Avoid crop insurance ‘add ons’ in farm bill
If it wants them, Congress should act directly to include goals such as climate mitigation in the farm bill rather than resort to crop insurance “add ons” that could meddle with the soundness of the federally subsidized program, said two analysts on Tuesday. Crop insurance is the largest federal support to agriculture, with an estimated cost of $15.5 billion this year.
Farmers expect a revenue payoff from growth in renewable diesel
Farmers are far more bullish about the chances of expansion of the renewable diesel industry than in ethanol, the dominant “green” fuel in rural America, said a Purdue University poll on Tuesday. The telephone survey for the monthly Ag Economy Barometer also found nine of 10 farmers expect higher soybean prices at the farm gate as more and more renewable diesel fuel reaches the market.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Record snowpack, flood risk: After three of the driest years on record in California, the snowpack statewide is 237 percent of its average for early April; now state officials have pivoted to flood response and forecasting the impending snowmelt. (Department of Water Resources)
E15 hits 1 billion: Sales of E15, a 15 percent blend of ethanol into gasoline, were a record 1.02 billion gallons in 2022, up by 26 percent from 2021 due to attractive prices and EPA permission for summertime sales. (Renewable Fuels Association)
Got milk? No, thanks.: Members of Generation Z buy 20 percent less milk than the national average so the dairy industry “has embarked on a full-frontal marketing assault” that portrays the dairy product as a sports drink and as the beverage of gamers. (New York Times)
WOTUS lawsuit dismissed: A federal district judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by the state of Kentucky to overturn the Biden administration’s “waters of the United States” rule on grounds the state failed to show damage or an infringement on its powers. (DTN/Progressive Farmer)
Support for innovative conservation: Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is to announce USDA funding to boost innovative conservation practices on agricultural land during a visit to Iowa State University on Thursday. (FERN’s Ag Insider)
