Climate change threatens large portion of U.S. cropland
Three of every 10 acres of U.S. corn and winter wheat are under increased threat as climate change boosts temperatures and makes rainfall more erratic in the Midwest and Plains, said a new report on Tuesday. Commissioned by the American Farmland Trust, the report said the 2023 farm bill should embrace climate mitigation and provide the money to help farmers adapt to global warming.
Stewardship program misguided in Mississippi River basin
One of USDA’s largest land stewardship programs “allocates too little funding to environmentally sensitive lands in one of the most important agricultural areas in the country,” said the Environmental Working Group on Wednesday. In a report, the EWG said the cost-sharing Environmental Quality Incentives Program should be reformed to make climate change its primary purpose.
Drought, biodiesel boom pinches world soyoil trade
The boom in production of renewable diesel fuel has pushed U.S. soybean oil prices so high the commodity is uncompetitive on the world market, said USDA analysts on Tuesday. Drought in Argentina, the world’s leading soy oil exporter, also will be a major factor in the lowest volume of soy oil imports worldwide in five years.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Colorado River water reductions: The Biden administration proposed reductions of up to one-quarter in Colorado River water allotments to Arizona, California and Nevada, with the cuts shared evenly among the states. (New York Times)
Asian longhorned beetle eradication: The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said it would inspect trees for the invasive Asian longhorned beetle in quarantined areas of Massachusetts, New York, Ohio and South Carolina and remove infested trees as part of a drive to eradicate the pest in the United States. (USDA)
Food boxes for Arkansas: About 7,000 families in two Arkansas counties hit by tornadoes will be eligible for USDA food packages containing domestically-grown foods, a short-term form of assistance that is employed after natural disasters disrupt food supply channels, such as grocery stores. (USDA)
‘Green’ infrastructure in cities: Agriculture Undersecretary Homer Wilkes and White House clean energy adviser John Podesta were to announce funding “to expand access to urban nature, combat the climate crisis and advance environmental justice” on Wednesday in Newark. (FERN’s Ag Insider)
