Tariffs on China ‘for a substantial period of time,’ says Trump
An agreement between China and the United States to resolve the trade war “is coming along nicely,” said President Trump on Wednesday, although U.S. tariffs could remain in force for some time to assure that China lives up to the terms of the deal.
Half the world could face ‘water stress’ in 2050, says report
More than one-third of the world’s population lives in water-scarce regions, and by mid-century, half of the projected 9.8 billion people on Earth “could be at risk due to water stress,” said a report out today from the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.
Cattle expansion slows in its fifth year
An expansionary phase in the U.S. cattle inventory, dating from 2014, is slowing, say USDA analysts, pointing to a financial pinch on the cow-calf ranchers who start the beef production cycle.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
‘Huge impact’ on Nebraska agriculture (Gov. Ricketts): Storms and flooding have killed thousands of livestock, said the state’s request for federal disaster assistance, which estimated cattle losses of $400 million and crop losses of $440 million. The request also cited $439 million in damage to public infrastructure and $85 million in damage to homes and businesses.
Monsanto seeks approval of dicamba on corn (EPA): Agricultural seed and chemical giant Monsanto has requested federal approval to sell the herbicide dicamba for use on GMO corn. Public comments are due by April 17.
Democratic hopefuls to address rural issues (Iowa Starting Line): The first and perhaps only forum dedicated to rural issues is scheduled for Democratic presidential aspirants on March 30 in Storm Lake, in northwestern Iowa.
Farm stress that doesn’t show (DTN/Progressive Farmer): Lenders are avoiding risky loans, with the result that struggling farmers sometimes don’t show up in statistics on loan delinquencies or bankruptcies, two common gauges of the financial stability of the sector.
China hog production plunges (Reuters): Although the Agriculture Ministry says the country’s hog inventory is 17-percent smaller than a year ago, some analysts say pig production could plummet by 30 percent due to an ineffective response to the African swine fever epidemic, which appears to be more widespread than officially reported.
Turkey Hill sold (Philly.com): Kroger sold iconic Lancaster County dairy manufacturer Turkey Hill to Peak Rock Capital, a Texas private equity firm.
