Farm bill odds growing longer
There is little reason for optimism that Congress will pass the new farm bill this year, wrote farm policy expert Jonathan Coppess on Thursday as part of an analysis showing that farm program payments favor Southern growers. “The chances of farm bill reauthorization in 2024 grow more dim with each passing day,” he said.
Bird flu infects two more dairy herds
Dairy herds in Kansas and New Mexico are infected with the H5N1 bird flu virus, raising the U.S. total to 15 herds in six states, said the Agriculture Department on Thursday. Texas has the most infected herds, with seven, followed by Kansas with three and New Mexico with two.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Farmers favor Trump but …: In a Farm Futures reader survey, farmers overwhelmingly backed former president Donald Trump for another term in the White House, although a quarter of respondents said they were considering a third-party or write-in vote. (Farm Progress)
No egg substitutes on SNAP: The Republican-controlled Iowa House passed, 60-34, a bill that would prohibit the purchase of egg substitutes with SNAP or WIC benefits. (Iowa Capital Dispatch)
Cole will be ‘relentless’: Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole, expected to become House Appropriations chair next week, said, “I’m going to be pretty relentless in pushing” for the timely completion of government funding bills. (Roll Call)
USDA adjusts reports: Based on data from the latest Census of Agriculture, the USDA said it would reduce the number of states reported on individually in some of its regular livestock reports, including the semiannual Cattle Inventory report, the quarterly Hogs and Pigs report, the quarterly Milk Production report, and the monthly Broiler Hatchery report. (USDA)
NCGA opposes 2,4-D duties: Farmers will face higher herbicide prices if anti-dumping duties are imposed on imports of 2,4-D, a widely used weedkiller, from India and China, said Harold Wolle, president of the National Corn Growers Association, in testimony before the U.S. International Trade Commission. (NCGA)
