Fewer cattle and lower U.S. beef production in the near term
Despite market prices that could reach record highs, the cattle industry is unlikely to expand herd numbers for the next year or two, said analysts, pointing to high feed costs, lingering drought, and a limited labor supply. As a result, Americans are forecast to consume nearly 3 percent less beef per person this year than in 2023.
#SummerEBT
Why are GOP governors taking food out of the mouths of poor kids?
When I spoke to Mandi Remington, a single mother in Iowa City, in late January, she had $7 in her bank account and had run out of milk. So when Remington found out that Iowa is among the 15 states that decided not to participate in Summer EBT, a new federal food program that would have sent her $40 a month per child while they were out of school, “it was extremely frustrating,” she said. Iowa wasn’t the only state to refuse the funds: Alabama, Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont, and Wyoming opted not to enroll by the early January deadline. All of those states have one thing in common: They are helmed by Republican governors.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Trump’s tariffs: Former president Donald Trump confirmed that he is considering tariffs of 60 percent on Chinese imports if he wins the 2024 presidential election and said, “Maybe it’s going to be more than that.” (CNBC)
Bill Northey dies: Fourth-generation Iowa farmer Bill Northey, a fierce farmer advocate who served as the Agriculture undersecretary overseeing farm and conservation programs and as Iowa’s agriculture secretary, died at age 64. (Des Moines Register)
More rural than urban: A larger share of children in rural areas than in urban areas — 27 percent vs. 22 percent — would benefit from the expansion of the child tax credit that was passed by the House and is awaiting action in the Senate. (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities)
A decade of climate hubs: The USDA marked the 10th anniversary of its creation of regional Climate Hubs. Established to help farmers and rural communities make climate-informed decisions, the hubs have grown into a network of 120 researchers and communicators at USDA and federal agencies. (USDA)
Undocumented farmworkers left out: The new bipartisan Senate border security bill “does not contain broad immigration reforms” that figured in previous immigration legislation, such as legal status for undocumented farmworkers. (Associated Press)
