Don’t let climate steer USDA conservation work, say House Republicans
Congress “must remove the climate restrictions” on $20 billion in funding that had been given to the USDA to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase climate resiliency, said two senior Republicans on the House Agriculture Committee on Tuesday. Chairman Glenn Thompson and Indiana Rep. Jim Baird said the money should be available for all land stewardship practices.
Corn and soybean returns sink as market prices fall
For the first time since 2015, Midwestern farmers face negative returns from corn and soybeans grown on rented land, three agricultural economists said Tuesday at the farmdoc daily blog. They estimated a loss of $99 an acre for corn and $13 a bushel on soybeans, based on rising production costs and a downturn in market prices.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
A reprieve from the Big Melt?: California’s historic snowmelt is still jeopardizing farmland in the Central Valley as Tulare Lake refills, but state officials say the flooding may turn out to be less catastrophic than previously feared (SJV Water)
Delay ag-funding vote: The House Appropriations Committee postponed indefinitely a vote on four fiscal 2024 government funding bills, including USDA-FDA funding, to give House Speaker Kevin McCarthy “maximum flexibility” in debt limit negotiations. (House Appropriations)
EPA appeals WOTUS injunction: The EPA asked the U.S. Court of Appeals in New Orleans to overturn a district-court injunction against implementation in Texas and Idaho of the Biden administration’s “waters of the United States” rule on wetlands protections. (DTN/Progressive Farmer)
‘Broken promise’ case dismissed: A judge at the U.S. Court of Federal Claims dismissed a class-action lawsuit that contended the government was obliged to provide debt relief to farmers of color, although Congress repealed the $4 billion program. (Capital B)
Sheep 4.96, New Zealanders 1: For the first time since the 1850s, there are fewer than five sheep per person in New Zealand but the national flock remains a sizable 25.3 million head, according to the new agricultural census. (Radio New Zealand)
