Senators tell Biden administration to ‘play offense’ on trade
The Biden administration is sitting on its hands when it ought to be knocking down trade barriers and negotiating new trade pacts for U.S. food and ag exports, said a bipartisan chorus of senators on Wednesday. Since President Biden took office in 2021, the administration has not initiated formal talks for a new free trade agreement anywhere, said members of the Senate Finance Committee during a hearing on the U.S. trade agenda.
Swampbuster rule is unconstitutional, says Iowa lawsuit
The Agriculture Department violates the Constitution by barring farmers from its support programs if they plant crops on wetlands, said an Iowa lawsuit that challenges the four-decade-old Swampbuster rule. The Pacific Legal Foundation, which won a Supreme Court decision last May that narrowed federal protection of wetlands, is one of three conservative law firms representing the plaintiff.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
CHS to buy elevators: Farmer-owned CHS said it plans to buy eight grain elevators in Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, and South Dakota from grain processor Cargill with the goal of “efficiently connecting our owners to the global marketplace.” (CHS Inc.)
Healthy food partnerships: The USDA announced a partnership with the Reinvestment Fund that will provide $40.3 million in grants to 16 public-private partnerships to improve access to healthy foods in underserved communities in 20 states and Washington, D.C. (USDA)
HPAI cases mount: Highly pathogenic avian influenza was discovered on an egg farm with 2.4 million hens in central Michigan’s Ionia County. It was the fourth major U.S. outbreak in April, bringing the total number of birds affected this month to more than 8.5 million. (USDA)
Kitchen table issues: The gender gap in “home cooking” — who cooks meals for the household — has widened, according to a global survey, and women in nearly every country in the world cook more meals each week than men. (NPR)
