USDA has spent $1 billion fighting bird flu
Since bird flu outbreaks began nearly two years ago, the USDA has spent slightly more than $1 billion to compensate farmers for lost flocks and to suppress the spread of the viral disease, said a spokesperson for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service on Monday. The largest outlay was $715 million to producers, growers, and integrators in indemnities for depopulated birds and eggs.
School food directors call for free meals for all students
Congress should offer free meals to all public school students and increase the federal reimbursement for each meal that is served, said the School Nutrition Association on Tuesday, speaking for school food directors. “Research shows students eat their healthiest meals at school, and school nutrition programs need Congress’ support to sustain that achievement,” said SNA president Chris Derico.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Fully fund WIC: Now that congressional leaders have agreed on a top-line limit on federal spending, lawmakers’ priority “should be to maintain Congress’ 25-year commitment to full funding” for WIC, said the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. (CBPP)
Price fixing appeal rejected: Without comment, the Supreme Court refused to hear a case challenging an agreement among poultry processors to proportionally share damages if they lose a lawsuit that alleges they engaged in price-fixing. (Reuters)
More nanoplastic bits: Scientists using a breakthrough technique found that a liter of water in a plastic bottle contains an average of 240,000 tiny particles of plastic — 10 to 100 times more than previously expected and so small they can pass into the blood stream, cells, and placenta. (Columbia Climate School)
USDA awards export funds: Nearly 70 agricultural groups will receive $174.3 million through the Market Access Program and 20 trade groups will receive $27 million through the Foreign Market Development program for export promotion overseas. (Foreign Agricultural Service)
Walmart as dairy processor: Walmart’s plans to build a $350 million dairy processing plant in Georgia “could signify a transformative shift in the dairy industry, especially in the Southeast,” with the largest U.S. food retailer buying milk directly from farmers rather than relying on suppliers. (Tank Transport)
