If Congress misses farm bill deadline, how long will it take to finish the job?
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Barring a dramatic breakthrough, farm-state lawmakers will miss their target of enacting the 2018 farm bill in the next six days, according to two of the Senate and House negotiators charged with finding a compromise. There would be little immediate impact if the 2014 farm law expires, as scheduled, on Sunday without a successor in place.
North Carolina ‘no place for CAFOs,’ says green group
Hurricane Florence is the latest illustration that “flood-prone coastal states like North Carolina are no place for CAFOs,” said the Union of Concerned Scientists, calling for tighter regulation of industrial livestock farms.
As checks flow, USDA adds almonds and cherries to Trump tariff bailout
Producers of shelled almonds and fresh sweet cherries are eligible for cash payments to offset the impact of trade war on U.S. agriculture, said Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue.
A year after Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico’s farmers still struggle
A year after Hurricane Maria caused thousands of deaths in Puerto Rico, the island’s farmers are still struggling to come back, according to FERN’s latest report, in partnership with On the Table, a farm-bill-focused podcast produced by NET, Nebraska public media. “It was like a horror film,” Luis Pinto, a plantain farmer, said through a translator. “You felt like the hurricane was crying.”
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Embattled researcher to step down (CNN): Brian Wansink, an influential food researcher at Cornell University, resigned his post after a total of 13 of his papers were retracted by journals.
Blue Apron’s questionable pork (Bloomberg): The meal-kit company pitches customers on a “better food system.” But they still source pork from companies that use gestation crates, which animal-welfare advocates call “cruel and inhumane.”
Farmers, not lions, are the threat (New York Times): For itinerant cattle grazers in Nigeria, the biggest threat is the surge in farming, which is claiming land used by herders for centuries.
Do more for rural broadband, says poll (Harvest Public Media): A poll by Connect America Now, which wants to use TV frequencies for high-speed internet in rural areas, says nearly three-fourths of voters want the government to do more to bring broadband to rural America.
Trump to make E15 available year-round (Bloomberg): President Trump is slated to unveil in coming weeks a policy change allowing year-round sales of E15, according to people briefed on the plan, which could help Republican candidates in the Midwest.
City buses recycled as mobile produce markets (Chicago.Curbed): Created out of retired city buses, the Fresh Moves Mobile Market serves fresh produce to more than 10,000 people on Chicago’s South Side.
SNAP is part of administration policy aimed at immigrants (Politico): A regulation proposed by the Homeland Security Department would allow denial of “green cards” to legal immigrants if they received benefits, such as SNAP, or if the government anticipates they will in the future.
ON THE CALENDAR
Monday
– Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper make aerial inspection of agricultural damage from Hurricane Florence in the eastern part of the state, 9:45 a.m. ET, Kenansville, North Carolina. Perdue and state agriculture commissioner Steve Troxler meet affected farmers over lunch at 11:30 a.m. ET and host a news conference at 12:45 p.m. ET, Kenansville. Perdue speaks to Forest Service Retiree Association, 3:40 p.m. ET, Asheville.
– House Rules Committee meets to discuss terms of debate for HR 6157, which includes short-term funding for the federal government, including USDA and FDA, 5 p.m. ET, The Capitol.
– United Fresh hosts annual Washington Conference, through Wednesday, Washington. Agriculture Undersecretary Ted McKinney is keynote speaker at luncheon today.
– USDA releases monthly Cold Storage report, 3 p.m. ET.
– USDA issues weekly Crop Progress report, 4 p.m. ET.
– Seventh annual Women in Agribusiness Summit, through Wednesday, Denver.
Tuesday
– House votes on HR 6687, directing the Interior Department to maintain dairy farms and working ranches on agricultural portions of the Point Reyes National Seashore in California.
– Senate Health subcommittee hearing, “Health care in rural America: Examining experiences and costs,” 3:30 p.m. ET, 430 Dirksen.
– USDA releases monthly Food Price Outlook, 9 a.m. ET. At present, USDA forecasts the third year in a row of lower than average inflation of grocery prices — 0.5 percent this year, v. the 20-year average of 2.1 percent.
– Food Policy Action releases a digital report, “An eater’s guide to Congress,” about lawmakers’ voting record on agriculture and food issues, Washington.
– Leaders of Champions 12.3 release “SDG target 12.3 on food loss and waste: 2018 progress report,” New York. The report is part of climate week in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting.
– S&P Global Platts Kingsman Miami Sugar Conference, through Wednesday, Miami.
Wednesday
– House Oversight subcommittee hearing, “Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program fraud,” 10 a.m. ET, 2154 Rayburn.
– Congressional Joint Economic Committee hearing, “Examining the rise of American earnings and living standards,” 10:45 a.m. ET, 216 Hart. Casey Milligan, chief economist of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, is among the witnesses.
– Sixteen checkoff programs host Agriculture Promotion Groups’ Educational Showcase, Washington.
Thursday
– The AGree policy initiative hosts a discussion, “Harnessing (big) data for small farmers,” 11:30 a.m. ET, 1800 M St.
– Wall Street Journal hosts Global Food Forum, New York City.
– Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City hosts 2018 Ag Outlook Forum, Kansas City, Missouri.
– International Grains Council releases monthly Grain Market Report, London.
– USDA releases monthly Agricultural Prices report, quarterly Hogs and Pigsreport and Fruit and Tree Nuts Outlook.
Friday
– USDA releases annual Small Grains report and quarterly Grain Stocks report.
– International Forum on Food and Nutrition, New York.
– Second annual Reducetarian Summit, through Sunday, Los Angeles. Goal is to “explore strategies and tactics for ending factory farming and for reducing societal consumption of animal products,” and the theme of this year’s conference is “action.”
Sunday
– Expiration date of 2014 farm law. Food stamps and crop insurance will remain in operation while some programs face immediate shutdown if there is no successor legislation in place.
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