Hemp’s farm bill goals: Raised THC threshold, clearance as dietary supplement
Congress should encourage development of the hemp market by including provisions in the new farm bill that would allow the sale of hemp as a food additive and dietary supplement and raise the THC allowance for hemp plants, said the hemp industry on Wednesday. The 2018 farm bill legalized hemp, and its successor “could prove monumental for farmers and businesses,” said the industry.
Lower corn production costs in U.S. than in Brazil
Although the cost of production rose in both countries in 2023, U.S. corn growers have an advantage over their Brazilian rivals with lower per-bushel costs, said four agricultural economists at the farmdoc daily blog. The United States grows three times as much corn as Brazil, but Brazil is forecast to be the world’s top corn exporter for the second year in a row.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Lead poisonings traced to applesauce: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 287 patients, a large number of them children, have been found with extremely high lead levels after eating pouches of cinnamon applesauce. (Food Safety News)
Sierra Nevada ‘snow drought’: Snowpack in the Sierra Nevada, the source of one-third of California’s water supply, is at record-low levels for this time of year, said officials after the first snow survey of 2024. (Los Angeles Times)
Belching less methane: Researchers in New Zealand are investigating selective breeding as a way to reduce the amount of methane emitted by the country’s dairy cattle and sheep. (BBC)
Drought persists in the Midwest: Most of Iowa, Indiana, and Missouri, major grain-growing states, are forecast to remain in drought through January, along with parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin. (National Weather Service)
Profiling rural voters: In a new book, two Colby College political scientists identify four sensibilities typical of rural voters: an overwhelming belief that their way of life is discounted; that hard work will overcome discrimination; a deep sense of economic anxiety; and high levels of civic pride. (Daily Yonder)
