Hurricane Michael wallops Georgia cotton, pecans and poultry
via wikipedia
For Georgia farmers, Hurricane Michael is “the most widespread and devastating hurricane in recollection,” said state Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black. More than 92 poultry barns, housing more than 2 million birds, were destroyed; cotton growers suffered massive losses; and pecan growers lost trees for the third year in a row to a hurricane.
Chinese ‘pullback’ from U.S. soybeans likely to persist for months
The U.S. share of the Chinese soybean market shrank during the marketing year that ended Aug. 31 and, with the trade war underway, shipments are anemic in the new sales year, says the USDA.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Dirty water (Environmental Integrity Project): In the last two years, 74 of the 98 largest U.S. meatpacking plants that discharge wastewater directly into streams and rivers exceeded their permitted amounts for nitrogen, fecal bacteria and other pollutants at least once.
Down in the Valley (Los Angeles Times): Facing his first serious challenge in years, California Rep. Devin Nunes, who stresses his agricultural heritage in a House district in the Central Valley, “is on the attack — not against his Democratic opponent but his district’s largest newspaper.”
Goodbye, antibiotics (Wired): Penicillin, the first major antibiotic, is 75 years old. “Yet if we don’t change how we find, finance and support them, antibiotics may not make it to their 100th birthday.”
Herbicides, antibiotics and resistant bacteria (University of Canterbury): Bacteria develop resistance to antibiotics far more rapidly — as much as 100,000 times faster — if they are exposed to two commonly used herbicides along with the antibiotics, than if they are exposed just to antibiotics.
Time-out for CAFOs (Tulsa World): The Oklahoma state Board of Agriculture announced a moratorium on processing applications to build new large-scale poultry farms amid concerns over water supplies, air quality and property values.
Utah backs smaller monuments (High Country News): Lawyers for the state of Utah told a U.S. district court that the state supports President Trump’s decision to reduce the size of Bears Ears National Monument by 85 percent and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument by 50 percent.
ON THE USDA CALENDAR
Monday
– National School Lunch Week, through Friday, with theme, “School Lunch: Lots 2 Love.” President Trump issued a proclamation denoting the week. “These meals are a dependable and consistent source of nutrition for many children in schools and childcare centers throughout our country,” he said. “The best way to do that is to return control back to the people on the ground who make these programs work.”
– Final day for “expressions of interest” from entities wanting to become the new home of the Economic Research Service and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, two agencies that USDA intends to move out of Washington.
– Anti-hunger, environmental and small-farm groups hold a news conference to share their goals for the farm bill conference and to say, “No farm bill is better than a bad farm bill,” 10 a.m. ET, National Press Club.
– Brookings Institution and Center for Budget and Policy Priorities host a forum and release a report on how work requirements will affect the federal safety net and and the effect of new work requirements for Medicaid and SNAP, 2 p.m. ET, Brookings Institution, 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW.
– Iowa Hunger Summit, on the sidelines of the World Food Prize symposium, Des Moines.
– USDA releases monthly Oil Crops Outlook and Cotton and Wool Outlook, noon p.m. ET
– USDA releases monthly Rice Outlook, Feed Outlook and Wheat Outlook, 3 p.m. ET.
– USDA issues weekly Crop Progress report, 4 p.m. ET.
Tuesday
– “Side events” at the World Food Prize symposium, Des Moines.
– World Food Day, with a theme of “Zero Hunger.”
– Agricultural officials from Canada, Mexico and the United States meet for the 27th annual Tri-National Agricultural Accord, through Oct. 18, Monterrey, Mexico.
– Soil Health Institute hosts “Conference on connections between soil health and animal health,” Silver Spring, Maryland.
Wednesday
– World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit, through Thursday, London.
– World Food Prize symposium, through Friday, Des Moines. The opening day includes panel discussions on CRISPR and other gene-editing technology, and the threat of the fall armyworm to African agriculture. The 2018 Food Prize laureates, Lawrence Haddad and David Navarro, receive their awards at dinner. Navarro is to address the symposium on Thursday, as will Jams Conner, chief executive of Corteva Agriscience division of DowDuPont, and Liam Condon, head of Bayer’s crop science division.
– USDA releases monthly Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Outlook, noon ET.
– USDA releases monthly Sugar and Sweeteners Outlook, 3 p.m. ET.
Thursday
– North American Millers Association annual meeting, through Saturday, Sea Island, Georgia.
Friday
– USDA releases monthly Cattle on Feed report, 3 p.m. ET.
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