U.S. farmers head for back-to-back 15 billion-bushel corn crops
Growers are planting more corn than expected this year and the result could be the second harvest in a row to exceed 15 billion bushels, according to a USDA survey of growers and projected yields per acre. The mammoth crop, only slightly smaller than the record set last year, could drive down farmgate prices for corn.
FDA says milk-processing practices kill H5N1 virus
A first-of-its-kind study that simulated commercial milk processing “found that the most commonly used pasteurization time and temperature requirements were effective at inactivating the H5N1 (avian flu) virus in milk,” said the Food and Drug Administration. “These results establish that HTST (high temperature short time) pasteurization is effective at eliminating the virus from milk with a large margin of safety.”
Second year in a row of high SNAP payment error rates
The SNAP payment error rate ticked upward to 11.68 percent in fiscal 2023, the second straight year of sharply higher post-pandemic error rates, said the Agriculture Department. Farm-state Republicans, who want to cut SNAP spending, said the new farm bill should eliminate any tolerance for overpayments by states, which administer SNAP.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Bird flu takes a break: Less than half a million birds in domestic flocks died of highly pathogenic avian influenza during June, an abrupt decline from 8.8 million in April and 5.9 million in May, according to a USDA running tally through last Monday. (USDA)
Barriers to kelp farming: The seaweed business is booming globally but entrepreneurs say it is nearly impossible, taking as long as 10 years, to get a state permit in California for a commercial seaweed farm. (Ambrook Research)
On-road incentives top SAF: Federal tax incentives for sustainable aviation fuel “are currently not enough to cover the opportunity costs of diverting agricultural biofuels from on-road use to aviation use” and the aviation fuel is more expensive to produce, said two analysts. (ARE Update)
