Nearly 80 million birds die in almost two years of bird flu
One-fourth of U.S. losses to bird flu in outbreaks that began in early 2022 were recorded in the past three months, when the viral disease staged a resurgence, according to USDA data released on Thursday. Some 20.9 million birds were culled in infected domestic flocks from October through December to prevent the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza.
Drought more widespread in corn and soybean areas than wheat territory
Half of U.S. corn and soybean territory is in drought, compared to one-third of wheat land, said weekly drought reports on Thursday. Drought is far less prevalent for winter wheat than it was a year ago, while conditions for soybeans are little changed and corn has seen an 11 percentage point decline, said the USDA’s Ag in Drought report.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Oklahoma says no: The office of Gov. Kevin Stitt said the state would not participate in the new Summer EBT program to help low-income families buy food for school-age children; six other states with Republican governors have also declined to participate. (The Oklahoman)
Montana okays E15: State officials said fuel retailers in Montana can sell E15, a 15 percent mix of ethanol into gasoline, leaving California as the only state to hold out against the blend. (Market Watch)
China pushes ag innovation: The Chinese Agriculture Ministry, looking to assure a stable supply of crops, called for increased innovation to speed up the development of high-yield and high-oil soybeans as well as breakthroughs in ag machinery for use in hilly areas. (Reuters)
HPAI deaths in Asia: While four people in China and one in Cambodia have died since 2022 from the same H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses that have killed tens of millions of birds worldwide, there has been no human-to-human transmission of the disease, said the CDC. (Food Safety News)
