Biden nominates Torres Small for No. 2 USDA post
President Biden chose Xochitl Torres Small, the granddaughter of migrant farmworkers, as his nominee for Agriculture deputy secretary, the second-ranking post at the USDA, announced the White House on Wednesday. Torres Small has served as USDA undersecretary for rural development since October 2021.
U.S. farm exports to shrink by 12 percent over three years
A global economic slowdown will combine with inflation, higher interest rates, and the strong dollar to erode U.S. food and agriculture exports by 12 percent through fiscal 2026, projected the USDA on Wednesday.
SNAP to cost $121 billion a year
After surging to a record $149 billion last year as part of the federal response to the pandemic, SNAP will cost $121 billion a year in the near term, the Congressional Budget Office said on Wednesday.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Focus on Mexico: U.S. chief agricultural negotiator Doug McKalip said Mexico “will continue to be a major, major focus” of the administration following a confrontation over a Mexican plan to ban imports of GMO corn. (FERN’s Ag Insider)
Ag census follow-up: Although the deadline for replying to the Census of Agriculture has passed, the USDA will follow up during the spring with mailings, phone calls, and personal visits to farmers. (National Agricultural Statistics Service)
Solutions scarce on food costs: While the four members of Congress who are also farmers agree on many of the causes of high food inflation, they are far apart on how Congress can address the situation. (Politico)
They know (dry) beans: Demand for dry beans blossomed during the pandemic, and now Cornell University is launching a project to build a sustainable organic dry bean industry in the Northeast and upper Midwest. (Ambrook Research)
