Renewable diesel boom is bane of bakers
Bakers are experiencing a “soybean oil supply crisis” of soaring prices and limited availability due in part to the land rush of investors into renewable diesel fuel, said an Ohio baking executive on Wednesday. Soy oil is a key ingredient in baked goods as well as the feedstock for making renewable diesel.
‘Build back’ bill has nearly $90 billion for ag and rural America
The USDA would receive nearly $90 billion through the “build back better” bill to mitigate climate change, reduce the risk of wildfires, provide debt relief for economically distressed farmers, and encourage rural economic growth, said the House Agriculture Committee on Wednesday.
House Republicans target Democrat who oversees USDA funding
The campaign committee for House Republicans put Georgia Rep. Sanford Bishop, chairman of the Appropriations panel that oversees USDA and FDA spending, on its list of Democratic targets for the 2022 midterm elections. “In a cycle like this, no Democrat is safe,” said Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer, chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee, on Wednesday.
Today’s Quick Hits
‘Final offer’: Farm equipment giant Deere & Co. made its “last, best, and final offer” with the contract rejected by 55 percent of union workers on Tuesday, said a company spokeswoman. Conversations to determine next steps continue with the UAW, she said. (KWQC-TV)
U.S.-EU collaboration platform: The USDA and the EU Directorate General on Agriculture will exchange information and promote mutual trust under a new “collaboration platform on agriculture” that will focus on sustainability and climate change. (USDA)
Right to clean air: Voters approved, by a more than 2-to-1 margin, an amendment to the New York State Constitution establishing that everyone has a right to clean air and water and a healthful environment. (Syracuse.com)
Fertilizer prices soar: The price of nitrogen fertilizer is nearing an all-time high, up 18 percent in a month and more than double what it cost a year ago. (DTN/Progressive Farmer)
Avocados lose luster: A glut of avocados in Australia, the country that may have invented avocado toast, has sent prices plummeting so low that one grower crushed 10 to 20 tons of the fruits beneath his tractor tires. (Washington Post)
