Reset Sino-U.S. economic relations and expect ag retaliation
China is not willing to play by free-market rules, so the United States should adopt a new, tougher strategy that allows higher import tariffs and other measures to prevent reliance on Beijing, said a House select committee on Tuesday. In anticipation of retaliation, the committee said, the government should look for alternative markets for U.S. food and ag exports, and Congress should consider a new round of trade-war assistance for farmers and ranchers.
Funding shortfall could cut WIC enrollment by one fourth
State agencies would have to cut WIC enrollment by 28 percent, or nearly 2 million women and children, by next September if Congress fails to fully fund the program, said the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities on Tuesday. “WIC needs $1 billion” due to higher food costs and rising enrollment, said Sharon Parrott, the think tank’s president.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Lowest since June 2021: Food price inflation fell for the 15th month in a row during November to an annualized rate of 2.9 percent, the lowest yearly rate since 2.4 percent in June of 2021; dairy prices fell by 1.4 percent in the past 12 months, according to the Consumer Price Index. (Labor Department)
Fewer hours, lower pay: Farmworkers in California are working fewer hours and earning less per week on average than before a new state law made it easier to collect overtime pay, suggesting employers pared workloads to stay below the new thresholds for overtime. (University of California)
Modest rise in Iowa farmland: On average, an acre of farmland in Iowa is worth a record $11,835, a relatively minor increase of $434, or 3.7 percent, after two years of explosive gains — 17 percent in 2022 and 29 percent in 2021, say ag professionals in a survey. (Iowa State University)
Pump less water: The Kansas Geological Survey said groundwater levels in the High Plains Aquifer could be sustained for at least a decade in western Kansas if pumping was reduced by 18-32 percent. (Kansas Reflector)
Woman leads California Farm Bureau: Shannon Douglass, a first-generation farmer from northern California, was elected to a two-year term as California Farm Bureau president and is the first woman to head the 105-year-old organization. (California Ag Today)
