Texas and California lead in recent EQIP spending
By one yardstick — dollars spent under the 2018 farm bill — the cost-sharing Environmental Quality Incentives Program is the largest working lands conservation program at the USDA, said two University of Illinois economists on Thursday. They created an interactive map of EQIP spending that showed Texas and California were the leading states for outlays.
Gender gap costs global economy $1 trillion in agrifood productivity and wages
Women are as widely employed as men in agrifood systems around the world, but their working conditions are often worse and they earn much less than men, said an FAO report on Thursday. “Closing the gender gap in farm productivity and the wage gap in agrifood system employment would increase global gross domestic product by 1 percent, or nearly $1 trillion,” it said.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Drought batters Kansas: Four of every five acres in Kansas, usually the No. 1 state for winter wheat production, are in drought, up from three out of four acres a week earlier. (Drought Monitor)
Illinois solar project: One of the largest solar arrays in the country, the 593-megawatt Double Black Diamond solar farm, is under construction on 4,100 acres near Springfield, in central Illinois. (InsideClimate News)
Russia demands export relief: Russia said the international agreement that enables ocean shipment of Ukrainian grain will not be extended past May 18 unless the West removes obstacles to the export of Russian grain and fertilizer. (Reuters)
Rural bridges get funds: The White House announced grants of $11.5 million to replace seven bridges in rural northwestern Oklahoma and $51.2 million to replace six bridges in rural northwestern South Carolina. (White House)
Yiannis to advise Chipotle: Fast-food chain Chipotle appointed former FDA deputy commissioner Frank Yiannis to its food safety advisory council. (Chipotle)
