First round of Trump tariff payments could top $4 billion
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue discussed compensation to farmers for trade-war losses moments after a speech in which he lauded exports as a way to boost farm income.
Tougher SNAP rules may worsen food insecurity, per USDA analysis
The USDA estimated 3.1 million people, or nearly 9 percent of SNAP recipients, would be denied benefits under its proposal, announced on Tuesday, to restrict access to SNAP through so-called categorical eligibility.
Green light for gene-edited animals? Maybe.
At some point, the Food and Drug Administration might exempt gene-edited food animals from regulatory review, said a senior policy analyst at FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine on Tuesday.
Wild bees outperform honeybees, but our farms don’t make them welcome
Scientists are discovering that wild bees are far better pollinators than the honeybees that dominate commercial agriculture, according to the latest story published with HuffPost. But that discovery, which coincides with a worldwide collapse in pollinator numbers, spotlights a “desperate need” for new approaches to farming that work with these wild bees.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
USDA mum on prevent-plant totals (Ag Insider): The USDA said it could not confirm reports on social media that a USDA actuary projects a prevented-planting total of 15-20 million acres this year, far above average.
E-grocery wars continue (Washington Post): Kroger is beefing up its online grocery ordering system to compete with Amazon, Walmart, and Target as more shoppers look to do their food ordering online.
Firefighter shortage (Los Angeles Times): The Interior Department is short of hundreds of firefighters as the wildfire season opens in California, a result of recruitment problems and the partial government shutdown last winter.
How about regenerative ag for breakfast? (Union of Concerned Scientists): The leading U.S. cereal makers would curb water pollution and combat climate change if they required their farmer-suppliers to follow practices such as planting cover crops, using more diverse crop rotations and making room for “prairie strips” on their land, says a UCS report.
Guest-worker reform is vital (AFBF): The largest U.S. farm group said the administration’s decision to expedite deportation of undocumented workers “should be coupled with an improved and more affordable H-2A guest worker program” so producers can be sure of a stable and legal labor force.
