Senator warns of farm-size conflict in farm bill negotiations
At the same time that Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack called for more attention to small and midsize farmers, who see limited revenue from agriculture, a key Southern senator cautioned on Thursday against “a small farm versus big farm conflict” in writing the new farm bill. Large-scale operators collect the lion’s share of U.S. farm subsidies at present because payments are tied to production volume.
Bigger global corn crop this year
World grain supplies will rise marginally in 2023/24, buoyed by larger corn harvests in the United States, the EU, and Argentina, said the International Grains Council on Thursday. The council’s monthly Grain Market Report said corn production would rise 4.5 percent, to reach 1.202 billion tonnes worldwide.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Feds fail whales: Regulators have failed to protect humpback whales from entanglement in sablefish fishing gear off the U.S. West Coast, a federal court ruled. (Center for Biological Diversity)
Drought to ease in Plains: Drought conditions will improve in the wheat-growing northern and central Plains this spring but will persist in western Kansas, western Oklahoma, and the western two-thirds of Texas. (U.S. Drought Monitor)
State limits nuisance suits: A new law in South Dakota, set to take effect on July 1, will make it harder to file a nuisance complaint or lawsuit against an agricultural operation and will limit how much money can be awarded. (South Dakota Searchlight)
‘Clean car’ lawsuit: A coalition of soybean farmers, ethanol makers, service stations, and convenience stores sued Minnesota regulators over the state’s “clean car” rule, which calls for more zero- and low-emission vehicles on sales lots. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
California salmon season nixed: West Coast fishery managers will cancel the salmon fishing season in California this year because of the collapse of Chinook salmon populations following decades of drought and water diversions. (CalMatters)
