Farm Bill should insist on stewardship
“Congress needs to take the plunge” in the new farm bill and “insist on conservation practices where it has, up until now, asked for cooperation while dangling a bit of cash,” said the Des Moines Register, published in the No. 1 corn and hog state. USDA’s soil and water conservation programs traditionally have relied on voluntary cooperation from farmers, aided by cost-sharing funds, but progress is unacceptably slow, said the newspaper in an editorial.
USDA recommends paying farmers more for fresh milk
Dairy processors would pay farmers more for fresh milk that is destined for table consumption — perhaps totaling $800 million a year — under a set of recommendations from the Agriculture Department on Monday. The “recommended decision” to update the milk marketing system needs USDA final approval after a comment period and must win in a referendum by milk producers to take effect.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Mexico modifies corn ban: President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum will continue Mexico’s ban on imports of genetically engineered white corn for human consumption but will drop a proposed ban on imports of yellow corn used for livestock feed, said the incoming agriculture minister. (Reuters)
Glusenkamp Perez, rural Democrat: Rep. Marie Glusenkamp Perez, a member of the House Agriculture Committee from Washington State, is “a home-schooled preacher’s kid who’s pro-choice” and one of a few Democrats from largely rural and conservative districts. (Politico)
Universal school lunch surge: An average of 557,000 students a day participated in Massachusetts’ universal free lunch program during the 2022-23 school year, 11 percent more than before the pandemic, said Gov. Maura Healey. (Healey)
Corn condition declines: Some 67 percent of the U.S. corn and soybean crops were in good or excellent condition at the start of this week. Corn was down by 2 points — more than expected by analysts — and soybeans were unchanged. (USDA)
H5N1 in Colorado cows: The H5N1 avian flu virus was confirmed in seven dairy herds in Colorado last week, raising the state total to 25 herds, tied with Michigan and just behind Idaho, which has 28 infected herds. (USDA)
