Ag chairmen see low prices and trade war pressuring farm income
Persistently low commodity prices are pushing some farmers to the financial edge, said the chairmen of the Senate and House Agriculture committees.
In Democrats’ Green New Deal, a nod to sustainable ag
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Ed Markey introduced a Green New Deal, offering a sweeping framework for eliminating U.S. carbon emissions to combat global warming and supporting sustainable farming practices along the way.
U.S. squashes tomato deal with Mexico
Effective May 7, the United States will withdraw from a “suspension agreement” with Mexico over imports of fresh tomatoes so Washington can consider complaints of tomato dumping, said the Commerce Department.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Meat giant sees falling sales (Wall Street Journal): Falling chicken and pork prices, in part due to tariffs resulting from the trade war with China, ate into Tyson’s profit margin last quarter.
What’s in a ‘natural’ chicken? (Bloomberg): Consumer groups filed a lawsuit against Pilgrim’s Pride, taking issue with its claim that their animals are fed “only natural ingredients,” a claim that can be misleading to shoppers.
War over weed in San Gabriel Valley (Los Angeles Times): When the City Council in El Monte, California, approved a 72,000 square-foot facility to grow, process and distribute medical-grade marijuana last December, it set off a conflict over economic development in the San Gabriel Valley. A second facility, twice as big, is now in the works.
‘It’s not meat?’ It’s illegal. (The Hagstrom Report): In their zeal to restrict the use of words such as “meat” to the flesh of livestock, state legislators may be tripped up by longstanding federal laws that give USDA control over labels on meat packages and the requirements for ingredients, says a blog written by attorneys at the Morgan Lewis law firm.
Farmers love the new NAFTA, says president (Omaha World Herald): President Trump, who frequently calls NAFTA a disaster, told reporters that “I’m a fan of pre-NAFTA” trade rules and “the farmers love the USMCA,” the proposed successor of NAFTA which needs ratification by Congress.
Rural development chief becomes deputy drug czar (USDA): Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue’s assistant for rural economic development, Anne Hazlett, moved to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy with the post of senior adviser for rural affairs.
Californian tapped for Farm Credit board (White House): The former chief executive of the California Bankers Association, Rodney Brown, is President Trump’s choice to serve on the board of the Farm Credit Administration.
