest since 2008
Pushed by high meat prices, the Food Price Index will surge by 3.5 percent this year, its largest increase since the 5.5 percent rise in 2008, said the USDA on Tuesday. Food prices typically rise about 2.4 percent a year.
Today’s Quick Hits
Heartland derecho: The storm system that lashed the Plains and Midwest with thunderstorms and tornadoes last week was a serial derecho, the first ever recorded in December, said the National Weather Service. (Los Angeles Times)
Kellogg strike ends: After 11 weeks on strike, workers at four Kellogg Co. plants that make breakfast cereal have approved a five-year contract that ends a two-tier wage system and prohibits plant closings. (CNN Business)
Eye on EVs: A House Agriculture Committee hearing in January on electric vehicles will consider the potential of electric-powered farm machinery, said chairman David Scott. (DTN/Progressive Farmer)
Solar vs. sage-grouse: A proposed solar farm that would cover 3.7 square miles in north-central Washington State is a significant threat to the survival of the state’s greater sage-grouse population, said the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. (Capital Press)
SNAP for hot food: The so-called SNAP Plus bill would allow low-income Americans to use food stamps to buy hot or prepared foods, said its bipartisan House sponsors. Currently, SNAP purchases are limited to groceries and cold foods. (Southland Journal)
