Signs of softening farmland values
Although farmland values are strong, some ag bankers report a downturn in prices in the central Plains after a three-year run-up in values, said senior economist Cortney Cowley of the Kansas City Federal Reserve on Wednesday. The majority of bankers, however, expect farmland values to hold steady or increase moderately.
Pope Francis: ‘Drastic’ steps needed to mitigate climate change
The world may be near the breaking point as global warming inflicts drought, intense storms, and heat waves on more and more people, said Pope Francis on Wednesday, calling for a worldwide commitment to reining in human-caused damage to the environment.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Moore vulnerable: In 2024, Democrats are likely to win the Alabama House seat now held by Rep. Barry Moore, a Republican member of the House Agriculture Committee, because of court-ordered redistricting underway in the state. (Sabato’s Crystal Ball)
Bleak outlook for amphibians: Habitat loss and climate change have made amphibians, such as frogs and salamanders, the world’s most endangered vertebrates, said a study in the journal Nature. (NPR)
Growing food aid needs: The strong El Niño weather event is likely to disrupt food production in southern Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean, so “donor governments and humanitarian agencies should prepare for high assistance needs in multiple regions, especially during the 2024 lean seasons.” (Famine Early Warning Systems Network)
Lake Erie pollution plan: The EPA approved Ohio’s plan for reducing nutrient pollution in Lake Erie, but environmentalists say it will fail because it expects farmers, with financial incentives, to voluntarily limit runoff. (Michigan Radio)
Farm bill prospects: Congress is moving so slowly that it is unlikely to enact a successor to the 2018 farm law this year. Instead, said Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, “we’re going to have a one-year, two-year extension.” (KMAland)
