Stabenow backs a near-doubling of USDA stewardship funding
The chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture Committee called on Thursday for a $50 billion increase in funding for the USDA’s stewardship programs to combat climate change on farms and ranches. And a USDA report said forests could absorb an even larger share of U.S. carbon emissions than the current 14 percent through a combination of tree planting and prudent management.
House bill proposes more than $7 billion for rural broadband
Republicans on the House Agriculture Committee on Thursday proposed a three-year program with $7.35 billion in funding to bring broadband access to rural America. The bill would focus on the most remote and least served areas.
Today’s Quick Hits
China continues corn buys: Exporters sold 1.224 million tonnes of U.S. corn for delivery to China after Sept. 1, raising the sales total for this week to 5.644 million tonnes and equal to one-fifth of China’s expected imports for the 2021/22 marketing year. (USDA)
Sticking to 2020: The EPA’s ethanol mandate for this year and 2022 will be in line with the 2020 target, which was to blend 15 billion gallons of corn ethanol into the gasoline supply, said three unnamed sources. (Reuters)
Cell-meat roadblock: For all the hoopla about cell-cultured meat being ready for the marketplace, neither the USDA nor the FDA have written the regulations needed for sales to take place. (The Counter)
Bigger Kansas crop: The winter wheat crop in Kansas was estimated at 365 million bushels — 10 percent larger than the USDA forecast — by scouts on the annual Wheat Quality Council tour. (Farm Progress)
Drought eases: Widespread heavy rains in the Great Plains and the western Corn Belt have reduced drought prevalence to 44 percent of the country, down from 46 percent last week and the peak of more than 48 percent during the week ending April 27. (U.S. Drought Monitor)
