‘God forbid we have a weather problem this year’
The Russian invasion of Ukraine will strain world grain supplies for months to come, driving up prices and inflation rates, said a panel of economists on Tuesday. “God forbid we have a weather problem this year,” said Dan Basse, head of AgResource Co., who described war in the Black Sea region as the greatest supply shock since World War I.
Covid-19 exacerbated the food-waste problem.
The Covid-19 pandemic made America’s food-waste problem worse, dramatically so in some cases, forcing the food sector to adapt and find creative ways to limit waste, according to an online panel discussion Tuesday hosted by ReFED, a nonprofit focused on ending waste across the food system.
Bird flu hits 14 turkey farms in this year’s outbreaks
The government confirmed “high path” bird flu at three South Dakota turkey farms on Tuesday as the overall toll of this year’s outbreaks of the viral disease topped 13.3 million birds. Fourteen farms in five states lost a total of 481,344 turkeys to highly pathogenic avian influenza since early February.
Today’s Quick Hits
Ukraine plantings to plummet: Ukraine may plant 7 million hectares (17 million acres) of spring crops this year, less than half of last year’s 15 million hectares, said the nation’s agriculture minister. (Reuters)
Brazil waives ethanol duties: In a step to reduce inflation, Brazil’s Ministry of Economy said it will waive tariffs of 18 percent on imported ethanol through the end of this year, creating an opening for U.S. ethanol. (Ethanol Producer)
Ocean shipping reform advances: On a voice vote, the Senate Commerce Committee approved a bill intended to speed up U.S. exports by barring ocean carriers from unreasonably refusing to accept U.S. cargo. (Transport Topics)
EPA is sued over cadmium: The Center for Biological Diversity sued the EPA in federal court, alleging it failed to consider the impact on endangered species when it set water quality limits for cadmium, found in phosphate fertilizers. (DTN/Progressive Farmer)
Estrada to lead Farmworker Justice: Ron Estrada, a vice president of UnidosUS before becoming a Univision executive, will serve as chief executive of Farmworker Justice, an advocacy group. (Farmworker Justice)
