Farm bill could be victim of government shutdown — Vilsack
It would be difficult or even impossible for Congress to enact a new farm bill amid the disruptions of a federal shutdown, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told reporters at the White House on Monday. A shutdown could begin on Saturday when government funding lapses, which is the same day the 2018 farm law expires. But agricultural leaders in Congress have some leeway — until December — to act on the farm bill.
After a bobble, grocery inflation trends downward again
Retail pork prices soared last year, part of an overall 11.4 percent increase in grocery prices, but they will decline this year by 1.1 percent, said USDA’s monthly Food Price Outlook on Monday. The report forecast a grocery inflation rate of 5.1 percent this year and a below-normal 1.6 percent in the new year.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Biggest corn sale of 2023: Exporters reported the sale of 1.66 million tonnes of U.S. corn for delivery to Mexico — the largest single sale of U.S. grain this year, worth $315 million at current prices. (USDA)
Mississippi River saltwater intrusion: The second year of drought in the Plains and Midwest has reduced water volume in the Mississippi River so much that ocean water is creeping upstream and is expected to infiltrate the public water supply in New Orleans by late October. (CNN)
Pessimism rises in Nebraska: Some 27 percent of rural Nebraskans say they are worse off today than they were five years ago, the highest level of pessimism since 2009, when it was 28 percent. (Nebraska Examiner)
Dangerous pest in lemon territory: For the first time, an insect carrying the bacteria that causes citrus greening disease was confirmed in Ventura County, an important region for lemon production in California. (University of California)
