USDA proposes online shopping for WIC recipients
Four years after it launched a test of online grocery shopping for SNAP recipients — which rapidly expanded during the pandemic — the Agriculture Department proposed the same shopping flexibility for households enrolled in the WIC program. “We agree with WIC participants and stakeholders — online grocery shopping and ordering is essential for busy Americans,” said Agriculture deputy undersecretary Stacy Dean, who oversees WIC and other public nutrition programs.
Biggest U.S. farms get bigger
The largest farms — with sales of $1 million or more — operate nearly 26 percent of U.S. farmland, six percentage points more than they did a decade ago, even as the number of farms has changed little, said the USDA. In its annual Farms and Land in Farms report, the USDA estimated there were 2.003 million farms in the nation in 2022, a decline of 0.5 percentage points from 2012.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Feds smell bull, bust cattle scam: The Justice Department sentenced two people to six years in prison for running a multi-million-dollar cattle-trading Ponzi scheme. (Department of Justice)
Child labor penalty: Packers Sanitation Services paid $1.5 million in civil penalties for employing at least 102 children, ages 13-17, on overnight shifts to clean 13 meatpacking plants in eight states; the penalty — $15,138 per minor — was the maximum allowed by law. (Labor Department)
New FDA veterinary chief: Tracey Forfa was named permanently as the director of the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine; Forfa, a lawyer, has been the acting director since last December and is the first non-veterinarian to lead the office. (FDA)
Balance on conservation subcommittee: Republicans and Democrats have the same number of members — seven — on the conservation subcommittee, said House Agriculture Committee leaders in announcing subcommittee chairs and rosters. (House Agriculture)
Senate Ag subcommittee chairs: Heading into a farm bill year, Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith will chair the commodities, risk management and trade subcommittee, said Senate Agriculture Committee leaders, with Sens. Peter Welch of Vermont, Michael Bennet of Colorado, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York chairing the other subcommittees. (Senate Agriculture)
ON THE CALENDAR
Tuesday
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine visit a meat processor to announce USDA funding to expand meat and poultry processing capacity nationwide, 12:45 p.m. ET, Harrisonburg, Virginia.
National WIC Association holds National Policy Conference online and in person, through Friday, San Diego.
State legislators, landowners and activists rally against the use of eminent domain for carbon pipeline projects, 11 a.m. ET, Iowa state Capitol, Des Moines.
USDA releases annual Chickens and Eggs report, 3 p.m. ET.
Wednesday
Food and Agriculture Climate Alliance announces 2023 farm bill recommendations, 1:30 p.m. ET, 2168 Rayburn.
National Academy of Sciences holds a webinar on the anthropogenic sources of methane, the role of methane in climate change and potential actions to reduce U.S. methane emissions, 3 p.m. ET.
Thursday
USDA holds the annual Agricultural Outlook Forum, through Friday, Arlington, Virginia. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is the keynote speaker at 8:45 a.m. ET, immediately after USDA chief economist Seth Meyer discusses the outlook for the agriculture sector and the export outlook for 2023 at 8:10 a.m. ET. The forum will be presented online and in person.
USDA releases quarterly Outlook for U.S. Agricultural Trade and monthly Food Price Outlook report, 9 a.m. ET. At present, exports are forecast at $190 billion, down slightly from the record $196.4 billion of fiscal 2022, and food inflation is forecast at 7.1 percent during this calendar year.
U.S. trade representative Katherine Tai meets Commerce Minister Syed Naveed Qamar of Pakistan to discuss the U.S.-Pakistan Trade and Investment Framework, Washington.
USDA advisory committee on urban agriculture and innovative production holds a public meeting online, 3:30 p.m. ET.
American Agriculturist and Northeast Implement Dealers Association hold 38th New York Farm Show, through Saturday, Syracuse, New York.
Friday
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and EU agriculture commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski “engage in a conversation about how domestic policies and transatlantic cooperation can help address the challenges facing global agriculture,” 8:30 a.m. ET, USDA Agricultural Outlook Forum. The USDA is expected to update its projections of major U.S. crop production on the final day of the forum.
USDA releases monthly Cattle on Feed and Cold Storage reports and annual Crop Values report, 3 p.m. ET.
Saturday
American Frozen Food Institute holds Frozen Food Convention, through Feb. 28, San Diego.
Sunday
National Grocers Association holds National Grocers Association Show, through Feb. 28, Las Vegas.
American Sweeteners Association and International Dairy Foods Association hold annual International Sweetener Colloquium, through March 1, LaQuinta, California.
